Live from Tormville!

Michigan Challenge Balloonfest * Balloon Glow

It was one week ago today that I put in nearly 20,000 steps on my Fitbit with balloonfest activities all day long. The launch in the morning, the hike through the field, the hunt for the hat, and the evening balloon glow. When out of towners ask for recommendations on which day to come to the balloon festival, I tell them that Saturday is my favorite. Always has been. Mainly because I love the balloon glow. This year it was an added fun bonus to be out on the field and up close. 

It was exactly one year ago from today that I first met Denny and some of the crew when they landed in a field by our house. Since that beautiful night, I have been to 28 launches/landings. (Add in just a couple more non-launches). I threw out my attendance number a couple months ago and got some teasing from Sonja - You Count?!  I replied that no, I don't count - I photograph - they are all in neat little photo files. To date - 28 files.  *wink* 

But those of you who know me well, know that if I didn't photograph them I probably would chart/graph/tally and count. Just don't tell Sonja. 

Anyway, I'm grateful for that night last year. One of the balloonfest chairs had approached me at the banquet last week saying, man - you guys have the best crew - and they were right. I'm so grateful I've gotten to know and be a part of Denny's crew. 

But moving on.....

Balloon glow.  Happy sigh together with me, will you?  *sigh*  I love the balloon glow. 

It just doesn't get much better, and it never never never gets old. 

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I'm going to add this set into this post as well. Many of you locals will recognize Matt from Meijers. I heard he was still smiling ear to ear the next day. I've been to Meijers three times this week with pictures in hand along with my shopping list, but keep missing him.  It was a lot of fun to have him up close. 

You want me to do WHAT?  

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In other stuffs

• We lost internet and phone for over six hours yesterday. If you called, I have no idea. So if you're waiting for me to call back - call again. 
• I think every photographer I know personally has a wedding shoot today - including me.  I only do one a year these days (by choice - trying to schedule anything around my family schedule just gets too stressful for me)
• The little boys and I made it to the first Friday night concert last night, and it was fun. 
• I haven't even begun last week's Project Life.  uh-oh. 
• I didn't plant a vegetable garden this year, just too much going on, but I have managed to keep my Mother's Day flowers alive.  Two points for me!
• And the daisies and black-eyed susans that I transplanted from the neighbor's garden seem to be thriving.  Four points for me!
• Tomorrow I have a two-page layout to share - it's been a couple months since I've done a two-pager, they are still my favorite. 
• 'bout it
• be good 

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edited to add - Friday night at the balloonfest is fun too....who doesn't love fireworks in the summer? 

 

audience love

click the photo for close ups - i love the audience's expressions

Still working through the festival photos. I started a balloonfest album on my facebook to handle the bulk of the photos, but I'll still put another post here to accommodate my favorite event - the Saturday balloon glow. 

But first - this guy. I happened to time my return to the festival Saturday night just in time to catch a good portion of this guy's act. He was a juggler, a unicycler, a comedian, and had a lot of fun with the audience. 

In this particular situation - the guy in the front right there crouched down with his son (who many of my readers will recognize - initials L.P) had been talking on his cell phone during the show, so the guy does the whole, oh - excuse me thing and grabs the phone and says, Who is this?  He hears the response, "This is Barb"

He had the whole audience say hello to Barb and then goes on to explain that he's doing a show, that her husband is very popular now, and and and...

oops. She hung up. 

It was hysterical. 

And word of advice. If you're ever approached to be an unwilling volunteer during a sideshow.  Run. Run Fast. 

This poor lady had no idea what she was in for. One second she was on the ground, and the next second the performer had snuck up behind her and put his head between her legs and lifted her off the ground - calling it levitation.  

And THEN, he grabs his unicycle, and tells her to let go of his head and put her arms out for balance. As if! 

I seriously would have peed my pants. 

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It's been a busy week this week - two full days with my dad (weight is down - psa is up - opposite of what we would want), balancing between my mom/wife role and my daughter role, shooting a wedding tomorrow (and hoping for a little bit cooler temperatures), worrying about my dog (these fireworks aren't doing her any good - I'll have to sedate her for the fourth), and trying to keep up with all the everyday normal stuff - so thank you so much for the patience as I work through the pictures, and the fun feedback that make posting them just that much more fun. 

Happy Friday!

be good

 

Good Morning Sunshine

On Saturday morning, while enjoying the view of 44 balloons in the sky - I also enjoyed the view at my feet. I had donned my new hiking boots, found a good vantage point to capture the shot I wanted, and hiked up the hill through the thigh high grass, surrounded by beautiful both below me and above me. It was well worth having to go home and change out of my wet clothes afterwards.

Happy Thursday! 

---and more balloon balloonfest photos coming - I promise. I told someone last night that I need a stunt double. Lots going on this week. 

Stay tuned, and be good. 

A little here and now

I thought I'd interrupt the weekend's festival report to bring you a little here and now. From half an hour ago on my front porch. I love the light at this time of the evening, so I Thought it would be fun to get a photo of these two yahoos while they were taking a little break from sprinkler play. 

hah. 

Could you both just look at me at the same time, I said. We are, they said. 

YOU weren't looking. No, YOU weren't looking! 

Alright then, Mark...how about I just get a picture of you. 

Or not. 

Mark thought maybe if he helped Brian, we'd get it done. 

Persistance. 

And a quick shutter finger. 

