Hot Air Balloon

Wausau, WI, hosts an annual Balloon Rally.  If all conditions are “right”
they launch off dozens of balloons from the grounds by the airport.  This is a picture of one getting ready.  In the evening they have a balloon glow where the balloons are on the ground and are lit up with the fire they use to lift them.   It is really neat!

We often see a hot air balloon in the summer.  One of the organizers of the event has a “side” business where he takes people on rides.  Anyway, one year we could hear this “KWOOOOSH” sound.  We were in the house baking banana bread to enter in the fair the next day.  We looked out our window to see this hot air balloon just above the pasture – the cows were running – going crazy!  They landed in the pasture.  Our girls were about 10 & 12 maybe…the owner let our girls hop in the basket and he lifted them over the fence.  The couple who were riding in it – was their proposal – she said yes and they cracked open (non alcoholic) bubbly.  We ran in and brought out one of the banana breads and had that too.  They had to wait for the truck to come and pick up the balloon and people.   They can’t control where they land – within reason – so they had these glasses printed that said “thank you friendly land owner” and they gave them to us.  It was a neat memory. 

Blessings from Wisconsin!