Your Favorite Passion

Hello. I'm back again. I've got some more photos for you. First, my Dad's birthday present. One day (this was months ago) we were at the thrift store and I spotted a paper piecing pattern. When I saw it I immediately thought of my Dad. One of the things he really enjoys is fishing. When we fish, it's almost always for trout. And the pattern was for a tie with a paper pieced rainbow trout. So I bring you the rainbow trout tie.

It actually is a whole tie. I just took a picture of the pieced part. Because, really, the rest looks like a regular tie. And even though I told him I didn't expect him to actually wear it he says he's going to. :)

I also said I might have some photos for you of my hourglass quilt but I don't. I have some blocks done and sewn together but I haven't taken pictures. And I need to finish the triangle baby quilt because the baby I'm making it for was born yesterday! Better get it done.

Ok, so this morning I surprised my kids and woke them up at 3:30am. They had no idea why. When I woke them I told them just to get dressed because we were going somewhere. The surprise destination was the Great Reno Balloon Race! I have wanted to go but usually I have found out that it was going on too late to be able to go. But not this year! They start with a cool thing called the Dawn Patrol where a few select balloons lift off in the dark. And they light up and glow. We got to watch that as we were sitting in traffic trying to get into the parking lot. These photos were all taken from the car. Sorry they turned out blurry. No one here is a trained photographer and it was dark! And the car was moving at intervals.

We finally got parked and found ourselves a spot at the top of a hill overlooking the field. Here are some pics of us waiting for the Mass Ascension to begin.

No, not smoking, chewing on the straw from his juice box

My girl and I

Smiling and it's not even 7am yet!

Then they started inflating the balloons...

It was fun to see the design as they filled up. We kept wondering about the one there on the right that's tan with brown triangles. Then we saw that it was...

Smokey Bear! I think that one was my favorite. A couple of years ago Big R got to go with his class at school and they had a shaped Darth Vader one that year. He wasn't there this year, though. But there was...

Spider Pig! He even had a curly little tail. Unfortunately we never saw that one lift off the ground. It inflated but didn't lift off. There was also a fun shaped Wells Fargo Stagecoach, a soccer ball, a panda bear...

A whole lotta balloons in the air.

There were almost 100 balloons. Can you see the strawberry one?

And a last shot of MoMo with balloons in the background .(and some random people)

Once we got home naps were definitely in order. 3:30am is EARLY!

It was just the kids and I at the Great Reno Balloon Race. Hubby is off with his buddy scouting hunting area for a buck hunt. His friend is the one with the actual tag. But they are both out there supposedly living off the land. Or at least trying to. I think they did take a can of soup or two as backup in the event they weren't successful. :)

Perhaps next year we'll make it to the camel races in Virginia City. We've been wanting to do that as well but it's the same weekend as the balloons and, again, we usually hear about them too late to go. I hear they also race emus and ostriches. It's supposed to be great fun. Well, that's all for now. Signing off...