I think one of my favorite parts of being a woman is my bottomless capacity for romance. Perhaps it's wanting to live out some of the more romantic scenes from movies, but I'm always trying to turn my rather plebeian tasks into something a bit more whimsical, from walking in the rain, to listening to jazz standards on a flight so it feels like I'm going somewhere in a Classic film. Anything for that heightened sense of existence.
This past weekend was no exception. Celebrating our three year anniversary, I secretly planned an adventure to take place while out of town for my sister's awards banquet in San Diego. Not far away is the town of Temecula, a city covered in beautiful vineyards and sweeping farm lands that boast picturesque landscapes and the perfect location for... hot air ballooning!!
We started at sunrise at Monte de Oro Winery, enjoying a warm cup of coffee and pastries, slowly waking up and greeting the other passengers. Soon, we climbed into an SUV with six other passengers and headed to a nearby open field where three colorful balloons were slowly being set-up and filled.
When everything was ready, we climbed into the basket and away we went, floating over the lush green vineyards, above animal sanctuaries where startled horses and rabbits went prancing about, and residents emerged to wave at us. It was incredible until...
The gray fog came rolling in. What had looked to be a bright, clear morning suddenly had us enshrouded in a blanket of soupy clouds, making visibility nearly impossible. Our wonderful pilot tried to guide us up to see if we could get above it, but to no avail. We set gently down in a field, and took some last minute pictures before heading back to the winery.
And the good news is that we get to go back again for free. A re-do, and another day of romance with my honey.
I leave you with this, the Balloonist's Prayer. I hope you will have reason to say it soon too.
The winds have welcomed you with softness.
The sun has blessed you with his warm hands.
You have flown so high and so well
that God joined you in laughter
and set you gently back into
the loving arms of Mother Earth.
Just wanted to say that I've been reading and loving your posts lately. I don't comment often so just wanted to let you know I've been stalking you! :-) Hope all is well!
ReplyDeleteAww... thank you. I feel the same every time I get the Kodak albums in my inbox. Hope you and the family are well. Any plans to visit soon?
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