Carnival Photo Fun

Confession: Sometimes I take a picture only because I imagine what fun I'd have with it in Lightroom - already picturing an end result. Carnivals are a fun place for this game. Lots of visions there. Here are a few of my faves. (click any of the pictures to see them larger)

my three boys

Allan and Wendy went on this ride together. They are in the 1:00 position, in the two left seats (looking from this direction). Wendy really surprised me this year - she's been so terrified of any of the high rides previous years. She was still scared, but went on multiple scary rides. 

 

A tale of a pilot who lost his hat

click any of the photos for a better view

Once upon a Saturday morning flight during the 2012 Michigan Challenge Balloonfest, a pilot lost his hat from 3,000 feet (maybe more), and his clever quick-thinking copilot took a picture of its descent with the hope that the photo would help lead them to the hat's temporary resting place. 

They say it took about five minutes for that hat to float to the ground. The chase crew wouldn't know, they were enjoying hot coffee while visiting at the gas station and watching balloons go overhead, not at all concerned with the radio. They had cell phones, after all, and they could see their balloon right there. Hat? What hat? 

Two hours later, the flight ended, the balloon packed up and the crew gathered together - they found the area where the hat was suspected to have fallen.  They looked up, they looked down, they looked through the high grass, they braved the poison ivy. According to the time stamps on the crew's own personal photographer's camera (that'd be me), the searching went on for over a half hour. 

And then came the whistle that declared the hat had been found, followed by shouts of, Photographer!! Bring your Camera! 

Heh. 

I think we need to back up a little bit so you readers can get a better visual of where that hat landed. 

I repeat: heh. 

The dedicated crew immediately began brainstorming how they might be able to get that hat down. 

There were phone calls made for possible deliveries of potato guns. 

There was a search of the balloon trailer for possible McGyver type items. 

There was the tying of McGyver type items together. 

There was joking and teasing support

There was attempted throwing of ropes and objects. 

There were second and third and fourth attempts.

 

There was tree hugging.

There was wishing for tree climbing cleats. 

There was a landowner who came out and a little hopeful discussion that maybe he could use more firewood, but if you scroll back up to the second photo, you'll see that he really meant it when he said he had more than enough firewood. 

There was a landowner who didn't yet know the determination of the pilot who shall remain nameless's crew. 

There was a rope, and teamwork - five on the ropes, one chanting 1....1....1, 2....2.....2, 3....3....3 

There was a shaking tree. 

There was cheering

And best of all, there was a very happy pilot. 

AND, they made it to the ballooners breakfast before all the bisquits and gravy were gone! 

They're just that good. 

 

Michigan Challenge Balloonfest * Friday Night * Overheat

Alright - last post for tonight. I was going to post the rest of the Friday night photos and then realized that I had a whole series of this balloon which, if I look at my cheat sheet, is the Overheat piloted by Philip Clinger from Battle Creek. This balloon was sponsored by the Howell Public Schools. 

All I know is that yellow is my favorite color, therefore I took a lot of this one. 

I love this crown line set. The crown line is no joke. It's not uncommon for someone who might be indulging in too much dinner, chocolate or snack food to be told they are going to be on the crown line. It's also not uncommon for the new guy to be put on crown.  I missed catching a shot of my favorite crown line action last week for laughing so hard, but the guy on crown line that week was skiing it in on his knees as the grass was still wet from the morning dew.  

What I'm assuming is happening here is the young man is assisting/learning. 

And she's up! 

Tomorrow morning I'll finish off the Friday night photos and begin on Saturday's. There are more than a few people out there anxiously waiting for the Saturday shares. 

Patience, grasshopper. Patience. 

Sneak Peek: Technique Tuesday July Studio AE

Taking a break from the balloon posts (which judging by the comments are only being read by my mother. Thanks Mom!  *mwah!*) ( <------- me being comment needy. I'm not often comment needy so humor me) to bring you a little sneak peek of the July Studio AE.  Trust me - I'm going to make you want this one! *insert eyebrow wiggle here* 

Alright - time for dinner. My kids don't know what to think now that I'm back to my mothering job for a day after four days gone. 

be good! 

Crew Kid

I decided that I'll try to post the weekend in order, which puts the crew kid up in this next slot. I know her mom is anxiously waiting for this set.  ;) 

You've heard the expression that it takes a village to raise a child, right?  In this case - she'll be raised well. When the youngest crew member joins us, she's got a handful of mothers on hand at all times.  

In this particular case, she was on her cell phone and dared to shush her mother.  Two of the other moms ganged up on her pretty quick with, oh no she didn't. 

All in good fun - I don't think she'll shush again soon - at least not around these two. 

She's also at the age where she tries to avoid the camera. Again, not possible with these two there to pin her down. Little does she know is that it's the camera avoiders that become the biggest photo targets. 

She did pose for one in the end anyway.  But JUST ONE, she said. We had to make sure it took. 

Michigan Challenge Balloonfest * A few favorites

click on any of the photos for a larger/better view

I was up until 1:30 last night (this morning) going through the multitude of photos I took over the weekend, trying to divide them into subjects, bookmarking a few of my favorites, and beginning the process of getting some of them blog ready. 

This will take all week. 

This morning as I lay in bed trying to irk out just a few more minutes of pillow time, I could almost hear Sonja and George nagging in my ear - wake up! Post some pictures already!! 

So here are just a random few from my favorites, in no particular order and from all three days of the event. 

I'll probably (<----- that's me not committing) post a couple posts a day until I get through them all. 

Back to my real life, it's Monday - and I'm recharged. Laundry is humming, lists are being made, coffee is flowing and it's all good. I'll have a Studio AE sneak peek up this afternoon as well - just waiting for my camera batteries to recharge.