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Look Up In The Air. It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Super Tweet

Well, that was the last long weekend of the summer of 09. For some of us, this past long weekend was the only summer we've had. And, this weekend, in an ongoing effort to get a life, while proving to my dear wife I love her and enjoy her company more than anything in this world (including this laptop computer), I took her for a hot air balloon ride Saturday for her birthday. Camera (and Blackberry) in hand, off we went!


Our ride had been scheduled the week previously but had been rained out. Turns out not only did we have great weather this time around but our ride coincided with the annual Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival and we'd be taking off with 80 other balloons!


We met at the pick up spot at 5:45am. We got there a little early. Old habits die hard. With time to kill, I pulled out the Blackberry and at 5:11 I tweeted:


going got air ballooning Awaiting pickup Should be cool

Who knew you had to spell. At 5:13 I tweeted:


hot hot hot air ballooning


My wife and I, another couple and a family of four hopped into the balloon company's van and off we went to the launch site.



At 6:04, as if anyone else was up and interested, I tweeted:


at the launch site still dark


My next missive was from the air. I was so enthralled with the ride I totally forgot to Tweet until 7:24 when I effused:


in air gorgeous

Back on solid ground, I shared with my Tweeps at 8:24:


we're down...landed smoothly in a soccer field


Ironically, we'd landed about two blocks from our house! Unfortunately, we had to drive back to the pick up site to retrieve our car.


Back at home, bum firmly on couch and laptop firmly in lap I summed up our trip with this Tweet:


home after 1hr hot air balloon ride over Ottawa - part of Gatineau balloon festival - 1 of 80 balloons - one less item on bucket list now

You wouldn't have believed the ride. No words can really describe the majestic beauty of a hot air balloon ride just after sunrise. Lucky for you I took some pictures!

The highest we flew was at about 1100 feet. We left the sun behind us as we drifted west out over the Ottawa River, passing over both the Prime Minister's house and Parliament Hill. We landed within walking distance of where we live.


In French, hot air balloon translates into mongolfiere. While the word has absolutely nothing to do with drivers and four-irons, my warped mind thought it was fitting we almost touched down on a golf course!


It was an uplifting experience.

Comments

Unknown said…
I saw those tweets and was instantly jealous. The pictures you took are breathtaking. I am happy that you got to experience such a beautiful event. You wife is lucky you lover her more than the laptop and ALMOST as much as Twitter

I loved the uplifting pun at the end
What a great way to spend the day... way cool! Loved the pictures. It does my heart good to know that you love your wife more than your laptop. What a guy! Now, about that Twitter...
Unknown said…
I always knew what an awesome guy you are. I hope your wife loves you as much as you her. I love the pictures, this is something I would LOVE. Last time I went flying for pleasure, it was in a four seater Piper Cub, and I swear to you it was better than sex!
nonamedufus said…
dizzblnd:So you're the one person who saw those tweets! It was a once in a lifetime thing for us.

CatLady: Yeah, I'm a Twityoholic. Sometimes my wife says I;m half right.

ettarose: Well unless you HAD sex in the Piper Cub. But I know what you mean. The ballooning, though, was almost an orgastic experience. We loved it - didn't want it to end.
Beautiful. What a way to spend the last weekend of the summer. It must have been almost as scary as it was thrilling.
Anonymous said…
Wow. I'm sorry I've been ignoring Tweetland majorly these days.

Those pics are AWESOME!

What a great item to check off in the bucket list. Gah, I'm just grateful to get through a WalMart shopping experience! Ha!
nonamedufus said…
Frank: I was a little anxious before we took off but needlessly as it turned out. It was a fabulous trip.

Quirks: Well, I started tweeting just after 5am eastern time so you probably wouldn't have seen them anyway. And I took over 200 pics! It was wild...and so quiet at 1100ft.
Donnie said…
Wow, sounds like fun. Great pics too. I've heard from friends how beautiful and quiet it is, but I've never been.
Doesn't nylon burn easily? Just a thought...
nonamedufus said…
Don: Boy, I'm glad I didn't talk to you before I went. FYI: (From Sundance Balloons FAQ) A pair of high-powered propane burners ignites and heats liquid propane that is aimed into the balloon to make it rise. The burners create 30 million BTU's of heat. In comparison, an average home barbecue generates 30,000 BTU's. Each flight uses approximately 100 litres of propane.

For more go to: http://www.sundanceballoons.com/index.cfm
Skye said…
A sunrise hot air balloon ride is still on my bucket list, but I promise I will go for a ride yet, even if it is alone! Your pics are incredible! Out of curiousity were you served the continental/champagne breakfast? 'Cause that's what I plan to have with my flight :)
Very cool experience. Doubly cool because you got to take off with some many other balloons.

Maybe you could combine your wife with the laptop and achieve nirvana. She could hold the laptop and give you a little laptop dance or something.

Just trying to help, although your balloon ride trumps anything I've ever given my wife for her birthday.
nonamedufus said…
Skye: We went out for breakfast after. But as soon as we touched down the champagne was uncorked!

MikeWJ: You may have something there. I'll work on it. It was an experience I won't soon forget, guy.
Harry Yack said…
And then the hillbilly dude shot em all down with a pellet gun. "The aliens are comin' ta get us!"
nonamedufus said…
Hindleyite: No hillbillies in these parts, my friend.
Canadian Blend said…
Is this the soccer field you landed in?

http://lesombre.ca/page/2/
nonamedufus said…
Skye: We went out for breakfast after. But as soon as we touched down the champagne was uncorked!

MikeWJ: You may have something there. I'll work on it. It was an experience I won't soon forget, guy.
Canadian Blend said…
Is this the soccer field you landed in?

http://lesombre.ca/page/2/
Quirkyloon said…
Wow. I'm sorry I've been ignoring Tweetland majorly these days.

Those pics are AWESOME!

What a great item to check off in the bucket list. Gah, I'm just grateful to get through a WalMart shopping experience! Ha!

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