Early start of the kite season

This weekend was a great unofficial start for the kite flying season in Maine.  50 degree weather brought out dozens kite flyers to Bug Light Park in South Portland.  At least a dozen of them were members of the NorEasters kite club. This was the time to get out new kites for the first flight as well as old favorites.  March 20 will be our real start to the season with the KONE fly at Hampton Beach across from the Ashworth Hotel.

April is National Kite Month and in Maine we will be celebrating the season with kite flying every Saturday in several locations including Bug Light Park in South Portland and Pine Point Beach in Scarborough.  In addition we have the annual Easter Kite Fly in Fort WIlliams Park in Cape Elizabeth.  I think that may have been my first kite fly ever, way back in 1990.  For more dates, check out the calendar at the Noreaster web site,
http://sites.google.com/site/noreasterskites/Home/calendar

New Years Day Kite Fly

Today was the beginning of our kite flying for 2009 and some of us braved the 15 degree F and the 20+ mph winds and stuck a few kites in the air at Bug Light Park in South Portland, Maine. Tony O and I flew Powersled 24s and were glad we chose 500 # line. There was no snow on the field so I was not tempted to get out my power kites and skis. The 40 mph gusts were another reason. Allen was more sensible and just got out a little sled. Don and John got some kites out too, a papillion and a rok, brave choices for the wind that day.

Most of us lasted no more than an hour out there before retreating a mile or so to our little Craftsman cottage in South Portland for a pot luck New Years Day feast. Lots of good food and drink. A big hit was my rhumtopf which I started last July. It is a fruit preservation style featuring rum as the preservative. So some rum soaked fruit over ice cream may be an annual feature of the New Years Day pot luck.

Most of our kite flying today was while seated, with a plate of food and a drink in hand, all talk. At a show of hands, at least a dozen of us said that they have plans to attend the kite festival next August in Dieppe, New Brunswick. It looks like kite flyers plan ahead. We have not heard many details of the festival other than the date but I have heard unofficially that many of my favorite kite makers will be there including Robert Brasington from Tasmania and Bas Vreevick from Holland.

Our next kite event will be in 10 day, a kite making workshop for new kite makers where we will make small diamond kites with ripstop nylon and wooden spars. Tony O and I hope to inspire a few more people to start making some creative kites. Pictures to follow the event so keep reading.