August mornings are often shrouded and mysterious. Today the sun was a glimmering disk, incandescent behind its misty veil. Once it broke through the fog, it pointed with golden fingers to spider webs spun overnight, sparkling like circus tents for fairies. It is easy to believe in magic and other worlds on an August morning.
Before the heat clamps down like an iron fist, I take a leisurely ride on my bicycle along the edge of the pond. The currants are ripening in a purple tangle. I pick some and nibble at the clusters of tiny, tart-sweet berries. The gentle roar of a small plane makes me look up. As I watch, the little yellow airplane heads straight up into the clear blue sky and then ever so slowly tumbles backward and dives again before leveling out and moseying off to its private grassy airfield a few miles south.
(I found this image of the actual plane on flickr.com/photos/37309693@N00/238961338) Watching that plane roll and turn makes me think of the worlds within worlds we inhabit. Though I've been in a small plane myself and can identify with the thrill of flying, I can only guess at the pilot's thoughts as he tumbles through the blue like that. It looks so effortless and yet he's all concentration. There he is, in a world of dials and instruments and a knowledge of updrafts and tension and wind speed, while I, with my feet firmly planted on the ground think about how blue the sky is, what might tempt me for breakfast when I return home and how fast I have to ride to dodge the mosquitoes.
The middle of the day will be hot - the temperature is predicted to reach into the 90s - making a nap in the screen tent a necessity. A swim to cool off, either in my brother's pool or at a nearby lake will round out the day nicely. Sundays are rest days, after all. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow I'll clean the cottage and do the laundry and pull weeds. Today I will simply fly free.
9 comments:
Was going to say 'have a nice day' but you're already there!
My old boss, a wing commander, used to take me in his two-seater trainer at RAF Bruggen now and then.
We'd zoom, bank and do all sorts in the skies above Germany and Holland in 1955. Lovely chap; ex-Battle of Britain fighter pilot. Now no longer with us, unfortunately.
I love to fly, but I do find the small planes can be a little unnerving!
No doubt we will soon have heat such as you are having...sigh..
Ah, the everyday magic, making us feel that almost anything is possible. Sometimes right before it rains I will notice a change in the light in the house, setting everything in a different sort of contrast. It's oddly attractive, making all our known possessions look like strangers.
I like your writing, Pauline. It really conveys a lot of contentment in things we too often overlook.
Philip - it turned out to be a glorious day though HOT! I get the belly-overs when the pilot I fly with zooms and banks. He is teaching me how to read the instruments and lets me control the yoke now and then. I doubt I'll ever want to fly alone but I'm having fun in the sky.
Meggie, yes and our heat will begin to dissipate in a week or two. back to school in just 8 days - where has my leisurely summer gone?
LOS - I thank you. I am delighted to hear I convey that contentment when I write.
Yes, it feels like such a beautiful relaxing Sunday! I feel relaxed just reading u! I, too, have had the joy on being in a 2-seater plane. We went "cloud-jumping", which I loved.
Although ur blog is bookmarked (& others) I rarely think of going 2 visit. Too much fun on Flickr, I guess! I posted a couple more of my adventures last week.
Enjoy the rest of the summer.
Helene :-)
I have always wished I could experience the thrill of being a bird! But I'm a little too scared to try hang-gliding.
Something thrilling and liberating about the idea of flying though in reality I'm rather a nervous nellie.
Love your wonderfully poetic descriptions of life in the country.
I'm really a countrywoman at heart (Essex, England) who ended up in Manhattan by mistake.
I try to 'bloom where I'm planted' (horrible bumper sticker cliche) but you get the idea.....
Eleni - what, exactly is cloud jumping?
Barbara - my pilot friend says he never saw any reason to jump out of a perfectly good airplane ;)
Thanks for reading, Elizabeth. I've been enjoying your city posts. You appear to be blooming with abandon ;)
Pauline,
MMMMM, how could I explain.....
Cloud jumping: When the plane makes a sudden 90D going over the cloud and then another 90D going down the cloud. Quite fun! Everything just "floats", just like in space. We couldn't do a loop like I wanted to cos of all the photography & video equipment.
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