Greetings Loyal Airmen, here we are only a day away from Christmas and the holiday spirit is all around us, what with Christmas cards, trees and all the other iconic symbols of this glorious time of the year.  Months ago, wanting to really get into the holiday festivities, Valerie bought us tickets to attend a new stage production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol being performed at the Lincoln Center here in Fort Collins. Since moving here almost eight years ago, we’ve always wanted to visit this magnificent theater and attend one of its presentation. This was our opportunity to do so in grand fashion, as A Christmas Carol has been one of the Air Chief’s favorite Christmas stories/movies. We knew seeing it live on stage would be something truly special.

So this past Tuesday off to the Lincoln Center we went.  It was a sold out performance and lots of families with young children in attendance. The show itself was truly amazing.  Easily one of the finest interpretations of Dickens’ classic the Air Chief has ever had the pleasure of seeing. The entire cast was magnificent and the props and settings truly amazing.  The Ghost of Christmas Future was particularly daunting and scary.

In the starring role of Ebenezer Scrooge was veteran actor Scott Severance. His ability to take the character and mug him broadly for the audience was genius and bordered on slapstick to offset the grimness of this cautionary tale. In fact so good was he at this exaggerated performance, he had the children in audience laughing aloud non-stop by the final act. They truly loved him. It was until the next day when the Air Chief sent Mr. Severance a note of high praise and thanks via the internet that we learned he’s from our home state of New Hampshire, residing in the wonderful seaport town of Portsmouth, only 18 miles from the Air Chief’s home town of Somersworth. It’s truly a small world indeed.  Mr. Severance led us to believe they have been touring the country with this show and should you have the opportunity to see it, we recommend you do not pass it up. This is what the season is truly all about.

Once a week the Air Chief takes an afternoon break from work in the Hangar 27 offices to go out a get a cup of coffee with pals Todd Jones and James Gaubatz; two of the nicest people in the world.  So this past week, on our way out to he parking lot after our hourly get together talking all things movies, comics and TV shows, James asks us if we had any Black Beauty models at home; that being the name of the Green Hornet’s classic car from the 1960s TV series with Van Williams and Bruce Lee. To which we replied we did in fact have a Corgi die-cast Black Beauty packed away somewhere in our boxes of toys. At this James smiled, rushed over to his car, then back to me whereby he handed me the above Johnny Lightning die-cast Black Beauty he’d found at a toy store the previous week. Upon seeing it he picked it up for me just like that. And so the Air Chief was given as yet another early Christmas gift. What is the most touching about this little incident is the realization of how much a good friend thinks of us. That more than anything else demonstrates how truly blessed the Air Chief is with people James and Todd.  We truly pray all of you Loyal Airmen are thus blessed as well.

While amid all this holiday running around etc., we actually managed to release as yet another book, the 9th in as many weeks. This one is QUATERMAIN – The New Adventures Vol Two short stories by Erik Franklin and Alan J. Porter with a novella by Thomas Kent Miller.  Clayton Hinkle provides the interior illos and Graham Hill painted that gorgeous cover you see above here. Now available at Amazon in paperback and soon on Kindle.

Meanwhile Brother Bones movie producers Erik Franklin and Danile Husser have a posted a new video update on their Facebook page.  (https://www.facebook.com/fhentertainmentllc/?pnref=story) This has the Air Chief really excited.  Principle photography on the film will shoot in Seattle next summer. Stay tuned for more as it develops.

And so we come to the end of this week’s Flight Log, Loyal Airmen, with a wish that despite the hustle and bustle of this fun time of year, come Christmas morning all of you will take a moment to bow your heads in prayer at the true miracle we celebrate; the birth of our dear savior/lord  Jesus Christ. He came to us as a babe in a manger to show us the Father’s immortal love for each and every one of us. He came to serve us in the name of that love as example for all men and women, to cherish the gift of life and to understand our greatest Christmas gifts are the people who surround us each and every day.

God bless each of your and your loved ones, from us here at Hangar 27, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Ron- Over & Out!