no shortage of hot air here

A few weeks ago, I was getting ready to leave for a few days of work away from home {as always - just as I am right now in fact}, in route to lug my suitcases out to the car when my husband ran in from outside and said "Wanna see a hot air ballon?".

Well, of course I do. But I also want a 100% sane husband {since I'm not and somebody's got to be around here}, and I totally thought he was nuts. Was this a ploy to keep me at home just a little bit longer? Naw... couldn't be, he only helps me load my luggage each time to get me out the door even quicker ;)

What the heck, then?

Out to the back deck we went, Nick, my visiting mother-in-law and me, to see this grand illusion my wacko husband had just spotted in the sky above suburbia.

As soon as we realized he wasn't hallucinating, Karen and I both grabbed our cameras and started snapping away.

Hey, it's not everyday that a hot air ballon drops in your neighbors backyard.

Perhaps, as the balloon captain (??) began to realize he was low, he spotted our house and naturally thought I would be able to help - being full of hot air and all - and decided to stop and fuel-up.

So I huffed and I puffed in their general direction while simultaneously catching all the action on film.

In no time, I had the crew back up in the air where they belonged.

I was pooped.

{Full contrast made for a fun freaky picture!}

We're so glad he didn't land on top of any houses and that no one was hurt.

As you can see, it truly was a close call for these people, the trees, power-lines and the small yard they landed in!

Bye-bye balloon!

I kicked myself later when I realized I could have just jumped in the basket with them and floated away on a cloud instead of hopping in the old Camry and driving for hours to my work destination in the middle of nowhere.

Darned hindsight.