Balloon Spectacular 2016

For a lot of the year, early risers in my city can often see a balloon or two drifting across the sky.  I welcome them each time I see them.
 
However, in March for about ten days the city goes a bit balloon mad.  Each year we have a Balloon Spectacular (which starts as Enlighten finishes) and up to fifty balloons are launched each day.  Bliss.  There is always at least one 'feature' balloon.  This year?  Lots of feature balloons.  Some we knew about, and others which were a surpise/treat on the day.  This year is the 30th that the balloon festival has been held here - and I hope it continues for many years to come.

Weather permitting they take off from the lawns of Old Parliament House, and as well as the fortunate riders, it has become a tradition for people to come along and watch them inflate and take off.

His high and skinniness loathes mornings and given his druthers gets up (slowly) at the crack of noon.  Fortunately my youngest brother is like me an early riser - and he is also a balloon tragic.

I understand using tragic as a noun in this way is peculiar to Australians.  Essentially it means an interest in something which some might consider has been taken to obsessional levels.  I love balloons.  I have flown in them (and mourn that I doubt I can clamber into the basket any longer) and seeing them always brightens my day.

So we headed off, arriving at the launch venue just before dawn.  As is usual lots (and lots) of photos follow and will embiggen if clicked upon.

This was one of the feature balloons that we knew about.  Inspired by the Disney movie Up (which I haven't seen) despite looking like it is covered in jelly beans or smarties those are additional tiny balloons on the skin.  This one came to us from the UK, and when the burner was on looked stunning.

This is Owlbert Eyenstein, built in Brazil and brought to my city from Arizona where he now lives.  
He is huge.  Fully inflated he stands 30.5 metres tall.

Even the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) got in the fun.  This is their new balloon and has been crafted in the shade of a fighter pilot wearing a full helmet and aids including visor, oxygen mask and oxygen hose.

Baby Blue was one of the most popular balloons - and a complete surprise.  No publicity and seeing her inflate was a treat.

If you look closely at this red balloon you will notice there is no basket.  The brave pilot is essentially hang-gliding with a hot air balloon.

Thank you for bearing with me.  Do you wonder that my smiles were so broad?  And that I was more than happy to go again?

Words for Wednesday

The lovely Delores at Under the Porch Light had been running this meme for a considerable period of time, week after week.   Computer issues led her to bow out for a while and I took over.  When Delores' absence looked like being more permanent I begged and cajoled for other volunteers to share providing the prompts, and Words for Wednesday became a movable feast.  Sadly Delores has (temporarily I hope) discontinued her blog, though we have been told that she will be back in the fullness of time.

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...  We can use some or all of the prompts.

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme.  If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.

This month the prompts will be published here - but are provided by Margaret Adamson and her friend Sue Fulton.

This weeks prompts are:

Insidious

Pluck

Forbidden

Smug

Feast

Weed

And/Or

Off-limits

Gullible

Lawsuit

Bread

Money

Tug

 

Next month, the prompts will be provided by Riot Kitty at her blog.  I hope to see you there
I will get my act together and produce a post which gives details of where Words for Wednesday will appear for the next few months shortly.  Thank you so much to everyone who offered to provide the prompts.  More volunteers are always welcome.

Sunday Selections #269

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
 
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life.  The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.  Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
 
Like River I usually run with a theme.  This week I am returning to my avian obsession.

Rainbow Lorikeets are not literate.  For which I am grateful.  According to the bird books they do not visit us.  This family did.  Repeatedly over a week or so.  I hope they return too.

And, for those of you who celebrate it, HAPPY EASTER.

More from Enlighten 2016

This is the final post in the Enlighten 2016 series.  I started with a Sunday Selections devoted to the rabbit sub-theme, which you can find  here.  Then to another Sunday Selections featuring jelly fish which is here, and then to the first half of the illuminations in this post.

This is another photo-heavy post.

I thoroughly enjoyed Enlighten but in the last few days have read something which has taken some of the shine off.  Our local government commissioned young and emerging artists to design the projections for the buildings.  Sadly they decided that having the work publically displayed was sufficient payment.  The outcry has been such that I hope in future years the artists WILL get financial recognition too.

More coloured eucalypts.

Starting at Old Parliament House.  Many of the illuminations were political in nature.

Moving to Questacon, our interactive Science and Technology Centre.  Most, but not all, of the projections were geometric.

 There was a hologram of a spider outside the first night we visited, and it was echoed on the walls on the last night.

Then to two acrobatic performances near by - both making use of hoops inset with neon lights.  They moved too fast for my camera, but I think (hope) that the blur conveys some of the mood.

Then to the National Library.  With the exception of the ubiquitous rabbits, their illuminations reference the recent exhibition about Celestial China.

 Nearly finished now.  Just two random acts, splashes of colour and quirkiness.

It really is an explosion of light, colour (and sound) isn't it?