I suppose that it was 1968 or so. I was stationed in southwest Japan, and had learned enough of the language that I could stray from the familiar scenery of the military towns. Without discoursing upon now- distant memories, I'll just state that the places that didn't cater to foreigners were more interesting. There were different sights and smells, and there was the excitement of the unknown around each corner.

I remember walking down an alley one hot and humid summer night, amidst the juke box music that flowed out through the curtained doorways of the many small bars along the way. Suddenly one song seemed to overpower all the others. It was a new song with an easy and dreamy melody that seemed to float in the air, just out of reach. It was titled "Kumo ni Noriritai", sung by a new artist, Mayazumi Jun.

I didn't fly airplanes back then, but the tune and the sentiment stayed with me. Perhaps too, the feelings might have been within me all along, and the song stirred them to the surface. The title translates as "I'd like to ride a cloud". To this day I think of the song as I pop through puffy clouds at my altitude or as I scoot along just on top of an undercast.

I have a photo album that is almost littered with cloud pictures. I try to carry my camera with me at work and also on flights in the little airplane, and the passing clouds never fail to excite me. I have pictures of flat clouds, puffy clouds, the tops of clouds and even a few of the undersides. They are in hues of black, gray, orange, yellow, pink and red.

A clear blue sky can be inspiring, much the same as a fresh, clean, and crisp piece of paper. Staring at either of them, the possibilities and potentials are unlimited because they are both clean slates... actually nothing at all. A cloudless sky is like an unfurnished room; interesting perhaps, but devoid of character. A sky spotted with clouds however, becomes a work of art.

The best time to catch clouds is when the weather is changing. The sky is often dramatic as a storm approaches, and in retreat, stormy weather often leaves the shards of all sorts of clouds scattered throughout the sky. In my years of flight instruction, flying low and local, this was my only real view , but it is the best view. Out each of the airplanes windows there would be a different view of wonderland, each scene a different mix of cloud, earth, and sky.

My present flights to Syracuse and back are at 5000 feet or so, high enough that terrain does not readily mix into the cloudscapes, but often I am above the lowest clouds. Sometimes, especially with a lake- effect overcast in the winter, I am in bright sunshine, and sometimes I am merely in between cloud layers. It is humbling to fly in clear air amidst the clouds, for it reminds us that the airplane, whether it is a Piper Cub or a 747, is just a speck in the enormity of nature.

Clouds have the capacity to be dark and scary, or they can be the subjects of playful delight. My most unforgettable experience occurred early one summer evening when two days of rain showers were finally rousted by a flow of cool and clear air. The weather had departed reluctantly, leaving bits and pieces of cloud behind, including a great raft of low clouds over the high ground near Watkins Glen. Even the tops of these puffy white clouds were so low that it was legal to be within touching distance of them.

There were wide flats, puffy knobs, sharp valleys and flowing waves. For fifteen minutes I piloted a fantastic free- form roller coaster, as I wheeled tightly around make- believe mountains, plunged into long chasms, and popped up to roll across the wavy plains. It is special enough to sit in the front seat of a roller coaster, but to be able to decide where the tracks will go is almost unimaginable.

So long ago I was captivated by the thought of riding on the clouds, and I guess that's what I have done. I have had magic carpet rides over them, toured a wonderland amidst them, and made them my own. I can't wait for tomorrow.

I waited patiently for the sun to be obscured by the thin neck of clouds so that the great field of clouds below and beyond could properly show their splendor.

This picture was probably taken the morning before the previous picture. The hues of blue and gray are not as pretentious as the oranges of the other pictures, but have their own quiet beauty. Note the spotted clouds down low, the overcast above, and the odd raft of clouds in between

"An Unsettling Picture"--1-30-02
A Gatsbyesque mansion amid tumbledown farms makes the author wonder where we are going. ..includes three pictures.

"Lucky"--11-20-01
Do not read this column if you are annoyed by people who enjoy their work. ...includes three pictures.

"W1 X 1/4 F"--5-21-01
Early morning valley fog can be beautiful- if you keep an open mind.... includes a picture

"Too Cold for Ice"--1-3-01
Just like it can be too cold to snow, it can be too cold for airframe icing.....includes two pictures

"Sailing"--11-1-00
Its not the greatest job in the world, but the view from the office is great.... includes a picture

I will try to assemble a gallery of pictures soon. I will note it on the opening page and on the archive page.