 |
 |
|
TEXAS! Land of a more than one American President and a land that gave birth to folklore and legends epitomized and captured in history that to this day still go riding through the wild, wild west. Ft. Worth Texas and it’s next door neighbor Dallas are home to the Dallas Cowboys and Six Flags Over Texas, a Six Flags Park I have been to and enjoyed several times myself. Ft. Worth Texas was also the home of Old Red! Old Red is from what I can tell, the oldest person playing RCT! He is 89 years (confirmed) old and a friend of Scoops. He was going with us on this adventure and we were honored to have him. Something about this trip seemed to just make us all ageless and but for a brief moment, a week-end in time the age factor just seemed to fade away. Scoop just woke up when Brad excused himself and announced we were on a final approach to the Ft. Worth Executive air terminal. As Scoop waited impatiently to land and head for his favorite airport destination; the rest room, he felt the need to remind me that Old Red was his friend and he would start the tale. So Scoopster my friend… take care of your business and then take it away! Hang around while we spin a tall tale about the taming of the Wild West and someone who was there to see it. Along my travels over life’s highways I have met some interesting people. I received a PM from one of our members asking a question about park hosting. I had seen the name frequently in the forums but never really got to checking out his profile. This time I did some investigation and what I found out amazed me. I quickly contacted Boomer with this info and he only uttered “Wow”. It must have dumbfounded him as he is usually more vocal than that. I told him I was trying to set up a trip of a lifetime and did he (Big Red) want to come along. He did! Before all of this got started I had called Brad to have him include Ft. Worth Texas in his flight plans. Adding Texas to the list didn't bother Brad a bit, but his head came up when he saw that Oregon was to be on the flight plan also. He nervously asked why we were going to Oregon and I said to pick up Boomer. There was a silence and then a comment about if he touches the controls again; he will need a chute to land safely. I assured him that I would keep Snoopy from fighting the Red Baron again. As we circled for a landing there was an old red pickup parked out in front of the Executive terminal that had to be Old Reds.
Brad stuck a perfect landing and taxied slowly up to the terminal. Upon departing the aircraft I heard Boomer mumble something about me hogging up the Thunder Throne or something like that. Dang, I wish he would get those dentures fixed so I could understand him. Sambo and RCTNorthwest patiently waited trying to hide their laughter as both me and big ole Boomer tried getting through that little cabin door at the same time. As we approached the modern glass terminal a not so modern old codger wearing jeans and boots stepped around the corner. “Howdy, you must be the city-slickers that want to palaver with me. Which one of you boys is Scoop”? "That would be me", I offered my hand and introduced myself and everyone else, but of course Boomer was off and waddling at high speed in his one man race to reach the Throne room. "THAT would be Boomer that just blew by you in slow motion… As you can see Old Red, we all need to make that pilgrimage to the men’s room. Brad here will get you onboard and show you around. Our co-pilot Ray will see to it that your saddle bags are stowed onboard as well. Make yourself comfortable my friend and we’ll be getting out of here as soon as we’re fueled up and cleared for take off"
As Boomer and I returned to the aircraft we found Old Red engaged in conversation with Sam and James. He looked rather content in these surroundings for some strange reason. Boomer and I got situated and joined in the conversation.
Eventually the long flight from Texas to Florida took it’s toll on the old ones. Old Red returned to his seat with a tired smile on his face, soon even he joined his two old friends in their endeavors at “team” snoring, adding a special little note of his own to the old men’s concert. That didn’t distract Sambo and RCTNorthwest however, lost in “shop talk” about site stuff and RCT Parks and NASCAR trivia. As they droned on lost in their conversations, the plane droned on also, not lost in it’s headlong flight directly to Cocoa Florida and a waiting Gray Dragon, but it was completely alone in the deep azure blue sky that is seen when flying at these high altitudes. The Gulf of Mexico spread South under the Gulf Streams wings, reaching out for the Southern Hemisphere of the globe, embracing Australia then racing on to the cold reaches and permanently frozen greetings of the Antarctica. Inside the warm cabin of the small luxury jet, finally even Sambo and RCTNorthwest wound down and soon only the occasional radio check and small talk of the pilot to the co-pilot was heard as the plane raced on in its thirsty quest for adventure.
|
