Chapter 33

"David?" Wendy closed her phone.

"Yes?"

"The Sutherlands need us." Wendy didn't look worried, though.

David, however did, "They in trouble? Broke? In jail?"

"Nope ... Historical Archaeology."

"Oh ... cool!" That rang David's bell.

"Way cool."

"What do we do with the kids?" David, the worrywart.

"Take them with us. Mina has sitters."

"Who is Mina?" Ah ... someone new.

"Wili ... you know ... Wilhelmina ... Billy's sister."

"Mina?" Oh, really?

"Yeah ... as in the Mina half of the Sutherlands."

They both laughed. It was pretty funny.

"But she's older." David objected.

"Bill grew ... a lot." Wendy explained.

"How much is a lot?" Always the pessimist.

"Six Ten." Wendy was pretty sure she got that right.

"Holy Shit. She's such a little thing ... mostly."

"Yeah ... Mina said she still has the anti gravity boobs."

"How do we get there? Drive or fly?"

"Fly ... they have a hangar ... the dig is a couple of miles out of town."

"The 25, PBY, Ilyushin or the Widgeon?"

"Nobody has a hangar big enough for the PBY ... except the military ... I think it's a rule."

"This is true ... We haven't flown the Widgeon much since the new engines."

"Let's take it ... the 25 and the Ilyushin are fuel hogs ... and we have so much trouble with the machine-guns on the 25."

"The Lycoming conversion Harold did is pretty. But we'll have to stop in Dallas or Tyler to fuel up."

Yeah ... it was pretty ... Hanging the oil cooler and turbo under the engine in housings similar to the original Ranger cowlings made a much nicer look than the commercial Continental conversions. And the extra 140 horse power made for shorter takeoffs.

"Let's go see Davis."

Davis was fine with them leaving. The living floor on top of the bluff was in full swing and Steve could run it. He mentioned that the Historical Archaeological Experience would look good on their CV's

"You kids go have fun." Wendy couldn't get over Davis calling her a kid, and nothing she said about it worked.

He stopped a minute, these kids were the future of archaeology so he asked, "What is it anyway?"

"Unreported Civil War battlefield, she said. Then she mumbled, "Or maybe post war target practice."

"Ooh ... maybe I should go too."

"Get your stuff. You can fly down with us."

"I was kidding."

"I'm not ... I see no reason for you to stay ... Steve is here. Take a couple of weeks off from the museum ... have a busman's holiday."

"I'm not real big on historical. We keep finding the evidence of too many bribes."

And they did ... find governmental misdoings, the implementation of Homestead Act was full of corrupt officials ... just like today.

The Widgeon was a war baby and had a documented depth charge drop on a U-Boat that was shooting back... 'Combat Aircraft!' Neither combatant scored ... but still ... it was enough to wear wartime Coast Guard colors.

With the new cowlings, it was hard to tell the engines weren't the Rangers until you looked at it straight on. The width gave it away. The cowlings were a little longer ... weight distribution, center of gravity and center of mass all change when you reduce weight by way of lighter engines. The Lycomings stuck out farther than the Rangers to retrieve the original center of gravity and balance.

Harold had done the math ... other than being faster the plane flew just like the 1944 built aircraft did new. The wings had had a total re-spar and recover. It was cheaper than a new plane of comparable size and still retained the old world flavor ... it was still pretty.

They suffered through much the same attention in Tyler as the Sutherland's did. Wendy was almost embarrassed to admit she had a B25 and a PBY back in Durango. But the Widgeon still necessitated an over night stay and some flights for the Veterans ... always honor the Vets ... they're the reason we can vote.

The folks in Tyler tried to pay for the rides and the overnight stay, but Wendy wouldn't take it. She donated the money to the little museum and dropped a couple of bundles of old money on the Society on the way out.