#3 - Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride.......

I had just about decided this particular item on my 50 Things to Do list would have to wait until next year. Once football season starts, the change in weather isn't far behind, and I didn't think we would be able to work it in. The last time Hubby and I tried to schedule a balloon ride, we got on a waiting list and didn't hear from the guy for a couple of months. This time I decided to try a different company. Duh. He got right back to me and said, "How about this Sunday?"

We were in a balloon with six other people, plus the pilot, Daryl. He was super friendly, and his crew was excellent. They were all so friendly, not only to us the paying passengers, but to by-standers (a hot air balloon in a grocery store parking lot attracts a LOT of attention), and even to people on the ground as we flew over neighborhoods.

First the crew has to put the basket together....

Then the balloon part is stretched out. And out. And out. And out. And out. (Man, I thought a parachute was big.....)

Then they use two high-powered fans to direct air into the balloon...

I loved the American flag touch...

This is me standing in front of the balloon, just to give you an idea of its size. I'm short, but I'm not a midget...

Then Daryl fires up the burners to direct hot air into the balloon, causing it to rise. We were certain he was going to catch the balloon on fire. Then we remembered he had done this a time or two...

Skies were a little hazy, but you can see Lake Lanier in the background...

We cruised along at about 3000 feet above ground, then we started descending. Hubby asked Daryl if we were going to land in this field. Daryl said, "Nah. I'm not ready to land yet." As we got lower and lower, Hubby murmured to me that Daryl might not KNOW it, but we were definitely going to land in that field. Trees were getting closer and closer. Then when it looked certain we were going to have to land, the balloon eased upward and the basket brushed the treetops. Yes, Daryl has definitely done this a time or two.

I loved the shots with our balloon's shadow in them. I have about a gazillion of these, in case you're interested. That's Sawnee Mountain in the background...

We landed in a field behind an auto parts store (Daryl says you're ALWAYS trespassing, and most of the time the land owners are friendly), and the crew van took us back to where we left our cars. They had cheese, strawberries, brownies, cookies, crackers with cream cheese and pepper jelly. And champagne. Even though I swore after our last trip to the Dominican Republic that I would never drink champagne again, I did have a little bit. Apparently it's the part in the BOTTOM of the bottle that makes you sick. Who knew?

 

Riding in a hot air balloon has been a lifelong dream of mine, not just since I put it on my 50 Things to Do list. I've been obsessed with hot air balloons I believe ever since I saw The Wizard of Oz for the first time when I was about 3 years old. I would go back again and again if I could. I'm so, so, so, so, so, so glad we did this.

The Post This Was Supposed to Be.....

This blog post isn't going to be what it was supposed to be. I eagerly anticipated writing tonight about our first hot air balloon ride today. I knew I would have some decent pictures (gorgeous ones if I got lucky), and I thought I might even be able to post some video.

Riding in a hot air balloon has always been a dream of mine. I mean since childhood. I don't remember when my fascination (obsession?) with heights began, but as long as I can remember I wanted to be UP THERE. In a tree. On the house. In the sky. Standing on the edge of a cliff.

A couple of years ago we stumbled across a website advertising hot air balloon rides not too far from where we live. We put our names on the list for a standby flight, because that was significant cheaper than making a regular reservation.

It took several months, but the guy finally called us and scheduled a ride. Then thunderstorms moved in late in the day and he had to cancel. That was Labor Day. We're not sure which year, but it wasn't 2008 (Sweet Girl was home to go to the first UGA game), it wasn't 2007 (I was at Sweet Girl's, moving her into her new condo), so it had to be as long ago as 2006 or even longer.

Not long ago Hubby mentioned the balloon guy and we agreed that he had probably lost our contact information.

Then out of the blue (pun sort of not intended) last Monday, I got an email with "fly" in the subject line, and the guy said he had an opening for this weekend if we wanted a Valentine balloon ride.

First of all, I find it kind of hard to believe that he hasn't had an opening or a cancellation or a chicken-out in the last three years.

I immediately let him know that we were indeed interested in flying Sunday afternoon, and we were eagerly looking forward to it.

I didn't hear any more from him all week. Yesterday morning I sent him an email asking if we were still on for today, since I hadn't heard from him. He said, "Yes, I think so. I'm checking on one more thing. I'll get back with you later today." I told Hubby I hoped the thing he was checking on wasn't a great big rip in the balloon.

Then nothing. All day long. I checked my email repeatedly, and I never heard from him. Hubby went to work as usual this morning, and when he got home he asked me if I had heard from balloon guy. Whose name is actually Brigham (that's his first name), but I sort of enjoy referring to him as balloon guy. And not capitalizing it.

I could tell Hubby really wanted to play golf if we weren't going flying, and I didn't blame him. I sent him off to the golf course with my blessings, sort of miffed that I never heard from balloon guy. I knew if Hubby stayed home and we didn't go flying, and he didn't get to play golf, he would be one disappointed puppy. Plus he would be here underfoot all afternoon. Plus there was no point in BOTH of us being miffed.

And almost as soon as he left the driveway, balloon guy called. He said of course we were still on, and he sounded confused as to why I thought otherwise. Keep in mind this is the first verbal contact we'd had. And he had my number all the time. He said all we had to do was drive TWO HOURS to the launch site (NOT where he told us the last time, which was much closer to home). So when he called, we basically had two hours' notice. We've waited three years (that we know of), and he gives us two hours' notice.

I called Hubby on his cell phone, and he hadn't teed off yet. If I had insisted, he would have come home and we would now be $400 poorer. But I didn't, he didn't, and we aren't.

So I'll have to wait again for my first hot air balloon ride. Maybe this time we won't have to wait three years. At least I hope not.