I have wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail for a long time now ... I want to do it one section at a time rather then try all at once. To make that journey would be worth sleeping out. I would be willing to camp out in support of a goal. I just don't love the idea of camping out for the sake of camping out ... Tonight we saw a National Geographic program about the trail. Wow. My husband says he will do that with me but I can't imagine him taking time out for something like that. Maybe. I wouldn't try to do it alone.

Today I've planned to watch a trip on FlightAware. You can just randomly select one ... Will it depart on time? I bet it does. The pilots must be getting things ready by now ... It's scheduled to leave in about an hour, and will fly for about six hours. There was a bit of precip along the way earlier, it's been fun looking at the weather en route. Kinda goofy. Kinda fun. I've enjoyed it so much that I think I might do it more often. It's interesting to think, just a little bit, about trips that are very different then one I might fly. Different time zones, different airports, different weather, different everything, but still flying. It amazes me that so much info for flight planning is available on the web.

Oh, that's cool ... Airspeed and altitude just dropped in. And the route. Heading, altitude, and speed are continuously updated ... I see the point where fuel burn allows higher. Cool.

Fun ... When I woke up during the night, I just checked with FlightAware and monitored a green icon moving across the country. When they were 30 minutes out I checked the weather at the destination ... Winds calm. Then a quick google for the approach plate ... YES ... there it is. Hmmm, maybe I can hear them with ATC live ... And that's another affirm. They've landed and I can hear taxi instructions.

I have really enjoyed the flight ... sleepy headed Pax stretching awake ... Crew in clean up mode running the post flight checklists. About six hours to get from one world to quite another ...
Amazing. Very cool ... I like it.

I bet the Captain is ready for some fresh air.

The *sky's* are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

*paraphrased from Frost


Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.