Thursday, September 17, 2015

Up up and away

The monarchs are arriving. The brisk wind kept some of them at bay. They had to circle around the patio a few times before they could land on a flower. I am thrilled to think that we are providing food for these delicate creatures to make their long migration.
 
 
Hubby and I found a trail along the Mississippi River. At dusk we sat on a bench and watched barge traffic. The Midwest is a hub for commerce, and there was a lot of movement of goods.
A couple who were a few years younger than us, sat on another bench a few feet away. In our town, somebody always knows somebody who knows somebody. The guy worked with Bill's brother, and they knew our neighbor. Small world.
 
I am so hoping the rain holds off and I can take Liam to the Hot Air Balloon Glow tomorrow night at Forest Park. Lift off is Saturday, but on Friday evening, all of the balloons fire up. It is a sight to behold. Liam saw an inflatable advertising hot air balloon on top of a restaurant and got so excited. He thought it was a ball. And that is his favorite thing. Won't he be surprised, if the weather holds? I'll post pictures if we are able to attend.
 
 
Have you ever attended a balloon glow, or hot air balloon races? One year, when the kids were little, the balloons flew LOW over our house, and we could hear the conversations overhead.

The balloon glow was a bust. Wind gust and storms prevented the balloon owners from inflating their hot air balloons, but they did light up the night with fire lapping at the wind into the air. A big disappointment for many. Hopefully, the storms will hold off and the wind will lessen, and they will be able to lift off Saturday. Lots of people are looking forward to this annual event. But alas, Mother Nature is in charge.

There are fall festivals all over towe this weekend, so we will be out and about.

7 comments:

Bookie said...

That bench sitting sounds peaceful. My hubby loves being near the river. When we lived on that side of the state we often were watching boats and tugs on the river.

Val said...

When I was living in the college dorm, we went up to the 10th floor to look out the big window that showed Springfield spread out toward Battlefield Mall. The balloons came our way, right at our height. It was a magnificent sight.

Susan said...

Oh, I hope you can go to the balloon shindig, Linda. Sounds like fun. I've never been. But I've seen them up in the sky and they are quite picturesque. Susan

Lisa Ricard Claro said...

Never attended that kind of event, but I bet it's fun. Post pics for us...especially of Liam's reactions. Hope Mother Nature doesn't mess it up for everyone.

Tammy said...

I was just noticing the monarchs myself yesterday. That picture is lovely!

Connie said...

I hope they were able to have the balloons lift off today. I have seen this done before, and it is an amazing sight. So beautiful. I love your photo of the monarch butterfly.

Sioux Roslawski said...

Linda--great photo of the butterfly. And keep a close eye on Sas when you're out and about. He tends to get in trouble when he doesn't have strict boundaries.