partisan39

Last Saturday, we came together on a hot muggy afternoon to celebrate the end of the summer. We had a huge crock pot full of carnitas for tacos and lots other tasty summer food. I had 4 cold kegs of summer beers on line, Belgian Light, Desert Road Blonde Ale, The Main Event Blonde Ale, California Über Alles Ale as well as a variety of bottled brews in the cooler packed in ice. We had the fire pit going but it was such a warm day that we mostly hung out on the patio and braved the mosquitoes with the citronella plant close by and branches of Rosemary passed around, the mosquito coils burning around us and enjoyed the time together. I was missing a certain special someone who could not make it on Saturday and pouting a bit inside. Next time, Lord willing, I hope that she is there next to me. That's what the audio track choice is about. I want to thank my wonderful friends and family who showed up and made the afternoon & evening very special for me. William Brewing39

I was reasonably sure that my lady friend Julie could fly my DJI Mini 3 Pro with the new Goggles Integra Motion Combo. I do have it insured for replacement. She was sporting the FPV goggles and after a little practice on how to fly with the new Motion Controller, up we went. I was plugged in to the DJI Fly app and patched into the goggles and we went for a nice flight over the neighborhood. She did great and I only had to watch the altitude a few times and proximity to the wires to the aircraft. We had fun! I only had to take motion controller back as we were landing it as it can be a little tricky to get it back on ground if you're new to landing FPV. ~ William Flying39

It was a beautiful day today in Seal Beach California. I had my folding electric bikes in the back of my little Kia Soul and I invited my Pastor Dave for a little ride through the town. 5.5 miles went like the blink of an eye as we took in the scenery on a perfect August afternoon. Ended up on the end of the San Gabriel River Bike Trail where it meets the Pacific Ocean. Finally ran into one of our brothers who showed up with his dog who was looking for us. We rode up and chatted for a bit. It was was a splendid Saturday afternoon. God is good ... all the time. ~ William Flying39

Behold, how good and pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 We had a great 13 weeks going through the story of Joseph from Genesis 37 to chapter 50. We used a great study book called Men of Character: Joseph: Overcoming Obstacles Through Faithfulness by Gene A. Getz. It was a blessing to have the men involved in this study really go through this marvelous story and take the lessons to heart and have it really have an impact in our lives. We will start a new study in a few weeks and I am really looking forward what is next for these good men who were part of our fellowship at my place. ~ William Flying39

I've been tinkering with this 24" Schwinn Sidewinder eBike conversion for a while. I ditched the 750 watt 36 volt front wheel drive for a modest 350 watt rear wheel setup. I was hoping for much lionger range and only a slight loss in top speed. I had no way to determine how many miles I could get out of my battery packs. I ran first on an 8 Ah pack thart got me 9.5 miles away until it quit. After that, I swiped the XT60 plug for the main 12 Ah battery below it. That actually got me all the way home on the 23.4 mile round trip to Seal Beach this afternoon. I had a spare 7.8 Ah pack mounted on my handlebars which I never needed. I rode into the wind heading there. Riding home was a breeze and we made good time. I brought my DJI Mavic Air 2S in my backpack in hopes to fly but all that airspace was controlled so I didn't get to fly until was was close to home. I took a little flight over Forest Lawn in Cypress. It was a very nice warm summer day in Southern California and a fun little adventure to document with my equipment. William Flying39

There is trying to explain to a friend what it's like to fly FPV and there is showing them how cool it is to fly FPV. DJI has made it much easier. I had a great time showing my lady friend Julie the lovely view over the lakes at the park and tree topping it and just showing off a little ;-) William Flying39

It has definitely felt like summer here in Southern California! I had my DJI FPV drone, a spare set of video goggles and all my batteries charged up for the aircraft. I love to have a copilot with me to go along for the ride and I had a dear longtime lady friend who wanted to try it out! The first flights were in my neighborhood but after that, I was longing to make it back to El Dorado Park for much nicer scenery and fewer hazards in the airspace. It was a lot of fun! ~ William Flying39

