John & Anne Wiley

We took a giant leap back in time today, flying over enchanting Chaco Canyon on our way from Santa Fe to Monument Valley.

5950 Enchanted Chaco

If you search this blog (and also the Photo Page), you’ll probably find pix of Chaco and Monument Valley from our prior flights here. But this time the light was more subdued due to high clouds and I have a camera I like, so these probably came out better.

I have almost 1,000 pix from our four hours and some from S.Fe to our landing here in Flagstaff. Needless to say, there’s an excellent chance I’ll be posting some stunning pix in a few hours. Right now I’m just sending this update post while waiting for the pix to download onto my laptop. Meanwhile, I made this pic a little larger so you can click to see a bigger version.

My eyes more and more,
Like a sea without shore,
Continue expanding,
The heav'ns commanding.
   -William Blake

Flying can bring us a dramatic change of pace, change of season, or in the case of today a change of environment. Starting out at lush Wichita on the prairie, we admired the way this city integrates the river.

5723 Wichita

River life looks mellow on the outskirts too where the marbled colors and shapes wrought by flowing water bathing the banks to nourish the feet of shade trees.

5725 River Life

Then up, into a breach in the clouds and West toward home. Among the brilliant white we see fields and farms punctuated by laser straight roads to infinity and meandering rivers breaking the rules.

5729 Up & West

Soon well above the clouds, now we enjoy the vast geometric green prairie framed in whimsical fluff.

5736 White & Green

Before long the landscape is dryer and higher as it tilts up toward the distant Rockies. Landing for a brief break at Guymon, I visited three old propellerless twins (Beechcraft perhaps?) parked in a row with this one in the middle.

5799 Beech?

Then we leap into the air again and climb high for our crossing of the mountain barrier to Santa Fe, taking in the now high and dry desert. Here and there, rock formations stand out like this.

5814 Castle Butte

Did people live there, taking advantage of the natural fortress it presents? Who visits it now, with that well worn road and parking lot so far from cities and highways? Nearby the traces of occasional floods carve the arid terrain.

5826 Wet & Dry

In some places the flow has cut deeply into rock, creating enchanted places to walk near cool stone on hot days but maybe always with a thought about flash floods far upstream.

5836 Cut Rock

Then clearing the mountain we descend to Santa Fe where Anne got this view as we landed, with Tripp’s stout wings delivering us to yet another giant leap far from the Caribbean in this journey of changes.

7771 Santa Fe

Today we woke to a frosty Winter morning, and as we got Tripp ready for heading home I heard an unusual sound. Since childhood I notice airplane sounds, and this one was odd. Turned out to be mid-air refueling practice involving a jet and a turboprop so the sound was a little like a B-36 I once saw in flight as a kid. They were relatively low, yet uncomfortably dim in the heavy haze that made me wonder how far we’d get today.

5495 Fog Formation

Due to strong headwinds forecast aloft, my plan was to fly at less than half that altitude so I was glad to see them several miles away and higher. Still, we were happy to see weather improving as we went and by the time we reached Mansfield, Ohio greeted us with patches of blue between high clouds. Moderating our relief was the increasingly bumpy ride, and somber scenes like this factory being demolished to make way for the changing season of new information and service industries.

5547 Falling Leaves

By now the air was comfortably warm, and unlike wintry PA the few remaining trees were sporting summery leaves. I pondered the season when this whole region was covered in forest, as I admired this scattered stand some farmer had left amid the countless miles of cultivation.

5563 Last Stand

Some day we need to spend some time in Indiana. Every time we’ve flown there, it’s seemed hazy and uninviting so we’ve mostly just flown across it without more than a brief stop. Ohio and Illinois seem clearer, so maybe it’s something to do with state laws about air pollution? I’m glad the rest of the country doesn’t look like this anymore.

5573 Hazy ID

To celebrate our progress from PA to OH and ID, we treated ourselves to Champaign tonight. The one joined to Urbana by the sprawling University of Illinois campus. As we approached to land at Frasca close to town, the wind favored the grass runway so it was with some delight that I lined up for landing.

7644 Frasca Grass

After a ride from Sean who happened to be at the airport after hours, we checked into the very cozy and affordable Hawthorne where Cassandra and Norman were exceptionally helpful. Soon we were strolling the campus on a warm Summer night, commenting on how different the season was this morning.

1018 Math Bells

Listening to the bells in the math building, you could feel yourself in the previous millennium. Turning 180 degrees you’re greeted by the town within a town that is the commercial part of the campus.

1019 Campus Commerce

We love the way this city integrates a diverse population and a diverse environment, overflowing with life, art, culture, fun, and food. Our light dinner just around the corner above at Mia Za cost four dollars, and was among the best meals on this trip. If weather should decide to keep us here, we’ll be renting a car and exploring this fascinating and affordable area.