Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Hot-air balloon sighting

The first time this season. On Monday morning, three of them flew by the house. They were moving with the morning air currents down the river valley, with spectacular views of the vineyards on either side. And Callie, running up and down the rows, barking madly.

Two of three balloons in the valley. You can see our back gate and part of the hedge on the right.

That's what she, and nearly every other dog I know, does when a balloon flies overhead. Callie will often hear the balloon burner's whoosh before we do. Then she's off! She doesn't go far, and always comes back, only to head down another row of vines, trying to chase off the invaders.

Callie bounds back from one of her runs to chase the balloons away.

I wonder if she thinks that her barking and running are actually working to make the balloons go away. Because they always go away. Good dog!

Two balloons float over the Cher Valley, seen from higher up in the vineyards.

The yellow and blue balloon you see is a familiar sight around our house; it's the balloon we see most often year after year. I don't remember seeing the other two around here before. And it's rare when we see multiple balloons flying over at the same time.

5 comments:

  1. With the weather the way it is I am amazed they went up at all!

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    1. Susan, the colder the morning or evening, the more flight you get for your gas.

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  2. No matter how many times I see hot air balloons, they always look magical to me. So glad you have Callie to protect you from them. I'm sure by now she's convinced that they always go away because of her.

    By the way, I LOVE the Callie slide show. How could you NOT love that girl?!?

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  3. susan, I was surprised, too. But the valley was relatively clear and the wind calm.

    pollygarter, it must have been very cold up there.

    mitch, I like the balloons, too. It's cool to wake up on summer mornings and see one floating over the house. I'm glad you like the slide show. Five years of Callie!

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  4. Hot air ballooning is really an amazing experience. I never forget to make a ride whenever I get time for vacations. Thanks for writing the nice blog.

    Brisbane Hot Air Ballooning

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