Written by: Shirley Johnson

“Unexpected Hot Air”

“It was a beautiful, sunny morning in Oregon. we were outside working on our little farm in Silverton. There were flowers to plant and hedges to trim. Suddenly we heard voices. ‘What was that,’ I asked Rod.

“‘I don’t know,’ he replied, ‘sounds like it’s coming out of the sky.’

“‘Like voices from heaven?’ I asked.

“We looked up and there, floating towards us, was a beautiful rainbow of colors. It was a huge hot air balloon. The people in the basket were waving their arms and hollering at us. ‘Can we land in your field?’ they asked us. Rod waved his arms and nodded his head, inviting them to set down.

“The big balloon gracefully floated to the ground behind our big red barn, next to the old oak tree. We ran over to greet them. They climbed out of the balloon and anchored it for the moment as Rod helped to hold onto it. They explained that they were giving rides that day from Cooley’s Gardens and planned to return their riders there for a champagne brunch. But the wind got them off course. They decided what to do next. Rod offered to help with whatever was necessary. They deflated the balloon and loaded the whole unit on Rod’s pick up truck to get it back to Cooley’s. So the big hot air balloon arrived at its planned destination at Cooley’s on the back of Rod’s pick up truck.

“The crew was very appreciative and invited us to join them for the champagne brunch. Of course we accepted! It was a very elegant party. The beautiful buffet table was set outside on the grass and there was delicious food everywhere!

“It was an unforgettable experience and the next time we hear voices from heaven, we’ll believe it.”