Kite Flying

Last Friday the clouds were thick and black, burgeoning with rain. They were moving east, quickly towards our house, and the distant rumble of thunder was growing louder. At that time there were ten neighborhood children playing outside. After the first clap of thunder that number was reduced to three: Madeleine, Hank and their friend M______.

Most rational people hear thunder clapping in the distance and see an impending storm and they make their way to shelter, like seventy percent of the kids in our neighborhood did. What did Madeleine, Hank and M______ do? They went and got out their kites. Yes, kites, the very same instrument used by Benjamin Franklin to help show the link between lightening and electricity.

Following is a video of the three brainiacs "flying" their kites up and down the sidewalk in front of our house. It's too bad the sound quality is so bad because all you hear is my stupid, too loud laugh and not the impending doom of thunderstorm. Even though these three are oblivious to it, it's there, off in the distance, threatening to break free at any moment.