As Albuquerque is well known for its very colorful balloon fiesta held every fall, we wanted to share a tale from the Lunatic Family storybook about Maria’s infamous gas balloon competition.

Up, Up and Away!

“ Yippee!” shouted Maria as she dashed into the Surrey Fringe Factory office one June morning.  “It’s here!”

“What is going on?” growled Grandpa Giovanni as he walked into the office sipping his early morning latte. 

“Oh, Grandpa!  My acceptance letter for the Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett!  You know I have been improving the design for my gas balloon envelope and I want to see just how far it will take me.  So, I applied to be in the Gordon Bennett race.  It’s been going on since 1906 and the winner is the balloonist who goes the farthest in their balloon.  Someday, somewhere, there will be a whole sky full of gas balloons!!!”

“Hmphh!” said Grandpa as he shuffled outside with Maria to examine the latest version of her gas balloon.  “If you girls would put as much work into the fringe factory as you spend dreaming up your high flying schemes, we would all be better off!”  But even as he continued to growl and mutter about “girls with such new-fangled ideas”, he steered Maria over to a corner of the yard that had a large canvas covered object.  “Well, if you are going to actually participate in that Coupe Aeronautique, you certainly need a new basket for your silly balloon.  Especially after the last landing in the gorsebush…” And with a big smile on his face, Grandpa whipped off the canvas and exposed the hidden object.  Maria was speechless as she gazed at the beautiful, new woven basket decorated with a river of Surrey Fringe around the outside.  “Now we will be able to spot you from the ground.  It might even be good for business.  Too bad there’s nowhere to put the company name, grandpa said with a grin. 

The day of the race finally came, and at the starting field, Maria carefully packed and checked the supplies for the race as she placed them in the colorful basket.  All the necessary equipment:  check.  Water, check. Warm sweater and raincoat, just in case; double check.  Food, lovingly prepared by Grandma Giovanni:  1 enormous tin of freshly baked chocolate chip and cranberry cookies, 2 boxes of sandwiches, and 3 blue blueberry pies:  triple check.  Finally, the starter’s gun went off, and the balloons rose into the air.  And as for Maria, she drifted for days, feasting on sandwiches, cookies and pies…

May all your dreams come true!

Katzy Luhring and Michele Belson