Flying

   C and I are taking a trip this week. We wanted to go back to South Carolina. I had never been to Charleston and wanted to see it. C wanted to see some of his family and friends. I wanted to walk along Myrtle Beach and collect some sea shells.
  There were some other things I wanted to do. I wanted to buy a real southern hat. I wanted to eat fresh fish and boiled peanuts. (Not at the same meal) I wanted to have grits. (Yes, we make grits at home, but I wanted to see if they taste different if you eat them in the south.)
  Before we could get to all this we would have to get on a plane and fly. I was a little nervous about this. There is about eight layers of security that you need to get through in order to get on an airplane. I hoped I remembered everything.
  We were able to get through security. They did have to hand search the bag with the laptop in it, but that was no big deal. We got through security and waited to board the airplane.
   The airline we flew on doesn't have assigned seating. Instead you are assigned a boarding group and position. Think of it as a spot in line. You line up, get on the plane and once in you can sit wherever you want. I like getting a window seat and I got the best one. It was right over the wing.
  After everyone was on we had to go to a pad and be de-iced. They sprayed this orange stuff on the wings and then waited for it to work.
  The we were cleared for take off and headed to the runway. I looked out my window. This is my favourite part. I have always been amazed by planes. By all logic, the law of gravity should  keep this huge chunk of metal and all the people and things inside firmly on the ground. The amazing part is that if the plane gets a fast enough running start and the wings are at just the right angle, the air itself can lift the plane off the ground and high into the air. I like to watch the flaps on the wings as they are moved to get them into the right position. I sometimes wish that we could fly more often, but then I wonder if I would take the miracle of a plane getting off the ground for granted.
   It was a cloudy day. I stared out the window in awe as we went through the clouds. You would think that the inside of a cloud is like being in fog. It isn't though. I could see the wing of the plane and I could see the puffs of clouds above and blow us.
   Then the next amazing thing happened. We were above the clouds and the sun was shining. The sky was blue and the gray clouds were beneath us. I know this isn't really a miracle and it can easily be explained. To me though, it is something special. No matter how thick the clouds are, they don't go on forever. The is always some space above the clouds where the sun shines and the sky is blue.
   We had to change planes in Chicago. My next favourite part was coming up. We were descending and preparing to land. Landings are almost as much fun as takes off and just as amazing. The pilot has to go at just the right speed and have the wings in just the right position to gradually ease down and allow the law of gravity to take over. The plane turned in the air and started to descend. The land underneath got clearer and clearer. The runway was straight ahead and we were hovering just over it. I saw that the flaps were vertical so the air could help slow the plane down. The landing gear touched the pavement and we on the ground and moving really fast. I chuckled mentally. I imagined the pilot saying, "Hit the brakes!" We slowed down and moved to our gate at a stately pace.
   A couple of hours later we got to do it again. We were on the last leg of our trip. I got another window seat right over a wing. This time I got to watch as a line of baggage was loaded onto the plane. There were huge bags and small bags and bags that might have been sets of golf clubs. Some of them had bows and other things tied to them to help the owners identify them. I didn't see our bags among then so I hoped that they were loaded already. Once the last bag had passed over the conveyor belt, the truck that had delivered them moved away. Then the plane moved away from the gate and toward the runway. This time no de-icing would be needed.
   I watched the lift off again. The feeling of awe and amazement was still there. I had a book with me and I took it out to read.
   A couple hundred ages and one glass of ginger ale later, it was time to land. I put my book away and watched again as we were skillfully guided back down onto the ground.
   It was 77 degrees outside. The thick sweater jacket I needed in Minnesota was not needed here. The long sleeved shirt was almost too warm. We carried our bags outside and across the street to where our rental car was waiting.
    We loaded up the car and drove away from the airport. The grass was green, The trees were budding. We had a good start to our trip.