By Ted Grussing
… a long final for R21 at KSEZ … no monitoring or squawking on the CTAF 123.00 or checking weather on the AWOS 118.525, this guy just lines it up and goes for it! The supposition is that he really is going for the runway and not Oak Creek which is meandering below hidden from view in the lush green ribbon running from lower right through the center and along the east side of Airport Mesa until in the distance it merges with the Verde River. The fish in the river are fresh and at the restaurant they have already been prepared … he likes fresh.
I took the base shot this morning when I took to the skies to get some different views of the area and when going through the folder with the photos in it this afternoon I found some heron shots that I had taken earlier but not uploaded until today and it just fell together beautifully. Several years ago Corky and I had been up to the GC and were coming back via Williams and across the plateau to Sedona; we were kinda just flying slow and enjoying the day at 10,000’ when a Greenhead Mallard passed us heading the same direction … maybe a couple hundred feet off the right side of the aircraft. I wasn’t able to get a camera out in time, but what a blast to be passed by a duck! I suppose we were doing 55 kts and he was doing at least 65kts and same altitude +/- a few feet.
Most of Sedona and some of the Village is in this shot … the airport is above and to the right of the Heron’s beak. West Sedona is to the right of that and below the airport is Uptown and to the left the Chapel area. On the near right part of Wilson Mountain and above that Coffee Pot and Thunder Mountain; to the left the Mittens and above the heron Cathedral Rock and left of that Castle Rock, Bell Rock and Courthouse. Across the Verde Valley Mingus rise up from about 3500’ to about 7800’
Beautiful thunderstorms closed out the afternoon and One and I had a nice outing in clean cool air this evening.
Thought something was going on with my knees, but then realized that it was just muscles complaining about my new exercise regime using the rower … I do not do moderation very well and probably started out way too aggressively … so I’ll just keep it going until the muscles quiet down and acclimate to the new workout schedule. Love that rower!
Hope you had a beautiful day too. Going to be responsible and finish some photo projects in the morning, lunch with a friend and then the ISO 100 group over in the evening. No flying again until Thursday.
Cheers … smile … breathe
Ted
At nightfall,
Though I know I shall sometime no more open my eyes to the night or the day.
I am one who looks at the stars when unchained from the workbench at nightfall.
They are a sign I am not ephemeral, nor you, nor you, whoever you are.
The dawn comes and the dark and the sign sparkling in the brooding night,
forever and forever.
— Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
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