Navigators Log - Easter Flight

     Easter Easter is about beginnings, so it seems fit the first entry in our log be about our Easter airplane trip. The house was uncomfortably quiet when I woke up that morning. It was my first Easter with no children at home, and I felt a bit low. I was dawdling in bed when the cat jumped up, nudged the covers away, and I noticed the sun shining in the window. This was a definite lift, as. a sunny day in April is such a rare gift here in Portland. An additional lift came when Roy, already up and about, proposed we fly to Orcas Island for Easter Brunch. A flight pass the lacy, white Olympic mountains, across the Big Water to one of my favorite places on earth?! Twist my arm!  I would not be hunting Easter eggs with my daughters, but I didn't need to mope about the house all day.
     Roy's airplane is an RV-7A. He calls it the Time Machine. I think its a Magic Carpet. It is a small, two-seat airplane, with a cruise speed of 170knts. It has a big, bubble canopy that affords an amazing 240degree view, and he built it himself. Roy and I sit side-by-side in the plane, our shoulders touching. We also like to hold hands, chat and share the view.
     We took off from Hillsboro under a crystalline blue sky, and the earth five thousand feet below was alive with soft hues of green and pink. It was as if That Which Is, breathed the Light of Creation into the day. An hour later Orcas island appeared, a misty green jewel floating in a sparking sea.
     A 10 minute walk to town found us seated at the New Leaf Cafe, with a waterfront view of East Sound. Our attention was drawn away from the view, when our attentive waiter brought our meals. I fairly drooled over Duck Comfit, with perfectly poached eggs nestled on a crispy mixture of baby potatoes and herbs. Roy ordered the Lamb Hash, and it was equally mouthwatering.

Doesn't this look YUMMY?!

Duck Comfit

Lamb Hash

      While we filled our tummy's, the tide went out, emptying the bay in front of us. The low tide exposed the land bridge to Indian Island, a marine preserve. We took advantage of this rare opportunity to visit this little gem, and toddled out, picking our way out to the island through tide pools and glops of stranded ell grass and seaweed. The island is small, really just a large rock, and once you are on the island, you are looking south across a wide expanse of water, with the outline of other islands in the distance. There was a goose on the far side of the island, and she seemed to be beckoning us to follow her out father to where the incoming tide was starting to lap against the rocks.. Another family was walking close by and the  little girl, whispered to her Mom, “Look there is the nest.” Sure enough, hidden in a rush of grass was a nest full of Easter Goose eggs.  Our walk turned out to be an Easter egg hunt of a different type. We all regarded the eggs from a distance, then backed away respectfully, letting Mama goose have her peace.

Easter Eggs

 On the flight home, I thought about my daughters and our Easters past.  My girls and I had many wonderful adventures during their growing up years, and I hope I have instilled in them a sense of adventure, and a sense of wonder. The same sense of adventure I feel when Roy and I take off flying on the Magic Carpet. It is a gift, to see the mountains, sea and sky from so far above, and I feel the delight of a child finding an Easter basket, every time I am in the plane. In this blog, I will share these adventures with all of you. Like all adventures, there are ups and downs, and Roy and I have come to find that exciting does not always mean fun. For sure, it is never boring. I hope you will enjoy reading about them. I also hope you will be inspired to pursue your passion, be it gardening, hiking a mountain, or painting a picture. This life is a rare and wondrous gift. Lets get out and enjoy it! - Sandy aka Navigator of N174RT

Roy and I at East Sound on Orcas Island