Friday, October 21, 2016

LOUD AND QUIET






The Blue Angels roared over our heads as we sat on the long grass at Cavallo Point (formerly Ft. Baker) right across from San Francisco. I thought of Disney's "Fantasia" and the ending symphony as we watched the performance. First we saw the blue jets, then their trails, and then the heart-thumping crescendo of the engines, which reminded me of the shriek of the orchestra's brasses and the booming of the kettledrums. The jets turned at the Golden Gate Bridge and zoomed back across the city skyline, skimmed the tops of sailboats, left their trails behind, then as a group they climbed straight up in the sky, again the clap of their engines -- louder than any of the other planes that we had watched that day -- until they vanished in the sky, returning with a nose dive and a screech as they twisted in the air down towards the bay.








During the silence between the jets' sweep, I watched two vultures sail over tall trees looking for prey -- their quiet flight a counterpoint to the jets. Closer to us, the monarchs dipped and twirled their wings over the lawn before they came to rest on the path through the tall grass. A dragonfly buzzed by, and then as I sipped my coffee, a yellow jacket hummed near my hand, hoping for a drink.








The insects disappeared as the jets crossed overhead again, this time so low we could read the words, U.S. Navy, printed on their undersides. Again, their white trails followed by the ear-splitting boom of their engines. A grand finale to our day.

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With today's post, I have continued writing about the five senses: my first commitment for Inktober.
How are your Inktober commitments working?
I hope you stay with the one thing a day that you have chosen to do.
Let us know how you are doing!

8 comments:

  1. I'm enjoying your Inktober commitment posts. Wish I could have seen the Blue Angels when and where you did.

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    1. They were quite a sight -- precision to the 'nth' degree. Beautiful day to watch them too.

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  2. We were driving across the San Mateo bridge on our way to see the grandkids and their new puppy when I was spotted the unusual behavior of jets sweeping down on the city with their smoky white streaks following. I didn't hear the din but was glad to see a bit of the excitement. Nice write up! I almost tasted the coffee.

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    1. Thank you, Jan. Bill has been in the City during Fleet Week. The sound is incredible from there.

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  3. I've always wanted to watch Fleet Week show from a boat on the water. Maybe someday I'll meet another sailor! Mine sailed under the GGB four times on a Navy ship during the Vietnam War. He loved coming back to the Bay. Would love to see the perspective of land from the sea.

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    1. I've always liked to tour cities from the waterfront -- it really does give a different perspective. Watching the Blue Angels from a boat would be a thrill. Your sailor (your husband?) must have had lots of stories to tell of his experiences at sea.

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  4. The Blue Angels is one of my favorite things to do. Next time maybe we’ll enjoy it from Cavallo Point.

    Thanks for sharing.

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