Well, this weekend was Joplin's third annual hot air balloon event, and FINALLY I was able to attend. The event benefits Joplin's Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, and lots of people came out to watch the balloons. A nice newspaper article appears HERE. I don't know why the picture on the website is different than the one in this morning's paper. That one shows several balloons in the air, but Jill and Tedd's Excellent Adventure is in the center of the photo. Maybe they'll post it later.
I drove down on Friday in hopes that there would be a flight and a glow. A driving rain storm curtailed any actual balloon activity, so I went to dinner with the Venables and their crew. Saturday morning had questionable weather and wet ground, so only a few balloons set up so spectators could see the balloons. Three flew with two landing just across the street from the launch site, and one flying all the way to Carthage.
Saturday afternoon, Jill drove to Joplin with Beth and Mallori, and I met them at Art's nursing home for a visit. We took Art for a short walk outside, then went to lunch. Beth and Mal headed back north, and Jill and I went and got the balloon and prepared for the Saturday evening flight.
Not long after we got to the launch site, Marty and Dana arrived (on Marty's motorcycle) to crew for the flight, so I had crew, but no passenger. The event director found the sound engineer who had brought the speakers for music and announcing, and she flew with me. Her name was very unusual: Honna. We had a short flight to the south, landing after about 30 minutes, just a few miles from the launch. There are lots of trees beyond where we were, and a good landing site is hard to pass up!
After the flight, most of the pilots set their balloons up for a "glow." My friend Charlie flew his balloon in to the launch site, landed, and kept the balloon inflated for the glow. I spent some time in his basket while he walked around visiting other pilots. Norma got in David's basket, and flew on a tether to take a picture from above.
Next we all refueled, and Jill and I went to Braums for dinner, then went to the hotel and fell quickly asleep.
Sunday morning came early, and we got up and drove to the launch field. I recruited three of Big Brothers/Sisters board members (Steve, Lisa, and Ryan) to crew. After some instruction, we turned on the fan and had a great inflation. Steve climbed in and off we flew. We flew northeast, and landed across the road from the airport. As I made my approach, I knew I had chosen the right place to land. David Reed's vehicle was there, and David has a big tarp. Packing up on a large tarp is the best way to keep your balloon dry when the grass is wet. Plus, there was another balloon there, and we could share crew, making everyone's packup easier.
After refueling, we had a quick breakfast, checked out of the hotel, and drove home for a nap, and a relaxing Sunday afternoon!
Thanks to everyone who helped make this a great weekend!
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