Getting High at 50

I was clueless, not to mention, sleepy. Why would my wife be trying to wake me up at 4 a.m.
Tuesday, telling me I needed to get a shower, get dressed and be ready to head out the
door for a 5:30 a.m. rendezvous in Homewood I know absolutely nothing about? “Be sure to
bring your camera.” That’s all she would say. At that hour, all I could think was, ‘what in the
world is Colleen up to?’ Up to, it turns out, were the operative words.

Spouses can be pretty crafty … especially when putting together a surprise for one’s 50th
birthday:

Our flight started in west Homewood as the sun rose over a sleepy city just waking up,
with a smooth landing about an hour later at Lakeshore Parkway and Highway 150 in
Bessemer. We flew over the Oxmoor Valley and got spectacular views of the Robert Trent
Jones Golf course (we saw deer in the woods) and plenty of other beautiful countryside.

Flying in a powered aircraft just doesn’t compare. If you’ve never flown in a hot air balloon,
you’ve missed an incredible experience. There is just no better way to experience the
majesty of our planet, as you float along so silently and gently. Anil Jacob (his first name
is pronounced “uh NEAL”) and Air Alabama can make it happen for you. Would I do this
again? In a heartbeat.

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