Yesterday, Barb and I visited Prosser Washington to see the Prosser Balloon Rally.
At 6:00 AM it was a little cool and Barb was prepared:
I had often wondered how they got hot air in the balloon without burning them. Once they are inflated, sure, not really a problem.
They inflated them on the ground with a fan. Then, they poke the burner (they probably have a different name for them) in and put hot air in until the balloon lifts off the ground.
We recommend it.
The end of our driveway or thereabouts was the target for balloons dropping markers for a charity event. One of the balloons landed in a big tree and the crew was stranded until rescued hours later at night via the sheriff’s helicopter. Our dogs were most displeased with the commotion.
Neat! At the festival in Albuquerque they do a mass launch in the morning dark. It’s magical to be on the field as the balloons, all lit from inside, begin to inflate.
In Milford, NH there used to be an annual balloon event (at the house that used to belong to one of the members of the Ninety Nines). I remember watching them get the balloons inflated. With one of them, it failed: a puff of wind came along at the wrong time and blew the fabric into the flame. Result: a 6 foot long gash in the balloon envelope. Oops…. back to the rigger for repairs!
I hope you had some time to visit a few of the wineries as well. Thurston Wolfe is one of my favorites.
Unfortunately, I think the weather in MT is a bit too unpredictable to foster this kind of activity.
Kurt
We didn’t even know there were wineries in the area. Not that it would have mattered. I seldom drink, and then usually just a sip to see what it tastes like.
After two or three hours in Prosser, we went back to our motel, took a nap, visited some friends for a few hours, and then went home to Bellevue.