March 27, 2000
We had a great time at Longboat Key yesterday, got Dad L’s home page advanced a way. (http://www.cloiselle.homepage.com) Denise and her mom got some music in, mended my clothes and talked. Theresa and Charles went out in their boat on Thursday and Theresa caught a 20 inch trout! They did’t take pictures but did say it taste great!
March 26, 2000
We had a great bike ride yesterday, up to Dunedin and back (about 30 miles or so). This time they had an art show in Clearwater! We stopped there and walked around for a while, then continued to our usual destination of Dunedin. Sometime we will have to meet up with Darrell when we do our bike ride! We always seem to do it on the spur of the moment though. No great adventure this time, just stopped in at an Amish store on the way, they have a great rootbeer float! Home made ice cream and all!
March 24, 2000
Mike, Molly, Michaela and Beth at Busch Gardens
Michaela and pal eating out of her hand.
Whole crew Dad H., Denise, Molly, Michael, Michaela, me and Beth
Molly and Michaela with showgirl! Michael got to go onstage too, waiting for Beths pictures of that!
Molly and Michaela playing in fountain.
March 18, 2000
Ides of March came and went, Michael, Michaela and Molly came down from Maine with a friend Beth. They came over and we went out for dinner Thursday night after they had spent a week at Disney! We then joined them on Friday morning at Busch Gardens. I think they had a wonderful time.
Me, Denise, Beth and Michael on “Montu”
Molly, Denise, Michaela, and me on the flume.
I get to have all the fun!!!!
March 14, 2000
Tomorrow is the Ides of March, wonder what that will bring?
Then we have 
!
March 8, 2000(rev)
Me at Bourbon Street:
Marti Gras!!!
Donald wrote:
Hi everybody,
I hope everyone is well. The kids and I are fine.
We’re having a very wet winter in CA, but it gives me a chance to ski a lot. I’ve skied at Alpine Meadows at Lake Tahoe about 10 days so far and will go up again at least once more this season. Last month the kids had President’s Day week off, so I flew them down to Reno where I picked them up for a few days at the ski cabin in North Lake Tahoe. They are both doing very well snowboarding and we had a good time. Stephen was ill on Sunday but got up to ski on Monday and is fine. We got to ski all over the mountain because both of them can handle all the intermediate trails now.
It is always great when I can spend time with the kids. Stephanie isn’t sure yet what she will be doing next year. Her senior project is publishing an issue of a teen-interest newspaper. She is doing everything from getting advertisers to publishing to distribution. She is interested in journalism and may pursue that field. My big interest is still hang gliding and I’ve been active when the weather allows. The weekend before last I joined a group of gliders and went to the San Bernardino mountains about an hour east of Los Angeles to two sites named Crestline and Marshall, and to a site near Sylmar named Kagel Mountain. I didn’t fly down there but I got introduced to the sites and the people and I may fly there soon. Marshall is 4500′ and the Crestline launch is more than 6000′. It was strange to see the gliders land coming in from Crestline. There was snow at launch so they were bundled up with masks, etc. while it was near 70 degrees at the landing zone in the valley.
Last weekend I passed a big milestone for my hang gliding. I didn’t glide for 3 months after my accident in July, but since October I’ve practiced often and had flown 13 times off the 600′ foot level at the park in Milpitas. Saturday I felt I was ready and the weather was mild so I found a sponsor for my first time off the top of the mountain (Monument Peak). This was my first high altitude launch since the accident. The altitude difference between launch and landing is 1750′. It was a fun
flight and took me about 8 1/2 minutes (I didn’t fly around or look for thermals, just a simple flight). I made my way to the landing zone and found myself still at 1000′ over the LZ. I flew back and forth losing altitude and made a perfect landing on the target cone.
I need a lot more practice and I plan to get it. I need at least 7 more high altitude flights, accumulate 8 more hours of flight time and pass a written test to get my intermediate rating and I think I can get that this year. In any case, I’m having a great time.
I think gliding/flying gives you a greater appreciation of the 3 dimensions we live in and helps you become aware of the world around us. The concept of ‘situational awareness’ has gained importance to me. And probably just like John with his sailing and David with his flying, I find myself always keeping an eye on the sky judging the wind & weather conditions. It’s good for your tan too!
I hope everyone has a great spring.
Don
March 7, 2000(rev)
Emma at 4 months.
We no longer have the john@herrickhomepage.com address, please use the john@chitester.com, john@herrickhomepage.com, deniseherrick@hotmail.com , or the herrick@cftnet.com addresses, Thanks.
We had a great time at Marti Gras. Emma, Brett and Karen are fine. Emma sure has grown in the last four months – she will be 4 months old Friday! We had a nice visit, then went to a parade, all of us! Emma’s first! Denise and I then went to a night parade and saw the Flamers, floats of all kinds, and more horses than I have seen in a while!