Hot Air 4th of July Race

[IrishEyes]

In Illinois our house was backed to a nature preserve for water birds. There was lots of land running miles into Chicago
40 miles away with trails, ponds and plants the birds needed.

We had a 3 season full windowed room with sky lights in the back of the house. Having coffee in there we hear this
hissing noise and look to the back fence and see dozens of Hot Air balloons right outside. Amazing to watch especially
when never expecting it. Their rest/check in stop was just to the back of my home.

One balloon over shot his landing spot and covered the back of a neighbors house with his deflated balloon.
Can you imagine waking up and looking out your patio door to see it covered with a balloon?

 

[Murrmurr]

I used to paint. After attending the massive hot-air balloon festival in Albuquerque, NM, in 1986 or 7, I did a large painting of it in acrylic-oils - balloons in flight & lifting off & a crowd of people below. It was one of my best, imo, and when I sold off all my paintings and illustrations nearly 30yrs later, it was the first one sold. But how can you miss with a scene like that? It was gorgeous.