"flying overhead"
September 12, 2001, 3:11 a.m.

All airports across the nation are closed right now, yet during these early morning hours, I'm noticing a steady stream of air traffic above my house here in Houston every 15 minutes.

I'm certain that these are military planes passing overhead in the dark of night.

The planes are loud and traveling very fast. The sound of military planes in flight is different than those of commercial planes - like the sound of a Harley is different than a Honda motorcyle.

That sound of power and speed reminds me of the sound I used to hear before the sonic booms of the sixties. I keep expecting to hear the boom - but I don't.

So I stand outside in my yard and watch them traveling west to east and wondering which base they're coming from - are they from Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio? Wasn't that one of the bases they closed down? Perhaps they're from a place even further west.

It doesn't really matter. How odd it makes me feel though. (There's another flying overhead now as I write this.) On one hand, it fills me with a sense of unease and reminds me of the horror that we have all just witnessed. On the other hand, I feel comforted knowing that our military is taking action - even if they are doing something supportive like transporting blood or relief to the Search and Rescue teams in NY and DC or monitoring the activity in the air and waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Whatever the reason, I'm glad they're up there.

I'm just sorry that they have to be up there.

...Wow - just looked up at the night sky overhead and there is a configuration made by the convergence of contrails over Houston like a wobbly asterisk.

A sure sign of military jets.