I heard on the radio yesterday that SpaceX was going to be sending up another Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base at a little after 9pm last night. It was a nice clear night and I hoped that I could see it. Vandenberg is 180 miles away from here but there is no doubt what it is when they launch! It was pretty amazing! I flew my DJI Mavic Air 2S to a height of 390 feet and waited a few minutes and there it was! The bummer is that I forgot that I could have selected the 2X or even 4X digital zoom and my camera onboard can't point to a position above me so I was not able to see on the video the final leg of the launch what I saw with my own eyes. My folks were also watching from the balcony of their house in La Palma. It was quite a sight! ~ William Flying39

It was too nice of a summer morning in Anaheim to meet inside for church so we took it to Maxwell Park at Sunday. Nice to meet instead under a big tree and the sun shining down on us. I was flying the DJI Mavic Mini 3 Pro with my FPV goggles. Here is a little something that I put together for my church. ~ William Flying39

It was only on Wednesday that the day that I had dreaded and prayed that the Lord might push back a little longer finally came. I was absolutely heart broken and it was all I could to not cry uncontrollably. I had to hold it together for Levi and his Momma. It was miraculous how he ended up in our lives. I thank God for the person who actually bought him at a pet shop in Mission Viejo and shortly after returned him simply because he had a little thing near his eye. My neighbor sent me an adorable pic of him back at the pet shop and he was now FREE!! Even free delivery!!!!! That did it! She brought him to me and Levi and his new loving Momma met early that evening. The date was February 17 2010. It was just meant to be. Levi was indeed a Gentleman Pup as his momma said. My two Chihuahuas absolutely adored him above all and his tenderness with them as they got old and eventually went to their reward in Heaven was something that I will never forget. I did all that I could to do the same for him as his health declined over the last few years. It was my joy to care for him any way that I could. His little sister Maggie would light up when he came to visit or stay with me. This Blue Chihuahua was a furry little celebrity around here with all that met him. The most deeply loved member of the Little Tribe. My eyes well with tears as I think of my beloved boy who just joined my Ruth & Boaz in eternity. It still knocks the wind out of me. Papa misses him very much. This is my tribute to him to give you an idea of a little life lived to the fullest, a greatest gift to us and our gratitude for that gift. Levi has no equal. His personal little food bowl is still next to Maggie's. He is beloved indeed. Papa (William)

It had been a while since my Pops had been with me at my local field to fly RC airplanes. I also brought my little copilot Maggie to keep him company. Technical problems grounded the little UMX Radian that I had also brought but I still got to fly the HobbyZone Carbon Cub SS. It was a nice breezy day and I was flying it nice and slow at times, trying to fly like a bush pilot. My father has loved aviation since he was a little kid and it's been really good to have him with me when I'm flying. Great way to spend Father's Day with my Pops. That was followed with a special dinner for my folks at my place and it was a great day indeed. William Flying39

I took my dear friend Ela to Seal Beach yesterday and it was really nice to get to walk the pier and chat for a while. Mexican food for lunch. It was a lovely, sunny day and a good, 12 mile an hour wind blowing, headed East. The seagulls were hovering in the wind like my aircraft. I had the DJI Spark in my backpack and I flew off the end the pier for a view from above. The drone got knocked around a bit but I got the shots that I wanted. It was a very good restful day indeed. ~ William Flying39

We had a dandy old time on Saturday at my place! I had 4 kegs of my beer on the patio and made some homemade, slow smoked pastrami with all the fixings. My guests bought lots of other tasty dishes and treats and we had a wonderful time. Authentic Mexican food, homemade pretzel bits, beer cheese sauce, sweets and plenty of beer drinking snacks. I had the The Main Event Blonde Ale, Carefree Highway Amber Ale (A tribute beer to Gordon Lightfoot) Meriam's Corner Ale and Marlboro Blonde Ale (a smoky blonde) all on tap! The kegs were flowing and my guests forgot that I also had two coolers full of my bottled beers! I appreciate all my friends for showing up and supporting my little brewing efforts. ~ William Brewing39

I'm putting a few of these together for my Mom, a day after celebrating her birthday yesterday. My Pops should get a kick out of this old movie too. Sorry for the stepped on, several times reduced quality of the video but it was shot on a silent 8mm movie projector in 1973 and projected onto the wall in 1991 at my folks house and we shot the video on an 8mm camcorder which I later converted to an Mp4 file. It was a joy to see that adorable pup, Jackie chasing my little sister Sylvia and the two horse Merry Go Round at the old house on Verner Drive in La Palma. Memories indeed.

