Marching into kite flying season:

As a child, my sister and I would sit and make a kite every March. Yes, make a kite, tail and all. It was the most satisfying feeling as I remember. The kids down the road bought a brand new one every year. My sister and I always swore ours were much better and could fly higher. “It’s all in the tail, you know, “ I remember saying. Once, and only once, our kite tails were made of sheets that moments ago were on our beds. The sheets were ripped into tail strands, with three or four smaller tail strands tied into bows dangling from the long kite tail. Kids will be kids I guess. Then we took two pieces of wood, any kind really but usually from a tree branch. We then carefully carved out the ends to hold a string from one end to the other. Placed them like a cross. Then tying the one string end, then pulling on the other just tight enough to make the stick in the middle bow a bit---much like a bow and arrow. But I really don’t remember how we got the paper on the front to make the rest of the kite. When we did, though we painted or drew on it to make it spectacular, like no store bought kite that’s for sure.

It was a blast every March. We waited for the great March north winds to come and they did in bunches. It was sunny, cold and windy but fun. We would laugh so hard when the kids down the road kite got hung up in the telephone wires. We would look at each other smiling, thinking it must have been it’s tail. With little time for kite making, now I buy a kite. Anyway, since moving to Pennsylvania, every year for 13 years I have bought a kite in March. I have every year for 12 years now never flown a single kite. Well not in March. Crazy thing here in Pennsylvania, you’ins are still in blizzard season in March with snow up to your eyeballs usually. I remember my first winter up here, eyeball deep in snow. So anyway, the difference in snow here is huge this year. Lately I have been so surprised by the mildness. I was in the store three times in March and saw the perfect kite for me. I put off getting it knowing that as soon as I buy it, I’ll have snow up to my eyeballs. Maybe I’ll make some time in May to sit down with the kids and make our kites, like in yesteryear, so they can look at me like I invented the wheel or something. (Editors note: The Mirror received word that Destiny did indeed buy that perfect kite and was able to fly it in the summer like days at the end of March !

©1999Nancy Lee Destiny