Slight Fear Of Flight

When it comes to flying, I'm more apprehensive then nervous when I step foot on a plane.

The two things that make me nervous are take-off and landing. Of those two, the take-off is the worst part for me. I'm fine going down the runway but as soon as I feel the plane leave the ground I tend to grip my arm rest a little tighter.

I'll try to avoid looking out the window as the plane ascends or banks left or right probably because in my mind if I can see the ground and all I can think about is falling to the earth below. Now once we're at a cruising altitude of 30-plus-thousand feet, I'll stare out the window at the ground, the clouds and other passing aircraft.

Landing isn't too bad I guess but on my first ever flight years ago we had some pretty bad turbulence as we descended through a thunderstorm and that freaked me out a bit. Just ask the lady in the seat ahead of mine after I grabbed for the seat on one particular drop and grabbed her hair instead.

I'm not a veteran flier by any stretch of the imagination but I've done it at least a dozen or more times. I've even flown in a Canadian Air Force C-130 Hercules a couple of times. Once I rode in the cockpit the whole time as I knew the pilot. That was pretty cool and oddly enough, the take-off or landing didn't really bother me in the least.

I have been fortunate to land at airports which aren't too scary either. The St. Petersburg / Clearwater International Airport in Florida was a little freaky the first time as you come in over Old Tampa Bay and not until just before you land do you see the ground. Up until then I thought I was going to land in the water and I had checked my bathing suit.

The Tampa International Airport is similar but not quite as bad. You circle over the water to line up for the approach to the runway but you see the land a bit sooner.

There are some airports that I would probably want to avoid. Among them would be the Courchevel Airport located in the French Alps. It has a very short runway of only 525 m and you have to land going up-hill and take-off going down. Only small private aircraft and helicopters are allowed to land there and the pilots need plenty of skill.

The other location I have in mind is one you want to avoid landing at and you also want to avoid laying on the beach near it. Princess Juliana International Airport is located on the Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin. It is the second busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean.

The airport is famous for its short landing strip — only 2,180 metres, which as you might guess, just barely leaves enough room for the big boys to land. The planes approach the island flying just above the water and moments before landing they go right over the Maho Beach.

You may have seen pictures of the big jets just missing the tourists at the beach and think they were manipulated in some way with Photoshop but that just isn't the case.

Below is a video of a jet landing at the airport. After watching it you might be surprised to learn that there have been no major aviation incidents at the airport. I think I can avoid landing there any time in the near future.

Florida Trip Journal 2007-2008

The following, for those who are interested, is a brief but lengthy log of my family's holiday vacation from the time we hit the road on the morning of December 14th to our return on January 9th. This will give you just a bit of an idea of what we did to celebrate the holiday season on the sunny and warm Florida Gulf Coast.

Day 1 - Friday December 14th
My mom, dad and I loaded my car and were on the road at 3:00 a.m. With one storm ending and another on the way we did our best to travel between them. For the first time in all my trips South I actually saw the sun in Pennsylvania. Light snow in New York and part way into Pennsylvania but then it turned much nicer. Lots of ice in the trees down to Harrisburg as well. We stopped driving around 5:30 p.m. and rested for the night in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. I was ready to see a bed.

Day 2 - Saturday December 15th
Up and on the road by 4am for another long day on the road. A little rain and heavy traffic at times but overall it wasn't a bad commute. I'm sorry ladies but I have come to the conclusion that the worst drivers on the roads are women. If it isn't the case, you certainly have plenty of fellow females who are adding some weight to the rumour. We arrived at Scott and Erin's at 5:20pm. Out for a quick supper at Outback Steakhouse...mmmm prime rib, and then home for an early night.

Day 3 - Sunday December 16th
I slept in late and it was a quiet day. Shopped at the WalMart, played cards and relaxed. Also kept an eye on the computer to try and get news on the big snow storm hitting back home. I'm glad to be in Florida but wondering what's happening at the house.

Days 4-10 - Monday Dec. 17th to Sunday Dec. 23rd
Mostly shopping during these days and relaxation in the evenings as we continued to prepare for Christmas. I've come to the conclusion that it's much easier to spend money rather than earn it...but I think we all knew that already. WalMart is like a second home to me now and the massive malls are almost as familiar. Went to have the car detailed and it looks like new all washed and waxed and the inside cleaned.

Day 11 - Monday Dec. 24th
Scott and I were up early and on the road to join the masses for the final pre-Christmas shopping day. We traveled up the road, over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and into Tampa where we found the International Plaza Mall which is a gigantic two level mall. It's an impressive place but most of the stores were well out of my price range. The Apple store was nice to visit though. Erin had to work today so it was just the four of us for our annual Christmas Eve supper at Outback Steakhouse. We used to eat at Ponderosa but sadly they no longer exist anymore to keep that tradition going. It was a quiet evening at home as we prepared for a busy Christmas Day.

