The weekend went very well. On Saturday we went to the rocket launch that we had been looking forward to. The cub scouts organized the trip to the CMASS launch site. CMASS is model rocketry club that meets regularly for these launches. They’re lousy at writing directions, though. After we eventually found the site, in the middle of a 500 acre field we start launching the rockets. I’ve posted the photos here: http://modelrocketryatcmass.solomonville.net/
Ben’s rocket went really well. It carried two styrofoam shuttles up with it and lets them go when the inertia lets up. He managed to recover the rocket and both shuttles each of the three times it launched. I think one time his parachute failed to open but the rocket still survived.
Gabriel had less luck. On his first launch, his Screamin’ Mimi took off at about a 45 degree angle and flew away! He and a friend went to look for it but couldn’t find it. Liz also looked but couldn’t find it. A couple of hours later someone turned it in. The parachute was too badly damaged to be salvaged so we didn’t launch it again.
Chloe’s rocket was troublesome as well. We brought it up for the safety check and the guy wouldn’t let us fly it because a fin had fallen off while chloe was playing with it. She eventually got a chance to launch it later, but because there was no wadding in it, the heat from the rocket burned up the string holding it together. So she didn’t get to launch it again.
Grace’s … oh cripes. first she lost her registration card. Then the igniter burnt out on the launchpad. Then she lost the replacement igniter. She eventually got bored and wandered off but I felt an abiding need to launch her Gnome. It did launch but the elastic shock cord that holds the nose cone to the body of the rocket dislodged from the body and we were only able to retrieve the nose cone.
They served hot dogs and drinks and everyone was very welcoming and generous. We had a really good time. So good, in fact, that I think we’ll go back on our own. I have to admit that I saw a model V2 rocket that looked really great launching. And I might like to put together one myself. Ben did 95% of the work on his rocket. Unfortunately, Liz’s father has no practice helping kids do anything so he did a lousy job helping Gabriel but built the whole rocket himself. Same with Grace’s. I helped Ben and Chloe.

Afterwards we stopped at the famous Hodgie’s ice cream stand and enjoyed ice cream in the shade on a hot sunny day.

On Sunday we went to Portland, Maine to visit Mike Gorman and his family. Another acquaintance from high school, Tim Hopper was also visiting. We all had a really good time visiting a sandy beach at a river. We grilled some burgers and dogs and picnic’ed. We spent the afternoon swimming and playing in the river and visiting old friends. It was an excellent day.

I should get back to work — I have a lot to do this week. In two weeks I’m taking some time off to go down to Wildwood, NJ to see Liz’s family. And there’s no way I will be able to do it unless I get to a certain point in my work. But things look pretty good in that regard.

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