AUGUST MOON 2013: Intentionally being FULL as a pleasure seeking creative!

PLEASURE SEEKING CREATIVE, ST. CATHERINE'S ISLAND, GEORGIA, USA, AUGUST 2013 (photo by Tony Martin)

Hallelujah for the FULLNESS of the blue August moon 2013! It is full, and so am I! Two bloggers, Kat and Meredith, have challenged those of us in the blogging community to blog for 11 consecutive days at the FULLNESS of the 2013 August moon.

BLUE AUGUST MOON 2013, ST. CATHERINE'S ISLAND, GEORGIA. How thrilling it is to be on a barrier island on the Georgia coast with my husband, Chiboogamoo and his colleague and student during a full moon. How amazing it is to be starting a new creative project with the island ornithologist, Jen Hilburn. (photo by Tony Martin)

The first prompt begins today, August 21st, by asking "How have you treated yourself this year?" and "Have you kept your intentions?". Thank you Kat and Meredith! Let's get started!

During 2013, I have cultivated the following vision to direct my intention: 

I AM A PLEASURE SEEKING CREATIVE DANCING "YES" TO THE FLOWING CENTER OF THE CYCLE OF LIFE."

The phrase, "pleasure seeking creative," was an addition to my vision mid-year 2013. I added it in June when I began trying to solve this question: "Should I leave my job of almost 20 years to cultivate other skills and discover new arenas of connectivity and meaningfulness?"

As I am a SPIRITUAL ART PILGRIM on a joyful journey (that is what my blog, Coffee with Hallelujah, is all about), I find it imperative to experience joy. Therefore, in response to the prompt, "How have you treated yourself?", my answer is that I have sought pleasure and to increase my FULLNESS of life by jumping into the void of the UNKNOWN. I leave behind beloved colleagues, a supportive and creative director, and the most engaging and dedicated international students.

"Have I kept my intentions" (the other part of Kat and Meredith's prompt)? The answer is a resounding, "YES." My strongest intention for 2013 in addition to seeking pleasure, is TO KEEP MOVING, and I have....

WARMING UP WITH THE DANCING FLOWERS FOR PEACE. The Dancing Flowers invited me to their warmups on Saturday mornings before their rehearsals. Their creative movement is a gift as well as their warmth and generous spirits. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

I have been dancing with Five Rhythms, attending Dance Church, and doing creative movement with The Dancing Flowers for Peace. And, then, drum roll, I have consciously engaged with InterPlay after learning about it. More to follow about InterPlay in future blog entries. 

My FULLNESS associated with this FULL moon occurring in August is a result of seeking pleasure and consistent persistent movement. Hallelujah for blogging and reflecting which is allowing me to relish the ALL of my life. My life is AWESOME!

That's Coffee with Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me and tell me about how you have been treating yourself in 2013 and have you been following your intentions.

BLOGGING WITH THE FULL MOON.  The FULL moon of August 2013 can be seen to the right of the photo, peeking over trees. How wonderful to blog about FULLNESS inspired by the FULL moon! (photo by Tony Martin)

 

ENGAGING WITH THE ORDINARY: Drawing to draw and being to be

ORDINARY EYES (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for engaging with the ORDINARY in my life! Right now more than ever before, the ORDINARY is an extraORDINARY visitor of mine, and I am engaged with making this ORDINARYness a regular member of my household.

AMEN TO MASCULINE ENERGY (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Good-bye to fear, hesitation, doubt, and any other saboteurs that make me question the nature or ORDINARYness of Ruth (aka Hallelujah Truth) and my image-making endeavors. I am who I am. I can be no one else. The images that you see here are ORDINARY for me. They are my language.

However, I must admit that what is ORDINARY to me, may be new or foreign to you. My ART PILGRIMAGE has taken me into the territory of expressing parts of my psyche in images which have developed collectively into "The Cosmos of Hallelujah."

