Up Up and Away

So the sixth time was the charm! After five cancellations because of weather, my milestone birthday gift got off the ground on Saturday morning.

One of the reasons I asked for a balloon ride because I wanted to do something that scared me a little. Well this did not!  Not being a fan of heights, I thought I would be nervous about floating between 500 and 2,000 feet above the city but it wasn’t the least bit frightening. I loved it. It was smooth and easy and so serene.  The world below looked like a Monopoly board. We could easily pick out landmarks in our city. At one point I pointed at an unusual and pretty building and land and was told it was the sewage treatment plant!  Perspective is everything. It was also fun to learn how balloons work.  Naturally, it has to be filled with air, and then that air must be heated so it can rise.

And up it goes….

and before you know it, we’ve all climbed into our own divided compartments of the massive basket and we’re floating on a light breeze!  It was so much fun. I’d do it again! We had what they call a #3 landing, the hardest, but Jimmy had to put us down in a very narrow field between power lines and corn. They try to avoid crops and animals and this was the only cut hayfield around.  We were well prepared for the hit – three hits, actually. The landowner was very nice and we heard some doozy stories about farmers who freak out, get their guns, call police and all sorts of things. I think it’s the surprise aspect that annoys them most. There’s a lot of skill involved in flying a balloon and none of us complained about landing hard because we landed safely! I highly recommend the experience.