Well, it only took me a couple of decades....

....but I finally fulfilled a dream and went gliding/soaring (where you're in a plane with no engine, pulled up by a tow plane and released to ride the air currents for a while before coming in for a landing.

The experience surpassed my high expectations. The people, from all over the world, were great, the day was lovely, my sons were there with me to witness it, and it all took place about 40 minutes away from where I live which means I was surrounded by stunning beauty.

Most of the time I was grinning like a fool. Some of the time I choked up. The last time I was in a small plane above glacier mountains was with Michael on Vancouver Island. Being from Australia, the kind of mountains we have were pretty new for him and I still remember his profound delight and breathlessness and sharing that wonderful experience with him.

I would have loved to have shared this experience with him. And he would have loved it that I finally did this, and that I was happy.

I haven't played much with the pics, but here's a taste.

That's my plane (I would eventually be siting in the front, pilot behind, glass canopy above and around, little window letting air in, wearing a parachute).

One of the views (pics are taken through the canopy so they're not as clear as I'd like), showing the unending mountains rolling off into the distance:

To give another idea of how beautiful it is, this is a shot we just took from the road:

So, um, now I'm looking at taking lessons. I liked the energy of the people there and flying was as wonderful as I remember from my ultralight flying over two decades ago. Not sure I can afford it this year but, despite being someone to whom patience doesn't come naturally, I can be a patient woman if necessary and if I don't do it this year, I'll do it next year. But even if I don't ever get to that point due to unforeseen circumstances, I'll have had this day and that's enough too.

Beyond that, ice cream cones from a local dairy farm on the way home, time spent talking and gaming and cooking together with my sons. Very very nice Mother's Day.

Tomorrow we play tourist in Vancouver. :-)