Ballooning over the Tetons

I had never seen balloons till I came to UK. Am not sure I remember the first citing of one, but think it probably was a zeppelin advertising something. Occasionally during the summer months I used to see a balloon in the morning or late evening sky. Sometimes it was an advertising balloon and at others I think there were people enjoying a ride in multicoloured balloons. Seeing balloons in the sky slowly drifting just high enough to get a good view over distances made me want to experience a balloon ride. Often on TV there were wildlife programmes where the filming is done from a balloon. Seeing large herds of animals across the African national parks on film taken from balloons provided wonderful views as did some clips from nature programmes. It all looks so quiet and peaceful with just an occasional burst from the burner of the balloon. What would it be like to just float above the ground and drift slowly passing the woods and fields and odd house or two?

My in-laws live in the west country and we often visit them. Some years ago we went there one weekend in August. It was afternoon as we drove up the motorway towards Bristol and saw the sky was filling up with balloons – small ones, large ones, different shapes, multicoloured ones – making a colourful site. There is a fiesta of balloons usually in the 2^nd weekend of August. It was good thing that I was not driving and so I could rubber neck at the balloons and enjoy the view for many miles. After that year we tried to go down every August so we could see the sky full of balloons. The sight of the silently gliding balloons tends to put a smile on my face and make me happy. I am not entirely sure why they have this joyous effect on me but certainly my mood improves on seeing balloons.

Often we have enquired about balloon rides and thought it is a bit expensive. It became one of the things I must do even if I have to save up specifically for it. The one summer we went on a trip to the Yellowstone Park and Tetons and Canyon lands. There were small trips to be made on the side like bicycle tour around the Tetons or even hiking for the day. Also there was a balloon trip at sunrise. This time we decided to throw caution to the wind and fork out the money for the balloon ride. After all I was not going biking or hiking! It was a chance to fulfill a dream. We had often talked about taking a balloon ride and here was a perfect opportunity.

We had to get up early and make our way to the site for about 5 am. It was fairly cool even in summer at we were at a height of 7000 feet. There were going to be 2 balloons taking off that morning. Up close seeing the balloon spread out in the ground makes you realise truly how big they are. Our balloon had large horizontal stripes of yellows and reds and greens. We watched the balloons being filled with hot air and rise slowly up pulling against the tether and the basket. The basket was large with the burner in the centre and room for people to stand around it in each quarter of the basket. The edge of the basket came up to mid chest level and so it felt safe. A strange experience of just standing there without being in some way tethered to the basket as it is in cars, planes and roller coaster rides.

There were 8 of us in the basket and the sun was just peeping over the horizon and the balloon was released by the ground staff. Am not sure what I expected but it certainly was not this smooth slow rise from the ground. I thought maybe it would feel like going up in a lift but it was not so…. did not feel any upward motion at all. Just looked down and found we were rising fast and the view opened up. The trees looked like shrubs, the ground was green with a stream meandering across the earth. We were hoping to see some animals as well, a coyote, herd of cows who am sure did not know what to make of this whooshing sound as the burner blaze sent hot air to raise the balloon. The pilot was interesting and telling amusing stories of his experiences as a balloon pilot. We passed over homes of some well known people. In fact one story he told was that Dick Cheyenne has a home there (we saw from afar) and one day he kind of flew his balloon too near his estate and next thing he knew was 2 fighter planes on either side of his balloon ….. appears he breached Dick’s air space!!

Then we moved further up the mountains right up to 11000 feet. The mountains tops were covered with snow still. The air was still and cold. The sun rise slowly turned the sky from gold to clear blue. The shadows of our balloon and the other balloon were clear and small on the ground, which surprisingly moved pretty fast. The speed of the flight was not discernible in the almost noiseless flight. We flew over Jackson Hole the winter ski resort which was empty at this time of the year. The hour just passed so quickly. It certainly is a joyous feeling moving over the earth in the quiet of the morning and see the view from a different perspective. It was sad to land… particularly as we did with a bump … I think the pilot was trying to avoid cows in the next field. I do have some photos which I shall root out and put up later. It is an experience I will never forget and would dearly love to repeat if I can. Maybe I might get lucky in OZ!

