American Heirlooms - July 2020

American Heirlooms - July 2020

302-653-2411

JULY 2020

FLYING A CESSNA 150, PART 3

For the past two months, Ethan has led readers through the process of preparing for takeoff and taking flight. In our third and final installment in this how-to series, Ethan offers a few local sights to check out from a birds-eye view and procedures for gliding back to the ground. Once your adrenaline from being in the air begins to stabilize — I cannot guarantee that it will ever go away — take a moment to observe the beauty around you. If you’re flying around Delaware, I have a few favorite locations that I believe any pilot or passenger would enjoy seeing. Whenever I’m in the air, I enjoy flying over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Connecting the Delaware River and the Chesapeake Bay, the C&D Canal is a massive body of water that sprawls across our region. It’s magnificent from the ground and even more beautiful from the sky. Of course, one can’t fly over the canal without soaring past St. Georges Bridge or the Chesapeake City Bridge. Both bridges connect the pieces of land the canal cuts across, allowing for car traffic across this body of water. It’s fascinating to watch life below continue as you soar above local landmarks like the canal and its bridges. I also enjoy flying over the Monster Mile at Dover and the Dover Air Force Base. Both offer views of incredible construction projects. I enjoy looking down on the bleachers at the Monster Mile, and at the air base the huge

runways and the cavernous C5 Galaxys. Other notable sites include some railroad bridges, gravel pits, and the large Walmart Distribution Center in Smyrna, and to learn more, be sure to talk to your local flight instructor. They will know this region of the sky very well, and I have found that they can direct their pilot trainees to some very interesting points. After marveling at the local geography, you’re ready to begin your descent back to the surface of the Earth. Since I trained out of Chandelle Estates Airport, I’ll take you back there. First, start toward the direction of the airport and runway. You do this by dialing in the correct station information for the trip back to the airport. I have typically used the local VOR, and then fly the proper radial to the station. Then it’s over to the humpback bridge. You are now ready to enter the pattern if you have descended to 700 feet. Once you are in the pattern and have flown downwind and you are at the end of the runway, set your RPMs to 1,700 and turn your carburetor heat on. Allow the plane’s speed to bleed off, and as you’re slowing down, use your throttle and your flaps and trim keep your speed and descent under control. Once

you have turned "base," your final step is to line up with the runway and descend sharply once you have cleared the trees and can see the white mark that is painted across the runway. Keep control of the plane’s speed and direction as you float in, and keep the nose off until the rear wheels have settled on the ground. Finally, you’re back on the ground. Keep the alignment with the runway centerline, brake, and slow down to the speed of a fast walk. To complete your adventure, taxi the airplane back to its parking spot, park the plane, and complete your after-flight checklist. Once in your car, you won’t believe how clunky and strange it feels to be operating a much less powerful machine. When the weather works, I enjoy the convenience of flying and avoiding all the stoplights and the curvature of the road. To travel as the crow flies and experience our region from above is like no other form of travel.

Safe journeys!

–Ethan Zimmerman

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Our craftsmen work with wood every day and know it has many diverse uses, including the creation of yard games. In honor of these games, we’re beginning a series on yard games your family can try! This month, we feature the classic game Kubb. Kubb’s origins can be traced back to the Nordic regions of Europe. Some historians believe Vikings would play the game, and it’s often referred to as “Viking chess” despite its similarity to bowling and horseshoes. The game has since traveled across Europe and into the U.S., where Eau Claire, Wisconsin, claims to be the North American Kubb capital. Kubb is designed for players of all ages. Playing with two teams of up to six players, five Kubb pieces are set up in two rows on each team’s side. A “king” Kubb is placed in the middle of the playing field. The pieces are very easy to make. The Zimmerman family uses four- by-four and two-by-four pine lumber, which can be found at any local lumber yard. After some simple straight cuts to create 10 Kubbs and one king Kubb, and a little sanding of the corners, you’re ready for a rollicking competition for players of most any age. The objective of the game is to knock over your opponents’ back row Kubbs and the king Kubb. The first team tosses their batons underhanded one at a time toward the other team’s Kubb. If they knock a Kubb over, the opposing team will throw the Kubb onto the other team’s side of the field. These Kubbs are stood up and become

“defenders,” which must be knocked down by the team that tossed it onto the field. Once the “defender” Kubbs are knocked down, the team can then attack the opposing team’s line. Once a team has successfully knocked over all of their opponents’ Kubbs, they can begin attacking the king by tossing batons. If you knock the king over before toppling your opponents Kubbs, you lose. The first team to knock over the king Kubb after all the Kubbs on the opposing team are down wins!

The Zimmerman family has been playing this game for years. It’s a fun and easy game for children and adults, and your family will likely discover just how exciting this game can be. Enjoy!

Your Kubb Cut List

Follow this guide by Ethan Zimmerman to create your own Kubb set at home! Materials: You will need 4x4” and 2x4” lumber pieces. The edges on your pieces will need to be rounded to prevent splinters.

