Drones have fascinated me since their inception and made public through news media and ample stories about them both for good and for bad. I fancied myself owning a nice one day, but not before I got a few cheap ones to figure out how to use them and probably crash them before figuring them out.  I don't really talk about it much, just something that interests me. 

I could see flying all over and taking pics or videos. Not that I want to see into people's back yards and what they are doing there, but in public.  I figure if someone were flying a drone over our back yard I'd want to shoot the thing down.  That's kind of peeping Tom territory in my view. But if you're out in the public, you are fair game. 

I got a drone for Christmas. I didn't ask for one,  I don't remember saying anything about drones recently at all.  My friends said, well, you exhibited interest in them so, here ya go!  It was a pleasant surprise.  It's a cheaper model - but that' exactly what you want to start out with.  Something if you crash and destroy it, it's not going to end your world.  Cause' those things? You can spend thousands of dollars on them if you so desire and have the spare money laying around. 

So for the past several days I've been quite miserably failing at flying the thing and crashing it. Fortunately not from any great height and it's survived some rather bad crashes lol.  But tonight? I finally started getting the hang of it.  This one won't just sit there and hover in place, it keeps moving around all the time so you have to keep moving the joysticks to keep it from crashing. That was what was the hard part:  starting out with one that won't just hover where it's at.

Apparently if you want one that does that, you are going to spend a lot more money on it. Yet, I thought, what better way to learn than to have to keep adjusting the controls to keep it from crashing into something?  My problem has been that I panic as soon as I start to lose control and then? I really lose control of it! lol.  A couple of times into the ceiling fan flung 15 feet. I figured it was toast after that but alas, I was wrong and happy to be wrong in those cases. Other much more minor crashes.  I guess they figure you're going to crash and break them, this one came with several extra fan blades. So far I haven't had to replace them. 

But as I continue to practice, the panic mode is going down and presence of mind staying longer to simply make the right maneuver to keep it from crashing.  The only thing about this one - and perhaps all of the cheaper models are like this - is that the battery only lasts about 10 minutes.  Maybe 15, haven't really kept track, just that it doesn't last very long and then you have to recharge it. That's a plus tho, it's a rechargeable battery. 

That's my current fascination. Not likely to go away, but very likely going to want to up grade to something you can fly with GPS and stability function.  And of course a good camera. I'll wait on that tho. I want to practice on this one - and buy another if this one breaks before I get good at it - until I feel very comfortable with it.  Like, no panicking and  no crashing.  I've been doing it both indoors and outdoors. The wind today was blowing that thing around and I wasn't having much luck with it outdoors, but indoors, I was in the kitchen several times just hovering it a few inches above the floor and just keeping it from crashing into anything. Right now that's my goal.  This one has features to do crazy maneuvers.  Hopefully I will be able to try those before I wear the thing out.

`But today has been an interesting day.  Besides one of the kid's birthday today, James also said he wants to start hunting next year.  Yay! I'll go hunting with you!  My elation was a bit subdued when he said he wants to do bow hunting.  That's nothing I have ever done.  But I don't think he has, either.  I dunno.  I guess there's  really more of a rush to hunting with a bow. You're going to have to be close, right there, to the deer or whatever you're hunting - but in these parts it's mostly deer - to kill it.  He said next year tho. We just got to this year. I'm not sure why it was next year but I would guess it's a money issue.  I'd offer to buy the stuff and we just go and do it. But I don't want to come off as the guy with money and those that don't.  People have dignity and I don't want to intrude on that. 

But another revelation today: someone at the company Taylor works at offered her to come and fish at his lake whenever. Hey that's pretty cool! The lake is stocked with catfish (not the biggest fan), bass and something else I can't remember. I like bass tho. 

Tomorrow, I'm calling the guy with the 28 foot party barge and see how much he wants for it. The boat looks in good condition, I don't know if the motor runs - that's a deal breaker if it doesn't - but there is no furniture on it.  It would need work and it would have to go at a cheap price to be worth buying. 

Look, I need more to do than just staying around the house when I'm off, or going to see a movie, or running around town.  Al well and fine, but I want entertainment and there are certain things that interest me that would provide that.  It doesn't need to cost a fortune, either. 

Anyway, Saturday - is almost over.  Listened to Trump giving a phone interview on Judge Jeanine's show a few minutes ago.  I'm not a big fan of Jeanine's but I watched to hear what Trump has to say about the shutdown.  The stakes are higher now with federal employees not getting paid and airports reporting too many sick call ins to keep everything running.  People will quit. They already are. 

Wait and see.....