View Full Version : My son in Australia
Oops, posted this by accident. But this is my son & some team mates having a blast. They are doing a mock race in Australia preparing for the actual World Solar Challenge in October. They are in the chase vehicle. And having a blast!
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/HavingagreattimeinChase_zps4a2e637e.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/HavingagreattimeinChase_zps4a2e637e.jpg.html)
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/Ianampwallaby_zps1a9ef310.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/Ianampwallaby_zps1a9ef310.jpg.html)
I think that's a Wallaby? At a nature preserve in Adelaide, Aus.
One more: Kangaroo Crossing
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/kangaroocrossing_zpsf6ad2445.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/kangaroocrossing_zpsf6ad2445.jpg.html)
Tussiemussies
9-15-13, 3:17pm
Sounds like he is having quite an adventure!
What an experience for people of his age to have now!
Oh, wow - you are making me home sick. I have a similar picture of me - at the SAME reserve - it is located in the hills just outside Adelaide - near Crafers and Mt Lofty. Such a beautiful part of South Australia.
How far can they travel in their solar "car"? How fast?
Greg, that's so cool that you recognize that spot!
The race is 1800 miles running from Darwin to Adelaide via Stuart Hwy. The teams leave at 8:30 am on October 6th. They each go as fast and as far as they can before 5 pm. There are controlled stops all along the way where each team is required to check in. At 5 pm they stop wherever they are and set up camp. The race ends from October 10th to the 13th. There are 3 different classes of cars that race so I'm guessing the fastest cars will be coming in on the 10th. The U/M team is in the Challenger class.
The car can go over 100 mph but the average speeds over the years have ranged from 84 to just over 90 mph.
U/M has finished in 3rd place 5 times now. But we are a bit nervous because they have not done too well in the years when the car has to be completely re-designed as it was this year.
http://www.worldsolarchallenge.org/
I had no idea these cars could go so fast. That is quite a long highway, and as I recall a rough one. I never drove on it, but we did fly to Darwin. Most people don't realize that Australia is roughly the size of the USA. I noted the "Roo" caution sign in the picture. There are lots of wild Kangeroos - and big ones too!
I wish your son and his team success - what an exciting adventure!
IshbelRobertson
9-17-13, 10:52am
I have one of those roo signs affixed to the side of a summerhouse in the garden.
We got it from a highway surveyor who was replacing road signs near a rellie's farm outside the ACT in NSW. He was amazed that I said it would make a great talking point for visitors. :D
He's making memories for a lifetime! Good on him!
Very nice! I was in Australia too when I was 17 to learn english:) Great experience and unforgettable memories for a lifetime. Thank you for sharing.
Gardenarian
9-17-13, 1:57pm
What a wonderful adventure, and learning experience!
Lucky kid!
I just love this photo. I believe it is early morning getting ready to hit the road for a day of mock racing.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/3dbe10fe-9108-47ec-9844-3994c353ca44_zpscc6b0edb.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/3dbe10fe-9108-47ec-9844-3994c353ca44_zpscc6b0edb.jpg.html)
Great photos! I've never been to Aus but I hear it's a wonderful place to visit.
What great pics Azure. And good luck to your son! What an incredible adventure! Keep us posted on how it goes. Thanks for sharing this with us!
IshbelRobertson
9-23-13, 1:37pm
I forgot to say, I hope your son's team does well in the competition!
Thanks, everyone, for the good wishes. The race is only 9 days away! This photo is the team hanging out inside their semi trailer waiting for a dust storm to blow over.
They are driving up from Adelaide to Darwin. They made a stop in Coober Pedy and explored the Old Timer Mine. Today they are making a side trip to Uluru (Ayers Rock).
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/duststorm_zps50161d87.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/duststorm_zps50161d87.jpg.html)
Tussiemussies
9-26-13, 5:29pm
Wow that semi-trailer looks big...looks and sounds like they are having a great time...
It IS big lol:
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/semitruckampsolarcar_zps7b4e407e.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/semitruckampsolarcar_zps7b4e407e.jpg.html)
Tussiemussies
9-26-13, 8:22pm
OMGoodness that is BIG!!!! What a great experience....
Cooper Pedy is where most of the town lives underground - and many of Australia's opal mines are found.
Such a cool adventure - what a semi - this is serious business!!
Oh, Greg, is my face red. LOL I forgot that the race speeds I mentioned before were in KPH not MPH. So not nearly so fast. OOPS! lol But the car really should be capable of going over 100 mph.
