Travels with Howie

February 3 2015 9:30 pm cst    50 degrees

I wonder what the birds are thinking when the annual kite festival takes place.  I always imagined they thought "There are monsters in the sky!"

But it appears they graciously give up the sky for one weekend and park themselves a little down beach and watch the show...just looking out for the four wheeled things that they ARE afraid of. Notice in the following pics that there are not real birds in the sky with the kites.

And some of the kites were monsters.

I think this one was supposed to be some sort of viper but couldn't make out the top part.  It was big,

.There were some  cute little "kites" too.  I am not sure if they are called kites because there is sand in the feet part to keep them on the ground.

These kites are controlled in groups of three by just one man.  No easy feat to have them each going in different directions.

This lady made her kite make spirals ...and...and,, she invited anyone in the crowd to come try it and she would show them how.  No one volunteered.....not even my friend Theresa and she is fearless.  Looking back on it, if I had thought for an extra second, I probably wouldn't  have volunteered, but, as they say, fools rush in..... and I decided I would try it.

Well, it was fun and i'm glad I learned how to keep those big kites in the air. 

 I can't make this any larger because I look awful in the photo because what the lady does is stand in front of  you and gradually releases the straps to you after she shows you how to use them.

  I kept the kite in the air but  not  gracefully.

So now  here come four men volunteers who see that even a old lady can do it 

hmmm..is that the kite on the ground?  Yes, I believe it is.

There are four people flying these kites responding to the music in unison.  I do not know how they keep they so perfectly coordinated. 

 They can so perfectly control the kites they landed this one on a barrel

The music that is playing for the dancing kites is 

Proud To Be An American.  As far as I know the announcer did not ask them to stand for this...senior citizens are proud to be Americans and many of this crowd  fought to allow us to be one.