Up, Up and Away

I go up and down. Yesterday was more of a down day. Today started, at least, as an up day. Way up. I surprised my wife with a sunrise ride in a hot air balloon. Neither of us had ever been in a hot air balloon, but both have always wanted to. There was no particular occasion for the gift, other than just wanting to do it.

Here are some shots I took surrounding this little adventure:

Still not quite daylight...the balloon is off the van and the outfitting is set to begin:







Tipped on its side, the balloon basket is set to start filling the balloon with hot air, once the electric fan opens the balloon's envelope:







Here, the mouth of the balloon is being held open so the air from the fan can be blow in to open the envelope:







Our balloon and another one begin to fill with air, almost ready to be "fired up" with the heat from the propane:







In this photo and the next, massive flames roar into the balloon, filling it with hot air.







Here's a shot of the other balloon, still on the ground, alongside the chase vehicle that will follow us:







This is looking straight up into the balloon we're in:







Looking back toward the ground, and toward the balloon that left the ground shortly after ours did:







The following shots are looking back toward the ground...bare trees, long distances, a pond (with blowing mist rising from it) we almost touched and a small herd of cows expressing their dismay as we grazed the field they call home:







Here's our shadow as we near touch-down in the front yard of an elementary school:Deflating the monster, once we've reached the ground again:







Finally, back to the bare basket, the balloon having been put in its bag and put away. Amazing that seven people fit in that tiny little basket: