
One view from our kitchen window this morning…
On the right is Praia da Vitoria Bay, where Sofia was raised going to the beach you can see under the mountain, Praia Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Half the reason we retired here was to be able to hit the beaches each morning. In Sofia’s family, everyone knows about Sofia’s beach curse; sunshine disapears. I got up at 6 a.m. local time, the sun was pouring through the kitchen window. Last night Sofia decreed that she wanted to go swimming tomorrow morning, and I swear when she got up at 7:30 this morning, the clouds rolled in within minutes. She groaned at the window and I asked what was the problem? She grumbled about the beach curse; I had been reading my NY Times, and didn’t realize how the clouds had descended down the mountain behind us. Sure enough, clouds, sprinkles, and no beach time today:(
On the far left is the Lajes Airfield, Portuguese Air Force Area Base 4, home of the American 65th Air Base Squadron, where I was assigned after the Persian Gulf deployment as the Public Affairs Officer. Met Sofia, married in a few months, moved to the states, and returned for family visits nearly every year for 30 years. On July 4th, a Delta Airline aircraft declared an In Flight Emergency (IFE) with one engine out and made an emergency landing at Lajes. National News (Both European and American) highlighted the successful safe landing, housing the passengers and bringing in a new aircraft after the emergency landing on an “island paradise!” Many of the still photos showed our house on the far horizon over the bay:)
So the good news is that passengers and crew are home now safely, and Sofia can’t go swimming but has plucked a zuchini and made fresh bread:)
So is there some accuracy in the adage “Every Cloud has a Silver Lining?” I’m thiking so!