May, 2024
The kites that people flew here were wonderful! I have not been to kite-flying competitions or demonstrations, so maybe my frame of reference is lacking, but I’m happy with that. 🙂 The kites here were so much fun and fascinating. This wasn’t a competition or formal event, just people who like to fly kites.
Above … afternoon kites in the sky above my truck and trailer.
But even earlier in the day, late morning, these kites below showed up. The people who flew them were down there on the beach so I was able to watch and learn a bit.
Here those folks are (below), prepping the kites and the lines, figuring out where/how to anchor the lines on the beach. I don’t show it, but they tied the lines to large pieces of wood, tree trunks, branches that had been washed up onto the upper parts of the beach. That way, the kite owners didn’t have to stand and hold the lines. The wind was gentle, tho firm enough to keep the kites flying, and consistent so the kites just stayed right up there in the air, for hours!, until the owners brought them down.
Below, the pink one is up.
Then the blue one.
And next is the green one.
Other people launched kites too, that morning, and throughout the day.
And then, later in the afternoon, FIVE fishes were launched.
Happy fish!
But look, look at the photo up above, six photos up above the one above, go look, above the individual photos of each of these five fish … the fish were facing to the right in that photo … and now they are facing left! Same fish, same line of kites. The wind had shifted. Sort of like the current in the ocean I think. 🙂
And then … and then! I heard this buzzing noise. First it was from the south, but I didn’t pay much attention. As it drew nearer, I paid attention! Wow, how cool is this?
He came up over us from the land, but he headed out over the beach, over the ocean, and then back over the land. Video below …
Spectacular! 🙂 And I didn’t even hardly leave my trailer today! I spent quite a bit of time down on the beach this day, talking with those kite flying folks, taking photos, watching the ocean, walking up the beach again, then walking through the campground, talking with campground employees and other camper folk, etc. It was a great day. Just right here at “home” with my sweet RV camper, Towhee the Trailer.
So, one escape trailer at wt. of ____ lbs.
“How many fish kites would we need to lift ‘er off?
Just a little question to our math wizard.
Jan
Ah ha! A challenge! 🙂 Ok, the “dry weight” of a standard 21-foot ETI trailer is 3,465 pounds. But add the weight of the fluids in the fresh water tank, the grey water tank, and the black water tank … then add the weight of the extras that I had added to my trailer when it was built (solar panel, larger fridge, large storage box out front, an extra storage cupboard inside, a few other things, etc) … then add all of my personal stuff in the trailer (the second “remote” solar panel, food, clothes, tools, bedding, toiletries, camera, computer, dishes, cleaning supplies, books, paperwork documentation for the trailer, an umbrella(!), a few gallons of bottled fresh water, dri-z-air equipment, wheel chocks and blocks and hoses and electrical connections and cables, not to mention toilet paper and my slippers!) … all of that, everything together, using my precise mathematical computations, adds up to a total weight of 4,000 pounds. Continuing from that … if each fish kite can lift 4.5 pounds, then we’ll need exactly 888.888 fish kites. So let’s round that up to 889 fish kites, just for a little cushion.
Ok, Jan, head to the store and buy those fish kites. Let’s get Towhee the Trailer airborne! 🙂
What fun! I love all the eyeballs on so many of them, especially that dark octopus looking one. Cool! 🙂
I liked that one too Judy. 🙂 Fun stuff.
Way, way cool!
🙂 It was so much fun.
Wow, what fun you had and how pretty they are. What is that air machine that the guy is in? That would be fun! 🙂
David, I didn’t know what that air machine was called either. But reader Lisa tells us what it is in her comment below. I’m terrified of heights, so I’ll pass on thinking a ride in one would be fun, ha! But I loved seeing it.
That’s so pretty, and fun to watch. I think it takes real skill to get lines of kites to fly. I remember having trouble as a kid getting a simple kite up without it fish tailing into the ground.
You flew kites? How cool. I’ve never done that. But since it’s difficult, or takes lots of practice, I think I’ll pass on flying them and just and take photos. 🙂
That “air machine” is a “powered paraglider”, lots of different versions of them but this is one of the more common ones. My two nieces, both single women, each has one of these and they are in clubs. They tell me it’s an entirely different world to them when they travel just that relatively short distance off the ground. Usually the “power” part of the glider is behind the driver so the engine sound and vibration don’t affect them much, isn’t heard or felt much. They say steering is easy. The only caveat is that whatever you’re using to power the craft better be in perfect condition and not fail when you’re over a dense stand of tall trees, or out over the ocean, or crossing a freeway, etc. They’ve offered to let me take one of the gliders up, with radio communication. I’m close to accepting their offer!! 🙂
Thank you, Lisa! My gosh that’s great information. I’ve researched “powered paragliders” online and they are fascinating, all the different varieties, like you say. Oh I hope you do accept your nieces’ offer, and you do get a ride in one. What a thrill that would be. And you know you can trust them to take care of you, and the paraglider that you’ll be using. But no crossing the freeway on your first flight, ok? 🙂
As a kid in Ellensburg, WA, I used to fly kites, all us kids did, but those kites we had were a whole lot smaller and not such great designs as these today. Great photos, Ann, thanks, especially of how those folks launch the kites. Fun fish! 🙂
You flew kites! How cool. When I talked with the people who were flying these kites, I thought about asking if I could record their explanations of how they do it, but then I realized I really just wanted to be there and listen and not have to pay attention to digital devices. I’m glad you enjoyed this, and that it brought back lots of fun memories.
Ack, Nevada, you beat me again. 🙂 As a kid, I never flew kites. But as an adult, I’ve been to some kite demos and was pretty impressed by them. It would be fun to figure out how they fly and then do it. The photos on this blog are super, really super. That air machine thing is really impressive.
Nevada always seems to be first, eh Nebraska? What’s with that? Is that fair? 🙂
I never thought about attending a kite flying festival before, but your comment makes me think I would enjoy that a lot. Ok, it’s on my list.
Anne says: ‘ Those aren’t fish Those are dolphins!” That was my thought, too. The “bottle” nose gives them away.😉
Very nice pictures of the kites and the glider.,👍
Hi Fritzi! Both of you are correct, they aren’t fish. But they aren’t dolphins either. They are kites. Just fun kites. When I talked with the people who were flying the fish kites, that’s what they called them “fish kites” … and they showed me the box that the kites came in which said in bold letters “fish kites”. No “bottles” involved. 🙂
Super photos of a wonderful day at the beach. The fish kites are great, so colorful. I like how you always chat with people and learn stuff and make friends. I’d bet in your camping experiences, you do have the occasional negative interaction but you never criticize, you always seem to find the best in everything. May this world learn from you!!
Thanks Ben. I love being around/with people and learning things and sharing things, and yet I love being alone too. You bet, there have been a couple of troublesome interactions in these past eight years of camping, but why focus on them? I’ve shared one of those situations in a blog post here awhile back, mostly just to let readers know that those things do happen, but also to let people know that state park staff and other campers pretty much always step up to correct things and keep everyone a-ok. Rest assured, there are times when I’m not so upbeat and courteous! ha! 🙂 But I try my best to be my best. Thank you!
Kites are fun! And once they are up in the air and “settled”, you can sit back and watch them and relax and even fall asleep. I know, I’ve done that. 🙂 I like how the wind shifted and these kites shifted direction with the wind just like, as you say, the ocean currents change. Fish move with ocean currents too. Way cool. Thank you!
Oh, you’ve flown these sorts of kites too! Oh, I’m jealous, Tina. 🙂
Very nice comment, thank you.