I thought It Might Be Mr. Low-Man!

Or a crazy-drunk pilot

Yesterday I was sitting quietly at my desk, minding my own business, writing about Christopher Columbus and such when ZZZZOOOOMMMM! A plane flew right over the patio. We all heard it coming-- how could we not? You should have heard the commotion! The dogs were none too happy to have their mid-morning peace disturbed and they gave that pilot a piece of their minds.

This went on for several hours. Crazy low-flying, banking hard turns. At one point it was so low I could see the person in the cockpit! I rehearsed various crash scenarios, thought about how I'd describe the crash site to the 911 operator and so on. 

A. Leland saw it, too, flying over the neighborhood. We told Mr. Big Food about it-- A. Leland called it "joy-riding in the sky"-- and I claimed I'd call the sheriff if it happened again today.

Sure enough. 

I called the sheriff's office (not 911) and the operator transferred me to a deputy who said this sort of thing happens from time to time and since these small planes don't check in with any one it was difficult to determine just who it might be but he'd get back to me. And he did within a few minutes.

A mapping plane. They are all over the county. The deputy wasn't sure whether it was a mapping for google earth or some such or to gather the images for the maps that were burned in the Court House fire. I told him I did not like the idea of having my picture taken and he laughed.