Creative Problem Solving, #5

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I took this photo August 28, 2011. Getting a 747 jet on top of a building is the epitome of creative problem solving. It's been accomplished in McMinnville, Oregon, about 50 miles from Portland. The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is also home to Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose. It's inside it's own building, along with lots of other aircraft. But, as you can see, this retired 747 has a penthouse view!
 

Here's a photo that I took in September 27, 2009, showing the 747 on the ground at the museum. It waited here until everything final preparations has been made on the new building and the weather forecast was as good as possible.
 

I have no photos of how it got situated on the roof, here's one that I took on June 27, 2010. I found a May 6, 2010, mention of the placement of the 747 on top of the building at the Daily Journal of Commerce Web site. It's the caption for a photograph: After closely following weather patterns, a crew carefully placed a Boeing 747 atop a steel structure at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville early Sunday morning. The jumbo jet is now the eye-catching centerpiece of a new water park and educational museum being built on the museum grounds. “We needed the winds to be less than 10 miles per hour,” said Rick Jenkins, right, superintendent with Hoffman Construction Co., general contractor for the project. “The weatherman promised and delivered winds of 2 to 3 miles per hour so we could get the big jet up there.” Workers operating two giant Campbell cranes needed 50 minutes to lift and place the 350,000-pound plane. “I can put this … on my resume, but I doubt that anyone else will need my expertise in placing jets on buildings,” Jenkins said.



Here's one more that I took August 28, 2011, with a closer view of the waterslides coming out of this side of the 747. Those two tiny people put it all in perspective.

About Wings & Waves Waterpark, from the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. Evergreen Wings & Waves Waterpark is an indoor, all-season educational waterpark that includes ten waterslides (ranging from slides for the little ones to slides for daredevils), a wave pool and a children’s museum dedicated to teaching students about the power of water. Consisting of classic Evergreen Museum building design, the space features nearly 70,000 square feet of educational fun, topped by a massive Evergreen International Aviation B747-100 aircraft on the top of the building. Throughout the structure, Waterpark visitors will learn about the power of water and its effects on society through dozens of interactive exhibits and learning tools. Both the Museum and the Waterpark aim to serve an important community education role and further distinguish McMinnville as a premier location for teaching students of all ages about the wonder of science.

Today I have a Zipcar.

And I'm glad it's way smaller than this vehicle. Oh, the two dogs are always there at Bright Auto Upholstery, keeping company with the sidewalk. Gotta love 'em!

I have to tell you that the other day when I was out walking at lunch, and I came across this one, I literally stopped in my tracks. A Cadillac mixed with an El Camino? That's what it made me think. So that night I contacted my buddy Ratty Caddy, in my humble opinion Kind of the Custom Caddy, and asked him if such a thing existed off the assembly line. He got right back with me and said to Google flower car. Huh? Flower car? Oh, I see, as in that which transports funeral flowers. Naturally, I had to look some more on the Internet because I saw the insignia on the vehicle, Cadillac Caribou.

I found a bit, here and there. On a message board: Caribou Motor Company (USA) Cadillac custom Caribou pick-up on DeVille chassis, SSA 1992, p.30. CLC member, Tim Pawl, who is also curator of the CLC's Museum and Research Center, owns a 1974 Caribou, several years ago he contacted company that produced them; their records were supposedly lost in a flood. The person he talked to remembered that about 90-94 were produced in 1974, and perhaps as many as 275-300 total over the period from 1972-1976. Tim says also that another version of the Caribou was produced circa 1980-84. Over the past few years, Tim recalls that a dozen or so of the 1972-1976 versions have shown up on eBay and elsewhere. There was an article about the cars in Motor Trend Magazine circa May or September, 1975. These are very rare cars; their cost, when new, was supposedly $ 20,000 over the base $11,000 Coupe DeVille price or approx. $30,000. Typical ones today [2003-2004] have been going for $12,000 to $20,000.

And here's a link to Flickr image and comments about Caribou Motor Company conversions. The info here is fantastic--turns out Evel Knievel owned  a red one similar to this one and Glen Campbell and Bob Newhart owned ones converted into station wagons!



