Sixteen years ago today - on November 25, 2000, I went on a hot air balloon ride with my daughter.
There was a little snow on the otherwise brownish landscape around us.
Balloon rides begin early in the morning or late in the afternoon - I'm not sure why. Perhaps there are more gentle breezes then.
We soon outdistanced the balloon lifting off right after us.
This was a morning excursion, the early morning November sun casting long shadows. We were dressed for cold weather.
We started out at the edge of Carleton University campus and sailed over the Rideau Canal towards Dow's Lake.
There is no way of knowing exactly where the wind will take a balloon. Amazingly, this day it took us right over the school where I taught... Adult High School (formerly the High School of Commerce). The school looks like a group of three buildings to the left of the tall apartment building in the center of the photo. In actuality, it is one building with several different third-floor roofs.
Equally amazing - we next flew over Parliament Hill... (How great is that?!!)
Then across the river to Quebec, where we landed gently in a park.
Once safely landed and out of the balloon, we celebrated with hot coffee spiked with Bailey's.
(Summer balloon rides traditionally end with a glass of champagne.)
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