!http://www.sensoryoutput.com/wp-images/postings/balloonraces.jpg(Dawn Patrol at the Reno Balloon Races)!

This morning I woke up at 4:00 am (after having gone to bed only four hours earlier) and drove to Rancho San Rafael Park to watch Dawn Patrol at the Reno Balloon Races. I went last year, and I must say that even though it is nearly the same every year, I still find it cool and fun to watch. Daybreak is imminent and these five balloons take off in the morning darkness, lighting up the sky at synchronized intervals. Afterwards, mass ascension happens, when a hundred or so balloons of varying shapes, sizes, and colors take off from the park.

A friend called it “a primitive form of flight,” but I would say that there is a simple elegance to it. One is at the whims of the morning winds, yet I bet the experience in a balloon is serene and breathtaking (if not a bit nippy, too) regardless of where you actually end up. We watched as a balloon was filled with hot air and slowly took shape before take off. The actual act of taking off was interesting because this basket full of three people just started to rise slowly off the ground, drifting towards us. Primitive indeed, but awesome nonetheless.

After mass ascension, we found that Starbucks was offering free mini-coffees to everyone, so we stopped by for our caffeine kick (my second of the morning). Then, we decided to spring for some $4 pancakes from the Kiwanas club. As we sat and ate our scrumptious breakfast, washed down with orange juice, we marveled as the sun rose, illuminating the shadows of the thousands of people that were there to witness the events. You do not realize in the dark just how many people are around you until their silhouettes smack you in the face.