For more than the past five years, I have dedicated myself to drawing every day. This blog, Coffee with Hallelujah, celebrates me and my dedicated ART PILGRIMAGE. In all of its ORDINARYness.

COMFORTED BY THE MYSTERY (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Through the ORDINARY practice of trusting my heart, I have invited people who I love into my life.  Through  the ORDINARY practice of being, I am engaged in activities that enliven and give me joy. I have become a pleasure seeker through the act of drawing ORDINARILY and being ORDINARY.

ENTERTAINING THE ORDINARYness OF MY SOUL (art by Hallelujah Truth)

That's Coffee with Hallelujah. SOUL BLOG with me and tell me how you have accepted the ORDINARYness of your journey. Many thanks to Callahan Pope McDonough for sharing the link to Ronna Detrick's blog entry on the topic of "ordinary" after our morning walk on the Atlanta Beltline this morning.

GROUNDING OURSELVES IN LIFE AND THE EARTH: REMEMBERING OUR NEPHEW THOMAS

THOMAS SCHOWALTER (1996-2011)

Time is relative when you live with a geologist as I do. When I admonish my husband for running late, he responds, "What does an hour or a day matter in terms of the geologic record?" Other events can make time relative. For example, how do I fathom the two years of time that have passed since my nephew Thomas Schowalter died? August 8th is the anniversary of his death, and for those of us in his family who have been managing his absence, time indeed has been relative--sometimes speeding up and other times slowing down.

Today, my husband, Tony Martin, and I are commemorating Thomas's life by posting photographs of our visit with him in 2008, when he was a twelve-year-old boy. Along with his mother Liz and father Steve, who is my brother, we left their home in Oahu, Hawaii, and went with Thomas to the Big Island to hike in volcanic terrain.

ERODED BASALT. Uncle Tony: This looks like an old basalt lava flow that underwent a lot of weathering since a volcano put it out onto the earth's surface. Here, Thomas shows his curiosity about the rock. He was a youth fascinated by something with such antiquity. Aunt Ruth: It was so much fun exploring with Thomas. He loved being with his Uncle Tony, a paleontologist, and asking lots of questions about volcanism. He also seemed to find a lot of living creatures to investigate along with the volcanic rocks.

THE BEGINNING OF SOIL. Uncle Tony: Once these basalt flows are weathered and eroded long enough, they begin to turn into fertile soils. These cycles of new rock are followed by weathering, which are then followed by their blooming with life. Aunt Ruth: Thomas and his mother were a pleasure to watch. Both curious, they would discuss their findings with the greatest of scientific interest. What breathtaking scenery, and to see fragile human life in the midst of such striking geologic vastness!

HIGH LIFE. Uncle Tony: Thomas was enjoying both a gorgeous view from above a volcanic plain and the chance to stretch himself on a rail. Rails are normally meant to hold us back, but this one gave him an opportunity to play. Aunt Ruth: Thomas was the youngest of my eight nephews and nieces, and I felt so fortunate to spend time with him at this alchemical time in his development. At twelve, he was still a boy, not yet a teenager. His energy was exuberant, his curiosity endless, and he still liked spending his time with adults. In fact, he seemed to adore being with his Uncle Tony and Aunt Ruth!

ATOP PAHOEHOE: Uncle Tony: The fresher lava flows on The Big Island preserve the ropy texture of melted rock, but also have been uplifted in places, inviting adventurous souls to climb. Aunt Ruth: Seeing Thomas run up this lava flow and strike the "conqueror's pose" made my heart sing! We spent the entire day with him and his mom walking out to the edge of the lava flow to where it met the ocean. We ate lunch near an active part of the volcano where there were volcanic flames. The Big Island in Hawaii is still growing. Where we ate lunch, the land collapsed some months after we were there.

