13 June 2010: Chasing Balloons

I always want try to do something new for the Balloon Festival weekend and this year it was balloon chasing. We weren't sure if the balloons were going to launch at all this weekend after Friday night but miraculously we saw one go up on Sunday evening as we were cleaning out Bill's truck. So we hopped in the car and decided to do a little chasing to see if we could see them land and we did. I still like being in the balloon better but this was kind of fun too!

11 June 2010: Festival Of Hot Air

This year's Balloon Festival started off with an evening with my photo group friends. I invited people over for a little deck party. I actually didn't take a single balloon photo on this first night!

30 May 2010: The Balloons Are Coming

Yes another whirly thing...but this one doesn't make noise! But the balloons that are coming for the Balloon Festival will make noise - only a couple of weeks away! http://www.syracuseballoonfest.com/

28 March 2010: Eleven Weeks And Counting

The Jamesville Balloon Festival is coming and so is our annual party! Can't wait... http://www.syracuseballoonfest.com/

14 June 2009 Photo(s): Magical Moments

By 9AM this moring, I had a pretty magical day. Bill and I went across the street to our neighbors who live on the water to watch the 6am balloon launch. When we got down there, the water looked so inviting that I decided to take the kayak out to watch the balloons take off. I love kayaking and love hot air balloons so it was a perfect combination. I put my camera in a plastic bag and off I paddled. The rising sun with the rising balloons...it just couldn't get much better than that.

Afterward when we got home, Bill was taking Mona out and came across a baby woodpecker who was learning to fly. I had come across the same scene last year so I knew the baby would be ok so I ran to get the camera and take some photographs. As we were standing around, the bird started hopping toward my sister and she kept moving back to let the bird have space but it continued to follow her. I told her to stand still for a moment and the woodpecker hopped right on her foot and started climbing up her leg while saying, "Are you my mommy?" We were AMAZED and enjoyed this magical moment until I removed the baby and placed it in the tree out of harms way. All this followed by a lovely morning under the gazebo reading the Sunday paper...I just wish everyday could start off so perfect!

13 June 2009 Photo(s): Plenty Of Hot Air To Go Around

It was Day 2 of Balloon Festival. The balloons went up last night and this morning but unfortunately for my guests, they did not fly this evening. We had a fabulous time despite the lack of hot air in the balloons...if you knew my friends, you know that the hot air was still flowing!

I went to the balloon field this morning with Bill, my sister and my in-laws and we had a spectacular show as more than 20 balloons took off. As we were watching, Bill called them gems in the sky and I liked that phrase. The morning and early afternoon was lovely and pretty much as soon as my guests arrived, so did the rain. Despite the rain and no balloons flying, we had a great time catching up. The 2 little girls are Carlea and Nina after a rousing game of rug twister. Both of their parents also have blogs that you can check out to see more cute pictures...

http://jenndavisblog.blogspot.com/

http://joesfamily.wordpress.com/

12 June 2009 Photo: Let The Festivities Begin

The Jamesville Balloon Festival begins today and in preparation of our party tomorrow, my sister and I decorated our traditional balloon sugar cookies. I like how the forks looked after mixing in the food coloring to the royal icing. Don't the cookies look yummy. We tried to make hotair balloon cake pops but it was not successful so we just made regular cupcake pops.

30 April 2009 Photo(s): You Can Have Your Cakepop and Eat It Too

A few weeks ago, a friend posted some pictures of cakepops they made. I become obsessed with them and decided I wanted to make them for my annual Hotair Bolloon Festival party. I felt like I needed to to a dry run and our niece's First Communion is this weekend so it seemed like a good excuse to play.

So for several hours tonight I baked, rolled, dipped and decorated these cakepops and I am exhausted. These little treats were originally made by Bakerella. She is much better at these than I am but she has had a lot more practice. You can check out her wares here http://bakerella.blogspot.com/search/label/cupcake%20pops

They take a lot of time and effort but I think the kids will like them. I used red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting for mine...you can see the inside of one of them as Bill needed to be the taste tester. The cupcakes are adorable, the hot air balloon still needs some work and Bill thinks the other one looks like the stress doll you squeeze that has eyes and ears that pop out like these http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/martian_thing.jpg.