They drove past some road trains & also one of those BIG houses being moved.
Yesterday they finally saw their first kangaroos in the wild. And Ian woke up to find a huge spider in his shoe! eeewww
They also arrived in Darwin yesterday. Race begins next Sunday, the 6th.
Solar powered & 100 mph -- that is very impressive!
ps: some of the biggest spiders I ever saw were in the Northern Territory (where Darwin is).
So the car is being scrutinized by the world solar car committee on October 2nd at 8. Which would be tomorrow to us since they are a day ahead in Australia. They 're being checked to be sure that the car meets the race specifications. I know they were very careful to follow the rules but I won't relax until I hear they passed.
Very cool. I always love hearing about the solar cars. So fun to see behind the scenes. :)
Today's report: Another run in with a giant spider. And cockroaches! He has never seen cockroaches before. DH Fbooked him and said be sure not to bring any home with him lol
Yesterday (Oct. 1st) 15 teams were scrutinized and only 4 passed. :0! The teams that failed will have the chance to fix any issues and try again.
The World Solar Car website will have a live car tracker running during the race. Awesome!
They will also have WSC TV " Tune in here from 20:30 ACST Saturday 5 October for the first edition of WSC TV All the news, highlights and stories captured enroute from Darwin to Adelaide. Then enjoy two editions each day at 14:00 and 20:30 each day until Thursday 10 October."
Oh and this is so cool - There is a high school team from Mississippi competing in the Adventure Class. Actually Mississippi Choctaw High School and tribal school. They are the first Native American team to ever enter the WSC. If they finish the race they will be the 1st high school team to ever finish. I'll be cheering for them. They did fail their first scrutineering, though.
Oh, they just posted that UM, Tokai (Japan - last years winner), Nuon (Netherlands - 2nd place) , Stanford & the Swedish are being scrutineered right now.
NOOOO! My sons team did not pass inspection! They do get to make the appropriate changes and try again. But that is all know at this point. I imagine the team is too busy to tweet or anything right now.
Tussiemussies
10-2-13, 8:46pm
NOOOO! My sons team did not pass inspection! They do get to make the appropriate changes and try again. But that is all know at this point. I imagine the team is too busy to tweet or anything right now.
Hope they get their changes made quickly enough and pass inspection!
Woke up this am and checked the WSC site and YES they passed!
Oh and this is so cool - There is a high school team from Mississippi competing in the Adventure Class. Actually Mississippi Choctaw High School and tribal school. They are the first Native American team to ever enter the WSC. If they finish the race they will be the 1st high school team to ever finish.
I think I actually have an old college friend that teaches at that tribal school. Cool!
That is cool! Word is that tribes all over the country are buzzing about this venture.
https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1383736_10153336317270228_984268192_n.jpg
IshbelRobertson
10-4-13, 5:17pm
Grat photograph! Something they will never forget.
Oh man, I'm not going to get anything done tonight. I am watching the time trials on live streaming on Worldsolarchallenge.org Well, I haven't seen cars do more than go in and out of the pit area so far lol
Tussiemussies
10-4-13, 8:38pm
Oh man, I'm not going to get anything done tonight. I am watching the time trials on live streaming on Worldsolarchallenge.org Well, I haven't seen cars do more than go in and out of the pit area so far lol
So exciting!
It is exciting. But my other son may not be getting his birthday cake tomorrow lol
Bummer! The live streaming died out just as Generation was getting ready to go!:( >:( But they are now officially qualified to race in the WSC with a time of 2:13:45 minutes on a 1.78 mile road race style track. DH figures that is a speed of about 72 mph.
UofM was 5th in their class to start the race. They ended the day in 4th or 5th. We are getting some chatter that Stanford passed them at the last. There was a lot of bouncing around between 3rd & 5th. A real tussle between Nuon and Twente from the Netherlands, Tokai from Japan, UM and Stanford. Team Arrow from Australia has also been popping in and out. AND they (Team Arrow) had the best qualifying time and got the pol position. That was a surprise. I sure wish the WSC would post the official end of day results!
The team from Cambridge rolled their car and damaged it so badly they had to withdraw because they felt they couldn't guarantee their drivers safety.
There was a report of 1 team having to push their car up a very steep hill at the beginning of the race. The Swedish team had 4 flat tires. Belgium also had to stop to change a tire, but on their chase or lead car.
I am not getting much done around here because I can't seem to tear myself away from the computer. Even though it is still the middle of the night there and not much is happening.
