LAYERED BENEATH US, THE SKY IS OPENING TO THE WEST AND THIN STREAKS OF BLUE BLACK CLOUDS ARE ETCHED ACROSS THE NOW FAINT BLUE WHITE SKY - NOT REALLY BLUE BUT A STEEL WHITE WITH NO HINT OF WARMTH. VENUS IS AT 30° DUE WEST IN THE NOW CLEAR DARK SKY ABOVE. 6:30 P.M., A LITTLE EMBER GLOW STILL LINGERS IN THE WEST, THE STARS ARE COMING OUT, AND TURTLE SOUP IS ON THE TRAY; ALL DEAD CALM AGAIN, GREAT ALIFS ARE OPENING IN THE SURFACE CLOUD LAYER. I WONDER IF THE ALBATROSSES HAVE SETTLED ON THE WATER FOR THE NIGHT? PACIFIC FLYING IS LIFE IN AN EMPTY WORLD. HOW DIFFERENT IT IS ON THE DECK OF A SHIP. AS LONG AS THERE ARE SEAS THEN SOME WILL ALWAYS CHOOSE THE SLOW TRIP ACROSS THE RESTLESS LIFE-FILLED WATERS. 1959 FRI. MAR. 13 - SAT. MAR. 14 ALTHOUGH N.Y. TAKE-OFF TIME WAS 13:30 FRIDAY 13, WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY FLY UNTIL 03:00, LEN + I LEFT THE HOTEL DAUPHIN BY TAXI JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT FOR THE EAST SIDE AIR LINES TERMINAL. THE GIRL WHO CHECKED US IN PRINT WRITES IN BLOCK CAPITALS JUST AS I DO. HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYONE DO THIS BEFORE. LEISURELY BUS TRIP TO IDLE- WILD; FOR A WHILE WE FOLLOWED A DRUNK DRIVER WHO WAS WEAVING ALL OVER THE ROAD IN FAIRLY HEAVY TRAFFIC. WE WERE MET BY AN A.P. MAN, DAVID ROBINSON, WHO PASSED AN INTERESTING HOUR. INTERESTED IN OUR TRIP VERY WELL INFORMED, CLEAR NIGHT FOR TAKEOFF, CROSSED G.W. BRIDGE JUST TO SOUTH; SOON FELL ASLEEP; WE ARE TOURIST-RECLINING SEATS. MIDMORNING FOUND US OVER THE FLICKY MTS., AND OUR CAPTAIN FLEW US OVER YOSEMITE VALLEY, FIRST PICTURES. MARY TAYLOR ARRIVED AT AIRPORT WHILE LEN + I WERE HAVING LUNCH. SHE WAS BEING INTERVIEWED AT 12:30 P.M. FOR A JOB AT WELLESLEY SO HAD TO LEAVE AFTER A SHORT BUT VERY PLEASANT VISIT, COULD NOT ADVISE HER ABOUT W., BUT DID RECOMMEND THAT SHE COME EAST, SAID GOOD- BYE HERE TO OUR CAPTAIN WHO IS AN OLD TIME PILOT ON QANTAS, HOWDY HOUSE - A VERY PLEASANT CHAP. BIG QANTAS AD IN SPORTS ILL QUOTE "AND THE SNOWY LINENS THAT WRAP YOUR BREAKFAST ROLLS IN WARMTH"; THE ROLL WAS COLD AS A CLAM, AND IN CELLOPHANE AT THAT! OUR SEAT COMPANION WAS BRUCE SEAMAN, PHOTOGRAPHER FOR A TRAVEL AGENCY SITA 545 FIFTH AVE., JUST RETURNING FROM AFRICA (LIVES IN HONOLULU). KNOWS A MR. RUTLEDGE (IN COFFEE) IN THE HIGHLANDS; ALSO A MR. MOODY (GOLD) IN WEAUT, MANY JAPANESE AT TERMINAL - MY FIRST REAL LOOK AT A CROWD OF JAPANESE, ALL BOWING FROM THE WAIST CONTINUALLY