Now I'm off to get ready to enjoy my Zipcar. Here it is, on the road the other day with someone else at the wheel. It's the Mazda 3 known as McMinnville!

Our short Ester Lee interlude, going

How about this pickup truck? Gorgeous, well-loved ride sighted in McMinnville, Oregon, on Highway 18.


Outside McMinnville, at the corner of Highway 18 and Oldsville Road. Look at that sky!


We stopped for strawberry shortcake. Oops! Duncan got a lick of whipped cream. I saw him through the camera and hollered. See my Goodwill Kate Spade, $9.99. I hope it's a real one, but even if it isn't, it's a great red leather bag.


A lovely harvested field on a rolling hillside, on Highway 18 outside Sheridan, Oregon.


Where we ended up on Sunday, June 28, on Highway 101 in Lincoln City, Oregon.


The office at the Ester Lee. Our cottage was due north, at the other end of the row. See the man with the dog? That's the dog park area, with plenty of grass and a rocky path, plus the fake fire hydrants and the narrow building with bags and a trash can. All quite civilized and efficient, except when Duncan and I made our way there after registering, the blustery cold wind caused me to zip my sweatshirt and tie the hood tightly around my face, on the last Sunday in June!

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Mama is 83 years old today, January 23, 2009. Isn't she lovely?

Last Sunday we ate brunch at the Crescent Cafe in McMinnville, Oregon. In trying to get a good photo of her while we waited for our breakfast, as she sat across the table from me, I missed what I thought was the best one. So I asked her to look up again, at the huge mirror hanging on the wall. I'm happy with this photo, very happy indeed.

Flat Stanley visits the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, Oct. 28

Our second visit to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum started out as a serendipitous stop to take a photo of the vineyard out front because all of the vines had turned golden after the grapes had been picked. As we turned down the entrance road, something caught my eye, over near the front wall of the building.



"I think I see Stormtroopers!" I hollered. As we got closer to the building, I knew I saw stormtroopers walking towards the museum entrance. Quickly I parked. A speechless Flat Stanley and I barrelled out of the car, camera in hand, the trio of movie icons in our sights. You see the mark of our success in the photo! After thanking them profusely, Flat Stanley looked at me with stars in his eyes and said, "I'll never, ever, ever forget this!"





We walked over to where I had first noticed the trio and saw this display and banner. Flat Stanley just about couldn't believe it when he got to stand among the masks. I asked about the sheets and found out that they belong to a 30-year-old man. My sons used to have sheets just like those and probably wish that they still had them today. You can read about the 501st Legion, Cloud City Garrison here.





After calming down a bit, Flat Stanley and I decided that he could stand on this wing for a quick photo and a close-up of a Navy Blue Angels plane from yesteryear.



All of a sudden, this Hudson automobile, also from yesteryear, distracted us from the flying machines all around us. Flat Stanley and I agreed that the car is just as impressive as the aircraft.





Both of us like the looks of the camo-colored U. S. Airforce fighter jet. At least we think it is a fighter jet. We'll have to make another visit to the museum to get the facts on it, looks like.

Flat Stanley only rested on the wing of this plane and of the Blue Angels' plane for seconds, mere seconds, and therefore did not leave a mark on either one. He's proud of that fact.



As we walked back towards the Buick, I took this photo of a portion of the Spruce Goose. I hope that on our next visit we will finally make it inside the museum--I'll check ahead of time to make sure there are not private parties on that date, and Miss Edna, Flat Stanley and I will see this plane--and all of the others--up close and personal. In the meantime, you can read all about the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum here.



The beauty of this young gingko tree caught our eye. Beyond it you can see one of the planes that soldiers called Gooney Birds or Goonies during WWII. Even farther back, you see that orange circle? It's on the tip of the nose of a MIG. For more about them and other sights Flat Stanley enjoyed on his first visit to Evergreen, go to Mama and Me from PDX.



As we left the museum, Flat Stanley asked, "Could you get me a picture of the sign, please? I want to remember everything about this place that I've seen so far!"



By the way, here's the golden vineyard that caused us to pull off the highway at the museum for our unplanned but swell second visit.