Let’s Go Fly a Kite!
January 18th, 2008
Today was a PERFECT day to fly a kite. (What better way to spend your real birthday, right?) It was so great. The weather was pretty, windy and clear as a bell. You could see all the way to Catalina and beyond. The tide was out and nobody was on the beach. Just yards and yards of wide open space. It was beautiful.
Since Uncle George (more famously known as The Perchinator by his buddies and hopefully blogging soon if I have my way) brought Baby Bug a kite for her birthday, we thought we might as well try it out first thing. Her new kite is a beauty. Gigantic AND GREEN (with some purple). Though I think the turquoise side is showing in this photo. Take my word for it, the other side is GOREEEEEEEEN!
It wasn’t quite ready for flying yet (it’s missing some struts) but we did manage to get it up and in the air. I would have taken pictures but I was busy running up and down the beach flying it with no hands for camera shooting!
But that’s okay because Uncle George brought his super duper stunt kite! That thing was crazy! It whipped around this way and that. I have never seen such kite flying! I had no idea it was such a sport. Or should I say, Uncle George is crazy?! He’s actually a trained stunt kite flyer. Who knew?!! There are a lot of things Uncle George is really good at that nobody knows about. It’s kind of a Ponnay trait to be the best at whatever you do. It can be annoying to someone like me who is not really the best at anything but I certainly enjoy being a spectator.
Baby Bug thought it was pretty fun too. She chased after him all over the big, wide-open beach. She would have been right in the thick of things if we weren’t so afraid that those knife sharp strings might cut her head off. I kid you not. Uncle George said that the strings on a kite can actually decapitate someone. I had no idea. Let’s just say I’m going to be leaving the stunt kite flying in the hands of someone a little more experienced. He tried to let me hold the strings but I declined. That’s like handing me a gun and saying, here shoot someone. Yikes!
We let Baby Bug carry the string but it wasn’t attached. She didn’t care. She thought she was “large and in charge”! One of these days we’ll fly her kite and keep things a little calmer.
I was very happy to leave the stunt kite flying in the capable hands of Uncle George. We could have watched him for hours. He showed us how to scare seagulls with a kite and some tourists too. I don’t think scaring the tourists was on purpose but it was pretty funny. He plunked the kite down (probably on purpose to save their heads) five feet from a couple walking by and they nearly jumped out of their skin. It was hilarious. Thankfully they were very good natured about it and actually sat down (several very-safe yards away) to watch the show with us.
That kite was a wild whippy thing. It was very hard to photograph. Along with not being able to see my lcd screen very well in bright sunlight, my camera’s extremely annoying shutter-delay factor did not help. The kite flew so fast it was all I could do to get it in the frame. So please don’t mind the tipping horizon. Don’t worry, the ocean was not actually about to pour over on us.
I did get a few though. And then we called it a day because that whippy wind is tiring! Poor Baby Bug zonked out on the stroller ride home and it was a whole hour before her nap time!
I’d say this photo is a pretty good indication that we had fun.
Thanks Uncle George!
(More photos here.)
January 18th, 2008 at 1:57 am
Oooh how fun! That reminds me that I have a kite! I don’t know where it is but I know I have one. Now I want to go fly it.
January 18th, 2008 at 5:16 am
That last picture, with the 2 binkies (that’s what we call them), is the cutest. Do you have photos all over your home? How could you ever decide which ones to print and frame?
January 18th, 2008 at 5:53 am
Hello, this is just a beautiful post! I had forgotten all about the joys of kite flying. Designing my own kite is one of the tings I want to do one day. The photographs of the clear, blue sky and clean and remind me of the beach I grew up at home.
I’ve started a new job at another studio, so I’ve not been online much recently, outside my window ( but at least I have a window :), the sky is grey and urban but I’m now thinking of the blue skies of California.
January 18th, 2008 at 5:55 am
Ok, now I’m addicted to BB and going to the beach with her and Mom! More, more please! BB is now my therapist…I feel so uplifted after giggling and hearing “…you’re welcome!” and “Bird seed, uncoe choge!” More fun than should be legal.
