Idyll

Last week, I was hanging around Kodiak Island, doing my normal thing. I was fiddle-farting around the office, drinking gallons of coffee, playing on-line chess and trying to solve my Rubik's Cube when, without warning, Pati Sprecher stopped by the office with her mom, Corina. They told me they were going to fly in a small plane across Kodiak Island to the little village of Port Lions and invited me to come along. Apparently Corina, who is a school teacher in Switzerland, is researching how children live in other parts of the world so she can go back and relate her findings to her classroom in Vättis. She'd come all the way from Switzerland to Kodiak Island for her research.

Well, I love flying so of course I said yes to their invitation and less than an hour later we were in the air and headed toward the little village of Port Lions.

Early in the flight.  At this point, Corina was showing Pati and me what all the knobs and buttons do.

Before long, Corina was telling the pilot, Titus, how he could fly the plane better.

Fantasy Island? Sure looks that way.  Here's the local Port Lions swimming hole.

While swimming, you can catch a red salmon.

Corina getting ready to jump.

On our way home, Corina wrestled the controls away from Titus and started buzzing mountain goats and doing all kinds of crazy aerobatics. Pati and I, in the back seat, tightened our seat belts.

Titus finally regained control of the airplane, but not without a stern scolding from Corina.

**Notes:

       1. It didn't happen exactly like this. 

       2. Thank you so much, Cheryl, for showing us around your beautiful town!