This morning I woke up much earlier than I normally do, after having gone to bed much later than usual.
This is typical for my family on a travel day.
Also typical for us:
Dragging way too many carry-ons, through the security check,
and getting funny looks and questions from the TSA agents about that strange “wood sculpture” stuffed into one of my bags.
Traveling with a forcola makes for great conversations.
This is a small forward forcola. Trying to bring a full-sized stern forcola can be tricky, as the security staff begin to worry about whether you plan on hitting anyone with it (it’s not that different from an Irish shillelagh), or if you could possibly break down the door to the cockpit (I’m sure I could if I had to).
One other ritual for me, whenever possible – snagging a window seat and pulling out my long-lens for some aerial photography.
Flying out of John Wayne Airport in Orange County usually provides some kind of vista of the harbor, but often it’s a view partially obscured by the clouds of a marine layer.
This morning I was fortunate enough to get a clear view; the plane didn’t bounce around that much, and I snapped off a few decent images.
To the right, Pacific Coast Hwy., in the upper left, waves breaking on the beach, crossing over the harbor is Newport Boulevard.
To the lower left we see part of Lido Island, which is across the harbor from the mainland, with docks and businesses along the waterfront. Towards the top of the photo, we see part of the canals that are so popular with gondoliers these days in Newport.
Slight correction: the plane didn’t bump much as we passed over the coast, as I write this (somewhere over New Mexico), I feel like I’m riding a stage coach over rock-ridden terrain.
After shooting, I loaded the photos to the laptop, did what I needed to do with them so I could load them onto the Gondola Blog, and wrote this text.
Technology is great.
This ride is not so great, though, and I’m getting nauseous.
By the time you read this, I will have landed in Dallas, and hopefully recovered from the flight. Meeting with my gondoliers there, and a solid dose of red wine should help.
To my friends in Newport - enjoy the weather, and I’ll see you soon.
To my friends, and soon-to-be friends, in Irving, Texas – I look forward to meeting and rowing with you soon.
