SkyWatch Friday :: Lemmon to lemonade

Staff Sergeant Andrew Weber, TANG, USAF, has been on assignment in Arizona for the last few weeks. That's him atop the rocky tor above.
Specifically, Andrew is briefly in residence at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, flying in-flight refueling missions most days and many nights.
In between gassing up Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons out of South Carolina (of all places) on gorgeous Southwestern days ...
... Andrew had an opportunity to hike Mount Lemmon, the summit of which is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Mount Lemmon is part of the Coronado National Forest. You can take my word for that; I looked it up.
Being very much an East-of-the-Mississippi girl and not being any stripe of a hiker (my outdoorsiness is limited to walking to the mailbox, lolling in my pool, and graving), I don't know where my son got his vivid sense of adventure.
But he's got it. If he's not zipping along the terrain on something that's round, rubber, and rolls, he wants to be in the sky or as near it as he can get.
I don't know which Air Force photographer to thank for the photos of my son refueling the F-16's, but I'm glad they were nearby to catch the breathtaking spectacle of the workhorse KC-135 Stratotanker in action amid a formation of formidably fortified Fighting Falcons.
Thank you Andrew, for the perfectly grand photos of iconic purple mountain majesty beneath magnificent skies, and for the happy skies in which you serve your country.
God Bless America. Don't forget to Spring Forward tomorrow night.
And that is all for now.
=0=0=0=
Happy Friday ~ Happy Weekend


Reader Comments (13)
Amazing pictures!
Wooow...what a great series of photos...lovely clear blue sky and cool aeroplanes...Have a great weekend..
I just don't know how Andrew does that - refuel the planes, I mean (I can relate to the hiking). I just can't imagine flying along and finding the exact spot the fuel tank is on the other plane. Plus, yikes, they have to come so close. The sound must be deafening, but the sights from way up there awesome. Was it the Beach Boys who sang about the Santa Catalina? Have a good weekend, Jenny. PS I actually looked up "graving" because I thought you were throwing me a new word again - of course, visiting graves...I had to smile.
Gorgeous views of these mountains and skies! Had to chuckle about your son, because I am like him (my mother had no appetite for adventure:):) ) I became a doc though, so don't worry about him!
@MZ ... thanks and it's good to see you here again. I always enjoy your sky photos.
@Indah ... thank you and if I could take credit for them, I would! But I'm so glad my son sends them to me. You have a great weekend too.
@Barb ... Girl you've forgotten more about hiking than I'll ever know. Andrew is intrepid like you. I have a tendency to face plant ... and yes, I've done that in a cemetery more than once! Graving is my favorite pastime, but of course I'd never do it without a camera in my hand. That's the whole point. Isn't it incredible what they do with those planes? I'll never get over it. Andrew has found something he truly loves to do.
@Jesh ... Well next he wants to become a pilot so I'm afraid I will worry a little more (I hate to fly!) ... but I am all for those who love adventure, enjoying one now and then. Thanks for stopping by and happy skywatching!
Wow, a great post! Incredible skies. The air force shots are awesome. Your son's a good looking kid!!
It appears that not only is Staff Sergeant Weber amazing at his job, but he has also inherited his Mom's skill with the camera. Those photos are so beautiful!
He's much more adventuresome than I, but good for him - and thanks to him for his service!
@Peter ... thanks for stopping by! Good to see you as always. We've always thought he was a handsome fellow, haaahaha.
@Mari ... yeah he's just like me: aim the camera (or in his case, iPhone) at a gorgeous subject, and click away! You can't go wrong! xoxo
Shalom Jennifer. You are a brave mother! Once in a while I sight our F-15s refueling like this, here over the Negev desert, and it fills me with awe, how they can do it.
@Dina ... I avert my eyes most of the time. Literally and figuratively! Thanks for dropping by.
How of lovely.
Thanks for sharing the photos. They are amazing.
Oh my, such gorgeous photos.
So glad Andrew shares! I know you are so proud of him. Heck, I'm proud and don't know him. :)
Great job there, Andrew. And, I love the first pic of your adventurous son, Jenny. :)
xoxo