Only Two Things Fall From The Sky!!

When I was in the Army, the Non-Commissioned Officers always said "Only two things fall from the sky, birdsh@#, and fools."  I guess I didn't listen, because I always wanted to jump out of perfectly good airplanes.

I made several jumps and really enjoyed it and continued with civilian jumps at a drop zone, in Cushing, Oklahoma.  Getting married put an end to my skydiving.  For some crazy reason, Peggy didn't want to see skydiving put an end to me.

One of my best skydiving memories took place at the Cushing, Oklahoma drop zone.  I took my son, Jerod with me and he was probably 8 or 9 years old.  

I took him out into the drop zone and told him to stay there.  I told him I would try to land close to him.  We jumped at about 4,000 feet, and when I had descended enough to see Jerod, I started pulling the toggles, which turns the parachute, and the fool hanging under it.  

I would bank left, and then bank right.  Jerod was on the ground, running frantically back and forth, trying to stay under me.  After two or three trips across the drop zone, Jerod shouted "Would you make up your mind where you're going to land?"  

That got me started laughing, and I forgot to brake.  I finally pulled both toggles to brake, but it was a little too late.  I was coming in pretty hot, and my forward momentum sent me skidding along the ground like a duck on a frozen pond.  

Not one of my better landings, but Jerod and I both rolled on the ground laughing.