Haze, haze, haze

We left St. Simons (I erroneously called it San Simons in yesterday's post,) heading for Cape Fear. (KSUT) This was a long leg (3.25 hrs.) made more difficult and tedious by the thick haze. As I looked ahead, I had trouble distinguishing between land and water because of the haze. 

In spite of constant squinting to see through the haze, it actually was a lovely flight, first over the coast and then over beautiful farmland. 

The Florida coast is not all sandy beach, although there is plenty of that. With lots and lots of people.

As I wrote about on previous days, the coastline often disappears into mud/salt flats and marshes, so there is not a distinct "coastline".

There are many, many islands, mostly small ones which are uninhabited. The larger ones are full of homes and some have causeways built to them.

Dennis delights in flying low on the beach, just offshore, and following the intricate ins and outs of the marshes and going from island to island, regardless of how near or far they are to each other. I decided I didn't want to fly over as much water as Dennis was willing to do. So after flying the coast with him for a while, I radio'd that I was going inland and I'd see him at Cape Fear.

I realize that I really AM a farmer (for over 45 years now,) and I love seeing from the air the different ways that people farm and the crops and livestock they are raising. As I fly I have so many questions about why do farmers choose to plow in certain patterns and why do they often leave single trees in a plowed area and why, and why, and why, and...I never get bored flying over farms.

For instance, was this purposefully planted? Why is it all by itself in this salt marsh?

And look at these tree plantation patterns.

And why is this reservoir water pink?

And even though I wasn't following the coastline, I was still flying over small lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes - water everywhere in this part of Florida. The folks in boats were having a ball, making patterns with their wakes.

After we refueled at Cape Fear, we continued on to Dare County Regional Airport. (KMQI) It is on Roanoke Island and prides itself on telling outsiders: "Never ask directions of a local. After all, we lost an entire colony." This refers to the lost colony of Roanoke, its disappearance still a mystery after hundreds of years. 

Tomorrow we make a short flight across the water to First Flight Airport: where the Wright brothers made their inaugural flights. I can hardly wait!