There's nothing much creative about this blog post but it has some rather lovely images in it.
For starters - the sweetest blush of dawn yesterday morning.
A few weeks ago now (March 8 in fact but it feels like a lifetime ago), the family all headed to Canberra to celebrate my Dad's 80th birthday. We had outings and dinners but the main game was a ride in a hot air balloon.
Whilst a tad on the nervous side when I arrived, I soon forgot myself and delighted in the slow gentle movement through the sky and over the landscape.
It was stunningly beautiful and serene and I would do it again in heartbeat if I could.
Flying high over the city centre and Australia's Parliament House.
The landscape looked so wonderfully different - we were close enough to notice lots of things, and slow enough to be able to really look...
The four different 'curves' of fence lines, road and cycle path...
The geometry of an industrial area
And then to a rather rough landing and packing the balloon back up!
The bottom of the basket - it falls over on landing and you all get tilted on top of each other and clamber out sideways, but it was fun!
And then to finish with more other-worldliness, yesterday morning, looking up our driveway as the sun rose and the mist evaporated...
It feels so long ago to have been able to stand next to each other; to spend an hour or more in close proximity. We have all remained well since the adventure and with three weeks or more gone we were lucky to have had the moment. Even the next weekend I don't think it would have been possible.
And I feel so fortunate to still have beautiful moments like the ones on our block.
For starters - the sweetest blush of dawn yesterday morning.
A few weeks ago now (March 8 in fact but it feels like a lifetime ago), the family all headed to Canberra to celebrate my Dad's 80th birthday. We had outings and dinners but the main game was a ride in a hot air balloon.
Whilst a tad on the nervous side when I arrived, I soon forgot myself and delighted in the slow gentle movement through the sky and over the landscape.
It was stunningly beautiful and serene and I would do it again in heartbeat if I could.
Flying high over the city centre and Australia's Parliament House.
It was also the second day day of the fortnight-long international balloon festival and you can see some of the novelty balloons being blown up by the lake. The winds were a bit too frisky for the dinosaur to go up that day, so they tethered it and let people play in it I think.
I followed this balloon for as long as I could - I love the dreamy image of a heart floating by in the sky...
The landscape looked so wonderfully different - we were close enough to notice lots of things, and slow enough to be able to really look...
The four different 'curves' of fence lines, road and cycle path...
The geometry of an industrial area
And then to a rather rough landing and packing the balloon back up!
The bottom of the basket - it falls over on landing and you all get tilted on top of each other and clamber out sideways, but it was fun!
And then to finish with more other-worldliness, yesterday morning, looking up our driveway as the sun rose and the mist evaporated...
It feels so long ago to have been able to stand next to each other; to spend an hour or more in close proximity. We have all remained well since the adventure and with three weeks or more gone we were lucky to have had the moment. Even the next weekend I don't think it would have been possible.
And I feel so fortunate to still have beautiful moments like the ones on our block.
Such lovely memories. Unfortunately I think I am a bit old for ballooning, even though I would love to.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn interesting challenge for my Dad Penny! We thought him clambering ver the edge of the basket to get in was the hard thing; but really the crash landing was the toughest! At least he landed on Barry...I am sure you would enjoy the feeling of floating through the sky however. Go well.
Delete(((Fiona))) such beautiful photos, am in love with the heart shaped balloon! have dreamed of flying in a balloon ever since a friend in Melbourne wove balloon baskets out of cane for a living back in the 70's before he became a soil scientist!
ReplyDeleteI know Mo - that heart shaped balloon!!! I felt it was like a talisman drifting through the sky with me - ever so special. Goodness me, weaving a balloon basket would be amazing!!!! Go well and stay well.
DeleteI will love ballooning from afar, thank you ... the pictures are amazing and absolutely confirm my conviction ... ha!
ReplyDeleteLiz I can understand as I was tentative (I get both motion sickness and am no good at heights - what was I thinking and why did I suggest it????). But as soon as the balloon was up and just drifting it was like drifting in a canoe on a still pond...magic. Maybe one day? Go well.
DeleteOhhh! Lady Luck was with you. Stay well, Fiona
ReplyDeleteOh dinah she was indeed! Couldn't believe our good fortune really, it was so special and really memorable for Dad - he would have gone back to the start and done it again too! Go well in the north, stay well.
DeleteYour view out across the hills is so spectacular...and ethereal in this photo. Thank you for sharing your balloon's eye view of Canberra. I have never seen its circular center. How does it work visually and practically when you are down in it?
ReplyDeleteThe hills were beautiful and we realised that they stretch dout one very direction; despite growing up there I hadn't thought that through - the big mountain range to the West (the Brindabellas) was always where I looked...but Canberra is known for its roundabouts and circles, it was designed by Walter Burley Griffin and his wife Marion Mahoney and is based on circles and triangles. It makes perfect sense to those familiar with it and annoys lots of others! I love the graceful curves...go well.
DeleteBallooning over the Glasshouse Mountains was my birthday present many years ago. I have wonderful memories, and photos. However, a little too close to the highway on landing, and overhead wires on the way down. Crash landing is the only option.
ReplyDeleteOh wow Jo - I have never seen balloons over the mountains - will have to go look now and see if I can do it again closer to home! The landings are precarious in so many ways - we avoided power lines but were one paddock away from the NSW border we had travelled so far to find a putting down place. I saw one balloon come down and simply skid and stay upright - but we went head over heels so to speak...go well.
DeleteOh my. The lovely dinahmow sent me the link to this post. I was one of the many oohing and ahhing on the ground. Weeks later I still smile thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this beautiful post.
Oh how fabulous we could have waved! I can send you lots of other images of the lake and PH if you like; the wetlands and the turf farms near Fyshwick! It was magical and delightful and I just loved it! Go well.
Delete... love all the shots - esp central view of P House ... K
ReplyDeleteIt was such a delight Ken - and it felt odd in a way being allowed to fly over PH like that! Canberra was looking beautiful and it was a rare treat to see it from up there, ever so slowly...go well.
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