Intrepid Kite Flyers Prevail Despite Dank Day

By Andrew Gorosko

Though the day was wet and cool, about a dozen people turned out at the Ram Pasture on Sunday, May 2, to loft their many colorful kites skyward in a sylvan setting framed by Hawley Pond.

The Parks and Recreation Department had scheduled a kite-flying festival for the day, but intermittent showers prompted the agency to cancel the annual event.

Intrepid kite flyers, though, made their way to the site intent on having their colorful kites greet the low-overcast sky.

As the kite flyers ran across the rolling turf to launch their toys, their footfalls sounded a sequence of squishes as their kites rose to meet the sky.

The Ashbolt family, Mark, Fran, and daughter Emily, tried to launch several kites at the would-be festival.

Mark and Fran successfully lofted a sleek diamond-shaped design. Mark also flew a vividly-patterned box kite, which, while somewhat heavy for the conditions, rose briskly into the gray, misty sky.

Near the dam at Hawley Pond, Emily flew an elaborate kite with multiple faces and many brilliant colors.

Reilly Jordan, and his father Colin, handled spool and tackle in sending skyward a multipaneled, multicolored, fabric kite.

Colin explained that the kite is a charm to use on the spur of the moment, as it neatly folds into a small bag kept in an auto’s trunk. When conditions are right, it is a simple matter to fetch and launch the kite, he explained.

Flying a tiny hummingbird kite, with an exceptionally long tail, were Jack Brotherton and his mother Teri. The tiny green kite was dwarfed by its lengthy tail, which provided the device with aerial stability.

In a subtle English accent, Emily Ashbolt explained that even though the festival had been cancelled due to weather, it was important to return to the Ram Pasture to fly kites as the Ashbolt family has done many times in the past at the annual event.