Quilts and Kites....

Dec 20th was cloudless from false dawn to sunset, with warming temps, mild winds, and a trip back to the mainland, which is a good sign that J is going to survive the crud caught from the last visit with humanity. 

You see, J likes to quilt.

And she likes everything else that goes with quilting.  In fact, to satiate that interest, we removed the little used love seat from the Fox and replaced it with her sewing machine before leaving Windy Hill.

So far, both J and the machine have traveled well...


And of course, she found a quilt shop in Manteo that was only open on Fridays during the winter...you can connect the dots from there.

Coincidentally she also found one in Billings when we picked up the Fox...

Think I am seeing a trend... 

The adventure might be as much about quilt shop visits as vistas!





The warming trend and steady 8 mph wind was more temptation than this ol' boy could refuse.

It brought to mind a time Dad took us three boys to the Anthony farm in Red Creek, not to work...but simply to fly kites...

The good old fashioned Ben Franklin kind of kite, that was expensive, at a whole dime, bought from Foster's.  Engineered with tissue paper and balsa sticks, where the length of kite line you could buy for another nickel determined whether your kite actually reached sub-space orbit.


Now days, kids are given helmets, knee pads and only have to worry about white vans...all we were given was encouragement to go fly our kites when it was storming outside - which we "may" have tried.  And which may also explain why so many old people today have no teeth, are bald and can't hear. 

(Don't you just hate it when wrinkled old cobs start talking about the ol' days...!!!)


But on that day over 50 years ago, the winds were kind, steady and gentle, and we flew that single line kit on 300 feet of string for six hours...

(...actually, we held onto the string for 10 minutes, then tied it to the mirror of the '63 Falcon station wagon for the next 5 hours and 50 minutes while Dad snorked inside and we boys played in the barns tight walking roof beams and jumping down hay mows). 




And there is still something magical about a kite dancing in the wind.

...and the joy received from flying a two line delta is considerable.

But that four line Mo-Jo...simply mesmerizing...

Up, down, sideways, even backwards...the designer has my Thanks for creating a time machine, enabling me to be eight again, even if only for a brief moment in time.

Which also establishes my considered concern about kites.


There is significant risk in letting a child have a kite... 

The risks are pending death from electricution during a lightening storm, and of even greater concern, is encouraging a child-like wonder that may last into their 90's!


The reader has been forewarned!




Oh, also the sunrise this morning, another gift from God...

Let the adventure continue...