Ladyfisher

This Week's View

by Deanna Lee Birkholm
July 21st, 2008

What Happened to Flying?


We are back from the Michigan Fish-In of course, and we've even had a week to collect our thoughts (or whatever it is one loses when they disconnect). This trip was a bit different in some ways. Air travel ceased being fun some time ago.

Unfortunately I do remember when flying somewhere was really a big deal - and yes fun. In fact years ago when we lived in the high country in Montana we would drive to Bozeman, take a Frontier flight to Salt Lake for the weekend. A chance to have a nice dinner out and do some shopping - yes our youngest daughter really was spoiled, she got to do her 'back to school' shopping on one of those trips. I did the Christmas shopping for our family on one of those trips too. It really was fun and cheap.

Now it isn't. We noticed sitting in the airport before we even got on the plane to fly out of Seatac to Chicago that the plane was 'over booked' and they were offering a free round trip flight to anyone who was willing to give up their seat. If we didn't have reservations and a car rental we might have considered it. Amazingly, we ran into the same thing on the next leg from Chicago to Michigan. Well, that flight didn't go anywhere, eventually it was canceled and we ended up checking into the Hilton at the airport somewhere around eleven pm without any bags of course since our baggage was shipped off to who knows where. No way for JC to shave in the morning of course, but gratefully I always carry our medications with me in my purse. (The purse is getting bigger as we get older.) We flew out to Michigan the next morning. We are beginning to think we really aren't supposed to be going to a Fish-In in Michigan at all.

Anyway, on the way home our flight sits on the runway in Denver for two and a half hours. Seems the 'rule' is if there is any lightening within a ten mile radius the plane can't take off. Maybe that isn't correct, but the airport workers can't load or remove baggage and have to be inside if there is any lightening within a ten mile radius. Sounds fishy to me, but we didn't move. They do have summer storms in the west, I had just forgotten about them.

Elsewhere in this issue (check What's New on the Bulletin Board) you will find two reports on the Michigan Fish-In, one by a fellow who had not been to a Fish-In before, and one by a gal who was attending her second one. Both are just delightful. I hope you will give some thought to joining in the fun. We only have one left this season, the Idaho Fish-In, scheduled for Sept. 20 through Sept. 26th. There are quite a few on the "going list," but you would be most welcome.

Next week I hope to have an rather unusual story for you. JC and I floated a section of the mainstream of the Au Sable with our friend Steve Southard in the middle of the night chasing the Hex. Stay tuned. ~ The LadyFisher

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