Back in 1991, I was a newlywed and we went to my folks house and watched old 8mm home movies projected on the wall with my cousin Ray and the Mrs. The first movie was from around late 1973 with Halloween costumes and Christmas before we moved to the house on Kent Circle. I was filming this with our 8mm camcorder so the picture quality is not great but you get the idea. There is a portion of Halloween costumes at El Rancho Verde Park in La Palma where we had Pre School called Tot Lot. Those were the days. There are a few cameo appearances of life long friends in this short silent movie with our commentary and chuckles. My Pops old 8mm movie projector still works the last time I checked. I think that I will send these movies to Legacy Box and see if they can once again capture them to digital format I can do some more editing with the precious old memories captured here.

We had a great time last night coming together at my place to start our Men's Small Group 12 week series. We had a feast of food, carne asada, chicken and pork tacos, sweets and goodies and fabulous fellowship. It will be amazing to see what the Almighty will do in the lives in these men and the others in their lives. I am blessed to be part of it. ~ William Flying39

Yes folks! I just decided to take my little DJI Mavic Mini for a little flight over the neighborhood. It was a little breezy today. Scared some birds out of the tree next door but they went the other way. William Flying39

I recently had the experience of flying a drone off of a 31 foot sailboat on the ocean near Los Angeles Harbor. We sailed out of Cabrillo Marina and I brought my DJI Spark and a Mavic Air 2S. I was hoping to fit the float set I bought for my Mavic Mini on the Spark but the mount is different and I opted to not bring my floats with me when I sent sailing. I had read up on the challenges of flying off a boat and understand how precise the GPS Home Position is and if you run into trouble and the battery runs low, the drone will return to the place where you took off. You have to keep in mind the sailing or drifting speed. I didn't have anyone else who knew how to help with a hand launch or hand landing so I was on my own. My old Spark doesn't have the camera resolution my newer aircraft have but it's a solid and rugged little aircraft.The challenges of takeoffs and landings led me to only fly my bigger Mavic Air 2S from the marina. It was better to risk a $400 aircraft than a $1000 one should you miss the landing zone and smack the side of the vessel. These floats would have made things less risky. I have some other new equipment to make returning back to the sailboat much safer. I hope to do it again soon. There is nothing like the perspective of flying next to your boat. It was a lot of fun. I plan to do some FPV flying from the boat on a future outing. ~ William Flying39

I had tickets to see Gordon Lightfoot play live again recently. I have loved his music for many years. The original show date was canceled and rescheduled for mid-April. I checked out the available tickets for the new show and it was pretty much sold out. The show has canceled again with a new date in September? I believe? Due to his being in his 80's now, I was concerned it might have been health related. Late on Monday afternoon, I heard a news break story playing clips from his songs, and the way that the reporter was speaking of Gordon as in the past, my heart sank and they announced his passing into eternity. I turned off the radio and listened to his music instead. He was a legend to be sure. I am sad that I didn't get to see him live one more time. I am grateful for the times I saw him perform in the past. He will be missed. Godspeed Gordon Lightfoot. ~ William Flying39

