Eric, Kristin, Lucy, and Jamie: Balloons

So I suppose I should add an Iowa post, as we have been back for quite some time now. We went to the International Balloon Festival in Indianola a few weeks back. Balloon lift-offs were scheduled at 6:30 am and 6:30 pm. You can make a guess at which one we drove 45 minutes to see...

We got to watch only a few balloons inflate. These were the 3 that were available to take people on a balloon ride. Lucy was desperate to go. I had hoped that when we got there something would be available to just lift up in a basket, but it was a full-on three hour tour. Grandma sent Lucy some money for her birthday that would have mostly covered the cost of sending her alone. Maybe next year, kiddo.

The festival was really a competition. All the other balloons inflated over the horizon and floated toward us, where there was a target on the ground. The balloonists had something they dropped out of their baskets, aiming for the target on the ground, with a prize for the winner who landed their object closest to the center of the target. All the balloons here were floating toward us.

As the advertisement told us there was a fair-like atmosphere, we went early. Too early. There were a few food stands (not open yet) and some bounce houses (absurdly expensive) plus the barrel train. I had a hard time shelling out $3 for a 30 second trip down the bouncy slide. Double that and we can go to the Ankeny bounce house park for hours. We did ride the train! No seat belts, so I rode with Jamie. It felt like a death trap - I was sure we were tipping over at many points in the ride, but somehow everything but my pride survived the ride.

I went with a new friend, Sareena, who's husband started the phd program with Eric last Monday, the same day she went into labor with baby Lydia. She's approximately 8.75 months pregnant here, and was a great sport about driving and sitting on the ground for a picnic and balloon-gawk.