The wings of this old 172 reach out to feel the air pushing back and the conversation starts. Speeding forward down runway 23L, the unseen exchange between wing and wind suspends gravity as we rise into the cool blue sky for another adventure between the vacuum of space and the green of the earth. 
There is a true marriage between flight and the wind. I learned a long time ago that there are laws to live by with the ocean, and so it is with the wind… Obey the laws of the air or you will pay the price of not looking and listening for that wispy voice… (where is he going today).
Not long ago, cruising at 4500 feet, I felt a gentle yaw to the left and then to the right. No pedal or control inputs by me, just the old wind starting up a conversation. Right behind the first volley of words came the story of turbulence. Gentle, and not so gentle, light chop of cooling air from the night warming up reminding me, he has a say in how this trip will go.
We continued the dance for a good 70 miles ‘till the wind used up all of his words and went silent with nothing more to say. Smooth air accompanied us on the trip up into the hills of Virginia. That old rascally wind has a voice of his own and trying to figure out what he is going to say is a skill a pilot needs to learn. The language of wind, the language of the plane, and how they work together or against one another…
It truly is a relationship.
Setting up for my final approach, the clear blue sky waves her goodbye as we nestle back onto the green terra firma. With a slight tire squeak, we roll to a stop, thinking of the beautiful sights earth had shown us. Being a part of this relationship, this conversation is like speaking with an old, but temperamental friend. Sometimes, no matter how much planning takes place, that old wind will throw you around and have a tantrum.
For an element that isn’t seen, he can sure make a difference on the ground and in the air. There are predictors of course… We have an idea of what he is going to do, but even with today’s technology, that old fella gets up in the morning and starts talking with his own tale to tell. 
As I have aged, learning to listen to the language of the elements around me has become more and more important. Our lives are so composed of digital delivery that we could stay home and never step outside to experience the world around us. When reading of our Native American brothers and sisters, they were experts at reading and understanding the weather and the world around them, not as the minutes ticked by, but by the rising of the sun and moon, by the days, the weeks, and the months. Yeah, there were times when they got it wrong… Devils Tower in Wyoming didn’t really get its jaggage, steep, cut face from a large bear climbing up it, but hey, they did the best they could with what they had at the time. Let’s just say… It worked for them.
I believe everything is about relationships. With the world starting to open up, step out and take in the gift God has given us and have a conversation…
It’s worth the time.
Peace on your Journey this week.
