Sunday
Selections was originally brought to us by Kim of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could
post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life. The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent. Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
Like River I usually run with a theme. This week I am taking you back to 'Flying High' an annual kite festival in a nearby town. It is another of the events that we (creatures of habit) go to each year. This is what we saw as we pulled into the township, before we got to our destination.
We were hopeful. There are feature kites each year and so far we haven't been lucky enough to see them take to the sky.
Sadly, the wind dropped just as we reached the sportsground. No big kites this year. And rather a lot of this.
There were intermittent gusts of wind, and some kites did take to the skies. Briefly.
I did love the dragon and the birds. And the good humour of the hopeful kite watchers and kite flyers.
The kites might not have flown well, but there was just enough breeze for one of my other passions. I smiled broadly when this mama pulled a bubble blower out. Her boys loved it too.
Were we disappointed? A little. It was a lovely outing anyway and we will be back next year. I really, really want to see the giant whale and octopus kites fly.
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life. The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent. Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
Like River I usually run with a theme. This week I am taking you back to 'Flying High' an annual kite festival in a nearby town. It is another of the events that we (creatures of habit) go to each year. This is what we saw as we pulled into the township, before we got to our destination.
We were hopeful. There are feature kites each year and so far we haven't been lucky enough to see them take to the sky.
Sadly, the wind dropped just as we reached the sportsground. No big kites this year. And rather a lot of this.
There were intermittent gusts of wind, and some kites did take to the skies. Briefly.
I did love the dragon and the birds. And the good humour of the hopeful kite watchers and kite flyers.
The kites might not have flown well, but there was just enough breeze for one of my other passions. I smiled broadly when this mama pulled a bubble blower out. Her boys loved it too.
Were we disappointed? A little. It was a lovely outing anyway and we will be back next year. I really, really want to see the giant whale and octopus kites fly.
Hi EC - oh I can sense your disappointment ... I love kites - they are quite amazing and in this day and age there are some stunningly beautiful creations, as well as clever ones. Those bubbles are fun though ... but I do prefer your frozen ones - they always bemuse me ... I wonder if they'd work here ... must try it this coming winter.
ReplyDeleteOctopus kites, whales and dragons ... let's hope they get to fly for you next year ... looks to be a lovely day though - cheers Hilary
Hilary Melton-Butcher: Seeing so many happy families about it would have been ungracious of me to be more than a little bit disappointed. Next year will come soon enough.
DeleteI am pretty confident frozen bubbles would work where you are - and hope you try.
What a dreadful tease to see the kites in the wind as you approach... then the calm strikes. The dragon was very cool though. Glad you had an enjoyable time anyway.
ReplyDeleteRiver Fairchild: I loved the dragon (of course) and was very pleased there was enough wind for it to make a brief appearance.
DeleteWell... now I feel rather how you must have felt. But bubbles are always fun! Who doesn’t love bubbles? Even the word bubbles is great.
ReplyDeleteBirdie: Bubbles are indeed always fun. I like drinking them too.
DeleteWhat a lovely way to while away an early spring day. The dragon kite was my favorite. I imagine next Saturday or one soon after they will get them all flying.
ReplyDeleteI've always loved fall best. It is quite hot here but the plants are giving away to fall. No matter the temperature, nature knows what part of the year it is.
Ann Bennett: Even the next day was windier, and more kites could have flown. There is always next year's festival and I do hope that in the interim more families fly kites. I am grateful to live in an area with four distinct seasons. I am fond of them all (except the sweaty season).
DeleteI do like the dragon
ReplyDeleteSue in Italia/In the Land of Cancer: So did I.
DeleteBeautiful shots EC, my favourite is the Dragonfly, love it.
ReplyDeleteBob Bushell: I loved the dragon, but also liked the giant birds swooping through the sky.
DeleteWell, these weather influenced events can't be micromanaged, unfortunately. I sure did enjoy the kites that did fly. Thank you for the great pictures! :-)
ReplyDeleteDJan: My control freak self would like to be able to micro manage everything. Like you, I enjoyed the kites that did fly.
DeleteThe kites are lovely, even if not as many as you hoped to see. As you say, it was a very pleasant day out, regardless.
ReplyDeleteI hope the coming week treats you kindly in all ways, EC. Cuddles to Jazz. :)
Lee: The kites were fun, but kites always are. The coming week is going to be very busy, but should be ok. Cuddles to your furry overlords too.
DeleteDisappointing for you but I loved what you did get. Those kites are always so pretty and your photos are great.
ReplyDeleteDenise inVA: We were glad we went, despite the bigger kites being grounded. And thank you.
DeleteSometimes it feels like the wind never stops blowing but then didn't blow when you wanted it too. The first kite is odd and the rest are great, with lots of colour and themes.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: I think the first kite is a 'tester'. The man with the big feature balloons ran it up to see if there was enough wind for his bigger ones. It plummeted to the ground just as we pulled up, and never got more than a few feet off the ground again. I did like the smaller kites though. And the happy crowd.
