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| Pencil on Paper by Winry Marini 2005 |
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears."
~ Arabian Proverb
Taxiway
The Taxi Who Lost His Way
The Taxi and the Taxiway: A Funny Mix-Up with an Educational Twist
On a bright and breezy morning, a little yellow taxi zoomed happily down the road.
"I’ve got passengers to pick up! Beep beep! Out of the way!" he shouted, his engine full of energy.
But suddenly, the road felt... strange.
It was wide. Too wide. Smooth like butter. And oddly quiet.
That’s when he saw it.
A giant airplane right in front of him, looking confused.
"EXCUSE ME!" the taxi yelled, skidding to a stop. "You’re blocking the road! I have customers waiting!"
The airplane looked down and blinked.
"Umm… this isn’t a regular road," the plane said gently. "This is a taxiway. It’s for airplanes like me."
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| Taxiway by Winry Marini 2008 |
"A taxi-WHAT?" the little car huffed. "It says ‘TAXI’ — that’s my name! My job! You’re clearly on the wrong path, buddy!"
The plane chuckled softly. "Well, we both ‘taxi,’ but not the same way."
The yellow car blinked in confusion. "We do?"
"Yup!" said the plane. "When I move on the ground before takeoff or after landing, it’s called ‘taxiing.’ That’s why this path is called a taxiway. It’s not for cars — it’s for planes to move safely on the ground."
The little taxi scratched his roof. "Oh… so that’s what this place is?"
"Exactly," the airplane nodded. "Don’t worry, it’s a common mix-up."
The taxi smiled sheepishly. "Well… I guess I really took a wrong turn this time."
The plane giggled. "Happens to the best of us."
🧠Did You Know?
In aviation, the word "taxi" doesn’t always mean a car! When airplanes move on the ground using their own power (before takeoff or after landing), it’s called taxiing. A taxiway is a special path that helps planes get to and from the runway safely.
So next time you hear “taxi” at an airport — it might not have four wheels and a horn, but wings and jet engines instead! 🛫🚖
📚 Word Origins: Why Is It Called a “Taxi”?
The word "taxi" comes from "taximeter cab", which was a type of vehicle that had a taximeter — a machine that measured distance and fare (how much passengers needed to pay).
Let’s break it down:
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"Tax" comes from Latin taxa, meaning a charge or fee.
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"Meter" comes from Greek metron, meaning to measure.
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And "cab" is short for cabriolet, a horse-drawn carriage used long ago for transporting people!
So, a taximeter cab was literally a “fare-measuring carriage.”
That’s how we got the word taxi! 🚖
And in aviation?
When airplanes move slowly on the ground — just like a taxi cab moving through traffic — it’s called “taxiing.” That’s why we call the special road for planes a taxiway!
Sooty-headed Bulbul
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| Burung Kutilang (Pycnonotus aurigaster) |
The Little Bird
Once I saw a little bird
Come hop, hop, hop;
So I cried, "Little bird,
Will you stop, stop, stop?"
And was going to the window
To say, "How do you do?"
But he shook his little tail,
And far away he flew.
Orcas and Ice Mountain
Orca/Killer Whale Digital Painting
by Winry Marini
"The fidelity question is difficult for me. Society has made us believe we're supposed to be monogamous when we're not killer whales, or whatever the monogamous species is."
~Rachel Hunter
Bats
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| illustration by Winry marini 2010 |
Flying Bats
If I could hide inside this cave,
What wondrous sight I'd see;
Brown bats all hanging upside down
Like dark leaves on a tree.
Their mouths wide open as they fly,
Shouting sounds as they go by;
The echoes bounce off rocks and things.
To help them steer their hunter's wings.
Little Bat
Small and furry,
little bat,
fly through the sky at night.
Listen, listen,
little bat
as echoes guide your flight.
Swoop and dive,
little bat,
catch insects as you fly.
Hurry, hurry,
little bat,
back to your nearby cave.
Snug and warm,
little bat,
toes hold the ceiling light.
Sleepy, sleepy,
little bat,
wrapped in your wings until night.
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