Date: Sun, 6 Mar 1994 14:27:26 -1000 From: savage@meo.dec.com Message-Id: <9403070027.AA20219@cassava> Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University Subject: Never Lurk in the Shadows >> Charlie Dunton >> c.v.dunton@larc.nasa.gov >> May you never stand in the shadow of your kite. --------- Charlie, your .signature reminded me of an incident that happened during our last summer holidays (January '94). My family were holidaying at Pambula, a lovely coastal resort in southern New South Wales (Australia). As always I took my kite bag with me, since there's a very reliable S.E. sea-breeze comes in about midday each day. One day, we had gone down to the River Beach, at the mouth of the Pambula River. I pulled out a couple of single-liners, got them up above the lee of the rocky headland/trees, and after a short while tethered them both and went off in search of my family. Some time later, my wife asked "Allan, what are those things swimming out in the water?" Looking out, I saw an old man in chest-high water, and a couple of very *large* dark shapes skooting around near where he was standing. We occasionally get stingrays along this section of coast, but these were two really big ones. I thought I should let him know what was about, so I jumped out and swam to where he was standing. I was about to speak to him, when one of these brutes abruptly turned and came straight toward me!! The judges later awarded almost perfect 10s for the reverse, upward moving somersault with pike and full twist - a manoeuvre I had perfected for the very purpose of avoiding charging stingrays. After the brute had gone past, it occurred to me that something was wrong. Very wrong. What was was wrong was that I hadn't actually *seen* anything. Steeling myself for another rapid alteration to the laws of gravity, I put my head underwater and had a good look. Nothing. Except for the shadows of my two (basically delta) kites, that I had completely forgotten about, and which, in the strengthening sea-breeze, were now merrily dancing all over the sky, leaving stingray-shaped shadows behind them. Dou you know the worst part of this episode? It was the hysterical laughter that followed when Macho-Man explained to his Devoted Wife how he had saved the Old Man from a pair of Shadows. Cheers, BigAl --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allan Savage | allan.savage@meo.mts.dec.com | Blue Skies Digital Equipment Corp. | | and Steady Breezes Melbourne - Australia | "SkyBandit" | - UnRool --------------------------------------------------------------------------- = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =