Today was a sort of calculated risk.

Last flight went really well in zero wind conditions, with the engine never going above 180 degrees (ambient temp was 85 and 90) and running really well for 45 minutes. The ASI is garbage, but I tabled that issue for the moment.*

The forecast was to be zero-zero with CAVU this morning, but it wasn't so. Wind was 2 kts gusting to 4 when I took off and about 3-4 on landing; I had intended to keep to zero-zero for the next few flights. As you can see, I violated my plan - but the weather was well within both the plane and my own abilities and I gotta fly in a little bit of wind sometime. No big surprise it turned to a crosswind - it always turns into a crosswind, though only about 35 degrees.

The unexpected bit was just how sensitive the aircraft is to thermals and bumps. Not in a OH CRAP sort of way, but one feels them a lot more than in a Champ. The upside is she's really stable and still responsive at the same time; I caught a nasty little gust on final (as I'm sure was noticed) but it was easily dealt with. The key is to land under power, and to do wheel landings.

On that big ol' runway I contemplated landing across it diagonally, and in fact finished up my landing that way, just pointing a bit in the wind.

I'm going to do another hour or so of just flying around and doing some turns before contemplating slow flight and stalls.