Where is John Wilson?

by John Wilson (all photos by me, too)

This past weekend, Parker, Amanda and I all went to downtown Charleston, South Carolina to see the Blue Angels perform in the Charleston Harbor. This was a replacement for the traditional airshow that is held at the airport each year because they are so busy sending troops and equipment to Afghanistan. We had never been to the airshow before because the traffic to get up there and get home is a nightmare, and there is no where to park.

Here is a blurb from the Blue Angel’s official website:

A Blue Angels flight demonstration exhibits choreographed refinements of skills possessed by all naval aviators. The Blue Angels’ C-130, affectionately known as Fat Albert, begins each demonstration by exhibiting its maximum performance capabilities during a ten-minute performance. Shortly thereafter, you will see the graceful aerobatic maneuvers of the four-jet Diamond Formation, in concert with the fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of its two Solo pilots. Finally, the team illustrates the pinnacle of precision flying, performing maneuvers locked as a unit in the renowned, six-jet Delta Formation.

This performance was VERY loud. Throughout the show Amanda held her hands over Parker’s ears, but he didn’t seem to mind the noise at all. Here are some of the pictures I took:

We watched the show from Waterfront Park in downtown Charleston

Look close and you can see the swirls from the propellers

The “Diamond” Formation

He’s going pretty fast

Parker laughing at me

Note: I actually posted this on a Delta flight going in to Boston. I hope the pilot doesn’t think he is a Blue Angel.

by John Wilson

Thanks to the folks at work, Amanda, Parker and I went to see the local Minor League Baseball team, the Charleston Riverdogs. Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia:

The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Charleston, South Carolina. They play in the class A South Atlantic League and are an affiliate of the New York Yankees. Their home stadium is at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The majority owner is Marvin Goldklang who also owns a stake in five other minor league baseball teams throughout the country (Fort Myers Miracle, Sioux Falls Pheasants, Hudson Valley Renegades, Brockton Rox, and St. Paul Saints).

Our seats were one row from the backstop on the Visitor’s side. There really isn’t a bad seat in the Joe, but these were exceptionally good seats.

I was amazed how much Parker stayed awake and seemed to be watching the game. There were a few times that loud music or the cracking of the bat even seemed to startle him. He’s two months old, and already a sports fan.

If you get a chance to come to Charleston and catch a Riverdog’s game, it’s a good deal of fun. We even saw local resident Bill Murray in attendance. I got a paparazzi style photo below.

Mom and Parker watching the Riverdogs

Batter Up!

Watching the Riverdogs

Charlie T. Riverdog

Matt and Sarah

Bill Murray at the Riverdogs

by John Wilson

Here are some photos of my family from Easter Sunday in Parkersburg, WV.

Parker waiting on his Easter basket

Lily and Peepaw looking for Easter Eggs

Lily looking for that last egg

Picture time with Uncle Doug

What a crew on Easter (pick which one of us needs a tan)

by John Wilson

Parker, Amanda and I took the long drive to Parkersburg, WV. This is where Amanda and I grew up.

Parker was a good boy all the way there, and only added about 40 minutes to the nine hour voyage to eat and use the restroom. While I was there I took the opportunity to drive around and take a few pictures in some of the usual spots. Next time I go home I’ll hit up some of the more interesting spots.

Also while I was home, I took advantage of some of the hills around town to get in some good exercise. The pictures directly below show the infamous, and newly renovated, Quincy Hill steps.

Quincy Hill Steps (from the top) – 175 steps total. I ran it three times.

Quincy Hill Steps (from the bottom) – When I was a kid we used to ride our sleds down that hill beside the steps. Someone would have to stand at the bottom to make sure no cars were coming after you took that ramp off the wall. Good times.

This is from the “horse shoe” in front of Parkersburg High School:

Don’t come to Parkersburg without getting thick crust pizza from the “The Pizza Place.” Best pizza in the country.

Daffodils on Quincy Hill

Click here to see the whole set – or here to see my entire collection.