DeleteJust shows what a bird nerd I am. When I saw the words Kite Festival I immediately thought of birds. I think I can pass on this other stuff!
ReplyDeleteDavid Gascoigne: I am a bird nerd and a word nerd and quite a number of other types of nerd as well. Mind you, if there was a Kite Festival of the sort which would attract you we would most definitely have been there.
DeleteSuch a variety of kites... love the dragon and plane!
ReplyDeleteCountryMum: I think the dragon and the birds were my favourite, but I was happy to see them all.
DeleteBeautiful kites and lots of color on them.
ReplyDeleteJamie Ghione: Thank you. There was lots and lots of colour.
DeleteShame about the wind … but I still enjoyed your photographs, and I'm with you on blowing bubbles :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the coming week ahead.
All the best Jan
Lowcarb team member ~Jan: Better luck next year on the wind front. Bubbles are always welcome. There were several families playing with them which I loved.
DeleteI hope your week is wonderful.
The dragon one was cool. I was never good at flying a kite.
ReplyDeleteAlex J. Cavanaugh: The dragon was excellent. I was never a success story in flying kites either. I had a lot of fun making them though.
DeleteSorry the big kites weren't up- but it looks like you were able to see some beautiful and interesting kites. Hopefully next year the wind will be just right. Must be a tricky event- depending on the wind.
ReplyDeleteI haven't flown a kite in years- but I did enjoy it growing up. May have to get a kite and head to the beach. Oh- and I love bubbles too.
~Jess
DMS ~Jess: It was a lovely outing anyway. And there were some lovely kites. And rather a lot of happy people.
DeleteA delightful day! We've never been to kite flying events! The dragon was cool. Like others, I had only one time of success.
ReplyDeleteSusan Kane: We found out about this one by accident a few years ago, and go each year. The 'feature' kites haven't taken to the air when we have been there, but there has been oodles and oodles of fun.
DeleteIt looks like everyone had as good a time as they could anyway. Hope you get plenty of good breezes next year.
ReplyDeletemessymimi: Everyone DID have a good time. I didn't hear a murmur of complaint.
DeleteI'm sorry the festival didn't have quite the right weather for kite flying, although you did get to see a few, and through you, so did we. I do like the birds.
ReplyDeleteAnd bubbles are always fun and successful, no matter the conditions!
jenny_o: Like the balloons kites are entirely weather dependent. At least some of them did fly. I am glad you noticed the birds. They were up for only a very few minutes and I thoroughly enjoyed them. And hooray for bubbles.
DeleteLove the bird kites! Next year, EC.
ReplyDeleteMarie Smith: Another one who noticed the birds. I thought they were clever. And yes, we will be back next year.
DeleteWell you were obviously disappointed, but you did see some lovely kites in the air, and took some great photos. Of course the dragon is my favourite too, but I also really like the birds and the butterfly, and the black one with the pink stars on it.
ReplyDeleteThere's enough wind here today to get the biggest kites flying! Have a good week EC.
Alexia: We were only a little disappointed but certainly not despondent. The wind here would have the big kites up today as well.
DeleteI hope your week is full of wonder. And good walks.
Another wonderful event for me to be pea green with envy
ReplyDeleteAnne in the kitchen: Over the next couple of weeks my city (which is renowned as the boredom capital of Australia) has quite a few things on. I don't mean to make you jealous, and do hope you will enjoy them with us.
DeleteI bet it was windy the following day!!
ReplyDeleteWhenever I hear the word kite I always remember the book titled “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. A great book.
Caterina: Of course it was windy the next day. And it still is. I enjoyed the Kite Runner but haven't yet read the sequel. Have you?
DeleteI have been looking forward to a new book by Khaled Hosseini for so long! Did not realize there is a new one... finally!! Sept 2018 is the release date in Canada. "Sea Prayer" !
DeleteThanks EC!! : )
Caterina: It will be out soon. Enjoy.
DeleteWow--- so many comments! Let me say two things: I enjoyed this post. And thanks for your nice words so often on my blog. They give me a lift and a smile.
ReplyDeleteBill: At least half of the comments are mine. Mind you I am very, very grateful to those who comment here. They add immeasurably to the post. And it is a pleasure to comment on your stunning photos.
DeleteLove the dragon! And the Concord-shaped kite look good too.
ReplyDeleteAh well...
I thought it might be good for the kite-surfers here, but haven't seen any.Maybe it's still too cold for them!
dinahmow: The dragon was great wasn't it? I liked the birds better than the Concordia though.
DeleteKite surfing is something I have never tried. Love to watch though.
I LOVE the dragonfly :)
ReplyDeleteIs it possible the are just isn't high enough above sea level to sustain the high winds needed for kite flying? Or perhaps they need to choose a better time of year, a time when more wind is guaranteed?
On the other hand, the wind is as fickle as my first husband, so choosing a day is bound to be hard.
