Last night, Paul and I took Will out for some special time. Driving across the bridge from Fort Walton Beach to Destin, we noticed some older looking planes flying in formation overhead. We drove around the beach side of Destin, hopped out at the park at the edge of island, and climbed through the sand to watch the sunset and see what the planes were up to more clearly. The planes quickly returned, looping around blowing colored smoke, flying low over the jetties and into the bay, and swooping up to the sky making shapes and swirls with their trails. What were they? (Skip? Are you reading this?) They were P-51 Mustangs, a fighter aircraft used during the Second World War. It was incredible to see them making tricks in the air, over the golden bay and sea, against the painted sky. I’d share the moment photographically, but — dotcha know? — I had left both cameras back at the condo.
Murphy isn’t done with me just forgetting my camera during once-in-a-lifetime moments. No, no, it was just the beginning. This morning, Will and I swam in an absolutely still ocean — we actually went out with our diving masks a good 60 yards or so — because of the dead calm of the water, we were able to go out without swells or waves without Will feeling vulnerable. The sea was filled with seaweed, though, which Will has aptly named ‘sea boogies;’ a description that sort of sums up what it is like to swim through. The calm was so odd that it made it hard to ignore the clouds piling up in the sky.
Around noon, the wind picked up and enough clouds showed up to block the sun for the first time in 4 days. Now, the sky is thinly overcast, a light blue color, with the sea still as clear and calm as it was this morning. We’re buckling down with puzzles, a bunch of craft ideas (including buckets of white sand in protected buckets on the porch), and books. (This last one is my hopeful and wishful thinking… I just want to curl up with The Kite Runner.) Rainy day activity ideas appreciated!
Emily | 22-Aug-08 at 5:33 pm | Permalink
Hi Holly! We’re sorry to hear about Fay dropping in on the beach trip! It looks like you guys having been having a blast – we wish we were there too!! :o)
Skip was very excited to hear about the fly-by!!! Isn’t it always those time that the camera is at home?! I also wanted to give you a link to Cranium’s Fun
Ideas… I used it for inspiration during rainy-day recess. I especially recommend the Scavenger Hunt, but they have a bunch of fun ideas on the sidebar. Hope you enjoy the rest of the trip!!!
admin | 22-Aug-08 at 6:41 pm | Permalink
Thanks, Emily!!! Paul kept saying, “these are Skip’s most favorite planes!!!” over and over again — both because of his excitement and to try to get Will more excited about it. Will was surprisingly blase about the planes — he found chunks of concrete on the beach and was going bonkers over them. Kids! 🙂
Hopefully Fay will roll through quickly and not dump the kind of water you all saw. There are flood warnings in effect and gossip of surge, but the weather report is saying 2-3 inches of rain all day tomorrow… so no worries here! Just a bummer we can’t get out in the sun!
Amy | 27-Aug-08 at 1:29 pm | Permalink
Time for a ‘Gustav, Gustav, GO AWAY’ blog entry. This sucks and I’m sorry for you guys. I’ll keep everything crossed in hopes he changes his path or his intensity. Stay safe and keep us posted when you can…