Homecoming

I've been gone a long time, almost a month, and although I flew my heart out for seven straight days at the Rat Race near the end of that trip, somehow that didn't stop me from pining for the sweet smooth air of my home skies and the familiar lush scenery below. After a long, damp, grey day at home today, trying to catch up on work, I cooked dinner for the family and then snuck out to Kahana to see if there might be a last minute window of flying opportunity.

When I pulled around the corner of the bay, Woody was already up in the air, and I scrambled up to join him as fast as my out-of-shape body could go, launching shortly before six. It was about ten degrees north of the typical trade direction, but I was hopeful that would be enough for a bay crossing. While Woody practiced his gyrations around north launch, I climbed to more than two grand over Puu Piei, and chatted with Frank, Dave and TommyRD on the radio as they were finishing a late flight at Makapuu. Woody started to work his way up to join me, but I was racing the fast falling dusk, so I blazed out under the low clouds and across the bay.

I ventured past Kaaawa to Kualoa, for a quick glimpse of Mokolii and Kanoehe Bay in the twilight gloom, before turning back to flee the thick dark clouds building offshore. I flew back to Kahana, where Woody was playing low over the ridge, but the black clouds were close behind. So I continued on to the clear skies above Punaluu, climbing above the front of the ridge there before hopping over to Hauula, where I landed in the park as the sun was setting over the North Shore.

After confirming that Woody would retrieve me after he packed up at Kahana, I sat myself down in the park to enjoy a solitary tasty beverage, as I watched the last of the sunbeams light up the tops of the clouds out over the ocean. Man, is it great to be back.