Then the sprinklers came on

Of course, I am now having doubts about moving here for a job (wink). You wouldn't believe how dead the wind can be, given such a view. Here you have a lake, mountains on the far horizon, and yet the wind is so slight at times you might have been standing in your bedroom. Don't misunderstand: I flew on and off for four hours. My kite in the picture can fly with any wind at all, even that created by walking backwards. On the other hand, a big surprise of the day was that a guy flying a Peter Lynn traction kite could get it off the ground and flying with ease...in the same wind at the same location. I have to admit, I was feeling a bit of pity for him when he was unrolling his kite, for I was convinced he was grounded. By the time he had been flying for 20 seconds, leaning deep into long slow turns, he likely had pity for me instead.

Still, with the sun and the scenery, I found a way to enjoy myself. This will likely be the first of the last few free afternoons I have here, as the mice arrive Tuesday of next week. From then on, I'll be patching everyday whenever I can. That should make it seem like a little less of a vacation.

Right before I left the sunny field of the above photograph, I though I saw the sprinklers come on. Then one came on next to me where I was packing my kite. It wasn't a sprinkler, but rather a swarm of thousands of tiny insects coming out of the grass beneath me. The really seemed to emerge mostly from the lines on the football pitch, although that I cannot explain. Maybe they came from everywhere and only swarmed over the lines. It was a bit weird.

There are alot of insects here, although suprisingly few of them bite. I would suggest that there are so many that a serious cyclist would need eye protection near the lake. If you people watch for any length of time, you find it isn't unusual to see a someone strolling in the distance suddenly veer off course while waving their hands wildly. I am sure you can see the insects in the photograph below. They appear as mist.

Anyway, next to this field, I found a spot which will certainly be the site for a few amazing photographs. You'll see in the near future that at least one truly great shot will come from this same location. Remember "kite and trees".