Wednesday, August 27, 2008

ABC Wednesday: Floating up, up, and away!

F is for . . .


. . .Floating away high in the sky.

Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?
Would you like to glide in my beautiful balloon?
We could float among the stars together, you and I.
For we can fly.
We can fly!


Up, up and away, in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon!
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! . . .

----Jimmy Webb

A few weeks ago on a warm and still summer evening, my husband tapped on the kitchen window and told me to come outside. There in the sky, floating lazily over our house and the nearby fields was this beautiful hot-air balloon. I immediately thought of this song sung by the Fifth Dimension, which brought back memories of listening to it on an eight-track tape in my husband's first car while we were dating. I've always wanted to go up in a hot-air balloon, despite my fear of heights. Floating slowly in the sky high above the earth seems like the perfect way to spend a summer evening. This is going on my personal "bucket list"!


ABC Wednesdays are brought to you by Mrs. Nesbitt.

36 comments:

  1. Yes, I like the idea of too. Same as I like the idea of parachuting - except for the bit where you have to jump out of the plane!

    seeing that image, I can 'feel' the early evening.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lets see, eight track tapes and the Fifth Dimensions...
    A pretty good place to be...
    Age is a state of mind...
    I'll be 61 on Friday...
    Doo wop, doo wop...

    ReplyDelete
  3. i want to try hot air balloon but i don't know if i am going to freak out once i am so high off the ground.

    ReplyDelete
  4. l loved that song, (of nimble bread too?) and that balloom image is so sharp..you must have been in the right place at the right time!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a great pic! A balloon flying in the sky is a great time to start dreaming great dreams!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think discovering a silent, hovering balloon overhead is such fun! They are always a surprise!

    Great picture!

    ReplyDelete
  7. That brings me back to my childhood when a balloon landed in a field behind our house. It was an exciting summer moment at our house!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh yes I would love to ride in a baloon. I hope to some day too.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Liz, Skydiving looks fun, too, but somebody would have to push me out of the plane!

    Aphotoday, I can relate to everything you've said:) Thanks for stopping by.

    Savvy mode, Yes, from down here safely on the ground it looks like so much fun!

    FFF, That was one of my favorite songs way back when:) I was standing in my back yard--just one of those perfect summer evenings.

    Greyscale, I think that's it about balloons--they are full of dreams. Thanks for visiting.

    Kim, Thanks and thanks for stopping by.

    Cindy, I had a student once whose family had a hot-air balloon. He offered to take me up in it sometime; wish I'd taken him up on the offer!

    Lisa, I might panic once I got up there, but I'd love to try it once!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Floating looks fun! I've only floated in the swimming pool.
    :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Floating on a balloon is on my bucket list. Sigh. Hope I get to do it one day. Very pretty sentiment.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Rose......I took a hot air balloon flight two years ago....I had a terrible fear of heights, so did a friend of mine...........we did the flight together.....

    After the initial shock of being way up high, I loved it........it was so peaceful and serene.....the world had become a different place......while flying a young man proposed to his girlfriend and she accepted.....we all had champagne on landing......it was magical, something I will never forget......

    My fear of heights is still there but climbing ladders etc is no longer a problem.......if you get the chance go, it is fantastic........

    Love the story about you and your husband.........oh the joys of being young........

    ReplyDelete
  13. My husband wants to go Floating on a balloon Flight but since I am terrified of heights he will have to solo Fly.

    Bear((( )))

    ReplyDelete
  14. Now I have a new tune in my head. I remember 8-track tapes and my toddler daughter pulling some of my favorite tapes apart. I like the idea of a hot air balloon minus the height...@:}

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ah yes, I remember the song and those days well. Doesn't seem that long ago does it? I, too, hink floating away in a baloon would be a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. They say it is very quiet and peaceful. I love the reference to 'bucket list'. We ought to sit down on day and make our list before we get too old to remember what it is we still want to do.

