My morning was spent trying to keep my body pain at bay. My knee is fighting me thanks to the saw blade impact which hit when my leg was tensed so likely the teeth made tiny incisions on them and why it is taking so long for it to heal.

I was watching the winds and decided to get my wing and harness and go give the site a go. I hiked VERY slowly up the hill trying to keep my knee from shooting pain and got to the top with the winds being kinda shitty. They were gusting strong then would die. Blow from the east then gradually shift to the west. As I stood waiting on the wind a big response of emergency vehicles blasted south along the highway below.

I managed an hour of kiting attempts, mostly the wing was built into the wall with the moderate winds then it would gust hard and die and I would wait for the next cycle. I got the wing in the air a few times but found that the stand of fir trees by the fence were still in the way. Eventually I could see the rain moving up the valley so packed up and ambled down the hill back to the house. I checked a bit later and found the emergency response was to the transfer station a few miles south for a "white gas coming from the back of a truck" which shut the place down for the say for hazmat.

About 20 minutes after getting back to the house the rains began.

The cells were pretty healthy and dumped hard as they flew past.

Humphries beat Littler in the PDC to pick up the premiere league title for the year.

The last line of cells came blasting through around 2pm and had some pretty healthy sized drops falling with a smattering of hail.

The rain does do a good job of washing the dust off everything so that helps in one aspect.

I ordered myself a new front mount reserve container. The one I have is not the one I had originally ordered, I got the Gin yeti reserve container instead of the Gin reserve container. The difference is big between them. This new Ozone one has a way bigger flight deck than either GIN for instruments that zips closed and it will mount WAY better for flight. It's costing me the same as the other one but I will be able to get most of the money back when I sell the Yeti container. I also ordered Gavin's book on paragliding.

The boys got home from school and wanted to go up and finish the launch clearing. They headed up then were back down at the house for a bit. I went back up with them then, very slowly hiking up with the hand saw. They were trying to get a huge branch moved so I cut it to smaller chunks first thing. I then began cutting down all the fir trees on the left.

It took about half an hour to get them all cut down. I had to work myself into a semi comfortable kneeling position so my knee wouldn't shoot pain. There were a few rather large trunks to cut through and by the time I was done I was rather worked.

The fence line is now cleared and I have double the space I originally had.

With the trees cleared on top we had to drag the stuff up from the face and toss it over as well.

Vertically there is still some branches that need to be cut from the tall pines so they aren't overhanging so much and possible to catch a wing.

OF COURSE the winds were perfect then. They were cycling in really good waves moving from south to west. I was too beat to hike down then back up with my wing.

The last of the trees from the face got moved and the launch site is now mostly finished.

The next steps are to cut the grass, trim the higher branches, then try and clear as many of the pine cones, sticks, and sharp debris. Might have to take the chainsaw up and flush the stumps down from the fir stand but I will see how it goes.

I got dinner made, we watched the rest of Pee-wee Himself, Outback Crystal hunters, then it was soaking time. I barely got any time since as soon as I stepped in the hot water my knee went, "nope nope nope". After about 20 minutes I was out and inside with ice on my knee. Wrapped it overnight and it is a bit better this morning but still stupid sore.

This morning I will get the boys to school first thing then we have J's track meet mid morning, then mid day R's school concert. PDC is on, I've got my knee and back to baby, if I can manage walking well enough I will push the mower around the farm, then probably grill for dinner tonight.

SIGNUP FOR YOUR NEWTON PORTAL ACCOUNT AND WE BOTH EARN!