Angola Balloons Aloft
I haven’t gotten a chance to post in a while, I feel like I’ve been busy, but I really haven’t gotten a chance to do too many outdoorsy type things. So, this past Friday (July 8), Bobby and I went up to Angola, Indiana to check out their hot air balloon festival, which couldn’t be a cooler idea for a festival. It was held at the small airport they have there. Also, it couldn’t have been a hotter day. Or it could have been but that would’ve been just miserable. Bobby and I grabbed some dinner at some of those wonderful festival food vendors (He- A pork burger and a brat, me – walking tacos), chatted with some locals under a tent to escape the heat/bearing down sun, and then headed to our folding chairs out near the runway. The launch was supposed to happen at 6:30 pm, but was really much closer to 7:30 due to some concerns about the wind, which soon died down to the required <10 mph speed.
First in flight, headed away from the pack.
The first balloon off the starting line was this yellow-green-blue number which turned out to be quite the star of the show, first to leave, first to get back, first to light up at the balloon glow later on. Slowly but surely others got off the ground, too.
More in the air
The views became more and more breath-taking with each look.
A sky full of balloons
And very soon, I was giddy and bouncing up and down. I was incredibly into this. Every part of me that ever wanted to be a photographer was happy, I have to say.
We were both pretty excited...
And they kept coming! I think there were 26 or 27 balloons? Just dazzling.
You can see it in his eyes...
You might be able to see a solid black balloon in the reflection in Bob’s glasses. We were both pretty confused about this. Why have a black hot air balloon, that seems pretty boring. When It took off we saw why. It was actually a penguin and penguin chick. Too cute.
As I said earlier, the first balloon back was the blue/green/yellow number, and others slowly followed suit as the sun began to fall.
Glow.
I had never been to a balloon launch before, and I’d never been to a balloon glow either. When the balloons began to light up I was stunned. It was so beautiful. Pictures really can’t do it justice. But I tried.
Finally dark.
I really hope I can go back next year. I was really a major life experience for me. I’ve always wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride, and this was pretty exciting, just to be that close to such amazing things!
liveandletleaf 