Airplanes and Cicadas

I drove and flew all day. From Montreal across the border to the Highgate Vermont Airport, where the little Mooney was waiting for me. Long lines at the border crossing, where I rued the fact that my hard-won NEXUS card was of no use - the special lane is only open from 6:30 to 8:00 AM. NEXUS is a bi-lateral U.S. Canadian program to pre-clear frequent travelers - one has to be background-checked by both governments, biometrically fingerprinted, photographed, and interviewed. I did all of that, but my card is only good for limited hours at two border crossings - and it's no good when I fly commercial or private aircraft. To top it all off, my name is on the no-fly watch list - or one of them at least. Five years after 9/11, all of the talk about effectively using advanced technology to combat terrorist threats is still largely that - a lot of talk.
The last leg of my journey was a flight from Long Island to Louisville. The headwinds were so strong that I had to make a fuel stop in West Virginia. As I approached Louisville in the nighttime gloom, the winds kept getting stronger, and I though that I'd never land. When I finally did, I was amazed at how hot and muggy it was, in spite of the effects from an advancing cold front. And I had forgotten how much louder Kentucky cicadas are than their Canadian brethren.