Sunday Selections #527

 

 

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.

 

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.

 

The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 

 

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

  

I usually run with a theme. This week (and next) I am going to be posting pictures from our Balloon Spectacular which overlaps the Enlighten festival.  I am a confirmed balloon 'tragic' (Australian slang for someone with an obsession).  The Balloon Spectacular was the last big event which went ahead before Covid restrictions hit us last year.  It went ahead this year too - with some restrictions.

Most years as well as the lucky people who are taking to the air there are crowds of excited spectators to watch the balloons inflate and take off.  This year numbers were restricted and places had to be reserved.  I succeeded in getting tickets but the only day I succeeded the weather forecast was not good.  With that in mind we headed out early (way too early for the smaller portion) a few days before our ticketed event to a vantage point by the lake where we could see the balloons fly even if we couldn't watch them inflate.  We got lucky.  On both days.

So I am going to present images from both days.  Starting (out of chronological order) with the day we watched the balloons inflate.  Co-incidentally it was the youngest of my brothers birthday.  He is also a balloon tragic and I was very happy to be able to get tickets for him and his wife as well as for us.  We no longer exchange presents (except for significant events) but this was a gift I was very glad to be able to give him (and him to receive).

Settle back with a beverage of choice.  LOTS of photos follow.

Many of the balloons are BIG.

The building in the background is our National Library.

The excitement (and not just mine) was palpable.

Each year there is at least one feature balloon.  This year it was Allycorn, brought to us from the US.  Given that our borders are largely closed and that a fourteen day quarantine is compulsory for all international arrivals I am very appreciative of the time and effort involved.

 Next week?  Balloons in the air.  Lots and lots of them.

For those of you who celebrate I hope your Easter is happy, healthy and blessed.

Balloon Spectacular 2020

In March for about ten days my 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. 
 
Weather permitting they take off from the lawns of Old Parliament House shortly after dawn, and as well as the fortunate riders, it has become a tradition for people to come along and watch them inflate and take off (another free treat).  Some mornings there are hundreds and hundreds of spectators.  Breakfast is available, and the crowd is happy.  

The balloons are weather dependent.  We were lucky this year and most days at least some of the balloons took to the air.

This year we went to see them inflate twice and were lucky enough to see them flying on other days.  I showed you the main feature balloon on a recent Sunday Selections, but there were other wonders and other joys.

Settle back with the beverage of your choice, because a LOT of photos follow.  Photos of an event which could not take place at the moment, which I am very glad we saw, and glad to share.  I am also going to be more wordy than usual because Laurie who often comments on my posts has severe issues with her sight.  She has an app which reads the text for her (but no doubt without an Aussie accent) but of course photographs and images remain a bit of a mystery.

I do love the heart-shaped balloon which we see here nearly completely inflated.

The heart shaped balloon again and a nearby blue one both so nearly there - and a lot of people looking on in awe and wonder.  Once the balloons started to inflate it was hard to know where to look.

I hadn't seen the Sea Shepherd balloon before.  It was striking with its black livery and a skull with a crossed trident and shepherds crook beneath it.  We are told that it is a banner for environmental conservation (desperately needed).

A cheerful, colourful (red, green and purple) balloon starting to rise and finally in the air.

The heart shaped balloon is a regular, and was finally aloft.  And thanks to Andrew when I look at the heart I also envisage it upside down, representing quite a different piece of anatomy.  Thanks Andrew.  Thanks a lot.

My city's very own balloon.  It is yellow and has CBR Canberra on its sides.  This is a balloon that I see throughout the year on lucky mornings.  When I can I try and take my photographs when the burners are alight because it makes for much more vivid photos.  Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail.

On one day only SkyWhale was inflated (beside the T-Rex).  Sadly it was a gusty morning and she didn't take to the air.  SkyWhale was a 100th Birthday present my city gave to itself in 2013.  Some people love her, some people hate her.  You can find an earlier post on her here.  

I don't know quite how to describe her.  Some people see a turtle in her.  I notice her tired eyes, gentle face and I am sure she is wearing lipstick.  She also has not one but ten dangling boobs (complete with nipples).  We are told that SkyWhalePapa has been commissioned and that we will see it later this year.  I do wonder whether SkyWhalePapa will be festooned with penises.

Both of the airforce balloons side by side, with a hint of a green and yellow one beside them.

Splashes of colour as more and more balloons inflate and start to float away, finishing with another regular - our Air Forces feature balloon - which always makes me think of Darth Vader, with its masked head complete with helmet and air hose.

Then yet MORE shots of colourful balloons taking to the air.  And yes, I do know just how obsessional I am.

SkyWhale is big - but she was dwarfed by T-Rex.

I really liked seeing the balloons above our arboretum (which is actually green after recent rain) and floating above early morning rowing crews on the lake.

We came home via the lake, and I was tickled by just how unconcerned this roo was.

The last shot was one I took a few days later on my way into the city.  I could see at least ten balloons in the air at once, and was just too slow to photograph T-Rex in the air.

If you have lasted this long, thank you.  I never, ever tire of balloons and took over 500 photos on the two days we went to the launch this year.

I am going to ask a favour too.  If you can be descriptive in your comments that will help Laurie get more from the post too.