'the area' not the are (*~*)
ReplyDeleteRiver: I doubt that the feature kites, which are owned by a professional, would come back year after year if there was no chance. And the day before, and the day after winds were high. Luck of the draw?
DeleteDear EC
ReplyDeleteI particularly like the dragon kite and at least they got a chance to soar now and again. I remember many a try to fly a kite at the beach, but it seldom worked for me. I had a white plastic kite with a blue bird on it. The weather is always a fickle thing.
Best wishes
Ellie
Ellie Foster: The weather is indeed fickle, and I was very impressed that spirits weren't dampened.
DeleteHave a wonderful week.
I'm amazed that certain shapes will fly; I like the big birds and the jet and butterfly.
ReplyDeleteLinda Starr: They are aerodynamic marvels aren't they?
DeleteThese are so fun to look at, and a cool reminder that people are still flying kites. Great way to exercise too! I used to see tons of kites in toy stores, but these days there are very few. Some of these are really creative. Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteRO: We rarely see kites at other times of the year. Which is a big sad. There were LOTS out that day, even if most of them didn't fly.
DeleteI love kites. I built them when I was a kid. They weren’t as fancy and beautiful as ther ones you photographed, but they were still a joy to fly.
ReplyDeleteRick Watson: I built kites too. With variable success. They were a heap of fun though.
DeleteSome unusual kites. You captured them well.
ReplyDeleteJo: Thank you.
DeleteStill looks like a nice day out...Hope you are doing well.
ReplyDeletee: It was a nice day. I am struggling a bit but fine. How are you doing?
DeleteStruggling a bit but fine about covers things here as well. Will send an email this week.
Deletee: I hope the fine bit of the equation triumphs for both of us. Hugs.
DeleteThanks and same to you.
DeleteI used to play kite.
ReplyDeletelove it
Tanza Erlambang: Welcome. I think most of us used to fly kites. I am wondering a bit why I stopped.
DeleteSorry the wind didn't cooperate but it still sounds like a great time.
ReplyDeleteMason Canyon: There will be other years, and we did enjoy ourselves even without the wind.
DeleteI think this field full of people is all the fun.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Noragon: They were. And a salutory reminder to me that things don't have to be perfect to be enjoyable.
DeleteLove the dragon kite :)
ReplyDeletemshatch: Me too. I hope it is back next year.
DeleteGlorious. At the right angle, the bird kites look like the real deal.
ReplyDeleteSandra Cox: I thought that about the bird kites too. I was quite sad when they were earthbound.
DeleteGood morning, for me sitting here I enjoyed them all, it's always fun to fly these kites as well, (good wind and all) but kind of sad how around here it seems they don't do it so much. Not like I've seen on the beaches in Oregon. But every year (still) and forever, the sweet Easter Bunny leaves kites for all us! Yep, it's a big deal for me.
ReplyDeleteKaren S.: How lovely that the Easter Bunny brings you kites. That is a truly wonderful tradition.
DeleteI haven't flown a kite since my daughter was little. It's been long time. Thanks for the lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteMary Kirkland: It has been too long for me. Something I should rectify.
DeleteVery clever kite shapes!
ReplyDeleteBea: Aren't they? I still want to see the octopus and the whale though.
DeleteAww, nice bubbles, Mom!
ReplyDeleteLove the kite shots, EC. You know I never see anyone flying a single kite in my area?
John Wiswell: They were LOVELY bubbles. We rarely see kites anymore either - which is sad.
DeleteI don't remember ever flying a kite, but surely my brothers did at some point. Jump board, jacks, and tom-walkers were the activities of the eight of us, and ante-over. We played "work-up" in the front yard. You make disappointment look positive. xo
ReplyDeletePatricia A. Laster: I don't remember my brothers flying kites. I did. And built them too (with varying success). Yes we were a bit disappointed, but it didn't spoil the fun of the day at all.
DeleteThanks for making my spirits soar and bubble, dear pal!!!!
ReplyDeleteCloudia: Always happy to fly with you.
DeleteThat's too bad about the wind, but the kites you did get to see to fly were gorgeous! I hope next year, you can see one of the BIG ones fly! I love blowing bubbles! It's the best!! LOL! Big Hugs and I hope everything is well!
ReplyDeleteMagic Love Crow: I enjoyed the day even without the big kites - which doesn't stop me hoping for next year. Bubble are definitely the best. Frozen or not.
DeleteOh shoot. Nothing worse than a kite event and no wind. I love to see kites in the air. They're beautiful. I used to fly them for fun, in a time when I got to the coast more often.
ReplyDeleteStrayer: At least some of the smaller kites would fly, however briefly. Better luck next year.
DeleteGreat shots of the kites, but sorry to hear the wind was not being cooperative.
ReplyDeleteLady Fi: There will be other days and it was a pleasant outing anyway.
DeleteHere on the adults site
ReplyDeletewho like to fly the kites.
Good week's continuation.
janicce.
A Casa Madeira ~Janicce: Thank you. Kites are ageless aren't they?
Delete