Monday, August 27, 2013

Finally .. some light rains are happening which is good for the garden, although I really wish for a good downpour, just to soak the soil very well.

My squash crop is growing well .. yesterday I spent some time cutting away the mildew laden leaves … I’ve found a number of good blogs for squash growing, such as:  http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/powdery-mildew and this link was quite helpful, with regards to flowers (the first flowers are always male) and not to worry about flowers dropping off, quite reassuring:  http://bonnieplants.com/growing/growing-squash/#jump-2

I love finding reading about other gardeners‘s experiences, how they overcome their gardening “issues” .. as in “powdery mildew“.  I’ve learned that it’s alright to remove the mildewed leaves, leaving 4 to 5 leaves is fine.   Was hoping to have bushels of squash to share with friends this year .. but will still have enough to share so that is good.

When it is time for harvesting, you can bet that I’ll be posting pictures.

Anyway .. .just want to share my most wonderful latest adventure!  On Sunday I had the opportunity to fly for two solid hours (more than two, actually) in the PW 6 at Port Alberni and here you can see a great video explaining what a flight is like:  http://visc.wqs.ca/

However, as wonderful as my garden is and as much as I truly love each and every living thing that grows there, there is absolutely nothing in this world that equals going flying .. especially when it is flying in a sailplane … and on Sunday .. I had the most wonderful opportunity to fly for hours!!  Sheer heaven.

The weather was splendid … a full day of the most amazing cloud formations ..

Isn’t this crazy wonderful ???

 

Little did I know at that time ..  when I was busy clicking photos of the skies above .. that I would soon be up there myself!

So it was a hot, sunny afternoon.   I was sitting in my insect screened little tent, avoiding the hornets buzzing around .. reading the final pages of “the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” … when Andrzej called out … Anne-Marie .. do you want to go for a flight???  Well, no sooner did I hear the beginning of his sentence when I’d thrown down my book, chair toppled to the ground, unzipped the insect tent and was running across the tarmac.  Where I settled myself into the front seat of the PW-6.  And we took off minutes later!!  As you can see, this wasn’t my first flight!   I love .. love .. love .. flying!

We were soaring .. the tow line was dispatched and there was just the beautiful song of the wind coming in through the side port .. I taped a bit of this, wanting to remember this melodious yet powerful sound for later .. when I’m on the ground … wanting to remember and savour over and over and over again ..

From the ground .. early afternoon …..

 

 

 

 

 

From the air .. we were heading towards Mount Arrowsmith .. wow …………

I just couldn’t believe that I would ever be so close to this mountain!   Waved to hikers along the top … WOW

How utterly magnificent … I just reveled in the extreme joy of flying so high, I believe over 6,300 feet .. how close to the mountain we are .. gliding in the smooth air .. ever closer …

 

 

So close . I could see trees, snow, gullies .. but most of all, I felt the sheer joy of flying with the power of the wind, the thermalling had brought us up here .. no motors .. magical .. empowering ..

Time just stood still as we sailed past this venerable mountain .. such energies of beauty, power, majesty, nature .. struck me speechless as we travelled on in the air .. this was an excellent flying day ..

I felt so blessed to be up here … such a great privilege ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did fly near the Comox Glacier .. I’ll share that photo later .. here are more sky shots ..

From up above..

Thanks to my dh’s passion for flying .. I’ve experienced:  tandem hang-glider flights, which includes launching off a mountain, being towed by an ultra-light (flown by my dh!); flying on the back of an ultra-light (again, dh as pilot); sail plane rides in California, Nanaimo; an acrobatic flight for one of my (ahem) birthdays, could have been my 50th.   Flight in the back seat  of a Nanchang; many hours in Cessna 172’s and other aircraft.

However, nothing can even remotely compare with being in the PW 6 up at Port Alberni.   The smooth tow up by the Pawnee … the sweet ascent into the skies, the “thang-thwup” of the tow-line release.  Followed by hours of other-worldly soaring in the skies,   Soaring along the mountain ridges.  Thermalling to climb and the cross-country flying … a journey into another realm.  One that I truly love .. even though there are no gardens up there.

I am one very lucky gal .. and look forward to another flight ….and then another .. and, yes another ….

A 2-seater self-launcher is on our wish list ….

 

🙂