Sylvia's Journal

Bill and I had a passenger yesterday morning, Andrea, on our trip to Martha’s Vineyard. We like to go to Katama airfield as it is the only grass airstrip around and thus a good place to practice soft-field landings and take-offs. Bill flew outbound along a 9 nautical mile radius from Logan airport, low over the water. It was a nice front row seat from which to watch the big planes land and take off.

Further south we had to dodge some cells with bad weather. I was glad we had an IFR man in the plane although we never needed to go IFR. Behind the clouds we could see the Cape and the islands in the sun. By the time we landed summer had arrived on Martha’s Vineyard and the small breakfast restaurant at the airport was filled with holidaymakers as the English call them. A biplane two-seater for scenic rides and a fully saddled galloping horse (without rider) on the run kept me entertained while Bill and Andrea walked to the beach and back.

I piloted us back west around Boston under sunny skies and executed a perfect landing, according to my passenger and coach, exactly at 2 PM when the plane was due back. I have nearly 70 hours in cross country time now. The flying is one thing that I would sorely miss if I were to go to Afghanistan for a year. Flying in a small plane at low altitude in Afghanistan would probably not be a good idea in a country with that many guns and trigger-happy men.

For once we completed most of our planting tasks before Memorial Day, including the graves of Penny and Herman, of Granny and Grampy Magnuson, of Paul and Phil. We took out the crocus and tulip bulbs and put in fresh soil and bright red geraniums. The DPW already had put in the American flags for our family’s warriors and everything is ready for the festivities on Monday. The only thing we did not do was the vodka ritual because we forgot to bring the drinks. If the sun shines again this evening we will make up for this and splash a few drops of vodka over the graves of those of our ancestors who liked to have a drink each day.

Back home we completed the spring ritual of bringing out the houseplants for the summer, trimming and cleaning them and finding them a spot in the shade. I am nearly done with the planting of our crops: the capucijners (Dutch grey peas), kouseband (foot-long green beans), bush beans and the Chinese peapods are in. All that’s missing is the basil and a place where various squash varieties can expand freely in all directions. Tessa promised she’d do the last two window boxes.