Ernest,
I think that story captures the true meaning of the holidays.  As I was reading, I think a tear fell....from laughing!!

Happy Holidays to all here on the forum.

Bryan Winbery


--- On Wed, 12/24/08, Ernest Christley <echristley@nc.rr.com> wrote:

> From: Ernest Christley <echristley@nc.rr.com>
> Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
> To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
> Date: Wednesday, December 24, 2008, 2:58 PM
> Ed Anderson wrote:
> >
> > Before my grandchildren descend on this household
> later today I just
> > want to take the opportunity, while I have it, to wish
> all my “Rotary”
> > friends a Great Holiday. I truly enjoy our
> “conversations”. Though
> > there are a number of you I have not personally met
> – yet, I think
> > truly kindred spirits indeed are those who undertake
> this endeavor.
> >
> I would like to wish everyone the merriest of Christmases,
> and to that
> end I would like to pass along this heat-warming internet
> story that was
> recently passed on to me. May you always land heads-up and
> wheels down.
>
>
> In 1986, Peter Davies was on holiday in Kenya after
> graduating from
> Northwestern University.
>
> On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull
> elephant
> standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant
> seemed distressed,
> so Peter approached it very carefully. He got down on one
> knee,
> inspected the elephant’s foot, and found a large piece of
> wood deeply
> embedded in it.
>
> As carefully and as gently as he could, Peter worked the
> wood out with
> his knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its
> foot. The
> elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious
> look on its
> face, stared at him for several tense moments.
>
> Peter stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being
> trampled.
> Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and
> walked away. Peter
> never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.
>
> Twenty years later, Peter was walking through the Chicago
> Zoo with his
> teenage son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one
> of the
> creatures turned and walked over to near where Peter and
> his son,
> Cameron, were standing. The large bull elephant stared at
> Peter lifted
> its front foot off the ground and then put it down. The
> elephant did
> that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while
> staring at the man.
>
> Remembering the encounter in 1986, Peter could not help
> wondering if
> this was the same elephant. Peter summoned up his courage,
> climbed over
> the railing, and made his way into the enclosure. He walked
> right up to
> the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant
> trumpeted again,
> wrapped its trunk around one of Peter legs and slammed him
> against the
> railing, killing him instantly.
>
> Probably wasn't the same elephant.
>
>
>
> --
> Homepage:  http://www.flyrotary.com/
> Archive and UnSub:  
> http://mail.lancaironline.net:81/lists/flyrotary/List.html