Oh, and Mississippi Choctaw High School finished up 5th! Go Sun Warriors!
Day 2 finds UM still running in 5th place but chasing Stanford closely. We were hoping the team would not finish 3rd again this year but didn't really think we'd be looking at 5th lol. Luckily there are a few more days left in the race. The lead teams should be rolling into Adelaide on the 10th.
The New Zealand team had to drop out of the race. If I remember correctly they had motors in their wheels. One motor died and they repaired it but not in time to put it back into the wheel. Then the other wheel started falling apart and loosing pieces along the road. The repaired motor turned out to be too warped to use.
University of Calgary had enough problems yesterday that they had to trailer their car to the next controlled stop. A motor stopped working and they couldn't get it back up and running, I think.
I haven't done hardly anything again today trying to search out any kind of news. So far I haven't liked to much of it though lol
Forcing myself to ..... turn ..... off ...... comput
Almost race time. This is distressing: the race leaders have been averaging 80-90 kph. Michigan only 62! Not going to win the race that way, I'm afraid. The team has also been very silent on twitter & fbook. I really wonder what's happening with them. They spent the night 150 km behind the team lead & 75 km behind 4th place. Approximately.
Choctaw had to trailer their car yesterday to get to the controlled stop. About 13 teams have trailered their cars. The Outback ain't for sissies!
noooooo! UofM is now 6th. Speculation about the poor performance is running rampant. But the team itself remains silent. So frustrating! And depressing.
Tussiemussies
10-8-13, 8:43pm
Is there still some of the race left to go?
More bad news. There were high & gusty winds yesterday. One big gust hit Generation as it was turning to reach the controlled stop at Coober Pedy. The car skidded off the road and was seriously damaged. Fortunately everyone was unhurt. The WSC reported that the car was trailered but that is not the case. The team spent some time assessing the damage and spent the night working furiously on repairs. They plan to be on the road to Adelaide when the race starts.
And that is all I know right now. The race starts in a few hours. The lead cars expect to finish before noon Darwin time. The others will trickle in over the next couple of days, I believe. Hopefully the GPS tracking map will actually work today so we can see how everyone is doing.
One of the Japanese teams was also blown off the road near Devils Marbles and no one was hurt but their car was definitely trailered.
On the lighter side: Lead team, Nuon, has been keeping a daily road kill tally. Referring to the fact that the advance scout car has the ugly job of clearing all impediments from the path of the car each day. Day 1 - 10; Day 2 - 5; Day 3 - 0, day 3 was a good day lol; Day 4 -4. LOL
Choctaw had to drop out of the race due to electrical issues. :(
Looks like about 18 cars out of all 3 classes are listed as trailered.
I believe this is day 2. They are at a controlled stop. When they stop they cool the solar array by spraying it with distilled water. They also get in what ever charging they can.
I am seeing a bit of a resemblance to Groucho Marx here :~)
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/Day2charging_zps01c87da5.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/Day2charging_zps01c87da5.jpg.html)
Tussiemussies
10-9-13, 4:20pm
Wow, so much work goes into this...
It is kind of crazy, TM. They have a a scout car (I think) a lead car, a chase car, the trailer. There is telemetry. Meterology. Aero. Strategy. Photography/movies. They have a business division. Don't remember what it is called but they have a division take care of the details of travel and stuff. Plus they camp all along the way so there is their huge tent and equipment. Maize colored of course lol.
Race just got underway! Nothing from Michigan yet :(
Tussiemussies
10-9-13, 7:05pm
It is kind of crazy, TM. They have a a scout car (I think) a lead car, a chase car, the trailer. There is telemetry. Meterology. Aero. Strategy. Photography/movies. They have a business division. Don't remember what it is called but they have a division take care of the details of travel and stuff. Plus they camp all along the way so there is their huge tent and equipment. Maize colored of course lol.
Race just got underway! Nothing from Michigan yet :(
Wow, it's really more than I expected! Sounds like he doesn't have a moment to himself. I think it is great though that they have so much support...
First they posted this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep-xgd_eETE
Then they posted these: http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/repairsatcooberpedy_zpsd22f1d04.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/repairsatcooberpedy_zpsd22f1d04.jpg.html)
that's the top of Ian's head in the middle :)
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/parkinglotatcooberpedy_zpse391f4dc.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/parkinglotatcooberpedy_zpse391f4dc.jpg.html)
Doing some testing in the parking lot. So far so good, they say.
Hoping and praying that the next tweet says they are underway.
