So each year, early April, I get a text like this and it kind of jolts me into an odd feeling of alertness and then into action. IT’S HERE!! I start setting alarms on my phone, searching out gloves, hats and coats ready for a week of getting dressed in the dark and loads of physical activity.
Suze is a balloon pilot and a close friend. We met about 20 years ago and she invited me to come along and be part of her ‘Canowindra’ crew. I have been coming along ever since. It’s such great fun. Always different, and I have enjoyed meeting people and making many new friends through the years.
This flight is part of the annual competition known as the Canowindra Challenge and Suze’s balloon ‘Hiawatha’ participates as a ‘fiesta’ flyer rather than a competitor. Although you will see her have a pretty good shot at one of the targets, the main purpose of flying is having a great time. In that respect Suze has serious skills.
My role is normally part of the retrieval team and I enjoy that so much and being a landscape painter I get to see places I normally wouldn’t think to look.
