So, here we are.
 
The pictures show a range of things. In one, I am trying to prevent dehydration, and in another, you can see that I have removed the bird feeder, and then I am feasting on the grains, shovel handy to fend off birds of a feather. 

The last picture is my favourite. At the flight line, I met Maurice Aubut, who told me that he had flown at GGC 30 years ago, and at a contest at SOSA, Frank Vaughn (friend of Dave Ferguson and John Brennan) had crewed for him. I was able to re-introduce him to Frank. Maurice on the left, Frank on the right. 
 
Please, if you have not done so, have a look at Dan Daly's contest blog at 
http://ggcthisweek.blogspot.ca/2013_07_01_archive.html
 
The contest is over, Master Wilson set off to drive home, and I am hitch hiking along the long and winding road. To quote Dr. King, "Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last."
 
Joerg, Krys, Willem, Rafael and Chris were about 1/3 of the contest in numbers, more than that in spirit. SOSA has long been a driving force in X-Country Soaring in Canada, and many thanks to them for showing up and working so hard to make this contest work so well. You can help keep this going by getting your badges, and by doing tasks as much as you can out of SOSA to keep the tradition going. 
 
And many thanks to Roger, Dan, and all the others at GGC. 
 
And thanks to those from SOSA who came by to see and to help. I have flown at all the clubs in Ontario, some no longer here, and others around the country, and I encourage you to visit and see what else is out there in the soaring world. 
 
Fifteen years ago, I wrote about a stray cat at Champlain who needed a home - let us hope that 'JB" finds a place in someone's heart. 
 
Oh, yes, here is how the folks at GGC see me: "(Doug, an amazing tow-pilot (who may eventually be presented with that SOSA tuggie of the year award he won)"  -   see the next issue of freeflight for more info.

Doug Scott
Crew W2

Day 12 of my captivity

Polish Krys was flying Mike Foxtrot, which is to my knowledge the only glider ever to land in the African Lion Safari. Here is a picture of the local wild animal reserve, just down the road. Every day after Krys departed on course, I wanted to park his car and trailer nearby, to see if I could induce some sort of natural attraction thing, but since I was tethered to English Chris's trailer, I never got the chance. 
 
Today was a pretty good soaring day, over much but not all of the course. Master Wilson made it home safely, and is shown here, shortly after landing, standing beside my residence. Click on the picture for better resolution. Joerg and Willem got back too, but I was too far away to hear their stories, and J.B., while a good pet, doesn't have the human-type hands that the raccoon did, and is therefore useless at sign language,  so there was no point whatsoever in sending him to inquire.  I tell you, you  probably can't tell from what I write, but this heat is getting to me.
 
I have figured a way to undo my leash, so  I could roam around, and I had thought that I was safe as long as I was back before Master Wilson, however, I was spotted in the clubhouse and was ratted out by, well, R.H. (Not his real initials.) Fearing serious reprisal, I thought quickly and told Master Wilson that I was doing my part to help and to make W2 look good to our hosts by taking out the kitchen garbage cans. (By now, you know where this is going, don't you?) Let's just say that for the first time in days, I am not going to sleep hungry.
 
The incident made me think of past contest crews who had perhaps not gotten the best meal provisions in their contracts. (My best ever was Fox 1, in 2000, I never ate so well as when on that crew.) Anyway, in the running for getting less that they had hoped are Doug O'Connell, who was with Al Wood, and got nothing but sandwiches on WHITE bread, and Christopher Herten, who crewed for Colin Bantin out west, where all the other crews had steaks the size of catcher's mitts. Chris had a steady diet of canned Dinty Moore Beef Stew. Apparently, to this day, when Julie sends him shopping, he refuses to push the cart down the canned foods aisle. 

Doug Scott
W2 crew

In the mean time, from US, Luke sent me a message:  "You should have crewed for 2W instead of W2.  Bill got to sleep in a hotel and  drink beer. "

Doug Scott
W2 Crew

Evidently, I have become invisible. Last night when I was taken to the clubhouse to help in the scullery, I had this "conversation."
 
Me - Hey, Joerg, I made coffee, would you like some?
JS - Oh, great, I like coffee, who made it?
Me - I made it,  Joerg
JS - MMMMM! This is good coffee (to a passing stranger) - Did you make this coffee? What's that noise I hear?
Me - That is the sound of my life, slipping away
 
Well, today was low overcast, thunderstorms late in the day when all the others were probably in the clubhouse for dinner. So, no flying, once again. I did not see another person all day, but there has been a change in my room mates.
 
Late last night, as I was sneaking back to the glider trailer, with half of Sonia's birthday cake, I met the raccoons heading in to check the garbage cans. They quickly turned around and began to follow me, circling around me, trying to climb up on me to grab some. This is what Cap'n Dave calls 'leaching.'  Their little paws have sharp nails, and this hurt, plus I wanted to save some cake for today. So, naturally, there was some biting and slapping and harsh words and squeals were exchanged. Soon we all began urinating to mark our territory, and I then realised it was over.
 
