Gas.

Gas.

Mountain Biking Turned Paragliding

Fort Ebey, Whidbey Island

It's been too long since I last rode my mountain bike.

High time to itch the dirt.

Get away from the traffic, the asphalt.

Discover what lives in the forest.

Push,

and ride.

Then stop again.

And again, at geometric compositions.

THEN,

stand slack jawed at this:

Human taking flight!

Before I knew it,

I was up in the air, too!

WhopEEEE!!

Let's stay up here awhile.

*

Ravens Dance Paragliding

Tandem Flights/Lessons

John Kraske

USHPA Advanced Instructor

wdancer (at) netzero dot com

Track with the Boys

Last night, I raced the boys.

They didn't know I was coming.

There they sat, holding the rail, receiving instructions--

as I slinked up to the end of the line, like the whispering leap of a lemur

and made no announcement. 

6-lap, point-a-lap.

Every lap, the first to the line earns one point.

ZERO points for second place.

Finishing order on the final lap breaks a tie.

I wait.

I survey.

Lap one..

Hold.

Lap two..

Hold.

Lap three..

Readyyy..

..the boys catch their breath after a furious sprint..

pic-CHEWWW!!!!

I leap.

"HEY!" one announces, startled.

"Who's that?" they think. 

Hesitation. Disorganization. Skepticism. 

Oops!

ONE LAP. One point.

Now their fatal mistake..

TWO LAPS. Second point. 

The race is mine.

Let the finish sprint swarm around me,

I have what I need.

*The photo is (click to see source) from my third place finish in the 6-lap Scratch race. A basic, 6 lap race to the win.