My little get around car is a second hand 2014 Kia Soul. I own a big Totota Tundra CrewMax 5.7L 8V which can haul motorcycles and eBikes, but due to the price of gasoline in California, I'd just rather drive my little alien green Kia. I have a couple of bike racks but they are also a hassle. I'd been pondering an economical solution and after a few reviews, I was intrigued with a certain little budget electric bike I saw on Amazon recently. The Sailnovo was listed on the website as the following: Y1-14 Electric Bicycle, Sailnovo 14'' Electric Bike for Adults and Teenagers with 18.6MPH 28 Miles Folding Electric Bike with Removable 36V 10.4Ah Lithium-Ion Battery Throttle & Pedal Assist. It cost me $379.00 plus $90.00 for Fedex shipping. With the folding handlebars/steering stem folded down and the seat post removed, I gambled that it would actually fit in the back of my Kia Soul. It barely did, only after I put either the front or the rear wheel on the plastic hump past the trunk/spare tire compartment. I was surpirsed at the quality of the bike. It's very solid and paint and graphics are nice. It's a single speed when it comes to pedal power and but the controls are solid. LED headlight and trail with a switch on the bars. Keyed on- off switch with 2 keys. The tires are small at 14" but good handling with little mag wheels and disc brakes front and rear. No suspension on tbe front but a shock absorber on the back that is appreciated. It handles a little like a scooter with the smaller tires but it handles solidly even at the Mode 3 which clocked in at an honest 18.6 miles per hour both on the display as well as my speedometer app mounted on the handlebars. It felt a little sketchy with one hand off the handlebars since the bars aren't very wide. I only rode with one hand on the bars for a little bit but didn't trust the bumpy pavement at El Dorado Park in Long Beach. It's a little heavy at 46.5 lbs. The horn is goofy but works. The manual lists the motor as a 450 watt, but listed on Amazon at 350 watts. Pedal assist range is listed as 40-45 miles. Pure electric mode at 25-28 miles. Folding pedals. Removeable battery. The 36 volt battery charging time is 5 to 6 hours. Maximum weight of rider 264.5 lbs which is plenty. I'm 5 ft 7 and I set the seat post to the bottom position. It will definitely fit a taller rider. I apologize for the riding video quality of this movie. I had my DJI Osmo Action camera ready to go but I forgot it on the kitchen table as I left the house. At least I had my iPhone clamp on mount and decided to have a little fun with the footage I shot the other day. Overall, I am impressed with the very modest investment in this little eBike. It is as quick as my Kent Torpedo 20" BMX sized eBike "Twin engine" conversion but fits in my car. I really dig this little thing. It's a hoot to ride. Very happy with my purchase. ~ William Flying39

I got word my friend's company was installing another solar panel system not far from my place. We had a little wind the day before when I got the call. The next day, the weather was really nice and they got going. I was flying first the DJI FPV and then the Mavic Air 2S aircraft. Good job guys.

I have been trying to coax dear brother Harold to fly a drone for a while. He used to tinker with RC aircraft years ago and goes back to the glo plug nitro powered free flight planes like my Pops long ago. I was assuring him that the new drones of today are much easier to fly. He opted to just let me show him how it's done. I had also mentioned it to my friend Melinda. She is also interested to see how they fly. After church, I showed her what the little DJI Mavic Mini 3 Pro could do. We had to good time! It's a nice little compact companion packed up in its case and the perfect take anywhere aircraft. It's plenty capable and I will use it for more projects in the future.

I normally bring something that flies over to my folks place for the holidays. It was nice to get together for Easter and this time I brought the DJI FPV with both sets of goggles to take a few guests up with me. I had a few volunteers so we went up a few times late in the day. ~ William Flying39

We wanted to celebrate Easter by giving a special gift to our community. Five churches. 25 Community organizations. 150 volunteers. We came together to put on a free event at Maxwell Park. This has become an annual event that we all look forward to and can't wait to serve our community. Thank you too everyone who helped make this year's event one of the best yet! Mark your calendar for next year...April 23rd. Extravaganza 2024.

Life can be filled with the mundane and the routine all week. When a friend invites you to go out on his 31 foot sailboat for the day? I said "absolutely!" I brought my DJI Mavic Air 2S and my trusty old Spark drones and my gear in hopes to fly off the deck and do some aerial shots if the conditions permitted. I had never flown off a boat and understood the challenges of Return To Home GPS home position being where you took off from and a moving boat. I had bought some float sets for both of my aircraft but definitely didn't want to have to use them landing on the water. Trying to take off from a table was a no go. I had to hand launch. I didn't have anyone familiar with a hand landing recovery while I was flying so I tried a risky fly back in and that didn't go as planned. The aerial footage is choppy and not real smooth but you get the idea. Just barely avoided ending up at the bottom of the Pacific. I got a few ideas for next time. Sailing and the ocean is a very symbolic thing for me. It brings out a lot of emotions. Seeing Santa Catlina Island right in front of me does too. Being at the wheel of this lovely vessel when we were under sail was incredible! I could not contain my big grin. Seeing one of the tall ships in the harbor was a bonus. My friend Tom and his lovely wife Beth were gracious to me and a delight to spend the day with them. Scruffy the sea dog was a champ onboard. What an incredible day! The Almighty speaks to me when I'm on the ocean. I had so much media that it was tough to edit and trim it down to a manageable size project. I hope you enjoy it. Psalm 42:7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and waves have rolled over me. ~ William Flying39