January 18th, 2008 at 6:11 am
awwww, what a fun day. And I love baby bugs sweater. Where did you get it?
January 18th, 2008 at 6:15 am
Awwwww….what a way to spend a birthday! Nothing beats a day at the beach. Perfect. :)
January 18th, 2008 at 6:28 am
I love the photo of BB where her little pony tail is on full tilt to the side with the assistance of the wind :o) What a great day! Happy birthday to you, BB!!!!
PS – More posts with Uncoe Choge….(whispers to Brenda…he’s cute!) ;o)
January 18th, 2008 at 7:33 am
What a beautiful day! And Baby Bug is so sweet! Happy Birthday!!
January 18th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Great shots!
Looks like you guys had WAY too much fun! Can I come and fly a kite with you?
:)
January 18th, 2008 at 8:08 am
What a fantastic birthday adventure! Happy Birthday, Baby Bug!
January 18th, 2008 at 8:16 am
That last photo is the sweetest thing!
January 18th, 2008 at 8:27 am
i’m thinking the last picture needs to be blown up and framed.
January 18th, 2008 at 8:30 am
that sounds like a great day. and that sky! i haven’t seen blue like that in months. sigh.
January 18th, 2008 at 8:47 am
What a wonderful way to spend the day. Looks like she had a great time :)
January 18th, 2008 at 9:20 am
I love the photo of BB with her paci’s. It is so adorable.
January 18th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Oh how perfect! What a lovely day.
I’m curious as to what camera you’re using these days… did you get rid of the TX-1?
SAJ says: I’m using the “mini-van dolt camera” aka the Pentax Optio W30. It takes a beating and keeps on shooting. I hate it but I have to admit it does the job. I’m planning on getting the TX-1 fixed but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. The TX-1 is a great camera, it’s just not meant for being stashed in a mom purse or dropped in the sand.
January 18th, 2008 at 9:41 am
How fun!
Unfortuately, though we have nice, strong winds here – it’s currently below zero!
We’ll get out this spring though.
Can’t believe how blue the sky looks!
January 18th, 2008 at 10:09 am
You are out flying kites, on the beach, in the sun and we are experiencing an uncommon deep freeze here in the Canadian Kootenays. Not. Fair.
Oh, how I wish I was there.
January 18th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Love the pic of BB sleeping….Kaitlyn said “Awwwwww bebe is sleeping…..seee bebe some more.”
Now we are going back to see that photo again.
Looks like a grand time btw!
January 18th, 2008 at 11:09 am
It looks like bb is looking for a place to keep that second paci. Like a mouth on her forehead.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
I lurked before, but I came back to say I’ve had “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” in my head all day. Makes me want to go back to the Mary Poppins Singalong! (http://rhiinpink.com/blog/?p=62)
January 18th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Wow, that is the perfect way to spend your actual birthday. And the blue sky and blue ocean and colours of the kite. How wonderful. And cool that Uncle George is a Kite Pro.
Can I also say that you are pretty great at all that you do. Looks like a little Ponnay is rubbing off on you ;).
January 18th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
You inspired me to take a trip to the beach. I was down there this afternoon enjoying the sand, the surf and the sun. It is so beautiful, I need to get down there more, it is so good for the head!
January 19th, 2008 at 8:14 am
I just stared and stared at those kite pictures. I can’t believe you LIVE somewhere like that. The water, the sky, the gorgeous buildings on the cliffs. I can’t even imagine. Thanks for the mini-vacation. I felt like I was there.
Now, what exactly does a stunt kite flyer DO with all those mad kite-flying skills? Is there a market for that? Just curious…:)
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Stunt kites are a blast. My dad used to have two or three that we would fly at the Korean Bell. I also remember my mom getting dragged about 10 feet when a strong gust came along. Happy memories. I may just ask my Dad where those kites are.