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Saturday, April 5, 2014

Sepia Saturday 222 High views

Almost stumped for theme following this week until I stumbled across these hot air balloon photos from 1980 February in the then emptier hills around Newcastle, northern California where we lived.   I never took a balloon ride, but Jerry did.  He worked with a man who married a balloonist and one Saturday morning very early off they went. Balloons launch  in the early hours the advantage of air and wind currents.  The air is more stable very early and winds are generally most favorable the first hours after sunrise and the last hours before sunset. Since asphalt, trees, mesas, and all things on earth absorb the suns heat differently vertical winds develop (thermals) as the day progresses. Because the only control a pilot has in a balloon is changing altitude, a pilot usually won’t fly in the middle of the day when that control is lost. Hot air balloon pilots usually prefer winds of less than 10 miles per hour.


 The big open spaces and soaring heights despite views from that open air container  would stir up my phobia that kicks in when atop ladders or such open spaces, the wee early hours to launch and the noise from the hot air held little appeal to me.  Today I kind of wish I had been braver, but doubt I would ever go seeking this adventure.  Here are a few of the black and white photos I took, very amateurish back in February 1980 as  they approached from the sky over Folsom lake and landed  on hillside only three miles from our home. Back then there were hillsides, little of the development that would contribute to our leaving California in retirement.    I was taking a photography class at the time and had black and white film, not very good close ups, but I did develop these myself.  
Here they come, Folsom Lake in the distance
Closer as landing approaches
Newcastle hillside
Just about down
They said almost a perfect landing,
I was perfectly content to stay on terra firma....flying in a plane is fine, we are surrounded by something but these wide open spaces from above  in that basket did not tempt me.  For another thrill  with view of danger, check out this link to hot air balloon tightrope walking, shudder.  
http://www.theatlantic.com/video/archive/2014/02/tight-rope-walking-between-two-hot-air-balloons/283688/

 This is my Sepia post to see what others are sharing go to the site.  
http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2014/04/sepia-saturday-222-5th-april-2014.html
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12 comments:

  1. La NightingailApril 5, 2014 at 12:08 PM

    That balloon tightrope walker was just plain crazy & it wasn't exactly without danger for the two balloons, either should they have been blown into each other! Your B&W pix of the balloon event were fine, though from the design of the balloon I would have liked to know what the colors were. It appears as though they were quite vivid. I've watched hot air balloons from close up over south Lake Tahoe in the early morning. They usually take off from the airport & land on an especially equipped boat in the lake! The view must be spectacular, but I'm afraid you'd never catch me in one.

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    1. UnknownApril 7, 2014 at 1:23 PM

      they are quite colorful, we have watched others take off, Albuquerque NM has a huge festival. The class included developing our own photos and we only worked with back and white. it was 1980

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  2. PostcardyApril 5, 2014 at 12:15 PM

    I especially like the photo with the two balloons.

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  3. Brett PayneApril 5, 2014 at 4:14 PM

    Well I think these photos are pretty good, and perfect for this theme. I'm not sure that I'd be too keen on a hot air balloon ride either, but perhaps a black-and-white one would be okay.

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  4. Beatrice P. BoydApril 5, 2014 at 5:53 PM

    Agree with you Pat and also prefer to watch these from the ground. Also would not take a glider ride...no motor so no for me.

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  5. BoobookApril 5, 2014 at 8:44 PM

    You did well with your developing. I wish I'd thought to do that in my youth. My great-grandfather did his own developing so I must write a blog about that one day.

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    1. UnknownApril 7, 2014 at 1:24 PM

      It was a fun experience, but I never set up my own darkroom after that...

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  6. WendyApril 6, 2014 at 6:48 AM

    I am not a daredevil by any means, but I did a balloon ride in Sedona, Arizona. It was amazing. We were picked up at our hotel about 5:30 in the morning and driven out to the launch field where we got to help fill the balloon too. There were about 4 balloons that day. It was fun. It was beautiful. When we landed we had a little breakfast of fruit, muffins, and mimosas. I have no need to do it again because it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing that really doesn't need repeating.

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  7. Bob ScotneyApril 6, 2014 at 8:49 AM

    My daughter took a balloon flight over the pyramids but the nearest I've been to a balloon was when one landed in her property when we were celebrating my 70th birthday, I have colour photos of the balloon on the ground and of another which had just taken off.

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  8. Little NellApril 6, 2014 at 2:56 PM

    I've always liked the 'idea' of a balloon flight, but I'd be with you on terra firma!

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  9. anyjazzApril 7, 2014 at 12:52 PM

    Nope not me either. I would rather be on the ground taking pictures.

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  10. JofeathApril 7, 2014 at 8:02 PM

    We took a balloon flight over Canberra once - it was a gift to celebrate our fiftieth birthdays - but unfortunately the weather was inclement so not too scenic, and then the pilot decided that it would be safest to land after only a half hour in the air, and meanwhile we got totally drenched from the water pouring off the curve of the balloon. We were offered tickets for another flight in compensation, but we decided once was enough, and didn't take them up on it!

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