YOUR CAR HAS BEEN TOWED: Uncle Tony: Or, maybe it's under the lava. Thomas loved the humor posed by this sign and insisted that we take his picture here, between us, the rocks, and the sea. Aunt Ruth: What an adventure we had with Thomas. In geologic time, it was miniscule, but that day hiking that lava flow with our young nephew will be forever preserved in our memories. We have the photos which document his laughter and play. What an odd relationship we humans have with the forces of nature and deep deep time of the evolving Earth.

COMMEMORATING LIFE: Uncle Tony: Here Thomas poses near some petroglyphs, made by native Hawaiians hundreds of years ago. Aunt Ruth: Human behaviors become extraordinary when documenting significant events. Just as these photograph document and celebrate Thomas's life, these petroglyphs commemorated important moments in lives of the indigenous people. Making marks to REMEMBER is an important endeavor.

BIG CRATER. Uncle Tony: Just outside of the visitor's center of the national park on The Big Island is a huge crater, formed by collapse. Aunt Ruth: How splendid it was to intersperse our hiking of the Big Island with gathering information. We had such a grand time with Thomas!

TRAIL TO US. Uncle Tony: Given enough time, the basalt weathered, became soil, and hosted lush, green life, through which we walked with Thomas. In our minds, Thomas keeps coming back, just like life. Aunt Ruth: Thomas, thank you for all of yourself that you gave us in those few days on a volcanic island in Hawaii. Like your Uncle Tony said, you keep coming back, and we welcome your presence.

SYMBASA: Making our lives more "whole" through collaboration across science and art!

SYMBASA! WHAT? Arriving at the first SymbASA (Symbiosis Art and Science Alliance) meeting, which convened July 26-28, 2013, my Chiboogamoo (aka Tony Martin) and I were pleased at how well Warren Wilson College had provided signs to direct us around its campus. (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for collaboration! Hallelujah for the minds and hearts of artists and scientists coming together to see what they can discover. Asking questions such as "How can science illuminate the arts?" or "How can the arts serve science?" or "When do science and art merge and become something altogether new and dynamic?"

On the last weekend of July 2013, Nance Lowe, founder and director of SymbASA, gathered together interested scientists, artists, and educators to discuss these questions on the campus of Warren Wilson College. This kind of dialogue across disciplines is riding the crest of an exciting new movement to address the EARTH's pressing problems such as climate change, habitat loss, decreasing natural resources, starvation and overpopulation, just to name a few. 

Surely scientists and artists working together fusing their imaginations is a productive approach to address these troubling issues and to create a new way of living and understanding of the world in the 21st Century. How can we all think differently, playfully, and intellectually, trying on new lenses and seeing through alternative filters?

BEAUTIFUL LOCATION TO DISCUSS SCIENCE AND ART! Set in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Warren Wilson College is a spectacular place to meet and talk about the "emergence" that occurs when artists and scientists collaborate!  The seminar room had windows and an open door to this verdant campus. Here I am, Hallelujah Truth, on the eve of the SymbASA conference. The daily rain was cleansing and refreshing! (photo by Tony Martin)

WELCOME FROM NANCY LOWE (ARTIST and CITIZEN SCIENTIST). The very first SymbASA meeting started promptly at 8:30. Nancy Lowe, who single-handedly created SymbASA, planned this meeting, and made it happen, greeted a room full of scientists, artists, and educators on the last Saturday morning in July 2013. (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

Beginning a morning of presentations, Nancy Lowe welcomed us and enfolded our day in the 4-C's: COURAGE, CREATIVITY, CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, AND CURIOSITY! What follows is a brief description of who spoke and what was said:

AMY BOYD, BIOLOGY and ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROFESSOR. Amy was one of two Warren Wilson College faculty members who welcomed SymbASA attendees by giving short talks about the way she has integrated art and science in her courses.(photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

Amy Boyd, a biology and environmental studies professor at Warren Wilson College, wants to ensure that her students are active in their learning. Therefore, she requires students to use art as a part of their observation practices. Whether they are looking through a microscope or walking out in nature, Amy asks her students to photograph or draw what they are examining. Without giving her students much guidance, she asks them to make a portfolio explaining important scientific concepts. She is currently developing a course I would love to take--"Recording Nature," in which she will ask students to capture their nature observations with photos, audio and video recording, and drawing!

