When the balloon lifted off the ground, I was surprised to find myself suddenly crying ... in an overpowering wave of happiness. Bob was there at my side along with six other entranced travelers. We were bound together for a timeless (hour-and-a-half) adventure into wonder. At that moment, my camera’s battery went dead. Again, unbelievably, that did not dampen my spirits. It did not even leave a smudge. Because I was there, I was feeling the lift, the sensation of floating on air. Not a wisp of fear. I was light as a feather, it seemed. The ride was so gentle and at a pace that satisfied my need to SEE and really look at what was around me. And I would have been happy with any kind of a view, but I had the bonus pleasure of riding above and down into the Rio Grande gorge. The water at the bottom was shallow, but our basket managed to “kiss” the surface -- we squealed when cold wetness reached our feet! Then a gentle climb back up as we saw rocks and cliffs and native vegetation, both beautiful and ragged, alluring and stark. A lesson in adaptability and survival. What a view! Surrounding the gorge was flat, flat land. Again a landscape of contrasts and magnitude.
How did we get there??
Bob and I had been planning a trip to visit my Uncle Bill and his wife Linda in Taos, NM. They had sent us some information about the area in anticipation of our arrival. I looked it over and realized that Taos had a lot more to offer than my mother’s brother, a man of very distant memories. I wanted to see him because way too much time had snuck by. (yes, I said snuck!). To the best of my recollection, I had not seen my Uncle Bill since I was in sixth grade. HE was the reason we were going there. But Taos is, I learned, a mecca for sports enthusiasts, scenery lovers, history and native culture fans, wine and art and food fanciers and more. But what caught my eye on the brochure of information, first thing, was a picture of a hot air balloon. Taking a ride in a hot air balloon has been a wish of mine for as long as I can remember. But it was never practical. The cost put it way out of reach. But the wish remained,for what is a wish, but hope ... and the belief that anything can happen. Someday.
Well, I looked up the cost of that particular hot air balloon excursion online a few days before we left on our trip. I had been saving the cash gifts that the agents at the office had given me as a Christmas present. As it turned out, what I had saved EXACTLY equalled the cost of one ticket. That gave me courage on top of hope. I talked to Bob ... and he agreed! I made the reservation for the morning that we were to leave Taos. Now to hold our breaths that the weather would not turn against us. We would not know for sure until that morning.
. . . . . .
The ending of that fairy tale wish-come-true was a well managed landing, a celebrational champagne brunch and an armload of precious memories. Oh, by the way, at some point during our float, my camera battery woke up. Then it would die. Then it would wake up for a couple of shots, and then ... Very up and down, just like our adventure.
Take a look at these pictures, and if the inspiration sparks a dream of your own, go to:
a perfect morning for flying
Bob helping to inflate
our sister balloon in flight
our flight path
the Rio Grande River
at the bottom of the gorge
incredible sight
my only picture of our balloon in flight
back on the ground but still floating
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