End Row Kubbs (10 pieces): Cut the 4x4” lumber into 7-inch sections. King Kubb (1 Piece): Cut the 4x4” lumber into a 16-inch piece.

Batons (12 pieces): Cut the 2x4” lumber into 16” long pieces. Rip into 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” pieces. Round the edges.

2 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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Trees are always around, so it can be easy to overlook just how beneficial they are. Beyond providing fresh fruits or wood for furniture, there are many diverse uses of trees. Here are a few reasons why trees are so beneficial. Many trees have medicinal properties. When examining the medical uses of trees, willow bark tends to be the best known. A precursor to modern aspirin, willow bark contains salicin, which makes it effective for treating pain and inflammation. Other effective medicinal trees include beech bark, which can be used to create a lotion to treat poison ivy; oak bark, which has antiseptic and antiviral properties; and white pine tea, which can help soothe a sore throat. Trees help protect the environment. You probably already know that trees act as natural air filters by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, but trees do even more

to help the environment than just clean the air. A tree’s root system helps prevent soil erosion. Trees also help reduce water pollution. Because rainfall must flow down the trunk of the tree and is absorbed into the earth, this prevents stormwater from carrying pollutants to other water sources. Trees also help improve urban environments. By shading homes and streets and breaking up “heat islands,” trees can cool a city by 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Woodlands are good for our health. Just being around trees or in the woodlands can give our minds and bodies a boost. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people spend more time in nature. Spending time in the great outdoors has been shown to have positive benefits on our physical, mental, and emotional health. This is because being in nature can reduce blood pressure, stress levels, and muscle tension.

Trees are an amazing part of the natural world. Whether they’re in your yard or in the forest, don’t forget to pause and appreciate how beneficial trees are today.

This hearty salad comes together quickly and makes a great side to serve at your summer barbecues.

INGREDIENTS •

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1 tbsp onion, minced (optional)

2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

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1 tbsp vinegar of your choice

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1 can kidney beans, drained

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1/4 cup mayonnaise

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2 tbsp heavy cream

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1/4 cup celery, chopped

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1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS 1.

In a medium bowl, add eggs, kidney beans, celery, and onion. 2. In a separate bowl, make the dressing. Whisk together vinegar, mayo, cream, and salt. 3. Pour dressing over salad and stir to coat.

Photo Credit: Heather Brooke Zimmerman

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Brought to you by KCS Builders of American Heirlooms and Penns Creek Furniture The Swiss Craftsman

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

P.O. Box 280 • Kenton, DE 19955 • Phone: (302) 653-2411

John Henry Beachy, Thank you for sharing your enduring craftsmanship. –The team at KCS

Inside this Issue Our Final Installment in the Cessna Series: Local Sites and Landing Page 1

Great Yard Games: Kubb Page 2

These Trees Speak for Themselves

Kidney Bean Salad Recipe Page 3

National Ice Cream Day Prompts Homemade Creations Page 4

BY MAKING YOUR OWN SWEET TREAT!

Whether you’re a fan of mint chocolate chip or just plain vanilla, nothing cools you down on a hot summer day quite like ice cream. It’s only fitting then that National Ice Cream Day lands on July 19 — right in the middle of the hottest month in the U.S. Ice cream’s history stretches as far back as 500 B.C. when Middle Eastern royalty combined sweet flavors with ice for a cool treat. Ice cream made its way to North America in the 1700s, and it remained a dessert for the wealthy and famous for years. George Washington even spent $200 on ice cream throughout the summer of 1790. (That would be $5,611.20 in today’s dollars!) Thankfully, these days you don’t have to be rich to enjoy ice cream. In fact, you can even save money by making it yourself! Celebrate National Ice Cream Day by creating this everyday treat using these tips. Make it how you want it. You can flavor your ice cream however you’d like, but there are a few basic ingredients that are necessary for most batches: milk, sugar, gelatin, and eggs.

Dairy-based products like milk are the most common foundation for ice cream. Sugar adds the sweet, scrumptious flavor we all love, and gelatin aids in thickening the mixture. The eggs happen to be one of the most important ingredients because they give ice cream its classic texture while reducing the rate at which it melts. This ensures your ice cream remains in near “mint” condition as you enjoy it. Healthy Alternatives: Use bananas or almond milk for dairy-free ice cream. For vegan ice cream, use agar powder instead of gelatin and eggs. For those looking to avoid sugar, honey is a naturally sweet substitute. Get to work! You’ll need to heat your ingredients on the stove prior to churning and cooling your ice cream. An ice-cream churner is the easiest way to create a perfectly smooth texture, but if you’re looking for an activity to wear out the children, then have them shake their own ice cream! Simply place all your ingredients in a small baggie, close it up, and place that baggie in a larger one with ice cubes. Shake firmly for at least 15 minutes for homemade creamy goodness.

4 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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