Let's Go Fly a Kite - 4/5/15

Up to the Highest Heights...

Quick, what movie is the title to this blog from?

C'Mon, it's the one that Julie Andrews won an Oscar for!! The year was 1964!

Fun Facts: Jack Warner opted to cast Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady over Andrews and so she was available for the lead in Mary Poppins. When Andrews received her Oscar, she gave her Sweet Revenge speech, in which she thanked Jack Warner for making it possible for her Oscar win.

OK, did you guess the movie?

Hahahaha, yeah, Mary Poppins. I sorta gave it away, didn't I?

Regardless, we were singing that tune today as we bravely strode out in the blustery and definitely cool morning weather. It was on the coolish side and we did get a gentle sprinkle of light rain while we were out. We were undeterred, though. 

Hahaha, we've got some kite flying to do!! Carol had gone to WindDriven, a kite store near us and got us a new kite.

Here's the whole song:

With tuppence for paper and strings
You can have your own set of wings
With your feet on the ground
You're a bird in a flight
With your fist holding tight
To the string of your kite.

There she is!! Our new Sting Ray kite.

And she's pissed!!

Oh, oh, oh!

Let's go fly a kite

Up to the highest height!

Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring

Up through the atmosphere

Up where the air is clear

Oh, let's go...fly a kite!!

Hahaha, no, she wasn't mad, she was just ready to get up into the air.

I had barely cleared the asphalt and gotten into the sand when she began pulling at the string and pushing herself upward.

When you send it flyin' up there

All at once you're lighter than air

You can dance on the breeze

Over 'ouses and trees

With your fist 'olding tight

To the string of your kite.

And, by golly, she's a flyer!!

She took off and never looked back. It was all I could do to keep letting out the line for her as she soared higher and higher.

               CB

I mentioned the weather...it was acceptable but it wasn't getting better any time soon.

This shot looks back at our house. See the house with the tall chimney in the center of the picture? That's the house immediately behind us; or, another way of saying that, our house is directly in front of that one. You can see the clouds coming in. The weather forecast is for increasing rain this afternoon and overnight.

And it didn't look much better to the north, either.

Oh, oh, oh!

Let's go fly a kite

Up to the highest height!

Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring

Up through the atmosphere

Up where the air is clear

Oh, let's go...fly a kite!!

               CB

This was great. I've never in my life gotten a kite to fly as well as this one. Normally there is a lot of running and frustration and, as I got older, a good deal of cursing as well.

Not today. She took off and never looked back!! It was the easiest kite-flying experience I've ever had. To be honest, I must tell you, I've not had a lot of experiences with kites. I think I was soured by the few times I tried, and failed, to send one aloft!!

Not today, baby!! Not today!!

Hahaha, today it was so easy, I could fly it without using my hands!!

Look, Ma!! No hands!!

                CB

I know this has nothing to do with kite-flying. It's here because, well, because I like it and it's my blog, thank-you very much. 

And then Carol took her turn and, BAM!! she let go of her inner child!!

First she made the Sting Ray dance, giving her some tugs and pulls on the string.

And then it was Katy, bar the door!! Because Carol was off!!

Hahahaha, someone was having a good time!!

Oh, oh, oh!! Let's go fly a kite!!

Up to the highest height!!

Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring!!

Put a girl with a kite next to the ocean and all sorts of fun things begin to happen!!

She had the most fun!! I just enjoyed watching her romp on the beach with her kite.

And while she was relatively stationary, I hot-footed it as fast as I could up the beach so I could get a long shot of her and the kite...together.

That tiny little dot there on the right side!! That's Carol. And you can see the kite way up there just a wee bit left of center towards the top.

She was flyin' high, amigo!!

And the clouds were getting closer.

It was time to go and so Carol began reeling the Sting Ray back in.

Hahahaha, I was all over the beach today getting pictures of Carol and our new kite.

And this is why I sometimes call her Short Attention Span Carol. She's reeling in the kite and then spies an old friend coming down onto the beach so she quickly hands off the reel to me and, BAM!! She's off again!!

Hahahaha, that was quick!!

She's a 12-year old greyhound that Carol's met before on the beach...with her two Pooper-Picker-Uppers with her.

After some serious petting and oohing, Carol let her go to catch up with the Pooper Guys. But first she had to check out the gal with the bike looking out over the ocean.

Adios, Old Greyhound!!

It was time to head back in. Oh, we'll be back with The Sting Ray, that's for sure. Hopefully without as many layers of warm clothing. But I'll have on my funky red & white swim suit, count on it.

Lookin' good, Jackie B.

               CB

Hurray!! We got 'er up and got 'er down!!

I know I'm partly happy because she went up so easily and came down just as easily. The rest of the happiness is just being.

It's a great kite, y'all!!

               CB

Back at the casa. You can see, just above my head and a bit to the right the Lighthouse windsock Carol bought for me. I'm always going on about lighthouses because of my daughter, Michelle. She's a Lighthouse Looney Tune and so I picked that up from her.

               CB

Kite-flying is fun. This baby was sooooo easy to get up and down that I am pretty sure I'll be doing it again. Hahaha, I'm even planning on getting my chair out, sitting on the bluff over-looking the beach and flying my kite while I do a crossword puzzle.

Ahhhhh, my kind of exercise!!

Fun is where you make it, right?

And life is good.

      Hooah!!     

P.S. We both strongly recommend you enjoy an evening of good fun by watching the movie, Mary Poppins. Then, the next night, you can watch Saving Mr. Banks. Both movies are worth the effort and you'll have a great time.