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Sean's Blog |
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| Filed: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 6:28:30 AM | | Filed Under: Hot Air Ballooning | | HIGH PRESSURE! | We have been under the influence of glorius high pressure for about the past 10 days. High pressure (big "H" on weather maps) is good weather with generally light winds and few clouds. This is the first high we have had in a month. We have been getting in some remarkable flights, finally!!
Monday night was a beauty. In order to get to a good landing area, I ascended to 5,000 feet on a crystal clear evening. We were easily able to see Rochester to the north and the glimmer of Lake Erie to the west. I was able to "ride" along side of some small clouds at one point. The shadow of our balloon on the clouds posed a rainbow like effect. Just beautiful!
I can't believe that Labor Day is almost here. It always comes fast, I guess. I'm seeing a lot of the sugar maple trees with color change, especially in the swampy areas. I have noticed that color change comes earlier after wet summers so I expect the same this year. Enjoy your holiday and keep your eye in the sky. I expect to be there! |
| | Filed: Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 9:29:26 AM | | Filed Under: Hot Air Ballooning | | ROY G BIV | Sitting on our back porch watching the rain come down on Thursday night, a beautiful double rainbow appeared in the east. Normally I would think that's pretty cool but, I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FLYING! Unfortunately, rainbows mean that it's raining. For those who don't know Roy G Biv, that is the way to remember the colors of the rainbow in order. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet.
On a good note, this upper level trough which has been sitting over Quebec all summer and causing our lousy weather, is finally forecast to move east. Good ridance! Summer is finally supposed to arrive here in mid August and hopefully we can make a lot of people happy flying high over the gorge. (including me)
Oh, check out the quote on my homepage by Beth Miller of Minnesota. Her take on ballooning is the best I've ever seen or heard. Thanks Beth! |
| | Filed: Sunday, July 27, 2008 at 10:49:12 AM | | Filed Under: Hot Air Ballooning | | So far, so bad..... | The stinky weather continues. I have never witnessed such an unbelievable amount of rain and especially thunderstorms. Although we did get in one beautiful flight in on Friday night, it's been rain and fog since. I have my fingers crossed for tonight (Sunday) although the winds are a touch strong.
Rochester weather update: June had 21 of 30 days with rain and July has 13 of the first 26 days. I know that we have had rain here in the southerntier that had not hit Rochester so our record is even worse. We have been weathered out 18 of our last 22 flights! This, in a month that we normally fly 80% of our flights.
A big thank you to all of the customers who have been understanding. To the rest: I CAN'T HELP IT! I wish that I could control the weather. I simply cannot and will not fly with a bad forecast. Thunderstorms are nothing to mess with. My mama didn't raise a fool!
Think about this: if I had a bad forecast from Flight Service and I said "they're wrong, let's go.". Then, if someone broke a leg etc., I would be a money grabbing s.o.b. and the lawyers would be drooling.
They say that patience is a virtue and ballooning is all about patience. It's all for fun and there is no reason to take risks, not for fun or money.
And just like the great American Forrest Gump once said, "that's all I have to say about that".
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| | Filed: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 12:41:33 PM | | Filed Under: Hot Air Ballooning | | Baby Gunner! | Last night (this morning), at 1:55 a.m. our fourth grandchild and third grandson was born at Wyoming County Community Hospital. Gunner James is 9 lbs., 2 oz. and 21.5 inches long. He has bright blue eyes and dark curls, just beautiful! Daughter Dana is doing well but very sore. I can see why. That baby looks big to me! Many thanks to Dr. Daniel Zerbe who always treats his patients so well. He's the best!
I got in a beautiful balloon flight last night, came home and dozed off watching the all star baseball game. Got the call about midnight and ran to the hospital. It really didn't take long. We were back home about 4 a.m. Short night's sleep!
We now have the three "G Men". Garrett (3) , Gavin (2) and Gunner (11 hours). We round that out with grandaughter Mylah (2). We're raising a pretty good balloon crew! You can see a photo of The boy's first balloon ride at the 2007 Adirondack Festival on our front page of the web site. It was the first time they weren't scared of the sound of the burners. They've seen Grandpa fly away many times.
Last week Denise actually flew with me and the boys were there. Gavin cried "MeMa"! He was afraid she wouldn't come back.
I would love it if the kids someday take it up and become pilots but, usually when they are brought up with something, they don't aquire an interest. We'll see.
Life is good! |
| | Filed: Monday, June 23, 2008 at 1:18:08 PM | | Filed Under: Hot Air Ballooning | | Wait a minute and the weather will change? | Who said that? I've been waiting all month for this to change. We just got weathered out for another weekend (four straight). This is the worst June that I have witnessed in 21 years. I am so tired of telling my customers that our flight is canceled. We have had thunderstorms almost every day and on most evenings, severe thunderstorm alerts. I have a weather radio with a siren and it has been going off every night. It sounds like WWII London here.
The problem is that we are still stuck in a spring time mode. The main jet stream moves north, deep into Canada in the summer, drawing up the warm weather from the south. Currently, the jet is still way south of where it should be. As a result, we have very cold air aloft. With the hot summertime sun, the ground heats up and that hot air heads up into the cold air. That creates a real war zone. Moisture drawn up into that pool of air is creating big, big thunderstorms and because it is so cold aloft, we have had plenty of hail storms. Some farmers have lost most of their crops due to golf ball size hail.
The good news is that tomorrow, Tues., June 24 it finally looks good to fly. I can't wait to tell the passengers that we are on! I do hope that this is a good sign of things to come. I've got a mortgage payment to make! July will be better. I have to go now and close the windows...it's raining....
Up, up and away! |
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