One day in the summer of 1993, Jeff and Susan and I went to the air show in Namao. At one point Susan wound up in this costume; I don't remember why. A added a sepia filter and some background blur to give the photo an old-timey look. I'm not sure what safety systems Susan was checking, or if she's a qualified aircraft mechanic.
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Summertime in Namao. It was a hot day, and the tarmac was sizzling with reflected heat and the smell of jet fuel. A group of friends were enjoying a fun filled day watching various aircraft dart through the skies for a paltry sum required to enter the gates of the airshow, and of course the taxpayer dollars required to pay for the operations.
Unbeknownst to our group of friends, the Queen of England was secretly attending the airshow. It happened that HRH loved airplanes, but didn't much like the pomp that would surround her if she attended officially. Being in disguise she could tour the static displays and eat a burger just like everyone else. She had an annus horribilis the year previous, and she desperately needed some simple amusement.
Everyone was having a marvelous time. Jim, Earl, Susan, Jeff and Tony were sitting on a blanket, their necks craned upwards watching a Harrier jet pause during it's flyby, drowning the area with incredible noise. Earl, sitting at the back of the blanket was using the opportunity to toss a peanut into Jeff's ear. Susan had stepped away to get another hotdog.
In front of her was an elderly woman, she was wearing a hat and carrying a blue handbag. Suddenly, two nefarious looking men grabbed her and hustled her out of line. She dropped her handbag and disappeared around a corner. Susan was shocked! She picked up the bag and found an military policeman to report what had happened.
The MP explained that the woman was in fact the Queen of England, and the two men must have been part of an Iraqi plot to eliminate her, just as they had tried to assassinate George Bush just a month before. There was a suspicion that they were terrorists when they had stolen some English muffins earlier in the day, but they had gotten away Scott free. They called up Prime Minister Kim Campbell to report the incident, and to get more help. Since it was summer, there wasn't enough personnel to track them down. Susan was recruited on the spot to assist.
The terrorists never suspected a slight girl in a flight suit would track them down and trip them up. It was easy to find them when she smelled the distinct aroma of strawberry jam on toasted muffins. Two whacks with a blue purse and they terrorists were no longer a threat. "Nothing 'purse-onal,' but no one can kidnap our Queen in Canada, " she said with a smile.
I knew I missed something significant when I was focusing on Jeff's ear.
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