Guess they were just outside of Coober Pedy but they have now officially made it to the coober Pedy controlled stop.
Nuon just won the World Solar Challenge. Again. Congrats to them! 2nd place Tokai is about 1 1/2 hours behind. And it is raining.
Got a tweet from the team "we are going the exact speed we need to go to get to Adelaide by 3 pm tomorrow." God willing they will finish! A day later than expected but I am no less proud of them all.
The Swedish team skidded off the road. There is a chunk of the car laying on the ground. And Japan spend quite a bit of time on the side of the road trying to charge solar cells in the rain. It was looking like they were sure to finish 2nd but now... well, it's anybody's guess.
Thanks for the updates Azure! No matter how they finish, its a great experience for them! Keep us posted!
Tussiemussies
10-10-13, 1:28pm
Yes, it has been great to follow along. Such a good experience for them, they will remember this for the rest of their lives...
The team is back on the road for their final day of racing. Once again the gps tracking map is not working. Either that or the team hasn't turned their gps on. Oh, I never mentioned this detail: Each team has a WSC observer in their chase vehicle. He/she has the gps. They also make note of any rules issues, etc.
We don't know where they are or how it is going but they tweeted this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CnAHzSlDrU
If you click on the link it takes you to a pretty cool video. There are also lots of other videos both from U/M & the WSC.
And this was taken yesterday. Just to show that though they are down, they are not feeling defeated. They had started compiling data for the next race in 2015! This is Jessi checking out the wind speed.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/jessiecheckingweather_zpsc46a8030.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/jessiecheckingweather_zpsc46a8030.jpg.html)
Thank you so much for letting me go just a bit crazy here. I am so excited and it is very nice of you all to share in it. Thank you!
I really need to go to bed soon so I guess I'll find out in the am when they finally cross the finish line. If I didn't have to work tomorrow I'd stay up all night!
Tussiemussies
10-10-13, 10:34pm
Thank you Azure for sharing this with us, I also found it exciting and really interesting. Too bad you won't get to see them cross the finish line...chris
Great to share in this adventure so thanks.
This picture and the next are at what's called "End of Timing". This is where the racing actually ends and you get your time. However, you still have to have enough of a charge to get to the finish line in Hindmarsh Square which I think is about 15 minutes away. If you can't drive under solar power to the finish line, even if you come in first you don't win.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/endoftiming_zps71711553.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/endoftiming_zps71711553.jpg.html)
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/endoftiming2_zpse66bd1a1.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/endoftiming2_zpse66bd1a1.jpg.html)
The next 2 are at the Finish at Hindmarsh Square. Normally they finish in Victoria Square but it is under construction this year. Victoria sq. has a lovely fountain that the teams frolic in when they arrive. No fountain in Hindmarsh sq. but someone provided 2 blow up pools & a hose. LOL The teams went crazy. Haven't seen any pictures yet of U/M in the pool but I suspect they will show up. And to no one's surprise there was a lot of celebrating at bars last night.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/hindmansquare-done_zps528efc13.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/hindmansquare-done_zps528efc13.jpg.html)
That's Ian on the left in the white hat.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/atthefinishline_zps77cac60d.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/atthefinishline_zps77cac60d.jpg.html)
Not sure where the dog came from lol
ETA: p.s. The 3 kids in front of the car were the drivers
Tussiemussies
10-11-13, 5:18pm
So amazing! I was wondering about the dog too...LOL
This is the winning team Nuon celebrating in the above mentioned pools. :laff:URL=http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/Nuoncelebrating_zps7c25b898.jpg.html]http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/Nuoncelebrating_zps7c25b898.jpg[/URL]
The first article I've seen from UM Record Update
http://www.ur.umich.edu/update/archives/131011/solarcar
The Cruiser Class in a brand new class this year. These cars are supposed to be more traditionally designed cars. They were required to be able to carry passengers. And now after the End of Timing they have practicality tests to determine final placement. The 2 tests I know of for sure are parallel parking & how much luggage they can carry in the boot of the car.
This is Eindhoven's car Stella. She carried at least 2 passengers every day of the race. I know she carried 3 and may have carried 4. One of the teams started calling her the magic schoolbus lol
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/eindhoven_zps032f301f.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/eindhoven_zps032f301f.jpg.html)
This Eve from University of NSW. She was specifically designed to look like a fast car, because people like fast, sporty cars. She came in 1st in the race but we have to wait to see how she will fare at the end of the practicalities. She never carried as many passengers as Stella. She's beautiful, though.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/eveatpracticality_zps44ca8896.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/eveatpracticality_zps44ca8896.jpg.html)
Ian posted a few comments on my FB last night.
