Balloon Support Crew and Hamburger and Hot Dog Chef!

This morning I woke up and decided to go down to the Balloon festival. I was just going down intending to view the event. Margot, Allen and Andy were signed up as volunteers to help set up balloons. So I was talking to them and they were getting ready to take off and this younger pilot showed up a little late and needed some help setting up. So I said what the hell and jumped in to help him and his wife get their balloon set up. Below is a short video with me holding the balloon open so a fan could inflate the balloon with air. Once it gets inflated the pilot then hits the burners and the hot air will lift the balloon into the air.

So this pilot had been assigned two VIP riders by the Casa Blanca Casino (festival sponsor) to take. Turns out they were the sister and brother in law of one of the casino workers and it was her present to them for their 25th wedding anniversary.

So we got them launched and then we picked up all the stuff (tarps, fan, storage bags, etc) and then got a radio call from them that they had landed. So we took off in their truck to go find them. They ended setting down in a alfalfa field about 2 miles away. Fortunately they landed pretty close to a road and we were able to drive right up to the basket and get them loaded up. Those wicker baskets with the propane canisters are pretty heavy. Fortunately their truck had a Tommy gate lift tailgate so it was not to bad getting the basket loaded. The pilot and his wife were from Castle Rock, CO and just do ballooning as a hobby. It is a manual intensive hobby. Packing those balloons is ineteresting. It's pretty much like putting a tent in a bag. Fortunately it was a beautiful day.

So I got home and then went off to Pickleball. Last Sunday they had a club party and they still had a bunch of hamburgers and hot dogs left over so I helped get those cooked up and we had a nice lunch at the new courts. Last weeks party was supposed to be there but they had to move it indoors to the community rec center because of the rainy weather.

Then this evening I went with Margot and Allen to the Ballon glow event they set up like six balloons in one of the casino parking lots and inflate them and then the pilots turn on the burners and the balloons light up. It is pretty cool. They also ring the parking lot with just the baskets and burners from some of the other balloons and those folks light their burners. So the balloon that Margot and Allen crewed was one of the six balloons. So I assisted in setting that balloon this evening. Jennifer and Elaine really liked the glow event last year.

I am going to go help the folks I helped today again in the morning. My next door neighbors were also there and Dave helped set up the balloon this evening. His wife Jan was their but she just had both knees replaced in December so she was just viewing and handing out baseball type cards of the balloon to kids and anyone who wanted one.

The winds picked up and it got a little screwy for a bit until we got the balloon deflated, but we got it done and everybody walked away unscathed.

After the event Margot, Allen and I went and got some Mexican food. So a busy day. Well I have a flew housecleaning chores to do before I hit the hay so I can do the balloon thing again in the morning.