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   The weather didn't look promising going into the weekend, and the forecast was borne out for the most part.   There were a couple of hours of flying time not underwater on both Friday and Saturday    Actually most of Saturday was rain free, but the winds were exceptionally high both days.   We just won't say anything about Sunday, ( back underwater ) OK?

   I started down to Oregon on Friday and encountered showers on and off right around Centralia.   When I got to Cannon Beach I got right out on the beach in front of the SandShore Motel to try a bit of flying to get the weekend going.   After about 20 minutes Chuck L. came out to say hi and see if I'd seen anyone else down here yet.    I said that Heidi had made a big impression with the kite shop staff earlier in the day, but I hadn't spotted him yet   ;)

   The wind!

   The wind was a bit strongish.   I was flying a kite, but it was more in the line of work than fun.   Supposedly, the Puffing Fly had started on Friday, but there was no one else flying a kite at the festival venue.   Not even tourists that didn't know any better.    The wind was that strong, and just what the hell was I doing out here anyway?   Chuck wasn't flying.   I packed up and went in for dinner and to warm up.

   Chuck said that if the wind were to moderate a bit near sunset, we might do a bit of flying then.   I took a quick tour of Ecola State Park and took some photos back toward Haystack Rock and some vegetation while there was still a bit of light left.   During dinner the rain started in earnest, but I kept an eye on it and it finally stopped about 8:30 but the wind was still howling and I wrote off any more flying for the day.

   About midnight the rain started again and came down harder than ever, and the wind picked up even more.   Sounded like freight trains switching tracks just outside for most of the night.   I woke up about eight and watched TV till 10 waiting for the rain to quit.    It didn't so I went out for coffee and a scone down by the festival and see if anyone else was silly enough to be wandering around out in that muck.

   I quickly found Larry Walker and Martha Black, then Gary, John, Chuck Lund., Steve Childers, Chuck Durst (Portland), Tom and Katrina Humphrey.   It was still raining and Chuck invited us up to his lodgings that had a library room we could use to get out of the weather.    We hashed out this, that and the other, Steve gave us a guided tour of all his new kites.

   Finally the weather let up and we headed out to the beach to fly some fighter kites.   We got a few hours of flying in.    The rain came back about noon and a bunch went up to a cafe for lunch where we observed a large flow-form blowing down over someones house, and a few minutes later a big RW&B Rokkaku following it up near the road.

   About 2 the rain quit and we wandered back down to the beach to participate in the fighter kite demo Rich had roped us into for the festival.    Tom knocked a cup of a stick ( held at a 45deg. angle to keep it from blowing off by Chuck Durst), Steve and John M. flew a demo match and Rich flew an interpretive thingy to some music blasted over the sound system.

   I didn't observe this, but Rich and John said that they nearly lost in a kite distance sprint with a dog, but the dog was disqualified due to a technicality.   Huh?

   After that we retired to John's lodgings to cut carbon fiber for any who needed it.   Then down to Tolovana Wayside to try and fly between the tourists and seagulls for a bit before a strategy session at Mo's restaurant.

   Richard tried to convince us that there should be a severe penalty for failure to engage when flying contest points ( low spin downwind ).    Rich proposed that both should lose a point if they fail to engage within a minute of being warned.   This would be a serious loss in the case of a round-robin match where the total number of points during event are used to determine the winner.   My counter proposal was that the fliers should be pantsed and fly with ankle shakles if they don't get a move on ( Steve B. - you listening? )

   That evening was a repeat of the night before, with high winds and more horizontal rain.   Sunday mornig didn't really dawn.    It more or less squidged in under the door.   I watched more tube and finally gave up about 10.   I packed up and left town without meeting up with anyone else.   It kept raining more or less until I got back to Renton, where it started coming down in buckets while I backed into the carport.

   Basic Meet Report: Was really nice to see everyone again and fly fighters.   The weather sucked really large rocks ( with bells on ).

   The next meet will be at Fort Lewis, just south of Tacoma, where we'll be demonstrating fighter kites for a whole jamboree worth of boy scouts - May 19th.

   Neither Dennis nor Jeff even bothered to show up.   Well, their loss.   We got to fly fighter kites.

   And then I got to write this meet report because nobody else could be induced to ( even with a cattle prod ) and the meet page would be empty outherwise   ;)

   Thanks for your indulgence
   bcj

                 

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