Up up and away in my beautiful, my beautiful balloooooon! Lyrics by Jimmy Webb 1960's.

Finally! After weeks and weeks of rain and cloudy skies, we had sunshine and blue skies for 2 days in a row. (Too bad the river won't recede as fast. The Steamboat Race has been delayed until June. BUT- It did not rain on the Parade!) After having been canceled in 2010 because of inclement weather, this year's Great Balloon race launched on both Friday and Saturday mornings. This day the balloons took off from Bowman Field in Louisville. The winds guided them over the Ohio River, above our "village" and on toward Hamburg and Sellersburg.

Below is link to 5th Dimension song "Up Up and Away"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5akEgsZSfhg


With some balloons out ahead and some behind us we chased north on Highway 31 toward Sellersburg. Actually, we had forgotten this was the balloon race weekend. (The rain and the river had taken so much of our attention.) We missed the Friday race altogether. Saturday morning Nick was leaving to get his usual donut and saw the balloons above our neighborhood. He called me outside, we very quickly picked up Clara and went balloon chasing. With the balloons still ahead of us we have turned west onto Highway 60 toward Hamburg. Here we are waiting at the light as the balloons Remax, Sunny Side and Oliver Winery drift away over I 65. Remax balloon and Indiana's Sunny Side of Louisville balloons still ahead of us with Sellersburg Water tower on the right. We have pulled into the driveway at Manitowoc Company. (This is the company Gary works for -but not in that building or division anymore.) Sunny Side is approaching.

A few balloons have come and gone. Here comes another group toward us Oliver's Winery, Kings Company CPA, UAW, Parks (rocket shape), and Tran Orthodontics way out in the distance.

This is when we noticed they were going behind the building so we moved to the back parking lot.

Another shot of the Kings Company CPA, UAW, Parks, Tran Orthodontics ballons as they come in for their chance at the target.

The Balloon Fest is sponsored this year by US Bank. The balloons follow a "Hare and Hound" format. The "hare" US Bank balloon took off first and when it got to an appropriate spot it landed and spread out a giant "X" on the ground. The "hound" balloons followed along and while still hovering aloft drifted as close to the target as doable. They dropped their small bag of Kentucky Bluegrass seed as close as possible to the "X" as they floated by. Safety heliocopter

Parks (rocket shape), UAW, Tran Ortho balloons moving out

Oliver Winery - The ladies who participated in the Brown County outing this fall have some personal experiences concerning Oliver Winery... To be related when (not if) I finish posting the trip Fall 2010... it is still in draft.

US Bank has moved to the side and Remax is moving out. Shane balloon along with others moving away.

I was trying hard to get as many balloons as I could. Did not have my camera. I used my phone camera and was not used to it. This time I was so excited I turned it backwards and took my own picture. :)

Mortonson Dental

Could not identify this one - Cow jumped over the Moon!

The other side of the cow balloon

Do you recognize this one? Coming in late? Not exactly the pilot hung back on purpose so he could have a clean shot at the target.

Now you recognize it; it is the U of L balloon!

The crew whose seed bag gets closest to the target earns points for each race and the winners are determined after the second race. The winner recieves several thousand dollars and free entry into next year's Great Balloon Race.

2011 WINNERS

First --------Oliver Winery-------------------950 points

Second------Central American Airways----917

Third--------Tran Orthodontics--------------883

Fourth(tie)--US Bank2------------------------833

Fourth(tie)--Sunny Side of Louisville-------833

***

The world's a nicer place in my beautiful balloon

It wears a nicer face in my beautiful balloon

We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky

For we can fly...we can fly