Up, up and away

This weekend we crossed one more thing off our bucket list - something we've been wanting to do for quite some time. We went to the National Balloon Classic in Indianola and watched as all the hot air balloons came to life and floated away.

The hot air balloons started their journey flat, limp, and tangled. Their silky skin was carefully stretched across the grassy hill as thousands watched, bathed in the waning sunlight and baked in the late day's heat. They rose slowly, growing larger and starting to stand upright as if taking deep breaths of air to fill their lungs for their long journey ahead.

Soon others on the hillside rose to join the first brave souls.

As the first lifted free from their tethers, more strained to be set loose.

Before long the whole northern sky was filled with fleeing hot air balloons.

Thinking this was the end of the grand sight, we left and started driving northward along a dusty country road. To our great surprise, after the first few hilltops, the first of the mammoth balloons were beginning to return to the ground, touching down in whatever clear space they deemed fit: pastures, roadsides, backyards, you name it - they landed there.

Before long, these majestic balloons were wrapped up and packed away, stored safely for another day when they'll be set free to float away again. And on that day, we want to ride along.