Trying, but failing, to fly
Archived posts from this Category
Wednesday, 5th May 2010
Posted by Judith on 05 May 2010 | Tagged as: Trying, but failing, to fly
The sun didn’t wake us this morning, so we overslept and opening the curtains inspired us to go back to bed and back to sleep! Mick was enthusiastic about the day and my not complete rubbishing of the conditions at the Long Mynd had him coming out. Unfortunately, when he got to our house it was spitting and the ridge had a faint mist hanging over it. Ever the optimist, he went up regardless, but all it inspired me to do was get the paint pot out. The hall is now half done…
At 3pm, Mick was getting reasonable heights and a couple of other people had joined him, and it also seemed a bit brighter, so we headed out on our way the Shrewsbury. What we couldn’t see from our house was the rain just to the north west, north, east, all around really. We didn’t get the gliders out of the car, but it just goes to show if you have a little faith, you get to fly, as Mick did for quite a while today.
We went off to Shrewsbury to sort out buying a new car and then met Ellie to make final preparations for the Bash on Saturday. Should be a great night out!
Tuesday, 27th April 2010
Posted by Judith on 27 Apr 2010 | Tagged as: Trying, but failing, to fly
I thought the day would be fantastic and I also thought it would be SW or SSW. Mick, Glyn, Martin and Geoff and I met in Newtown with a view to going to Clatter. It was supposed to be cloudy in the morning, but clearing and light winds until the afternoon. When we got there it was 8/8 cirrus, but nice cloud streets were extending in front, over and behind us. It was, however, off to the south. So we waited and the cumulus dispersed, leaving only the grey cirrus and not a patch of sun for miles. Mick had a couple of hops, but it wasn’t possible to stay up. So we waited.
We tried to follow the advice given in this month’s Skywings and work towards our parawaiting certificates, but the boys got bored, so I got out my emergency anti-boredom kit. I’ve been lugging it around Europe for 2 years and never used it, but today the mini-kite came out of the bottom of my harness. Martin flew it and Mick got to have the fun of untangling the knots after.
The sun came out and wave started to set up so we did some cloud appreciation. When we got bored of that, we played categories. The wind kept picking up and gusting through, so at 3pm we decided to can it and go to a tea room. Glyn was being the sensible one today. While the high cloud was around, he deemed the conditions ‘not very good’. When the wave set up, he thought ‘it probably wasn’t going to be very nice’. He usually thrives in these conditions, so we were a little shocked he didn’t get his wing out. So just as we had all finished packing up, the wind came more on and Glyn decided to give it a go after all. He proved his theory… it wasn’t very nice in the air. Tea room time. The cafe in Caersws makes the best cream teas ever, so we indulged ourselves in afternoon tea and cake and scones. And when we emerged some time later the sky was still full of wave.
Off out tonight to celebrate Michaela’s birthday.
Tuesday, 20th April 2010
Posted by Geoff on 20 Apr 2010 | Tagged as: Archery, Trying, but failing, to fly
Geoff writes: a nice sunny day. The forecast was for it to be a bit too windy to fly, so we spent the morning doing various jobs, including some stuff for the LMSC AGM tomorrow night; then decided to go to archery, but, since it didn’t seem anywhere near as windy as forecast, put the gliders in, on the basis that we were driving past the Long Mynd anyway.
When we arrived at the Long Mynd, it seemed fine, a bit off to the north, but not too much, and easily paraglidable. So we waited a few minutes to see what would happen, and it quickly went more north, and picked up slightly. Had it stayed on we almost certainly would have flown, though we heard that Long Mountain – a site which is usually fine in strong winds – was more or less blown out. I’m pretty sure, though, had we been at the Long Mynd earlier, when it was a bit more westerly, we would have flown.
So we went to archery, where as usual the people there were incredibly helpful, helping Judith set up her new bow properly, lending me a more powerful one, etc. So a very pleasant few hours. And we haven’t quite forgotten everything from last year.
The wind did continue to pick up, and lots of wave bars appeared, so we did the right thing by not hanging around the Long Mynd on the off-chance it would drop.
And tonight Michaela is coming for dinner.
Sunday, 11th April 2010
Posted by Geoff on 11 Apr 2010 | Tagged as: Trying, but failing, to fly
Geoff writes: a stronger forecast today, but still east, or ENE. It was stronger further south, so we decided to go local, rather than the Malverns, and try Corndon. As we drove up, some people were flying, but whilst we were walking to the front it started to pick up. We thought it was likely to stay strong, though some others thought it might drop off early afternoon. After a little while, we decided to go with what we thought – the sky wasn’t looking that good anyway and was full of wave – and canned it, going home via Michaela’s for a cup of tea, to do some house jobs.
