Soaring

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Day Two with our visiting, vacationing Grands was set aside for something special. What to do? A favorite spot to swing by is a local airport, used by private pilots. It is also home to glider/sail planes. Lessons are supplied and engine planes give "lifts" to the non-engine variety. We've never been lucky enough to hit a day or time when we could witness the excitement of seeing a glider take off and land. Well, Hunter and Chloe brought Lady Luck to the day! Within minutes of our arrival, a nifty red and white plane pulled its accompanying glider into the blue sky. The attendant afforded us a wonderful education, regarding the sport; and he patiently answered my gazillion questions.

Did you know that a 200-foot rope attaches one to the other? When the right altitude is reached and the currents are correct, the rope is detached and the planes head in opposite directions. As we watched the engine plane land, we watched the glider soar, dip, rise and turn. It was magnificent. Nearby, a hawk floated in his own space. We stayed until the glider landed; his trip was a short one, on this particular day. The longest flight-on-currents from this particular airport was all the way to North Carolina. Wow! How impressive to think that breezes and skill can transport one many hundreds of miles.

While Chloe was very busy charming Grandpa and our new acquaintance, Hunter was captivated and glued to his vantage point. Hey, you know what? Memories are sure made of this! Of course, the big ice cream cones that followed received equal enthusiasm... memory-worthy, too, when you're six or almost three. ♥♥