The dog is Wimble. She belongs to the former Lord Mayor of Adelaide. Last race he drove their semi. This year he just came along with the team.
The hat is an Observers hat. I'm thinking he traded hats or something with the observer in their chase vehicle.
The last comment was about the official end of the race. The teams actually have 20 minutes to charge before leaving end of timing. Enough to get them through slow moving Adelaide traffic to Hindmarsh sq. But if they break down at that point, then they are out. I knew he would correct my facts but I figured it wouldn't happen until he came home LOL
solar parade!
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/solarparade2_zps19f35f75.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/solarparade2_zps19f35f75.jpg.html)
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/solarparade_zpsed375fcb.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/solarparade_zpsed375fcb.jpg.html)
Is is as I suspected. Stella from Eindhoven is the winner of the Cruise class. 2nd place is Bochum. And 3rd place is Eve the team who had the fastest race time. I think Eve's team will be content with 3rd because they specifically wanted to build a fast car.
Oh, some of the other things that the cruise class got points for : The MUST be able to get a license in their home country. Other things were does the car have headlights, locking doors, cup holder lol
Tussiemussies
10-13-13, 9:59pm
I just love seeing the picture of a road with a bunch Od solar cars lined down it. It must be what things will almost look like some day and it gives me a lot of hope. Thank you.
Got to google chat with Ian yesterday! Yay! So nice to see & hear him. He cleared up a few things. Apparently the reason they were going so slow was due to a faulty algorithm which led them to believe that they had more of a charge than the really did.
The other thing is that they were simply out-classed, so to speak. The team has been around for many years now but the members change over constantly because they are all students. This year they were almost all new to this whole venture. Only 1 or 2 had been to Australia before. And the majority had never been around for a complete model change. They also failed to anticipate the amount of innovation that the other teams would bring to the table. They played it to safe.
They definitely learned a lot and needless to say, most of them can't wait to get started planning for 2015 LOL They will be MUCH better prepared.
One really nice thing is that one of the big-wigs in the race really, really liked their team cohesiveness & spirit. He actually said that he had hoped that they would win.
Oh and something that I thought was kind of a cool coincidence is that 1 of the teams that Ian traded t-shirts with was the team I was rooting for: Mississippi Choctaw High school! He only had enough shirts to make a few trades, something else they plan on remedying next time around lol, and Choctaw was one of them!
Tussiemussies
10-15-13, 10:07pm
So great that they really honed in on what they have to change. An incredible experience...
Ian was released from solar car duties on the 17th after taking the car back to port for shipping to America. We won't see his spare suitcase until January!
They spent a few days in the Melbourne area. They were are the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Check this out:
http://www.acmi.net.au/timeslice/Timeslice.htm?file=ts-20131019-7498c8cb45639b7cb3bb04a234ecf1d7.flv#.UmJOezILUPg. facebook
Not sure which of the kids that is. Could be Ian with his new hat lol but it's hard to tell.
Then they went up to Cairns and went scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef! Yesterday they wandered around a rainforest. Gosh, I wish I could see some pictures!!
Tussiemussies
10-22-13, 8:48pm
Hi again Azure, Wow, what a time your son is having!!! He'll never forget this....
iris lilies
10-22-13, 11:23pm
I am enjoying this saga, and the photos.
Not sure why some of the photos have disappeared. I didn't remove them. But here are a few new ones. Taken while driving down the Great Ocean Road:
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/Solar%20Summer/ianocean_zps73440824.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/Solar%20Summer/ianocean_zps73440824.jpg.html)
At least my water bottle got to go to Australia lol
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/Solar%20Summer/onthegreatoceanroad_zps682f8783.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/Solar%20Summer/onthegreatoceanroad_zps682f8783.jpg.html)
These photos were taken by Ian's friend Pavan. This is I believe Apollo Bay:
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/Solar%20Summer/rainbowocean2_zps6b2599b3.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/Solar%20Summer/rainbowocean2_zps6b2599b3.jpg.html)
They also saw a performance of Romeo & Juliet at Sydney Opera House. Wow, what a trip this has been.
SteveinMN
10-26-13, 5:00pm
Trip of a lifetime -- and they're young yet!
This is a picture of a very happy kid
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/blibobaggins_zps5f0f2353.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/blibobaggins_zps5f0f2353.jpg.html)
At Bag End!
