The mist hung in tendrils in the valleys of Vermont at 5 a.m. as Jo and I drove south to beautiful Stowe, a favorite of skiers in this part of the world. There's no skiing now, of course, but it was chilly in the early dawn.
We'd come to Stowe for a balloon fest and watched as 25 balloonists rigged their baskets to filmy nylon and polyester. They use a large fan to partially inflate their enormous balloons and at just the right moment they fire up their propane burners which pumps hot air into the cavernous interior of the balloon
The tipping point arrives and the balloon pops upright with the captain inside the basket. People load up (up to five passengers, depending on the size of the balloon and the propane burner). Then they ignite the propane in short bursts and the balloon finds that instant when the weight of the basket and people is overcome by the lift. Then they are off, oh-so-gently. There always is a look of euphoria on the faces of the guests aboard (at a price of $250 per person for the ride!)
They drifted upward. over the treetops. The cold still air forced many of the balloons down into the trees and the passengers leaned out of their baskets and picked the leaves as they drifted by.
It was two delightful hours in the early morning. We drove north and had breakfast and then back to our motor home.
If you click on the picture on this page, it will take you to our photo album of this event.
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