Firsts

FIRST DAY: Monday night was momentous; CJ started full time college!

This quarter he is taking Japanese, a history class, and psychology 101.  Japanese is twice a week at South Seattle, and the other two classes are all online. 

A fair majority of the past couple of days have been spent devoted to getting processes in order to help him be successful. Things like getting binders for each class, printing out and putting syllabuses, due date calendars and such into them, and getting into a pattern of structured study and break times. 

He has his very first quiz in Japanese tonight. I believe he'll be fine. Annabelle is helping him study for it, which means she is, of course, learning the material too. It occurs to me I should buy her the same workbook he's using, so she can do the written exercises, as well. We'll do that today.

ROYAL ARRIVAL: Monday we spent most of the day working around the house, but we did take about an hour break to jet on over the The Museum of Flight for a special fly-in.

I'd read that the Red Arrows of England's Royal Air Force would be landing at King County International Airport (Boeing Field) at about 11:30 a.m.  We jumped at the chance to see them for the first time ever!

We left home at 11, and pointed our Honda toward the museum's parking lot. That quickly proved to be a bust - they were turning people away as we pulled up. 

So, we went for Plan B, which was heading east and parking on Airport Way, along the airport's eastern border.

It wasn't very picturesque, I have to admit. ...

We weren't the only ones lined up in hopes of seeing the British ** premier flying squadron. There were several others, including a pair of women from Missouri, parked right next to us.

While we waited, we watched planes on trains go by. (The Missouri folk were delighted by that sight.)

 A Sounder train cruised on by, as well.

And we had a view of a not-so-socially-conscious plane-spotter's garbage, which included an iconic Dick's (hamburgers) bag, an empty water bottle, and an empty Modello beer bottle. 

We'd waited for about 12 minutes when I spied some lights approaching from the north. "Here they come!" I yelled at the kids, who were sitting in the car.

They were so fast! They absolutely whizzed by, and I didn't really get any great aerial shots of them. 
:(

 They left a trademark trail of red, white, and blue as they flew over the airport.

There were apparently some pretty high winds aloft, as the straight lines quickly turned into a colorful, wispy ribbons.

They flew south toward Rainier, then turned north and flew over Lake Washington, before heading back south and buzzing us again. 

Soon after, the jets touched down, one by one.

The Royal Air Force was formed on April 1, 1918. It's the oldest independent air force in the world. 

Formally known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the aerobatics display group formed in late 1964. 

 As you can see, there were a number of people on the Museum's balcony enjoying the show.

 Below is a photo of a Red Arrow in front of Raisbeck Aviation High School

 Here's one of the jets in front  of the Union Jack and the museum's Trans-Canada Air Lines plane.

 The folks in the museum's 'control tower' had a nice view as the planes paraded by from north to south.

We were delighted when they made a left turn and then rolled by on the runway right in front of us!

They were so close we could see all of the pilots and inhaled more than our fair share of jet fuel for the day.

 Annabelle waved at the pilots and some actually waved back!

https://youtu.be/xWKAr9PcHyw