So much up is up in the air right now. What does one do?
The NHL 50/
50 split looks like it’s going bananas. And what about that
prorogation? At least it has given some hope that the decision to
close camping in some Northern Ontario parks might be revoked. But
will the Dalton gang be able to hold up Ontario while we wait for
another leader? Folks need relief from the barrages of uncertainty.
When there’s doubt or disillusionment, we can always roll our eyes and
look skyward.
Then there’s Skyfall, the new Bond movie that promises
to provide a bit of enjoyable distraction from the vexing
distractions. Or there’s Felix Baumgartner’s Bond-like jump from the
stratosphere. I found the fact that someone actually could leap out of
a capsule from almost 40 km up in the air quite amazing.
But then my
experience with free fall is limited to tying the strings on the
parachutes of my sons’ action figures so the kids could toss them from
trees.
I chased down some other facts behind the story of Austrian born
Baumgartner’s accomplishment. For the past seven years he has been
working towards the successful completion of his jump. The daredevil
had two practise jumps of 21.8 kilometres and 29.6 km before making
the big one of 39. 04 km. I also might have figured out why there is
such a shortage of helium. It all went into Felix’s balloon. When
inflated, the helium filled balloon that raises his capsule stretches
as tall as a 55 story building. That’s one BIG party balloon. And
don’t be thinking this balloon is that shiny foil kind I find washed
up on beaches. His balloon is 10 times thinner than a sandwich bag.
This story is getting as wild as the 1947 tale of the UFO crashing in
Roswell New Mexico, which is, of course, where Baumgartner landed .
Baumgartner fell at an unbelievable speed - 1341.97 km/hr – and he
broke the sound barrier at the same time. It took him 155 minutes to
get up to the stratosphere and nine minutes to jump down. Reasons why
Baumgartner did the stunt could range from bravado, large amounts of
cash, a death wish or the need for speed. But he didn’t feel the
speed because he had no reference point. Plus his pressurized suit
prevented him from feeling any rush of air. When he jumped he said
that the only thing he wanted was to come back alive.
Survival was all
that mattered. He says he’s going to settle down now and fly
helicopters for mountain rescues and fire fighting.
Even though the skies have felt a bit of this human’s touch, they will
always retain a sense of awe and mystery. There is something universal
(pardon the pun) about those rolling puffs. Their ethereal shapes and
colours are beyond anything we can conjure. For this fall’s air show
over Lake Superior seems to be wilder than ever.
Bulbous mountains of
grey and indigo sweep across the horizon shape shifting from
battleship to rosebush to feather. Although they bring us our daily
rain, they are all magnificent.
The other day I was watching the eagles swoop against this cottony
sky. Their annual migration through the Montreal River area has begun.
Ten or more were dipping over the water in a delicate ballet, their
massive wings catching the air currents with just the slightest beat.
No wonder people try and imitate the bird kingdom.
Later I saw another member of the fascinating bird world when we were
going for a little hike. Everything was all golden. The brilliant
fresh leaves from the canopy were covering the forest floor while the
shorter trees still were holding onto their bright yellow ones. As we
walked through the glimmering world we spotted a brown and white
movement off to our left. With a slow, careful demeanour a ruffed
grouse lifted each skinny leg, one step at a time. The bird was aware
of us but depended on its ability to blend into the ground cover for
survival. The partridge went one way and we went the other; its calm
demeanour reaffirmed what we so often forget.
It’s a wise thing to be
grounded once in a while - if you can.
