All the pretty balloons reminds me of the title of Cormac McCarthy’s book, “All the Pretty Horses.” Going to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Indianola was never a bucket list item, but when Ginnie and I were trying to decide what to do on my birthday, going to the balloon festival seemed like a fun thing to do. It was!

Ginnie researched and had it all figured out. She bought our inexpensive gate tickets online and knew that flying times were either early morning or evening when winds die down. We went for the evening show and it’s a good thing we did. It had rained that morning and there was no flying. In fact, it had rained every morning so far, and there had been no morning flying.

Ginnie just about passed out from the heat and humidity, but we found a shady spot between two food vendors, where there was a breeze, so she got cooled off. One of the food vendors gave her a cloth full of ice to put on her neck, and that helped. People were so friendly at the Balloon Festival.

Speaking of which, one friendly volunteer was real interested in where we were from and that it was our first time there. She also found out it was my birthday. You might know it, over the PA system, in the middle of all the goings on, came, “Curt Swarm from Mt. Pleasant is 77 today and it’s his first time here! Let’s have a round of applause!” Geesh!

We learned all kinds of things. Before the event gets underway, the balloon crews release little black balloons, called “pibals,” filled with helium to check the directions and speeds. We also learned that wind speeds and directions are different the higher up you go.

Balloon pilots are called “aeronauts” and the balloon itself is called an “envelope.” Envelopes range in cost from $30,000 to $40,000. The youngest aeronaut there was 16, the minimum age to be licensed to pilot a hot air balloon. His parents had given him the balloon for Christmas, and he came close to winning the event we watched. The basket for the balloons competing in the event hold from one to three people. There were three large balloons reserved to give people rides. The baskets for these balloons can hold up to 15 people. Cost, $250 each. Rides are reserved way in advance. In case you’re wondering, it’s legal for a hot air balloons to land on anyone’s property.

At 6 p.m. the green flag came out, meaning that conditions were good to fly, and the event was on. This event involved a tall white pole in the middle of a field. The pole had a ring on top of it. The object of the competition was for the balloonists to fly as close to the pole as they could, and grab the ring. The first balloonist to grab the ring would receive a $500 prize. Other points were awarded for the pilot tossing a bean bag as close to the pole as he or she could. Points were totaled at the end of the nine-day event to determine the overall winner, as well as second, third and so-on place. Balloonists who place at the state meets are eligible to go to the National Balloon Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The hundred-or-so pretty balloons floating up over the rise behind us, to descend on the skinny pole with a ring on top, was a sight to behold, like an eighth wonder of the world. Brad Craig, from Carlisle, in his balloon, “Cheetah” was the first to grab the ring, and that was after about three-fourths of the balloonists had tried and failed.

We will go again next year. Ginnie says we are going to go for a balloon ride.

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Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526 or email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com. Curt is available for public speaking.