saint

Props (or lack of them)

A big thanks to Sara, and her magical Montana stylz, for one hell of a cool (if somewhat early) birthday trip into the wild blue yonder above Methven. Hot air ballooning - I rate it highly (ha!). Its an incredibly eerie feeling silently drifting just above the tree tops, close enough to reach out and touch them, their branches not even slightly disturbed by your passing. Or to be travelling along at a fair clip, but to feel no wind as you're travelling with the breeze, being pushed along by it, part of it rather than fighting against it as you do when standing on the ground. And as for the height... I get vertigo when I stand on tall buildings or bridges or other things, but the height of the balloon (up to 3,500 ft in out case this morning) is such an abstract concept. Without a frame of reference like a building or a tree, the brain seems unable to fully comprehend that you really are up that high, and so the fear that would normally be present is gone. And Sara couldn't have picked a more perfect day for the event - a perfect sunrise, perfect light winds, no clouds, wonderfully warm... all good.

So, the next part of the birthday plan? Lunch with one Fat Bastard (Adam) and then maybe a nap in the sun. Mmmhmm, its a tough life.