Day 12 - Tuesday Dec. 25th
Up early for breakfast and then it was present opening time. It was a very good haul for all of us with lots of new toys including a new laptop for me, diamonds for mom, iPod and telescope for dad and two iPhones for Scott and Erin. We were spoiled as usual. It was then off to Erin's parents house for supper, more gift opening and a lot of laughs. Both sets of Erin's grandparents, mom and dad and sister Ashley were there. By the way it was in the 80's and sunny today...not what I'm used to for Christmas but I'm not complaining.

Day 13 - Wednesday Dec. 26th
Scott and I went golfing today at Stoneybrook Golf Club just down the street from the house. The good news was I played better than the last time I played that course but the bad news was I still didn't play great. Scott had a good round though. It was nice to get out on Boxing Day to play 18 holes on a warm day and I got to work on my tan a little bit. I was quite sore in the evening since I hadn't played in almost 3 months.

Day 14 - Thursday Dec. 27th
Most of the day was spent around the house relaxing. Late in the afternoon all five of us jumped in Scott's truck and headed for Tampa to watch the Montreal Canadiens play the Lightning at the Forum. It was a packed house with lots of Habs fans in attendance and of course we had our Montreal jerseys and hats to fit in and cheer our team on. Our seats were awesome and the Habs won 5-2. It was a fun night and worth the price of admission.

Day 15 - Friday Dec. 28th
More shopping on a very hot day. I actually got some tan this day as I spent time waiting for my parents to shop. It was a quiet day overall which is always nice.

Day 16 - Saturday Dec. 29th
Mom, Dad, Scott, Erin, Ashley and I hit the road for Tampa to spend the day shopping, or browsing as I would describe my involvement. It was a full day at the International Plaza and the place was very busy with lots of sales. Of course even the sale prices were more than I was willing to spend at this ritzy place. Supper was spent at The Cheesecake Factory which was very nice and very filling. The Tons of Fun Burger was truly more than a mouthful. It was a good day.

Day 17 - Sunday Dec. 30th
Another quiet day mostly spent around the house. Watched some football in the afternoon and then a couple of movies in the evening.

Day 18 - Monday Dec. 31st
It was an overcast day with scattered showers so our plans changed and we didn't do much. Did a little shopping with Mom, Dad and Scott. We had a very good lunch in Sarasota at Cheeburger Cheeburger. It was very filling and tasty. In the evening Erin's sister Ashley joined us for food, games, cards and champagne as we rang in the New Year 2008 together.

Day 19 - Tuesday January 1st
Other than a quick outing to Walmart with Scott it was a day spent at the house watching college football, playing games and eating lots of food on this first day of the new year. Erin's sister Ashley and her parents Lynette and David also spent the afternoon with us. It was a small but nice gathering.

Day 20 - Wednesday January 2nd
Slept in a bit but got up and booked a campsite online at Presqu'ile for mom and dad for this summer. It seems so far away right now. Out and about with ma and pa on a much cooler day as we visited the Outlet Mall at Ellenton and checked out a few other places. Home for supper and a relaxing evening.

Day 21 - Thursday January 3rd
Woke up to a very cold morning for Florida as the temperatures were just above freezing. Thankfully it wasn't expected to last more than a day or two. Scott, Mom, Dad and I headed for Myakka River State Park to check out the wildlife and be one with nature. The gators were scarce today thanks to the cold weather but plenty of varieties of birds. We also made our way down to Lido Beach by St. Armand's Circle. After supper at Red Lobster it was home to watch TV and play a few games on the Xbox 360 before calling it a night.

Day 22 - Friday January 4th
Woke up feeling a little ill today so I decided to spend a quiet day resting around the house and watching some movies. It is expected to be a busy day tomorrow for mom and dad's 45th wedding anniversary party here.

Day 23 - Saturday January 5th
This was a busy day as mom and dad celebrated their 45th anniversary today. I took mom and dad out for a little light shopping while Scott and Erin got things ready at the house. Upon our return we were joined by the Hinman's, Ashley and Grandma Lusk. We had a delicious turkey dinner, presents were given and emails from friends back home were read. Mom and Dad also received a letter personally signed by the Prime Minister and another from the Premier of Ontario congratulating them. After supper we played some games and then relaxed. It was a good day. Of course dad and I also kept an eye on the World Junior Hockey Gold Medal game which Canada won. They beat Sweden in overtime for their fourth gold in a row.

Day 24 - Sunday January 6th
Another day of relaxation mostly. Mom, Dad and I went up I-75 to the Ellenton Outlet Mall for a quick visit and then to lunch before returning home. Spent the afternoon playing games on the Xbox 360 with Scott and then a quiet evening as we get prepared for the trip home.