BETTE BATES, ARTIST. Bette shared her student's artwork from the classes she teaches at Warren Wilson College. The images were directly inspired from nature. (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

Bette Bates began her talk by telling us that Warren Wilson College's art department was on the opposite side of the campus from her science colleague, Amy Boyd, but that she bridges the distance by incorporating nature observation in her art classes. Bette gets her students to be inspired through careful observation and quoted May Sarton for inspiration: "...If one looks long enough at almost anything, looks with absolute attention at a flower, a stone, the bark of a tree, grass, snow, a cloud, something like revelation takes place."

SYMBASA AUDIENCE. Paused momentarily because of technical difficulties, I took a photo of early morning SymbASA attendees.(photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS--CAREY BAGDASSARIAN, , and ELIZABETH MEAD, ARTIST. (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

What if your professors wanted you to feel like you were seeing snow for the first time when you took their class? Then you would need to take a course from Carey Bagdassarian, chemistry professor and writer, and Elizabeth Mead, art professor and sculptor, at the College of William and Mary. They wowed us with their keynote presentation,"Emergent Dialogues," as they explained a collaborative course they teach at their college. Their talk was magical in its visual beauty and scientific depth as they introduced topics such as convergence, patterns, equations, unpredictability, flux, flow, play, epiphenomenon, complex systems, and number theory.

Taking joyful turns speaking, it was clear that the theoretical chemist and sculptor had developed a well-oiled avenue of communication through their science-art collaborations. But as Elizabeth explained, it was not without breakdowns and redefining words like "systems" and "structures." Their students, who benefit from these discussions, attend class in Elizabeth's art studio near a river. Carey and Elizabeth encourage them to be present and engaged by following a no-talking policy and sending them out in canoes "In Search of Small Gods (Jim Harrison)."

Imagine what students discover about themselves by designing and implementing this course's project, "measure something in nature." One mesmerizing slide showed how a student of theirs had decided to measure leaf fall in the forest by establishing a bed of moss to catch the falling leaves. 

Because Carey and Elizabeth's art-science collaboration, they have succeeded in giving their students a fuller world view and helped them to see how profound nature really is.

ABOARD SPACESHIP EARTH--MARK HANF (MATHEMATICIAN, EDUCATOR, BUSINESSMAN) and GARIUS HILL (MUSICIAN, FILMOGRAPHER, BUSINESSMAN). (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

I wish Mark Hanf and Garius Hill had been collaborating when I was a child learning science, social studies and math. By creating "Aboard Spaceship Earth," they have succeeded in creating an interdisciplinary curriculum that addresses the different kinds of intelligence we humans possess. One of my favorite parts of this curriculum is that students learn in communities by sitting around and on a world map while interacting with one another, moving around creating data, recording it, and discussing its outcome. Then there is all the amazing electronic interactive work they can do. And much much more! Be sure to check out the links I have provided here.

SYMBASA WRITING WALL. Nancy Lowe encouraged an informal exchange by creating "writing walls," so conference participants could express their ideas about key topics being brought up at the meeting. In the photo above, one of the Warren Wilson College students is giving his answer while below, my Chiboogamoo, aka Tony Martin, writes his! What a great idea! (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

RUTH SCHOWALTER, ARTIST, BLOGGER, CITIZEN SCIENTIST and TONY MARTIN, ICHNOLOGIST, ARTIST, and WRITER. Tony and I co-presented on our collaborative artwork and Paleontologist Barbie interviews. (photo by Cherilynn Morrow)

It was an honor for my Chiboogamoo (aka Tony Martin) and me to be asked by Nancy Lowe to present at this first SymbASA meeting on our collaborative work in recent years. The key idea of our talk was that our work together has enabled us to enlarge our way of being in the world. Scientists tend to be cerebral, engaging with ideas as filtered through the intellect. Artists, while certainly being cerebral, also listen and validate input that filters in through the heart, gut, and "sex organs" (see Randy Olsen's Don't Be Such A Scientist).