Wednesday, 7th April 2010
Posted by Judith on 08 Apr 2010 | Tagged as: Archery, Trying, but failing, to fly
Lots of people were getting excited about the flying today, but I thought it might be a bit cloudy/breezy. It was flyable at Long Mountain in the morning, but the sky was completely overcast at home and there was occasional drizzle. We decided instead to go to archery and set up my new bow. We got as far as the Long Mynd where it was very windy and raining, so we headed back to work for a few hours. On our second attempt the sky had cleared and if it hadn’t been so windy, would have been an excellent day.
When we get back to wherever we are living at the time, there is always a period of readjustment and trying to find all our stuff. Routines that are established are forgotten and there is always something that goes wrong. Geoff had forgotten that he owns a bow and no longer needs to hire one. I did lots of eye rolling, until I realised that I had brought my bow but had left my arrows at home. Forgetting 50% of your equipment is pretty rubbish!
Thankfully Norman turned up and let us into the club house so we could borrow arrows, etc. My new bow is completely different and I needed Norman’s help to assemble it, never mind check it over. It’s far more powerful than my old one and I pulled a muscle in the first 5 arrows that I shot. Norman gave me some homework to do with a stretchy band and a mirror, so I will be working home and on the field to get back to full draw. Ho hum.
Since the archery club is below Caer Caradoc, we tootled off to the Lawley for an evening flight. It’s always stronger there than elsewhere and when we got to the car park it was clear it was too windy. We waited for Wayne and the three of us went up to the top to sit it out. By 6.45pm it was lulling, so we got the gliders out, only for it to pick back up a lot at 7pm. We packed back up and headed down for a beer instead.
Wednesday, 31st March 2010
Posted by Geoff on 31 Mar 2010 | Tagged as: Trying, but failing, to fly
Geoff writes: OK, this is definitely our last day in Spain. We leave tomorrow morning, driving through France to Calais. Since the forecast for France is still rubbish, we don’t expect to stop except for diesel.
So today was the final packing and cleaning, and saying goodbye to friends in the village.
We also managed to fix both the blocked toilet, and the satellite dish – a temporary fix at least, but now I know what I need to do to fix it permanently – a bit of cement, a few u-bolts, and it won’t move again in the wind. But that’s a job for October, when we come back.
We did try to go flying one last time, but, whilst the direction was fine, the wind was too strong – kind of the theme for this year.
So, tomorrow, back to the cold, wind and snow in the UK. Not exactly sure sometimes why we go back.
Tuesday, 30th March 2010
Posted by Judith on 30 Mar 2010 | Tagged as: Miscellaneous activities, Trying, but failing, to fly
It was all a bit messed up today. It was supposed to start cloudy, but it was brilliant sunshine this morning. It was supposed to be windy, but that had come and gone in the night. There was so much roaring going on outside I woke up and decided the washing on the roof terrace had to come in before it was distributed all over La Garrotxa. Johnny was keen to see if it would be possible to fly Sant Pere de Rodes and not being very keen on house work, we agreed. The promised cloud was arriving as we drove out and a quick phone call to Johnny confirmed that it was still too windy to fly, so we did a u-turn and headed for Besalú.
We went straight to the tourist information and purchased our tickets for the tour of the Jewish baths. We have been trying and failing to go on this tour for years. We got close in December, but were foiled on that occasion. Today, tickets in hand, we waited for the guide, but once she and everyone else arrived, we were disappointed to find out that the talk was in Catalan, rather than Spanish, as promised. I can manage day-to-day in Catalan, but am not fluent enough to listen to a historical/archeological talk and neither is Geoff. So we handed our tickets back and will try again next winter. We should have a new category – trying, and failing, to see the Besalú baths!
Instead we lounged about in the sun until it clouded over completely. Unfortunately, Meteocat had failed to forecast the over-development and it rained off and on from 3.30pm. And the other things that went wrong today are that the wind knocked the satellite dish out and we have a major water leak/flooding in our garden in the UK. All part of life’s rich fabric…
Geoff writes: if anyone is thinking of getting a water meter, don’t! If you have a water meter, you pay for the leaks (after the first one). If you don’t have a water meter, you don’t pay.