Day 25 - Monday January 7th
Up fairly early and started to get ready to leave as we're expecting to hit the road very early tomorrow. We had a lot of stuff to pack and we managed to get a lot of it in the trunk of my car. Safe to say the load won't shift any as it is packed tight. Scott and Erin worked today so the folks and I did some last minute running around before coming home, having supper and calling it an early night.

Day 26 - Tuesday January 8th
Up at 3:00am, finished packing the car, said our goodbyes to Scott and Erin and on the road by 3:45am. Dad and I shared the driving duties as usual and the trip went well overall. Traffic was OK for the most part until we got up around Richmond, Virginia in time for rush hour at 5:00pm. The only problem occurred on I-275 when a dump truck went flying past us and kicked up a rock which hit the windshield and cracked it on the drives side. I was quite angry as you might imagine. The crack spread about 8-10 inches before it stopped. We decided to get off the road and grabbed a motel in Fredericksburg, Virginia as we figured 15 hours driving was enough for day one. The temperature was very warm and mostly dry the whole way which was nice.

Day 27 - Wednesday January 9th
It was another early morning as we were up and on the road by 5:00am. It was a long day with the some rain to start and then sunshine and high winds the rest of the way. We saw several transport trailers and one fifth wheel camper that had been blown over by the winds. We lost a little time in Wilkes-Bare, Pennsylvania as we took an off ramp to get gas that didn't have an on ramp but thanks to my GPS we were able to go cross country a bit and back on to I-81. We also had a delay at the Ivy Lee bridges at the Thousand Islands. Due to the very strong winds the transports were not being allowed over and they were only letting vehicles over in one direction at a time. We finally make it to the house and got the car unpacked and relaxed.

Despite the cooler weather it was nice to be home again but I do miss the heat and weather of Florida already. It was a great trip and I only hope the warm weather returns to Canada sooner rather than later. I should also thank my employer for allowing me the time off. Luckily it was a slow time at work so I wasn't missed too badly.

And a reminder you can check out more photos from the trip by clicking Bundy's Photos in the right column.

Presqu'ile Park...My How You've Changed

Every summer of my life for the past 36 years has been spent, at one point or another, at Presqu'ile Park in Brighton.

I was born in July of ’68 and that very summer my parents hauled all 9 pounds 10 ounces of me off to my first camping experience. Some of the happiest days of my childhood were spent swimming, biking, singing around campfires and making friends at my favourite Provincial Park.

While I smile at the thought of all those good times, I can’t help but be depressed as I walk through the park in present day and see how time and the “power’s that be” have allowed this one time jewel of Northumberland County to slip into it’s present state.

Gone are the days when the children would be gathered up in the morning by park staff to congregate at the circus tent by the amphitheatre to make crafts and play games. I suppose that would just cost too much today.

I hark back to hot summer days spent lying on the beautiful beach where you had to wear shoes or risk burning your feet on the blistering sand. Standing on the waters edge you could see people its entire length enjoying the pristine surroundings. Not so much anymore. Why don’t they clean and drag it every day like they used to? How come beach four no longer exists? You’d need a weedeater to clear away the bush and an umbrella to shield yourself from the onslaught of seagulls. Do you remember when you could actually drive your cars on the beach?

If hunger struck and you were lacking any sustenance you could make your way to the snack bar at beach two. I can only imagine it was dismantled to make way for more tall grass. I also recall the white lifeguard stands spread along the beach. Now you just roll the dice and hope you don’t drown or get an infection from the e-coli bacteria.

Take a trip to other Provincial Parks and see just how much money has been spent on repairing roads. They don’t just bring in some dirt or try to patch and re-patch holes constantly with a little asphalt. The road leading in and out of the Park gives your shocks a real workout. And don’t even think of taking your eyes off the roads in the campground. Perhaps all those potholes are there to keep people from speeding around the campers…but some how I doubt that’s it at all.

I can summon up days in my youth when my camping friends and I would manage to persuade our parents to give us 5 bucks to go to the Park Store and have a burger, fries and a milkshake. Sure the store is still there but if you want to eat, you better bring your own meat and BBQ. Can you believe that restaurant owners in Brighton complained that they were losing business? What a joke! I never wanted a hot dog so bad that I’d be willing to drive or ride my bike into town.

Two words that have really infuriated me regarding Presqu’ile over the last ten years or so would be “Natural Park”. That’s how those in charge and the “birders” choose to classify this setting. I’m sorry but there’s a difference between a natural park and a rundown park. I recall playing baseball in the field near the park store as a teenager. If you did that today, you’d need your rubber boots and a bathing suit. I can also recollect playing baseball at the park ball diamond. Do you know where that was? If you said right next to the Beach 2 entrance you are correct. Next time you drive by there, see if you can place where it might have been. The forest is filled with fallen and rotting trees. What would be the harm to clean up some of that?

I could go on but I’ll leave my remaining thoughts until another time.

Presqu'ile will always hold a special place in my heart and memories. I'm just thankful that I have my memories to call upon when the current state of affairs anger or sadden me.