I get to watch all kinds of birds from my backyard patio. Birds are distinguished by their size, color, and song. But I’ve also noticed that they have different flight plans, too.
The herons fly overhead in a straight line. At both dawn and dusk, they are on their way from one body of water to another “as the crow flies.” They are all business, and probably frequent the same ponds and lakes in search of fish.
The cardinals, however, flit from yard to yard and tree to tree. Each male and female pair playfully flies in and out of the wooded lots, as if playing a game of tag, in search of seeds to eat.
The hawks circle hundreds of feet overhead, watching for the movement of a rodent or snake in the grass. They never seem to be in a hurry as they keep an eye out for their next meal. Their wings never seem to move as they catch an updraft to keep them aloft.
The hummingbirds hover before flowers or feeders like miniature helicopters, their wings a blur.
The geese are way up there, long haul migrators in a v-shape.
What’s your flight plan today? An easy, relaxing glide above it all, a long trip, or a frantic day filled with activity?
For the first time in more than two years, my wife and I took a flight for our latest trip to Texas to see our son and his family. Our last flight was to Israel in September of 2019. We had been doing a lot of driving, but decided it was time to get back in the air.
Everyone was wearing masks, as required by the airports and airlines. I didn’t hear anyone complain or make a fuss. We both had some comfortable masks that I had bought at Home Depot, of all places. However, when we finally got into our rental car, we were glad to be done with them. All the people in the pre-flight safety videos were wearing masks, too.
At first it felt very strange to be back in the airport after such a long time away. The lines were not long and the concourses really weren’t very crowded. I guess Thursday noon isn’t the busiest travel time of the week.
It didn’t take long for me to remember how much I like watching people at the airport. I commented to my wife that eighty percent of the people dress like they do on any other day. But the other twenty percent wear clothes you never, ever see outside of the airport. Outrageous bold colors and prints, outfits that look more like pajamas than street clothes, very tight dresses, and shoes that look extremely uncomfortable.
Both of our flights were completely full. The flight attendant hands you a small disinfectant wipe packet as you board the plane, to either clean your hands or wipe down your seat and tray, I guess. A man across the aisle from us had brought a spray bottle of disinfectant, and sprayed down everything in his row.
Believe it or not, many travelers attempt to carry on even more than they did before. A man ahead of me carried on a suitcase and two backpacks. No wonder the overhead compartments fill up before the plane does. I enjoy the freedom of traveling very lightly, carrying as little as I possibly can.
Our flights to Texas were all on time. The only delay came at the car rental desk, where everyone, including us, had reserved a car from Budget. All the other desks were just about empty. I waited about an hour to get our car. And then after we were just about to pull out, a woman knocked on our window. Another agent had assigned her the same care. She went back in. We quickly pulled away.
Easily the most interesting guy I saw at the Jacksonville, FL airport today.
Waite for it... 