We got to launch balloons for the first time since I’ve been crewing today, which was quite exciting. The morning was particularly cold, more so than even the experienced crew were accustomed to, and the wind was finally moving away from the airport, both of which made for good conditions.

Once we got the balloon (which goes by the name Flying Fox) into the air, we followed on the ground for about an hour, meeting them as they landed on the edge of the lake in Yarralumla. The first question everyone always asks me is whether I have ever been up in a balloon myself, and though I haven’t and can’t really compare, chasing from the ground seems like fun. Today the wind was pretty light, so we weren’t in much of a hurry, but I can imagine in stronger wind it would end up a bit like the tornado chase scenes in the movie Twister.

The conditions for tomorrow (Sunday) are also looking promising, so hopefully we will get up in the air again for the final day of the festival. Though I haven’t really had a chance to take a camera, there are quite a few photos of the balloons on flickr.

…and finally, the balloonist prayer, because I thought it was cute when I first heard it today.

May the winds welcome you with softness.

May the sun bless you with hi warm hands.

May you fly so high and so well that God joins you in laughter and sets you back into the loving arms of Mother Earth.

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