Misty Dawn

The clouds gathered all day

Blotting out the sun

The mood does not change with night fall

Even though the sky clears

The cold air meets the warmish earth

As night ends and darkness begins to recede

Tendrils of mist rapidly drift in the hollows

Patchy mist soon turns into dense fog

There is an eerie silence that comes with the fog

Higher grounds peek from out of this whiteness

Once the fog moves on to flat fields

The odd tree looks like a sentinel all alone

In the faint light of dawn

Pinkish streaks appear in the sky

The deer seen above the mist against the sky

Appear to glide effortlessly

The road winds like a dark ribbon

Gleaming wet from settled droplets

Chill is in the air

Misting up the car windows

Heaters are on full blast

And gentle music of Tibetan horn plays

A perfect autumn scene

Smile

Smile is such a beautiful thing

It makes you happy and want to sing

It cheers the one who gives

And also the one who receives

Thus blessing all

A glimpse of one can show understanding

It can express pleasure

Recognition of something funny

Blowing away the cobwebs of sadness

Making eyes light up

The corners of the mouth turn up

A smile is innocent

A smile is shy

A smile can be flirty

Smile can be coquettish

A smile is happiness

A well recognised expression of joy

One can face the day with a smile or a frown

Starting day with smile makes it go smoother

A frown just makes you down

It is very contagious at best

And spreads rapidly from one to the next

At the least it forms a small bond between humans

Moment of Joy

On the way to work on a Friday morning

Tired and stressed after a busy long week

Eyes feel gritty from lack of sleep

Need to concentrate on the driving

The mist is curling along the tree tops

And along the ground over the fields

Looking eerie in the dim light of dawn

As dawn brightens the sky mirrors

The wispy mist with small fluffy clouds

Then the first tinge of pink is on the horizon

The intense pink spreads across the sky

Like a blush across a cheek

Fading to pale yellow as it spreads

The fields on either side f the road

The grass covered in mild frost

The road curves past the next field

There in the curling mist a family of deer

Gracefully moving along the field

Almost like a silhouette

Against the slowly brightening sky

A beautiful picture perfect moment

A smiles comes to my face

Friday is not so bad after all

Purpose of Trees

Wandering in the woods

Running among the trees

Beech, oak and conker trees

Changing colours showing different moods

Children play hide and seek among the trees

Finding thickets to disappear within

Looking for hollows in large trees

Housing squirrels and birds within

Trees are fascinating

And meant for climbing

Tall or short all are a challenge

Easy or hard kids take on the challenge

Laughter ringing in the silent woods

Whispers carrying far through the woods

Swinging from the braches

Autumn colours obscuring brown braches

Thick carpet of leaves would cover the ground

Often good hiding on the ground

Jumping up to scare your friends

Or kicking up leaves to shower your friends

Walking in the woods now

On a crisp autumn morn

Brings back happy memories

Childish laughter echoing in the morning

The purpose of the trees was play

Woods an imaginary dwelling

Trees the walls to scale

Memories that still leave me smiling

I love Rainbows

Rainbows … I love them. They have always fascinated me. My head knows this is a just the way light refracts from the droplets of water. Spreading different colours based on the angle of refraction. But the heart says it is a kind of blessing. It makes me happy as if I have just remembered some joyful memory. For many years the rainbows I saw were half formed, not a complete bow. Always wondered what it would be like to see a complete one. The pot of gold at the end of one really exists?

One day we were driving back from Wales and it had been raining. I was concentrating on driving in all the spray being thrown up by other cars. The clouds cleared and the sky became intense blue, almost as if washed clean by the rain. The sunshine was so intense that I had to squint in the sudden brightness. At this moment I thought why is it I never see a complete rainbow? It would be so good to see a full rainbow. The next moment a perfect rainbow formed in front of me. It went right across the Severn Bridge that we were crossing. The rainbow band was very broad and colours intense. This sudden sight of a complete rainbow just as I made a wish for it made it feel like a spiritual experience, almost as if that was a moment in time when my wish was granted. A simple wish that was unselfish. I wonder if in that moment I had wished for anything, would it have been granted? I guess not. The sight of a complete rainbow is uplifting and an experience that makes my heart glad and light. I forget any worries I might have and get lost in the moment of perfect rainbow and its colours.

