From black and white to so much color it could make your head spin!
Ken and I received a gift of a hot air balloon ride for a wedding present. Three years ago. We tried to schedule it but the weather would not cooperate or Ken’s job didn’t cooperate or something or other. This year, it all fell into place. On the day following our third anniversary, Kurt and Melinda of Morning Glory Balloon Tours took us on a beautiful airborne tour of the Methow Valley; this place we call home. It was peaceful and stunning. The weather was perfect. Blue skies, green hills, snow-capped mountains. Exactly what we had hoped for.
Kurt readying the balloon
Looking from the top to the bottom of the balloon ‘envelope’.
Ken and Kurt admire the colors
Melinda holds onto the bottom edge of the balloon envelope
Ready to fill it with hot air
up
up
Up it goes!
Inflated and ready for us
With little fanfare we were suddenly floating above the tree tops. Looking down valley.
Mount Gardner looming above Sun Mountain Lodge
The Methow River with the highway bridge at Winthrop near the top.
Winthrop looks bigger from up above.
The Sawtooth Mountains above the western edge of the valley
Did I mention snow-capped mountains and green hills?
Kurt Oakley, pilot and co-owner of Morning Glory Balloon Tours.
Ken enjoys the view
Tree shadows along the river
Shadows are really interesting from above
Looking up valley towards the North Cascades
Higher still above Winthrop
The North Cascades
The Sawtooth range above Twin Lakes
Just about all of the upper valley
Looking down valley towards Twisp
Above Harrier Hill. Studhorse Hill is in the background with Pearrygin Lake just to the right of it.
Our house! You can see the beehives on the right
Some steep hillsides
The chase crew waits for our landing. We ended up in a different field. There’s no steering up there.
Landing shadow!
Down it goes.
They are pretty quick deflating the envelope and getting it packed up for another day.
Kurt even has a matching shirt for the balloon!
Many thanks to our dear friends and this wonderful gift!
My Everyday Photos 
2 Comments
Wow – What a fantastic perspective of the MV! I think that ride/weather was worth the 3-yr wait.
Oh yeah!