On Monday, July 19, Art Leisy and his wife, Mary, commemorated “another year of survival” by going parasailing over Santa Rosa Sound. Art Leisy turned 93 on June 27, but he delayed his parasailing three weeks.

What prompted Leisy to do this?

Last year, two of his friends, Diane Arnold and Marny Needle, went for a parasail to commemorate a special birthday. A number of friends went along for the boat ride.

At the time, Art Leisy was 92 but he said that when he turned 93, he and his wife, Mary, would also parasail.

To hold him to this promise, the group wrote out a good-natured contract on a paper napkin. It read: “Mary and Art Leisy plan and agree to parasail together on Art’s 93rd birthday on June 27, 2010.” It was signed by Mary and Art and witnessed by Diane and Jim Arnold, Marny and Don Needle, Bea and Jack Voisinet, Trish Tierny and Jayne Atkins.

This contract was written in fun. But much to Art and Mary’s surprise, Marny Needle had saved this special napkin contract and presented it to them on Art’s 93rd birthday. So Art, being a man of his word, took Mary parasailing.

Again, a group of friends went along for the ride and took pictures to honor this occasion.

“It was really a nice experience for me,” Art said. “I got to see Pensacola Beach, the National Seashore and even some of Pensacola.”

The trip was a little more nervewracking for Mary. “I was uneasy at first,” she confessed, “but once we got going I really enjoyed it.”