Since that day I have always seen complete rainbows, whether it has been across a valley in the Himalayas or driving on M4. In Mussoorie (India) we stayed in a hotel what jutted off the mountainside. The bedroom had full windows that opened on to a balcony hanging off the mountain side. The view was right across the valley below and the foothills on either side. Every afternoon the clouds bubbled up from the valley and rose to drift into our room if the windows were open. In the middle of the afternoon one day the clouds got dark and there was a rain storm in the valley. As I sat watching it slowly cleared and weak sunlight filtered through. There against the dark skies was a rainbow right across the valley with either ends disappearing behind the hills on opposite sides. As I watched the rainbow with the usual gladdening of my heart there formed another rainbow next to the first one! My first complete double rainbows, the best sight I have seen.

One day driving on M4 across Berkshire, it had been raining as usual. The spray on the road was so intense that I could not tell the difference between the rain and the spray for quite some time. As the wind was strong the clouds moved along and the squall of rain drifted away. Sunlight broke through the clouds and I started looking around for my rainbow. I saw it start on the left of my windscreen, from the corner of my eye. As I was driving I hoped that it would come across the windscreen so that I could see it. Suddenly, I saw that the rainbow was in the middle of the road. The rainbow actually ended in the middle lane of the motorway. I have never heard of anyone actually seeing the end of one let alone driving through the middle of that band of colour as it flowed on the wet tarmac for a few feet. Then we were on the other side of the rainbow, again an experience that is strange as normally the rainbow is always in front of you. While sadly there was no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow the spiritual joy the experience produced was priceless.

Now you see my reasons for thinking of rainbows as a spiritual and uplifting experience. I hope that other have this joyful connection with nature be it rainbows or anything else. I have not stopped looking for rainbow every time it rains and that is always a certainty in UK.

Autumn

The days are growing shorter
The sun sets earlier and earlier
There is a wind that blows colder
All remind that autumn is here

Chill in the air early morning
The frost regularly forming
Wispy strands of mist linger and melt slowly
Even as the sky turns blue and clear
The sun shines making one squint in its brightness

The countryside changes at first slowly
With leaves changing colour continually
There are shades of pale green to yellow
From bright red and oranges to brown and mellow
Nature slowing down for another year

The countryside prepares to sleep
The squirrels gathering nuts and seeds to keep
The birds chirping later in the morning
All the nests empty as babies have finished fledging
The rush of life in summer quietening

People start airing warm clothes
Warm colours being displayed in fashion shows
Fashion changes to clothes that are warming
In colours of browns, yellows, rust and oranges glowing
Matching the beautiful autumn colours of the countryside

The fire place is readied for warming the home
Logs cut and piled in basket next to it
Pine cones gathered for that autumn aroma
The sofas pulled closer to bask in the log fire
Luxuriating carpets and furry throws

Time to be spent in snuggling by the fire
Laying games or losing oneself in reading
Time for bonding in the family
Taking time to cook hearty warming meals
Sharing over love and laughter

All can be this idyllic I dream
The log fire is a small electric one
Pine cones sit in potpourri bowls
The rooms are small and snug
Hearing the echoes of laughter of old

Sitting on opposite ends of the sofa
Toes playing under the warm throw
Watching the occasional good comedy on tv
Smiling and remembering the summer holiday
Comparing it to the other holidays fondly

Poetically one talks of hearty warming soups and meals
I am partial to dals and curries all year round
So there is little change except less of the cold salads
Bring on the beans and leafy vegetables
The Gujarati heart warmer of undhyun and rotla

The shorter days with decreasing daylight
Brings on time for contemplation and introspection
Careful it does not turn depressing
Bringing on the Seasonal Affective Disorder
So find every minute of cheery sun light

Look forward to winter and the festive season
Sadly now more commercial than fun
Changing countryside from colour to bare trees
Leaves covering the earth and animals borrowing deep
Autumn is a beautiful time with a splash of colours between the blue of the sky and water