Category Archives: Weather

Fairy Chimneys.

After watching the sunrise, the balloon went straight up, as high as they could take us.

It was fantastic to look out from our gondola and just see the land below us.

After descending, Captain Mike took us into one of the one of valleys that was full of Fairy Chimneys.

Again, we were overcome with the amazing beauty of nature.

The Fairy Chimneys were massive and there was a silence in the morning, that was only really broken by the fire from the hot air balloon being heated and a few of us talking, in hushed tones, about the wonders we were experiencing.

I wonder, now, what kind of thrill, if any, Captain Mike, has as he guides the balloon through the valleys and across the plains?  I have a feeling, from watching him as he looked out, he still loves it deeply.  He also has a great sense of humor and was able to show his joy by his comments and by pointing out things we might have missed because we were trying to see so much at once.

I can’t imagine how amazing it must be, day after day, to be able to take people up in balloons, see this amazing landscape, and share that with people that see it for the first time.

It has me now interested in learning how to fly a balloon, or a plane, for the first time in my life.

My mom, by the way, just started shaking her head, “No” and telling her husband, “Phillip,  why does my son do this to me?”

Peace and beauty.

Jill, our whole crew, and I were anxiously waiting to see the sunrise.

We were not disappointed.

It seems to take a very long time to break through and each second was precious.

As the light shifted, we kept being amazed, and stunned, by the colors that would appear in the sky.

You could actually see the sun’s rays changing and cutting through the haze as it broke over the horizon.

There as a beautiful silence, and awe, that everyone in the balloon seemed to experience together and it was great being able to appreciate this sight with them.

There is something about traveling, and this seems to happen more when we are traveling, where you are in a group, and you all experience an amazing event together, that makes it more powerful.

Even if no one speaks or talks about it, it seems to have a hold over everyone and the honor of being there, with other people, to experience this kind of magical event, even if it happens every day, is “once in a life time” for that certain group, and for me.

It is just another reason I love to travel and see the world.

I want to see what I can see, and experience as much as I can, before I leave this mortal coil.

I’m 45 and who knows how long I’ll have now.

I have often asked my clients, “If you were to walk out the door, get hit by a bus and die, what do you want on your gravestone?”

This may sound shocking, and that is my intention, because I want them to realize they have a chance, at this moment, to change their life.

Each client has their own answer.

Mine?

I want to have seen all 7 continents, to have seen the 7 wonders of the world, and to have shared them all with Jill.