I crawled under the trailer, fastened the rope to my collar, had a last handful of cake, stored the rest in a hubcap, and, lonely but full, fell asleep. During the night I had a strange yet stimulating dream. Someone was kissing me, and I was stroking a very hairy back, with both hands. Now, I have not thought about my ex-wife, Vera, for many years, but who else could I be dreaming of? Suddenly, I woke up and stared straight into the face of J.B, my pet groundhog, who had returned and was sitting on my chest licking icing and crumbs off my moustache!
 
How nice to have him back. So, even though I had no human contact today, I had someone to talk with and to share the cake with at lunch. Oh, and he says "Hi" back to  Henry Krause.  Tomorrow he is going scouting for a rigger for you.

Doug Scott
W2 Crew

Well, folks, today was a good day all 'round. 
-The weather was the best yet, and I got to bathe
 
- we got in a contest day for both classes,
- Chris Wilson in W2 won the day in Club Class,  due mostly to my highly polished wings
- Chris let me off the trailer leash to come to the clubhouse and be at his beck and call.
- here is a picture of him becking, or maybe calling, I get the two confused
- for me, it was great to be away from the trailer, and to be able to pick my own table scraps. That lazy raccoon is no real comfort. Boy, do I ever miss "J B" my erstwhile pet groundhog.
- another bonus for me is that Master Wilson said that I smelled like Jeffrey Dahmer's refrigerator and insisted I have a bath before serving him.
- here is a picture of me, naked, in the GCC clubhouse, using a Montreal Soaring Council flag, donated by Yves Bastien, KI, as a bath towel. After I had used it, he did not want it back, and he very kindly said that I could use it as a ground sheet under the trailer. Yves, you're the best.
- Oh, did I mention that Yves landed out, yet again?
- it was Sonia Hildesheim's birthday, and here is a pic of the family celebrating with the Club Class leader, followed by a fireworks display (I was able to use the diversion to run off with about half of the cake)

Well, I've got to finish this cake before the raccoon family gets back from their nocturnal prowl. I am glad that the club Wi-Fi extends out to the glider trailer parking area.

Doug Scott
W2 Crew

Another non-flying day, but, as usual, the contestants rigged and sat on the grid for a few hours before scrubbing the day.
 
As Master Wilson was sitting in the shade, under the Single Seat Team W2 umbrella, in his what-I-can-only-assume-to-be comfortable chair, he was watching me wax and polish the glider, and he had an idea. He reasoned that the same arm motion would deliver a top-notch back rub massage.
 
He cobbled together a massage table from three wing stands, and set me to work. This attracted some interest from other pilots. Master Wilson made some financial arrangements and then had me carry on, FAI Class first, then Club Class.
 
I am pictured here removing stress from Yves Bastien, K1.
 
A strenuous day, but it was a treat to be out from my lodging under the glider trailer for a few hours.
Doug Scott
W2 Crew

Day Eight of My Captivity
 
Another day of rain. Master Wilson spent most of the day wearing his rubber boots, and then decided to have me help him change into appropriate footwear for his dinner in Bourget. 
 
My life under the glider trailer has gotten much better. A mother raccoon has arrived and scared off "J.B", my pet groundhog. The raccoon makes frequent trips to the clubhouse garbage cans to forage for food for her young. In the darkness, I guess that I pretty much smell like her kits, so she shares the kitchen scraps with me. It is nice to have vegetables to go with the worms and grubs. It seems like there was a banquet of some kind last night in the clubhouse judging by the quality of the scraps today. With sign language, I am trying to show the raccoon what a wine bottle looks like. Sometimes there might be a little bit left in the bottom.

Doug Scott
W2 crew

Today had the best WX forecast so far - we rigged, the grid launched, and most returned or landed out. 
 
My shackles are long enough that I can get in the car and drive it, as long as it is attached to the trailer. My rope is attached to me and the trailer, so I thought that I had the opportunity to drive to retrieve W2 and perhaps stop along the way and honk the horn outside of a police station. 
 
It turns out that Chris has disabled the horn, window buttons, and door locks, so that once I am in the car, I can only drive to his landout spot. 
 
Well, today he landed out and I had planned to drive to a town and ram the car into the town hall. Foiled again. Tom Coulson arrived, stuffed me into the trunk of the car, and drove to the landout site. So, I cannot tell you where Chris landed out, other than it seems we drove over a bumpy road, turned left-right-left-right-right and crossed some railway tracks. 

Doug Scott
W2 Crew

Once again I could not see the flight line very well, being chained to the glider trailer in the parking area, but they did not have a task today. I am less lonely now that I have adopted a pet groundhog. I call him "J.B."

Doug Scott
W2 Crew