Huh?

Stolen Cessna Pursued by Jet Fighters Lands on Highway
A pilot who stole a Cessna plane from a Canadian flight school and was pursued for hours across the Midwest by fighter jets, landed on a Missouri highway late today and took off running, government officials said.

The single engine Cessna 172 landed on U.S. Highway 60 in Missouri at approximately 9:50 p.m. ET.

There were no reports of injuries on the ground.

The plane had been escorted by two F-16 fighter jets since shortly after it crossed into U.S. airspace from Canada, and the pilot did not respond to multiple requests that he establish communications with ground controllers.

A Customs and Border Protection aircraft was also closely monitoring the Cessna.

The plane entered American airspace over Michigan's Upper Peninsula at 3:25 p.m. today and was trailed by the military aircraft since 4:43 p.m. as it flew over Minnesota, south through Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri.

Details are scarce as to the identity of the pilot, but NORAD spokesman Michael Kucharek said the pilot is a student at the flight school and that his motives are unknown.

According to Kucharek, the F-16 pilots had made visual contact with the pilot and knew that the person that flew the aircraft was aware that the F-16s were there. He was "unresponsive to their non-verbal directions and ... not in contact with the FAA controllers," Kucharek said.

FAA officials also said the Cessna's pilot did not respond to repeated efforts to hail him on all radio frequencies.

It was thought the fighter jets might have to shoot down the aircraft if it showed hostile intent, Kucharek told ABC News.

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Kind of a stupid thing to do, unless its a practice run for something...

Someone

Someone slept really well last night, but it wasn't either of us! Punkin got in bed with us last night and snuggled down right in the middle. I think she slept like a log all night, but I don't think either of us really got into deep sleep at all. Now she's all bright and perky this morning and we're dragging around like zombies...

On a brighter note, it's snowing again...

Blizzard

It's official....its a blizzard, not a winter storm. Hubby did go to work, but he didn't stay long, and I'm glad he didn't. The local Post Office didn't even open, as far as I can tell---I called several times and no one answered. I'll find out Monday or Tuesday...
The wind drifted snow across the door, took some doing to get it open, and even more to get the dogs outside! They are convinced that I'm in control of this whole thing and that if they cross their legs long enough, I'll just fix it.
Chuck remembers the blizzards they had here when he was a boy, he said you'd take a shovel in the house, so that you could crawl out a window and shovel out the door after it was over.

I cooked up a pot of lentils and made gullets to go with it. Not sure where the name originated, but it's probably a universal fry bread. We made them when we didn't want to fire up the cookstove in the summer. You take a tennis-ball sized piece of bread dough and flatten it out between your palms, then fry it in hot oil. It will brown nicely and rise in the pan, so you want to be sure you've made it thin, otherwise it won't cook through before it burns.

Smoking

Some interesting comments being made on a board I frequent about smoking....some are likening the addiction to a physical deformity that one can do nothing about..
I'm not so sure about that, truthfully. We have the information available to us before we CHOOSE to pick up a habit that probably will become an addiction.

I see it sort of like a bear trap in plain sight. You walk around it, look at it, poke at it, and finally put your foot in there. You were told by people around you that it really wasn't such a good idea. It would damage you physically. You would smell bad. Some people would not want to associate with you. There was documented scientific evidence freely available covering the hazards. You chose to try it anyway.
Now don't expect everyone who happens by to affirm you in your choice to wear a bear trap on your foot. Some will offer to help you out, some may point out the folly of your ways, that's human nature, pure and simple. Most people will be quite sympathetic, but don't be surprised if no one wants to bring you food and water and take care of you, rather than helping you pry the trap off your foot!

Just for the record, I did smoke for 22 years. Do I miss it? No.
Am I a particularly strong person? No.

Crumbs....

That's all that was left over last night! Those kiddos can eat!
Spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread----pans and pans full, gone in 20 minutes.
It's a good feeling to look at a table full of empty pans, and tables of full children.

Beads later or tomorrow, we're working on getting a trunk show out the door, so it may not be until tomorrow.

Irony

How ironic that the governer of Kansas, a state that recently stopped issuing tax refunds, has admitted to owing back taxes.....it's true, our President should be collecting a finders fee from the IRS. Poor guy is having a hard time finding an honest appointee...

Snowing again...

It's snowing lightly---again. Con was out on her scooter last night, good thing she did it then!
The pups are snoozing in their box with full bellies. I think Brownie's ears are beginning to stand, and his tail has more curl, it lies almost flat on his back. Peanut still has flop ears, but he's usually moving so fast you can't tell, anyway!