Thursday, November 8, 2007

"Missing in Action"

Well since my last entry things have been quite busy, there have been motorcycle rides of course.
However I did mention kites last time and this is where I shall start.

I finally put my Kite Powered Catamaran away for the winter but not before one last outing in late October. Since I was in the Cat and flying the kite, I have no pictures but in order for you to know how this all works I shall start at the beginning.
My sixtieth birthday, a couple of years ago now, was a good excuse to go visit a friend in New Zealand as he is the designer of both my KiteCat and the kites I use to power it. On a whim when my wife said what would I like to do to celebrate turning sixty I mention New Zealand, not thinking she would take me seriously, of course.
Well to my pleasant surprise she just said "OK". It did not take me long to get up off the floor and book a ticket.
Well that was a fun trip and so here are a few pictures of my first attempts to sail a boat with a kite.
Loaded up and ready to roll.
The very first time on the water, Brighton Beach near Christchurch.
getting the hang of it, almost out past the surf.Well this is easier, second time out in the estuary near Christchurch.
Never did look good in a closeup.
Lake Mead up in the mountains, a tricky place for wind direction.
All done for another day.
The following year in Pamlico Sound, Cape Hatteras waiting for wind!Ah, found it and got going.
Earlier this year in the river near where I live which is mostly where I sail.Thats it folks pack up and time for a cool one.
Hope you like the pictures, just enough to give you a taste of an unusual pastime.

Well I said I have been busy and in the last month or so, we have had two visitations from the old country.
Both from nieces on my wife’s side of the family, now I have a dubious reputation to uphold as far as "The Recycled Teenager" is concerned, other stuff shall be left unsaid at this time !

So the first niece who is in her late 30's I took whitwater rafting.
The second visiting niece in her early 30's I took to the tops of the trees locally, Zip lining and generally doing scary stuff, no I am not comfortable with any heights where I do not have both feet on the ground.
The resulting pictures and story line from these two escapades I shall leave till next time so as to keep you coming back.

Now remember today’s title and do stop for two minutes at least on Sunday the eleventh.