Up up and away

I promised at the end of the last blog that weather permitting, I would have a lovely adventure to report on and shock horror- the weather held out and look what I got to do.

The beloved JB had bought me the trip in a balloon as a Christmas present back in 2011 and the last summer had been so appalling that the trip was cancelled 6 times. I was actually beginning to give up hope that I was ever going to get my feet off the ground without the aid of a turbine engine but wow - when the weather played the game, it really played the game.

We had to be at the launch area in the Scottish Borders for 5.30 a.m. on Saturday which meant us getting up at 3 am. Now I am not a morning girl on the best of times and the idea of this ungodly time made my heart sink, especially after a night out but hey ho. If it meant I got my elusive trip so be it. So after 4 hours sleep we headed off to the border town of Biggar and the adventure began.

As you can see it was a tad frosty, with a low of -2 degrees when we took off, but I didn't care as I was wearing virtually all my wardrobe in one go. Layers upon layer upon layer. This paid off though as I was cosy warm floating about up there the ether. There was not a cloud in the sky and the views over Biggar and the surrounding areas were stunning.

I loved every minute of the trip, even the landing, which was probably the most fearful part of the trip as far as I was concerned. It was as smooth as smooth can be and nothing compared with the average  gusty landing at Turnhouse in mid November. The 18 month wait may have been a long time, but in the end it was well worth that wait for a flight on the most amazing morning of the year. If you get the chance to have a trip yourself do not hesitate. You will find it a serene, beautiful and a most fun filled experience. I cant finish however without a mention for our pilot, Celia Morley, who was a hoot and made all of us first time flyers very welcome and relaxed. What a girl!