    ReplyDelete
  16. That is such a beautiful balloon. I'd love to be up there.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great photo! Wouldn't it be interesting if you could find out who was in it? I remember that song. I always liked it. Pun intended: such an uplifting song. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  18. You have blue sky too!!
    I wish I could send you some of our rain but I'm affraid if I wrap it up and post it, it may escape on the way :(
    I would like to go up in a balloon but have you ever watched one land?!
    I remember the song well, it reminds me of living at home, I think my mum used to sing along.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Dear Rose,
    A lovely photgraph.
    I also remeber this song and started singing right away...up up and away...
    Thank you. Just lovely. When you do go up be sure and take the camera. Bird's eye view....
    Sherry

    ReplyDelete
  20. I always thought I'd like to go up in a hot air balloon, but after the tragedy that occured around here last year, I don't think I'll go. It looks so peaceful, but if anything happens, well....

    ReplyDelete
  21. I remembered the song too.....ahhhhhhhhhhh memories.

    Lovely post, I could just picture it all.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Lovely shot and that's the blue sky I think of when I see your blog name!

    Gail

    ReplyDelete
  23. F is also for . . . 'Fabulous Foto', Rose! I VIVIDLY remember the Fifth Dimension singing(I was a newlywed) and KNOW the song will be 'floating' around in my head all day long.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Gemma, Thanks for dropping by.

    Tina, I hope you get to do it, too!

    Ivar, Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Cheryl, That sounds like a wonderful time! I'm so scared of heights, but I keep thinking once I'm up there I would be fine--I don't mind flying in an airplane. Glad to know you were able to conquer your fear of heights!

    Bear Naked, Wonder if you could just go up a little way and then come down if it's too frightening? I might have to try that:)

    Rambling, All our 8-track tapes went on a garage sale or in the trash long ago. I think they're collectibles, now:)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Tommy, Thanks!

    Beckie, I like that idea of writing down our "bucket lists" before we forget what they were:)

    Dragonstar, It was a beautiful sight indeed.

    Eve, That was one of my favorite songs at the time, too. I wonder if whoever was up in the balloon was watching us??

    Suburbia, Yes, the sky is beautifully blue, but the grass is turning brown! I have seen a balloon land--that's what keeps me from going up in one:)

    Sherry, Can you imagine the photos I could get from up there? I've been humming this tune ever since I wrote this post:)

    Leslie, I haven't heard of too many hot air balloon accidents, but if I did I'm sure I would be too scared to go, too.

    Denise, Thanks and thanks for sponsoring ABC Wednesdays. I enjoyed looking at all the F posts!

    Gail, Thanks! We've seen a lot of blue sky this past month; right now I'd like to see a few rain clouds:)

    Joey, They were one of my favorite groups from way back when. Didn't they sing a version of "Aquarius", too?

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oddly, your photo reminds me of a wonderful collie dog I had years ago. She would spot those balloons miles and miles away. I couldn't figure out how she saw them before I did until I realized she was hearing the burners. She would bark and run around looking up into the sky.
    Marnie

    ReplyDelete
  28. Marnie, Glad this brought back some pleasant memories for you. Dogs have such a keen sense of hearing, don't they?

    ReplyDelete
  29. It's good to see your spirit has lifted a bit since your last post. I have always wanted to go up in a balloon too, just never could get the courage to do it. Maybe when I turn 50...

    ReplyDelete
  30. Rose, isn’t it always so exciting to see a hot air balloon? I enjoyed all the associations it brought to your mind. I’m so sorry to hear your vacation was cut short. How disappointing. It's good to see your spirits up lifted!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Prairie, tell me what company you would like me to go to in order to award your gift certificate for the gold!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I remember that song! And I'd love to sail along in a balloon one day.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi, Rose! I've loved catching up with your blog--congratulations on your gold medal! I hope you get away for that long weekend soon, and that your garden is full of pleasant surprises when you come home (I came home to a few bug ravaged leaves, but the volunteer autumn clematis in my camelia bush was a sweet surprise!) Best, Cosmo

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by. I love to hear from you, so please leave a comment. I'll try to reply here, but I'll definitely return the visit.