Tag: recreation

We’re Free To Fly

The beach accesses have been opened.  Parking is at a premium as not all the parking lots have been opened.  The stay-at-home order has not been lifted but that didn’t keep the people off the beaches.  It looked like a holiday weekend with cars parked everywhere and people scattered throughout the public beach.

We, however, had a more private place to fly our kites, away from the crowds, with lots of room for kites.  We love putting up a small personal festival when we fly and this kite fly was a combination of a test fly and a kite show.  The afternoon couldn’t have been better, with good winds, mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine.

The first kite up was the newly finished Sun/Moon Giant Hata.  Instead of fuzzy tails, it has a combination of ribbon tails and a streamer tail.  The wind was in the teens and I was afraid it may be too high for this kite.  But after some bridle adjustments, it went up and hung in the sky.  A very satisfying fly for the first flight.

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Then next kite up was the first flight of the newly purchased Killips foil.  It was a little smaller than we expected and was so easy to handle.  And it really made a statement in the sky.  We’re looking forward to its next flight with some color coordinating line laundry beneath it.

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So after successful first flights, it was time to add lots of color in the sky.  One of the things I like to do is put up kites with a common theme.  It could be having the same sail pattern or having the same colors or being of a common style.  So for this fly, I decided to fly all of the HQ Xylon kites.  There are four in this series and only one is still available.  This just makes me even happier to have all four and fly them all at once.

The last kite up is a real show stopper, a large flo-tail delta.  The tails seem like water rippling in the sky.  And the colors draw the eye and cause the casual strollers to stop and admire it.  And take pictures.  That’s what makes it so satisfying to put up several kites instead of just one or two.  It draws people’s attention and makes them smile.

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So here’s to having more days like this day, to fly more kites and create more personal shows.  And for the state park to open up soon so the community kite flys can begin again and there will be more of us to share in the color in the sky.

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Fair Winds All

 

 

 

On The Beach Again

 

Things are changing here and for the better.  The past couple of weeks the weather has been so erratic.  One day the temperature is cool and the wind is from the north.  The next day it warms up and the wind is from the south but very strong.  Then there is rain and thunderstorms moving through.  Then back to chilly temperatures with north winds again.  The better thing is that I have gained access to the beach and have a place to fly kites.  I just have to wait for a day with moderate south winds.  You see, our beaches face the south and are lined with houses and condominiums.  Winds from the north are blocked and swirly.  Not the best for kite flying.

But the day finally came and I did something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time.  Put up a show of White Bird dragon kites.  They are some of the most beautiful round-headed dragon kites I’ve ever seen.  Unfortunately, they have been out of production for many years.  But I have made it a calling to find as many of their patterns as I can.  I have quite a collection and have always wanted to put them all up.  I could have done it this time but I settled for flying six at once.  And then just sitting in the sun, enjoying the weather, the sound of the waves and my kites.

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These past couple of weeks I’ve also gotten some work done on my Giant Hata kite build.  Finished all the pockets and sleeves and got the binding sewn all along the edge of the sail.

After framing and bridling, you truly realize how large this kite is.  It practically fills one wall of my living room.  Now to decide what kind of tails to make and it will be ready for a test fly.  Hopefully this weekend there will be a beautiful day with winds from the south and a chance to try it out.  And put another show of color in the sky above the beach.

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Special thanks to Don, Jeri and Brett of Kites Unlimited & Bird Stuff, etc.

Fair Winds All

 

 

Stay At Home

The Stay-At-Home order came down.  Except for essential errands, we are to stay home and away from other places and other people to help stop the spread of the virus.  While you would think this would give me lots of time to get things done around the house and yard and work on my kite projects.  Instead, the lack of any type of deadline only increases my tendency to put things off.  And so, this weeks post is late.  Sorry.

I have started the Giant Hata kite.  The main sail is black and is 60″ by 60″.  That was a challenge on my narrow table.  It was only made harder because my supposedly 60″ roll of fabric was really 61.5″. So instead of making just one long cut, I had to trim one side as well.

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The  pattern for this kite is a variation of the sun theme I used on my Maryland Kite Society build.  Only this is going to be a sun/moon.  The pattern was traced onto the yellow fabric and the white moon fabric laid over it.  Then it was sew the outline and cut away the excess.

Add a face and position and sew the sun onto the sail and I’m on to the actual construction.

As for actual kite flying, I have a couple of places in mind to try to put a kite or two up.  While the “powers that be” say you should only be out for essential trips, kite flying is essential to my mental health.  I find it soothing to watch my creations floating in the sky.  So when I give it a try, let’s hope I don’t get arrested for trespassing.

Stay safe, stay healthy.

Fair Winds All

 

Last Day For Driving

March 15 was the last day that we could drive on the beach.  So we made a point of going and flying a kite or two a couple of times during the before the end.  The winds had changed and come from the north.  Which meant they passed over and between the houses before getting to the beach.  Not the best wind for kite flying.  There was a weather front moving through too so it was partly cloudy to cloudy.  Not very pretty but still beach days.

Only flew a couple of kites, the Illustion Delta by Skydog and the Prism Flip kite.

Also flew a small, very old rokkaku that I received as a bag raffle item.  I was really surprised it flew at all.  The sail is printed on heavy ripstop-like material.  After flying it that one afternoon, I see some modifications that can be made so it will fly better and more stable.  I am adding it to my “to do” list.  Though at a low priority.

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Hate to admit but I forgot to put my camera in the truck and had to take photos with my phone.  I really dislike using my phone for photos and, as you can see, if the kite is moving around high in the sky the quality goes down.  Sorry.

The following day was sunny though the winds were no better.  I did get the Illustion delta kite up for a while.  And got a better photo of it.

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Because driving on the beach is no longer permitted, our flying location for the community kite fly will change next week.  It’s back to carrying our kite bags from the parking lot to the point at Fort Macon State Park.  Believe me, the number of kites I take along will be reduced and more selective.

Fair Winds All