Fireworks with IFGian's in Michael IL, USA

[Baljit]

OK Guy's , we are all having a great time together here at Mark's place.Today we had a chance to play with some serious toy's!





We have a lot's more pictures for you guy's.Next couple of day's we going to post all of the pictures for you guy's.
Enjoy
Baljit

[timmy]

How cool! It looks so fun! Thanks for those pics, Baljit! Anyone who can post additional stories and pics, please do so!

[prashantsingh]

Lovely photographs Baljit. What a beautiful day.
Waiting for more and the write up.

[Hammerhead]

Reporting ...... 976 miles and Bridge is out. BTW Mark's house is just on the other side of the Bridge.

[TC]

Thanks Baljit for posting the pics. The most dangerous "toy" I have seen so far is that big fat bottle on the table



Enjoy guys... keep posting

TC

[Vikram]

That looks fantastic. Mighty glad you folks had such good fun.Looking forward to more photos. Looking at Kalyan's camera, I am certainly looking forward to a nice write-up too.


Best-
Vikram

[prashantsingh]

Did you guys actually fire that cannon and bombard the neighbourhood.
I am Sure u had a blast.....literally.

I could recognise xl , Baljit and CK. Please "tag" the others.
Mark. You've got a lovely place and a nice dog. Is he a golden lab.

[Hammerhead]

Canadian Invasion ...... ha ha . Sorry for some picture manipulations.

[Baljit]

Did you guys actually fire that cannon and bombard the neighbourhood.
I am Sure u had a blast.....literally.

I could recognise xl , Baljit and CK. Please "tag" the others.
Mark. You've got a lovely place.

Yes Prashant we fire that cannon but not bombard the neighbourhood,over all we have a wonderful time together.i am going to post more pictures for you guy's, right now I am on my way back to Canada.


Baljit

[Baljit]

Fri 21 September 2012

Route: Kelowna BC, Canada to Seattle WA and then on to St. Louis MO, USA

Hello guy's its 04:30AM and I am at the airport here in Kelowna .BC, Canada when I am writing this.

I get off from the work at 12:00AM and very excited because I am going to attend IGF Meet 2012 in USA. I am very excited to meet all my IFG friends like XL,HAJI,MARK and many more also I am going to meet CK at Seattle airport. CK and I are going to be flying together from Seattle to St. Louis and back.

A short 7 Min. drive took me to my house from work, when I get home my wife (Paramjit) had already packed my luggage for me but I went through it again just to make sure everything I needed was indeed packed for the trip. Things like the Timer, Camera, Laptop and of course my iPhone and some personal stuff.

Around 02:30AM, I told Paramjit I am going to take a shower in the meantime if she can make a cup of tea for me.
Soon as I put stepped out of the shower. I noticed that Paramjit had already taken my luggage downstairs and she had laid out my clothes on the bed for me. I dressed up quickly and went downstairs, where a cup of tea was awaiting me. I feel refreshed after the cold shower and the hot cup of tea.

I left my home at 03:05 AM for the airport with Paramjit and made quick stop at the bank for cash. Other 10 min. drive took us to the bank. Where I get the cash from the ATM from there both of us left for the airport.
Other 30 min. drive took us to the Kelowna International Airport. When we arrived there I noticed it's not lots of people there may be because it's very early in the morning, only staff member and few others.


Link for Kelowna Airport
http://kelownaairport.com/
Here we went to the airline counter for check in. A guy on the counter makes boarding pass for me also check in my Luggage, after check in I say bye to Paramjit and she left from there and I went for security check.

Now it’s 05:30 AM and I am waiting for my flight to Seattle, WA USA. I anticipate that in the next 15 min I am going to be in the plane for Seattle where I am going to meet CK and we going to have a breakfast/lunch together.
My flight left Kelowna International Airport at 06:00AM right on schedule. A short 1 hr. and 5min.flight took me to Seattle. My flight arrived here in Seattle well in time about 07:05 AM

Now it's 07:40 AM here in Seattle when I am writing this. When I arrived here in Seattle I went for the immigration, oh what a pain in the nick here in Seattle to deal with immigration department they ask me so stupid question which doge not make any sense because I do not have Mark’s full address and phone number. (All the IFG members if you are planning to travel US make sure you have all the info.) Also other thing I noticed here in Seattle is I have to collect my luggage before I went through the customs and after the customs I have to check in again. Anyway finely I went through this and I am on my way to next gate so I can catch my next flight to St. Louis.
Before I catch my next flight to St.Louis I have to meet CK here in Seattle and now I am waiting for him. His flight will arrive here at 10:15 AM from Bellingham, WA USA. We promised each other that we would have a breakfast/lunch together before we take our next flight to St. Louis.



