Blowing in the wind

Riding the wind...

No wind, but some yarn made from some alpacas I have met!

This is their natural colors, none of this has been dyed!

I tried to add a picture of the alpacas but it keeps putting it sideways!! This forum is so frustrating!!!

Flapping in the wind:

30 years ago we rode a gentle breeze.

The shadow is us!! Why do these photos go wonky???

taken through the back window yesterday during wind and rain:

Cranes, when migrating, ride the wind in a novel way. They fly and glide loosing altitude until they find a thermal, and then they do a tight circle trying to stay in the thermal. If the thermal is small in diameter, they will circle and make multiple passes through the thermal. In this way, cranes use a thermal as an elevator to gain altitude. After gaining altitude, the flock will continue on their migration path until encountering another thermal to begin the process again.

If you should be privileged to observe this behavior on a sunny fall day, it will appear that the cranes are playing or performing a mating ritual, but this is not the case. They are riding nature's elevator. Its a sight to see the entire flock all trying to ride the elevator at once. It appears chaotic with 10 or more birds wheeling in the air while dodging each other.

(Click on the photo to see a larger view.)

We tripped on these surfers, killing time before having to head to the airport. They were fascinating.