Mornings find me breathing in the heady perfume of the petunias, as I sit on my "park" bench, overlooking the lushness of the lawn and gardens, sipping from a steaming mug of hot coffee while basking in the rays of the sun.
For two weeks, the morning silence of this small town was shattered by the distinctive sound of a helicopter. I'd wait in anticipation as it rose with the sun, above the towering pines, trailing what looked like a huge circular UFO below it.
Upon asking, the circular "thing" is known as a "dreamcatcher" - a magnficent tribute to technology. The dreamcatcher is a geological sensor that takes pictures from the air of gold/ore located in the ground. (There's gold in them thar hills!) And truly there is!
Rather than attempt to explain the dreamcatcher, here is a link to photos of this intriguing and fascinating contraption.
http://www.smallcapepicenter.com/executive/GZDgreenwood0809.pdf
I would watch the helicopter as it roamed the area, trailing the dreamcatcher, sometimes low enough to cause concern. And alas, the excitement had to end. The dreamcatcher was dismantled and packed up, and the helicopters were ready to move on to their next project.
But not until they gave the community the opportunity to fly over the area! I had not been in a helicopter for 25 years, my first and last flight in Hawaii. Not expecting a "yes", I phoned my almost blind 83 year old Mom, to ask if she'd like to come with us.
To my utter amazement, she accepted. It was her first helicopter ride, and due to her sight limitations, I insisted she sit in the front to see as much as possible.
She was so overwhelmed, she didn't say a word the entire flight. We flew over historical (not hysterical) remnants of old buildings and hidden train tunnels, through a winding gorge and hovered near the dolomite mine atop a nearby mountain.
The trip was spectacular, and aside from dropping off the edge of one of the mountains and leaving my stomach somewhere on top of it, the flight was absolutely awesome.
And, for the first time ever, my Mom (who has had a very hard life, where "fun" hasn't really been a part of it) enthusiastically admitted that she had had a lot of fun. She never thought at her age she would have that kind of opportunity.
I went up again, and this time, we landed on the top of the mountain, on the dolomite mine. The view was absolutely breathtaking, and the dolomite so white, it looks like snow in the photos. (Pics pending).
I don't know what was better that day, sharing a scrumptious dinner of wild salmon and my favorite wine (along with lots of laughter) with good friends and family that evening, taking the helicopter ride, or being able to offer a dream to my Mom.
I think I'll opt for dreammaker - there really isn't anything more fulfilling than being able to make someone else's dream come true.
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