CK going to write it down next story from Seattle to St. Louis, IFG meet and back from there with lot's pictures for you guy's.

Enjoy
Baljit

[timmy]

Great pics, Baljit! I am so jealous! Hopefully, there will be another opportunity and I'll have the chance to go. Thanks for sharing.

[xl_target]

Just though I'd add a little to continue Baljit's story.

I drove from Minnesota to St Louis's Lambert Airport to pick up Kalyan and Baljit. No sweat, it was an easy drive. It looks like most of those roads had been re-done recently so all I had to do was set the cruise and sit back. Even the normally crappy Iowa roads were as smooth as a baby's behind. A real easy drive. So eight hours later, I'm sitting in the airport. Of course, I forgot the printout with their flight number. I look at the arrivals board and there are no flights from Seattle listed. Huhn? Did I go to the wrong airport? So I ask the lady at the information counter about flights from Seattle and she says "Oh Alaska Airlines, they never post their stuff like they're supposed to". Then I get a text from Baljit saying they just landed.

So I picked up the boys and we headed out to Mark's. The GPS says 43 miles; no big deal, right? So we're driving and ....driving some more on these Missouri back roads and then it says "you are here, now take the ferry". What? No one said anything about a %$#@*% boat.

Anyway we get to this spot by the river and there is nothing but a little clearing and some broken down old buildings and it is getting dark. A couple of cars drive by and slow down and look at us but all I see is tinted windows. Hmm! This doesn't look good. Of course, Baljit and Kalyan like the place. Baljit says it reminds him of the Punjab and Kalyan thinks it's a very beautiful spot. Me, I'm thinking; "is this where people come to do their drug deals and we're in the way"? We're way out in the boonies and I'm having visions of the movie "Deliverance". I swear if I hear someone playing a banjo..... Maybe I should pull the pistol out of the range bag and load it but the dang trunk is so full of stuff. Kalyan says "XL, you can fit five dead bodies in there". Uh-huhn and the range bag is way in the back. I would have to climb in and get it after unloading everything. I look at my phone and it says "no signal". So I'm fiddling with the GPS and it basically gave me the finger. Then I put in the airport address in again so we can back track.

We finally found a gas station and I called Mark. He gave us directions to another ferry but the gas station guy says they're going to close the ferry real soon as it is getting late. So we cruise out there, quick like, on the back roads and follow the signs. I'm driving kinda fast and we round a bend and... Oh! Crap! Woah! There's the river .... slam on the brakes and stop short. It's a good thing that I just got the brakes re-done. So we back up and the ferry comes back from the other side of the river. Once across, it's pitch dark, there are no street lights or any lights out here. The GPS is telling us to go straight ahead and the road looks like a horse track. It's like a roller coaster, up and down and sharp turns. I'm dreading meeting another car on the road but thankfully only the critters and IFGans are out tonight. I'm having my doubts about the dang GPS. Where is it taking us? Finally we see a town, a real small town. I told Kalyan not to blink or he'll miss it. We went through several small towns; one called Hardin reminded Kalyan of his beloved western novels. Then the GPS says "you are here" and .. Wait? Where? What? We don't see anything, just the road. So we turn around and there is a small opening in the trees and we turn in there and It's Mark's driveway. Phew! We finally made it about three and a half hours late (to go 43 miles)! Oh Hey, don't blame me; Kalyan was supposed to be the navigator.

There we see Conty1 and his family and Haji and his family. Conty has the grill going and is cooking up a storm. We were starved and the food was excellent. Mmmm! It was so good that all the meat disappeared and Conty never even got to taste the kebabs that he made.

More to come....

[Baljit]

Guy's I got home at about 01:00AM ,i'll see if i can post more picture for you guy's tomorrow only if i have a time if not then in couple days.


Baljit

[dev]

You lucky lot. glad you had fun and that was pretty good picture manipulation.

Dev

[xl_target]

For now, all photos and stories have been moved to this thread from http://indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=15962

As I got to St Louis airport early, I wandered around a little. They have been renovating and the attractions (of any kind) are sparse. I did, however find a giant 51ft mural at one end of the airport and I spent a good half an hour at it. It represented black members of the aviation community from 1917 to the space age. The mural is very well done there are explanations of each figure at the base. The photos below do not do justice to it.





the above images are from HERE

[youtube][/youtube]

Other links to the "Black Americans in Flight" mural:
http://www.slfp.com/SLFP-SLIP.htm
http://www.aircargonews.com/0112/FT120123.html
http://www.airlinesanddestinations.com/ ... ght-mural/