April 18, 2021 • 65

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #144: Taking Flight

The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, above all obstacles, on the infinite highway of the air.

Wilbur Wright

I think Wilbur Wright is right–our love of flying is deeply embedded in our DNA. At times our love is severely tested (lost luggage, travel delays, cancelled flights…and so on), but in many of us the allure of new cities, new cultures, new food, and new horizons lasts a lifetime.

This week, for Tina’s marvelous “Taking Flight” challenge, I’d like to explore some ways that we all enjoy flying:

Balloons, Bubbles, and Kites

He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.

Friedrich Nietzsche

We don’t have to go very far when we travel. Sometimes it’s just a few feet off the ground. We learn that when we are still children. It doesn’t take us very long to figure out that a birthday party isn’t complete without ice cream, cake, and of course, balloons.

Here, a balloon man sells his wares in the main plaza in San Jose del Cabo.

The Balloon Man, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico

When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.~Leonardo da Vinci

Do you agree that children all around the world love bubbles? Here in Rome, children (and their parents) enjoy the performance of a bubble “maestro.”

The Balloon Maestro, Borghese Gardens, Rome

I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things.– Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Closer to my home, people enjoy flying kites on a cool autumn day in Portland, Maine. How many of us flew kites when we were children? Some of us still do it.

Balloon Heaven, Portland, ME

Para Gliding and Flying

Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute.~ Gil Stern

Early one morning in Cabo San Lucas, people were para gliding over the Pacific Ocean. I haven’t tried it or hang gliding, for that matter, but I did take flying lessons when I was in high school. I’ll never forget the joy and exhilaration of flying over Long Island Sound in a Cessna and seeing familiar landmarks reduced to miniatures.

Aloft, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Fighter pilots have ice in their veins. They don’t have emotions. They think, anticipate. They know that fear and other concerns cloud your mind from what’s going on and what you should be involved in.–~Buzz Aldrin

I greatly admire the skill and bravery of fighter pilots who fly in formation and do amazing aerial maneuvers. In this image, the pilots are performing in the Ann Arbor Airshow, which is spectacular.

Ann Arbor Air Show, Michigan

Flying may not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price.~Amelia Earhart

Some of us who are exceptionally brave, fly without an engine or a parachute! Once on a visit to London, I happened to see this young girl learning to fly at a trapeze school in Kensington Gardens. To me, this is the most courageous way to take flight!

Trapese School, Kensington Gardens, London

I hope you enjoyed our time together exploring the excitement and fun of flight. Like many of us, I’m longing for the day when we can “take flight” again and travel to new and distant places. The allure of flight captivated me when I was a teenager and it still burns brightly in me after all these years.

We hope you join us this week for Tina’s fabulous “Taking Flight” challenge. Be sure to stop by her site to see her wonderful images of birds in flight in her beautiful home state of South Carolina.

Last week, I enjoyed your gorgeous and varied images of “colorful April” in your part of the world. Your images of nature in parks, the mountains, the cities, and in your backyard were beautiful. You always inspire and delight us!

Next week, we will have a special treat when our guest host, Scillagrace leads LAPC #145. Please be sure to stop by her site next Saturday at noon to see her inspiring post. In the meantime, have a wonderful creative week and please stay safe.

Categories: LENS-ARTISTS, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, Photography

Tagged as: , ,

65 replies »

  2. A beautiful response to the challenge Patti and your capture of the trapeze artists in Kensington Gardens is amazing and so symbolic of what’s possible when trust one another 💗 xxx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. Oh so well done Patti! I was so happy to see the amazing variety of images in your response and your thoughts on how so many kinds of “flying” prove it is written into our DNA! The balloons and bubbles were wonderfully joyful. The paragliding reminded me of the time I did it on one of our Caribbean adventures. I’ll never forget to incredible feeling of flying above the water and soaring like a bird without a sound. I only worried a little bit about what would happen if the harness broke, or how difficult I would find the landing LOL Fortunately I lived to tell the story 😂. As for the trapeze artists, well THAT is just for crazy people !!!!! Wonderful post, I truly enjoyed it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • 😀. Thanks, Tina! I’m delighted you enjoyed my human perspective on flight. Ohh….you tried paragliding. 😱 Kudos to you! I haven’t tried it yet. How was the landing? That’s the part I’d be worried about. It must be so amazing…to be gliding silently over the water. I’d love that. We both agree about the trapeze! Take care and have a great week.

      Like

      Reply

      • Well the good news is my landing was fine. You kind of float onto a wooden platform near the shore and sort of run along as the parasail deflates. But a woman who took it after me did break her leg on landing so it can be difficult. I guess the wind is a big factor on the landing. worth the risk IMHO though!

        Liked by 1 person

    • Oh, yes. The Thunderbirds. Thanks for reminding me of their name! Glad you enjoyed the bubbles. I love watching kids having fun with them. Have a good week, Beth. Looking forward to your post, too.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Hi, Anne. I was so surprised to see the acrobats practicing there! It’s a great spot. And yes, I think it’s universal–our love of bubbles. I am always amazed at how they fascinate kids. Thanks so much for your thoughts, as always, Anne! Much appreciated.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Thank you so much, Nora! (Big smile!). I hope your move is progressing well. We are packing up here in NH, and getting ready to put our things in storage for a while. It’s never fun, is it??

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Hi, Margaret…maybe pogo sticks? trampolines? I wonder if anyone will include them!! I’m with you…definitely not the trapeze. I’m delighted you enjoyed this one! I hope you enjoy the day and the week.😀

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  16. Pingback: Lens-ArtistPC-144-Taking-Flight – WoollyMuses

    • Hi, Jo. Thanks! I loved his collection of balloons and how colorful they were. And yes, the water in Cabo is lovely. It is a spectacular spot. It is just so sad that drug wars have really damaged tourism there in the past few years. I’d love to go back…someday when it’s safe. Take care. I hope all’s well.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  20. Hi Patti, What a wonderful post. You brought up ways of flying I hadn’t even considered. Balloons, bubbles, hang gliding. I have been wracking my brain trying to think of pictures I have of flying. You saved the best for last. “He’d fly through the air with the greatest of ease, That daring young man on the flying trapeze. The song was first published in 1867…” Wikipedia https://youtu.be/KvLMqRSVzy8

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  22. Taking flight on a trapeze? No thank you very much… but I love to watch those aerial acrobats at work.
    I can attest to the truth in the statement by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. In my own experience, I find the action of flight to free my mind of the day’s travails.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  24. I do believe you got it all, Patti! Amazing variety and a treat to scroll them up and down. The Cabo San Lucas glider – wow! I would love to try that – I am always fascinated by the look of it. Never got around to doing it though. And you took flying lessons once! That I would never dare to do…of course i love the kite flyers and the kites – always amazing (and not so dangerous…). Wishing you a delightful week!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  25. Pingback: Taking flight – One Woman's Quest II
  27. Pingback: Beautiful Great Blue Heron Love on Earth Day | Babsje Heron

Don't Be Shy! Drop Me A Line.

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.