Ok, so this would be the 1st pic.:
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/onthewaytotheshire_zps050f4965.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/onthewaytotheshire_zps050f4965.jpg.html)
Next:
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/welcometotheshire_zps468bb820.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/welcometotheshire_zps468bb820.jpg.html)
The Shire:
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/theshire_zps0656849b.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/theshire_zps0656849b.jpg.html)
View from a Hobbit hole:
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/outthehobbitwindow_zps9f001619.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/outthehobbitwindow_zps9f001619.jpg.html)
Neat!! What a great time your DS must be having!
iris lilies
10-28-13, 9:42pm
oh the Hobbit house, the Hobbit house! To visit The Shire, sigh. (And I don't even like the books, but they are iconic.) At the moment, my very favorite thing in my living room (other than the dogs) is a handmade vase and dried flower that should be sitting on Bilbo's table. It reeks of Hobbitness.
I have never read the books. I tried to read The Hobbit a couple of times & could not get into it. Ian tells me LOTR is better and one of these days I may actually try reading them. But I LOVE the movies! I bet the flowers are lovely.
And here is yet another adventure: On the lift to the Luge run in Queenstown
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/luge_zps011cf63c.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/luge_zps011cf63c.jpg.html)
That's Ian on the right & Jessi on the left or so I'm told lol
The adventure is coming to an end very soon. Ian returns on Tuesday. DH picks him up at O'Hare and they will drive home to Michigan on Wednesday. I have so enjoyed his travels and sharing them here.
I'm sure you'll be very happy to see him again! Thanks for sharing his adventures with us!
IshbelRobertson
11-2-13, 4:54am
A trip he will remember all his life.
Australia is my second favourite place in the world, after Scotland. We hope to visit family there in Autumn, next year, all being well.
Thank you for sharing the adventure with us!
Last day in NZ. 4 Friends. Just look at those mountains in the background! Breathtaking.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/4friendsNZ_zps99b2a513.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/4friendsNZ_zps99b2a513.jpg.html)
He is back in the US! Landed at O'Hare this afternoon, just a tad late. They are spending the night at my sisters house. He said he estimates his November 5th was about 45 hours long lol
He is HOME! His suitcase is shredded and he figures his November 5th lasted about 40 hours lol. But he looks good and sounds good.
Tussiemussies
11-6-13, 9:06pm
He is HOME! His suitcase is shredded and he figures his November 5th lasted about 40 hours lol. But he looks good and sounds good.
Even though you were able to be with him every step of the way via computer, you must be glad that he had great experiences but are probably thrilled to have him home! Glad he is in good shape!
A short article about the race.
http://metro.co.uk/2013/11/06/the-world-solar-challenge-in-australia-brings-together-wacky-racers-from-across-the-world-4174289/
Chris, it really is nice to be able to give him a real hug. We are supposed to go get him new glasses today but he is still sleeping. I think he'll be doing a lot of sleeping for then next few days lol
Had an interesting conversation with Ian yesterday. Seems that when the car started that dramatic loss in place it was because DS had changed a line of code and it caused problems in reading how much of a charge they had. It sounds like he was able to correct the problem within 24 hours. But then of course they crashed. He was extremely grateful that this years team has such a different team culture than in years past because nobody treated him badly for making such a mistake.
What was interesting was his take on the whole event. He felt that the biggest reason for their poor performance was actually bad strategy. He also felt that the team as a whole was over confident and did not work hard enough to improve their car and be innovative. Also having only 1 team member who had ever been to the WSC before they did not realize that the rules are "more of a guideline" and tried to follow every rule to the letter while other teams interpreted the rules much more loosely. Which led them make make a more innovations. Some of which may actually BE against the rules next time around LOL Apparently there are SOME rules that are pretty hard and fast. Mostly regarding safety issues.
He was very proud that they were able to get the car back up and running after the crash. Said that a lot of other teams may not have been able to pull that off.
AND the good thing is that before the race he was the only one saying that he was definitely coming back in 2015. Now the majority of the team is determined to come back and succeed.
So glad you have him home Azure! He must have so much to tell you about. It sounds like he's a really positive guy with a great attitude. You must be very proud of him! :)
This is the spider that was waiting for my son when he went out to the car one morning. eeeekkkk!!!!
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af78/everyshadeofblue/d5fb7abd-16ed-4d04-96e3-4f247d233898_zps89b37cc7.jpg (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/everyshadeofblue/media/d5fb7abd-16ed-4d04-96e3-4f247d233898_zps89b37cc7.jpg.html)
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