John & Anne Wiley

Flying on windy days is a mixed bag. If the wind is behind you, it provides somewhat of a “free” ride. Of course with a headwind, not so much. Another downside is that windy days are often, but not always, bumpy. Today we took off into a stiff headwind that changed abruptly soon after we took off. I was ready for it so no biggie, but the difference between wind direction on the ground and a few hundred feet up made for mixing. Translation: bumps. Anne used to get that look a cat wears while you’re giving it a bath. Now she usually doesn’t even notice. Today she was a little mixed at first, but quickly settled into enjoying the flight. Here’s one reason:

1303 Windy Devereaux

Windy days often bring clearer air and crisp colors like these. We enjoyed looking at everything even more than usual, if that’s possible.

1305 Coal Oil Point

We’ve flown past this point occasionally since it’s near the airport, but we saw it anew today. Maybe the clear air and bright colors of Spring helped us notice it more. The colors at the beach house ruin nearby seemed brighter too, telling tales of days long gone when craftsmen laid the stonework as gardeners planted the flowering trees and when couples sat cherishing quiet sunset moments together.

1306 Fun House

Many more recent stories too of college kids, parties, and tagging expeditions.

We took friends for a short flight as part of their 50th Anniversary, and we all enjoyed the fresh look of everything after the rain. The air so clear, grass so green, and flowers starting to bloom here and there.

1092 Flower Bridge

This old wooden bridge across the tracks out past Bacara looks a little like the Yellow Brick Road thru Oz with the flowers starting to come up. Nearby is another meadow with soft shapes of color.

1094 Spring Patches

Out the other window were views to the mountains like this area around El Capitan Canyon, where colors are starting to paint the hills.

1100 Cap Colors

Closer to town the hills were even more colorful with the mingling of lawns and orchards.

1108 Hillside Hues

Yet again a short flight over paradise has given us a fresh look at Our Town, our lives, our relationships, and our planet.

Every day can bring magic, growth and delight for those willing and able to greet Life. This is my belief and experience, even though sometimes it can be challenging to release invitations to negativity and despair. Well yesterday it was especially easy to live in bliss. For one thing, our precious God-Daughter is visiting from CT with our dear friend her mom Julie. We’ve been joined this visit by Molly’s UCSB classmate Sarah, who of course is also a great delight. While the three of them took a playful and nostalgic walk around campus, Anne and I took a friend on a short flight. After texting them when we were taking off, we started out climbing over UCSB so they could see us wave our wings. Some days are just Special, and every moment of that flight qualified. There was thin mist draped over parts of the harbor on the otherwise clear coastline.

0970 Harbor Garnish

Then the enchantment really exploded when Anne spotted this whale close to East Beach.

1014 RainBlow

We circled for several minutes as it swam lazily East before sounding. This one shot captured the mist of a large blow, just as the sun angle changed it from white to orange in the rainbow angle of our “glory” directly opposite us from the sun where our shadow would be. I’ve posted other pix on Edhat and our Photo Page, but here’s one more for today’s blog.

0987 I Was a Whale

When precious niece Erin was three I told her about the day I swam a mile out to a humpback mother and calf off Maui. She listened with rapt attention and then began her own story with, “When I was a whale…” We were so charmed by the immediacy of her imagination, and it mirrored our own experience of unity with all Life that is somehow evoked in the presence of whales. Some days seem to powerfully nudge us toward an ever more fully conscious and complete embrace of Life, especially welcome as we near the passing of our dear Dad.