Photograph of clouds and sky at 25,00 feet high, and yes my arms got very tired.

I will always remember the first flight I ever traveled on when I was 9 years old going to visit a friend and his extended family in Wisconson. I was looking forward to traveling alone and being met at the airport in Madison. These were the days when full meals were served and people lit up cigarettes and smoked their way to wherever they were going. There wasn't a smoking section as the entire plane would fill up with the haze and smell of cigarettes.

It was a cloudy and overcast day and I anticipated the trip ahead. What I didn't expect was the experience of the sheer power of the jet engines kicking in upon take-off and being pressed into the back of the seat. When we broke thru the layer of low clouds, I was met by the sun shining on me thru the small oval window. It brought a smile of wonderment and appreciation. I looked up and down for angels who might be flying about on the soft white clouds. To this day, I love being up high over the earth and having that vantage point in which to see the world around me. You can be sure my camera is always close at hand.