Up Up and Away...The Balloon Fiesta

On November 21st 1783 the first hot air balloon flight took place in Paris. It was the creation of 2 French men, the Montgolfier brothers.

We have arrived at the Balloon Fiesta Park and it is daybreak....beautiful.

One can barely see the silhouettes of the balloons in the steel gray skies

Then the splendor unfolds

Time for the flag and the National Anthem

This is our balloon being laid out gently on the grass

It is then being inflated with the help of...

...this huge fan. Patience required.

Getting there...

Time for a family picture, to the left is Berry, Steve's mother visiting from Ohio.

Many balloons are just about ready to take flight

Now is time for the...hot air!

Nobody took a picture of us but now we are up in the air

Some view!

Amazing...

Leaving the Fiesta Park....hello, Pepsi!

Thirsty anyone?

I am admiring and busy taking pics

Funny sight of more balloons waiting for their allotted time to inflate...so flat!

Our view when we look directly up

Hi, cuties!

Our pilot is already looking ahead for a place to land...

People are watching us as we go by

The pilot has decided for his spot to make the landing....to our great disappointment:(

This is the 2nd batch of folks going up after we debark.

They land here. We were in a chase vehicle, following madly the balloon

The 3rd batch went and landed there softly in the grass

The crew had to help the gondola over the fence

Nice shot if I may say so myself:)

Having gone over the fence, the envelope is deflated, it is the end of the rides.

The pilot's wife and very important member of the crew

Nice!

Our very talented pilot into whose hands we entrusted our lives

The crew and various helpers now gather the envelope....

...to stuff it back into its bag

Up into the truck goes the huge ball

Steve and Berry help to cover the gondola

All this time we were being observed by a pair of damsels...goats, very curious about all the brouhaha

What the heck is going on there?

Upon our return to the Fiesta Park we are being "baptized"...with champagne