An Extraordinary Day!

Thank you to all the happy shoppers who attended the Spruce Ridge Studios Open House and Tent Sale.  It was very good to see so many friends and new faces too.  I met several enthusiastic beginners and I must say that I am always tickled and inspired by their eagerness to start hooking!

We really did have an extraordinary day...that started about 20 minutes before all the shoppers arrived.  My town of Howell hosts an annual hot air balloon festival every year in June, and it is taking place this week-end.  This morning was exceptionally calm and clear, and they were able to get the balloons launched.  We are in the flight path for many of the hot air balloons during their evening launch but this year, the balloons came sailing over our house in the morning as we were setting out the wares for the tent sale. Not just a few balloons.  I counted at least 25 beautiful, colorful balloons high in the sky.  What a sight!  As we continued to work, I heard a loud WHOOSH, which I recognized as the sound of the gas jets of a balloon.  When I looked up and to the south, a low flying balloon came drifting over our marsh.

 As he drifted closer, one of the pilots waved to me.

 And then he called out "Is your llama afraid of the balloon?"  (apparently it's hard to tell an alpaca from a llama at his altitude *wink*)  I replied "No" and just as I said that, Emma let out a big BAAAA.  The pilot said "It's OK, it's alright."  All the while the balloon was drifting closer and closer to our house.

 "Are you going to land in our yard" I yelled up to the pilot.  I have always had this goofy desire to have a hot air balloon land in my yard.

"I don't think we can" he yelled back.

"Too bad you can't come back at ten o'clock when I'm having people over" I yelled up again.

"I'll see what I can do" he replied.

In no time at all, he was sailing past our pine tree, nearly hitting the branches as he floated along. 

 A minute or two later, he actually hit some branches of my next door neighbor's tree and we could see him pushing away branches as he skimmed by.  My heart jumped into my throat!

 As Ken and I raced to the road, we noticed he was clear of the trees.  Their recovery vehicle was parked on the road and two grounds crew men were standing on the grassy shoulder.  "Drop it now!" they yelled up to the pilots.

And just like that, the balloon sank smoothly to the ground.  The grounds crew caught the basket and helped ease it to the grass.

Wow!  I love when stuff like this happens.  I couldn't stop thinking about it all day!