By Daniel McGonigle
Managing Editor
As a stream of cattle from the Pohlman farm made their way all in a row they stopped, dead in the tracks of the lead cow, eyes fixed upon the skies.

From above you could see the freshly worn tracks in the snow to the place they would walk from the farm to a still-running stream to quench their thirst.

The cows would gather and bunch up behind the leader, curious, but only within reason; they dared not get too close to something they so rarely see.

And as Charlie, head Warrior football coach Carl Fruechte (he of the state champion fame), myself and the pilot, whose name I can't recall right now, but I do recall he has logged over 400 flights (while up in a balloon it becomes about priority and perspective when it is time to recall the details)-all made our way towards the ground in the field just past the cows' location, I too was thinking to myself "huh, that's not something you see everyday."

I was on the same wavelength as a an Angus steak, each of us curious about the other, though not how either might taste cooked to the tender point of medium-rare.

And as I looked down on them, and they looked up at me, I thought to myself "how cool is this job?"

It isn't everyday that you get to see a row of cows stopped all in a line, gazing up at four guys in a big red balloon.

For those of you who do this each year, or better, for the pilots, I am sure these experiences are not so new.

But to this newbie, who'd only flown in a balloon which was tethered, prior to Friday, those cows will forever be burned in my mind's eye.

Oh, there were many things that day. The airplane which seemed almost close enough to reach out and touch, flying past the water tower on an equal level, the photo I took of the shadow we cast on the ground as we made our way up, up and into the sky.

And of course, seeing Caledonia from above, looking down upon the town and seeing life as it happens...it was quite a peaceful ride, peaceful indeed.

Thanks to the neighbors along our route who sent their well wishes our way, and of course, thanks to the many volunteers who helped make our Winter Wonderland celebration, my first, a smashing success.

I was glad to hear that 11 more balloons got to go up on Saturday giving as many people as possible the same opportunity to have the experiences I did this weekend. Thanks again to all of you who made it possible.

I was told after I wrote this that my pilot's name was Ray Ebert...thank's Ray.

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Caledonia Argus
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