"The Kite"

        On our first visit to New York, about two weeks before we moved down, we spent some time strolling through Central Park (which, by the way, is absolutely HUGE, especially considering its location in the middle of Manhattan).  On one occasion, we stopped to sit on the rocks by the Turtle Pond (see photo).  An old man was flying a kite nearby, and we were watching as the kite went higher and higher, until it practically disappeared from view.  Seriously, it was a tiny speck -- I couldn't believe it was possible to fly a kite that high.  Anyway, the man sat down, took out a little flag on a stick, and tied it to the fishing line he was using to fly the kite.  He let the kite rise a little more, then tied the line to a fence and sat down as though nothing was happening.  The flag, having risen up with the kite, was now apparently floating in mid-air, fluttering away, with no kite and no string in sight.  Central Park is full of people on a warm day, and there were plenty of people walking along the path where the flag was.  We had a great time watching them notice the floating flag, stop, and then come up with some theory to explain how this could be happening (the upward motion of hands suggested ideas like some weird air current were being proposed).  Some people eventually noticed the kite and the line, but many walked away puzzled.  The old man, a young woman and her kids, and Sally and I laughed for quite a while.  So, if you ever see a floating flag in the park, it's not an updraft, it's a kite on fishing line!