Sunday, June 12, 2011

Look! Up in the sky!

Callie and I left the house this morning around 6:30 for our walk. The sun was up and there was no wind at all. As soon as I stepped outside I heard the familiar whoosh of a hot-air balloon's propane burner. So did Callie. She recognizes that sound and immediately joined the chorus of barking dogs across the neighborhood as the balloon drifted over our yard.

This particular balloon is a familiar sight at our house. It must take off reasonably close to us.

I'm sure the neighbors enjoy being woken by barking dogs at 6:30 on Sunday morning. But what can you do? All dogs bark at balloons it seems, and summer is balloon season in wine and château country.

As soon as I opened the back gate Callie was gone. Running up and down the rows of vines, chasing that damned balloon. The balloon was with us for most of our walk until our road turned away from its path. It finally got far enough away that Callie lost interest. But for most of our walk out to the end of the road, she was up and down the vineyard rows barking at that thing in the sky. She even missed two rabbits that passed right in front of her because she had her eye on the balloon.

I wonder if the passengers in the balloons are curious as to why they have to fly over neighborhoods filled with barking dogs?
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10 comments:

  1. Craig12 June, 2011 08:47

    You should go up in it one day as a special treat. You'd get some excellent and different perspectives of your home and surrounding countryside, which of course we could then enjoy too :)

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  2. Cubby12 June, 2011 14:09

    Balloons have always fascinated me. I hope to go up in one someday. And I fully agree with Craig's suggestion. Do it!

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  3. Rick Bettencourt12 June, 2011 15:25

    I love air balloons!

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  4. Moving with Mitchell12 June, 2011 15:55

    Have you ever gone up in one? I've always wondered what it would be like. Maybe one day. Somehow, I imagined it would be quiet up there. Didn't take into account the barking dogs.

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  5. Diogenes12 June, 2011 17:26

    That's something I wouldn't do - I'm not a fan of heights. And isn't the basket just a little wicker thing? But they must be pretty to look at floating through the air...

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  6. Niall & Antoinette12 June, 2011 17:30

    I expect the passengers thought it would be all quiet and serene and didn't count on a dog chorus :-)

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  7. Amanda12 June, 2011 18:35

    The only time I went on a hot air balloon was in Kenya. Elephants were really scared of it and took off making a lot of noise. I would do it again, anywhere in the world.
    You should give it a try one day as it is an amazing feeling, for the views but also the floating sensation.

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  8. Starman12 June, 2011 20:24

    If they're French, it probably never occurs to them that the dogs are barking at them. If they can even hear them.

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  9. Ur-spo12 June, 2011 23:50

    Some day I want to ride a balloon
    but they always remind me of ads for antidepressants from the 70s.

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  10. wcs13 June, 2011 07:38

    craig, I'd like to, but I'd have to save up for it. Very pricey.

    cubby, one of these days...

    rick, me too!

    mitch, I've never been.

    diogenes, I think the "baskets" are a bit stronger than they look these days.

    n&a, I think you're probably right.

    nadege, I think it would be fun.

    starman, I have it on good authority that one can hear the dogs. Unless you mean that they can't hear them because they're so used to them...

    michael, up, up, and away!

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