Surprise! Hot Air Balloon Goodbye

Today is moving day. Sigh. We were scheduled to start the journey at 6am but 2 days ago I contacted my friend Jim Desch who is a hot air balloon pilot. I have crewed with him since my first summer here in 1997. The crew all work for free and get paid with flights. 

I have enjoyed giving many of my flights to people I love over the years and that has given me great joy. The last 2 1/2 years (since my shoulder surgery) I haven't really been able to so much. My shoulder can't handle it. 

Kynzi and Karston have always wanted to go up since they were little. You can't really go up as a little kid. Well Karston turned 13 and Kynzi is about to turn 15. I had forgotten in all of my summer craziness and was just going to get together with Jim the other day but it didn't work out. 

So I asked if we could squeeze Kynzi and Karston in with some others and he said we could fill it as a gift to me. So I got Hannah, Meesh and Jenga up (Jenga moves on Friday). 

I woke up the kids and told them we were going to do an early morning breakfast before we left for Cali. "Breakfast" was the balloon ride. What a fun surprise. Only Hannah knew she was going up. Jenga and Meesh thought they were crewing. Love those moments! 

Enjoy some video and pics from the morning below. 

http://youtu.be/QQGMr9RjFF0

Up Up and Away

My parents met when my mom joined up with a traveling singing group called Up With People that my dad was a part of. I remember the songs that they would sing when we were kids. One of them that really stands out in my mind is "Up, up and away. My beautiful, my beautiful balloon." It was the beginning of my love for hot air balloons. I loved hearing that song.

Then when I lived in upstate New york there was a balloon launching site near our house. We would often have hot air balloons flying over our home. I even crewed for a balloon one time and was going to go up, except for the fact that it was too windy. So I never got to go up.

When I moved to Oregon and the amazing summer weather showed up I was driving my motorcycle to church one morning and I saw a hot air balloon in the parking lot of the catholic church. I asked if they needed help and the rest is history. 13 summers now I have been crewing with Jim Desch and Balloon Flying Services. I don't get paid in the traditional way. I get paid with flights. So, yes. I have flown many times. It's AMAZING! Like nothing I have ever done. I love it.

So many mornings when the weather is nice and if you are up early enough in the Salem/Keizer area, you just might see a balloon up in the air. Keep a look out for a chase van. We are following from below and getting ready to "catch" the balloon when it's ready to land. Want to fly with us sometime? Check out the website www.balloonflying.com.

What is something that you do for fun?

Hot Air Ballooning with the Gang

This morning I got up at 4:45AM!!! Ugh. Not my favorite time of day by any means. The thing I do love about it though is that it usually means I get to crew for Starship...hot air balloon. Whenever the weather is nice and the passengers are paying, we fly. I have been doing this for over 10 years now and I love it! Yesterday Jim, the pilot, was needing extra crew bad. So I got on facebook, myspace and my cell and texted away! Thankfully I was able to wrangle a few friends in.

This morning I met up with Logan, Chad, Ebby and Bethany. I stopped at Starbucks to grab them all a little thank you for helping save us. Then we went to work. It was a lot of fun. It's really cool when you get to do this with people you enjoy being around. I enjoy being around these people.

We took off from a little park near the Keizer Baseball Fields and sent off a 97 year old woman and her ?daughter?. Logan and I had to pic her up and lift her in and out of the basket. I don't think she was too excited about that...nor was Logan. Haha.

We then chased them over to the Deaf School and landed in their fields over there.

What a fun morning. I can't do tomorrow, but the four of them are all going back. That is really cool. Logan wants to earn enough ride time for he and his wife to go up.

Hot air balloon, races, parades and more

This weekend was a VERY full one. Friday I got home and we headed off to Karston’s baseball game. It is fun to be part of coaching this team. I have rarely missed a game or practice and I love that! The game was kept to an hour as it hit 99 DEGREES!!! We broke all the old records as we did on Saturday when it hit 95! Didn’t it just snow a few weekends ago?
Before I went to bed on Friday I got a call to go crew with our hot air balloon. When I say “our” I am referring to Jim Desch’s balloon. I have been crewing with him for over 10 years now. Because of the heat he wants to get up earlier than normal. So we have to meet in West Salem at 5:15AM!! Which means I am up at 4:30AM for a quick shower and the drive over. It is a great flight and we land at Keizer Elementary. You can read all about that flight and see pics at www.balloonflying.com and check out recent flights.
I then head home and we get on our way to go to Karston’s Salem JC Relays. The fastest 4 kids from each class (1st – 5th grade) in all the area schools compete. There are about 40 schools represented. I was blown away! His team picks up a white ribbon for 3rd (he was 3rd leg and took them from 3rd to 2nd…yes, I am a proud Pappa) and then we rush over to the Keizer Iris Festival Parade.

This is us with Kevin Mannix

the pizza guy

Kynzi is in the parade this year because she made the Jumping Stars. This is a jump rope club that has to learn about 100 different jump rope moves. My kids are WAY better at jumping rope than I am already! Amazing! We get there just in time to follow her for a little bit and enjoy her and her group. They are AWEsome!



We then join our friends the Condellos and Unwins for the rest of the parade and tradition fashion (2 years running now) we cheer for every single person as they pass by. If they had a name anywhere visible, you can be sure it was cheered loudly for. We even cheered for the horse pooper scoopers. “Yay pooper scooper! You rock!” One of them was clearly not amused that we would point out what they were doing. Oh well, can’t please everyone.
After the parade was all over we went home for a little break, a short nap and then Karston had another game. We finished the day with a little fishing trip to the St. Louis ponds. No love from the fish this weekend. Next time. We didn’t even have “the one that got away.”



After a good night’s rest we head off for church and then we finish the night with a BBQ at the Unwins and Patrick makes us the most amazing BBQ chicken! Mmmm…I had left over’s 2 days in a row.