In other words, Tony and I have been able in our marriage and through our collaborations to integrate our understanding of ideas in a holistic way. I have the privilege of being with Tony when he is collecting primary data and sifting through it for understanding. He, in turn, has the benefit of my questioning and insights from an artistic perspective. We are both made more "whole" through this life of collaboration we lead. I will write more about our collaboration in a future blog.

CARRIE LEWIS, MATH EDUCATOR. (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

Who wouldn't love to learn how to do math by dancing? Carrie Lewis, educator extraordinaire, explained one of her many creative ways to use an art form to teach children math. What fun! One might say she puts the "A" from art into STEM to make it STEAM! Take a look at this video that PBS did on this integrated lesson:
 
As the afternoon progressed, we continued sharing information about symbiotic relationships of art and science informally.

LIZA ROGER, ARTIST and MEDICAL STUDENT. Liza told us about the science-art exhibit she created and curated for the School of Medicine at Emory University. In addition to accepting submissions, art students were paired with scientists and created works from their discussions. (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ART-SCI, STRATEGIC PLANNING, PARTNERSHIPS AND PROJECTS. The afternoon culminated in Nancy Lowe leading a discussion about the current state of art and science collaborations across the nation, established organizations already focusing on art and science collaborations and education, and how SymbASA can develop to make a significant contribution in merging the arts with the sciences.(photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

AMANDA ARROWOOD, DANCER. After listening to Carey Bagdassarian and Elizabeth Mead talk about flocking, I asked Amanda if she was familiar with flocking since she was a dancer and dance instructor. When she answered, "Yes," I told her it would be fun if she would lead us all in flocking, so everyone could experience the concept of "emergence" that Carey and Elizabeth were talking about in their keynote speech. Here, she is preparing everyone to get out of their chairs and "flock."(photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

FLOCKING AT SYMBASA. Our group watched this group flock so that we could observe how individual members would gradually begin to be able to synchronize their movements. There is a magic to this exercise. I loved hearing Nancy Lowe exclaim surprise as she documented these flocking exercises on video! See Nancy's blog post about flocking. (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

SYMBASA BREAK. During the weekend, Nancy Lowe was sure to leave time for hikes around the Warren Wilson College campus. This photo shows the barns down by the vegetable and flower gardens. (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

WINE AND CHEESE ART PARTY.  After an exciting day of talks, we met in the evening to relax and share ideas. Nancy Lowe gave us the opportunity to make art, look at books, or just enjoy the ambiance while drinking local beer or a glass of wine. (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

CHERILYNN MORROW, ASTROPHYSICIST and MUSICIAN.  Gathering and chatting allows time to share information. Here Cherilynn is looking at Tony Martin's book, Life Traces of the Georgia Coast. (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth)

WHAT A GREAT PLACE TO ATTEND A CONFERENCE!

Our morning commute to the facility for SymbASA on the Warren Wilson College campus was filled with natural wonder. Does it get any more beautiful than this? (at right) Farewell, breakfast in the cafeteria, where we ate all of our meals.  (photo by Ruth Schowalter, aka Hallelujah Truth and cafeteria volunteer)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Many thanks to Nancy Lowe, founder and director of SymbASA for taking a dramatic leap and starting this organization to catalyze new ways of engaging in the sciences and arts. You have boldness, Nancy! And your boldness has  genius, power, and magic (paraphrasing Goethe)!

COLLABORATORS: NANCY AND RUTH! I believe Nancy Lowe succeeded in accomplishing what she set out to do! I feel stimulated about how we can talk about the juncture of science and the arts. I am thinking about this connection now as a "symbiotic" one thanks to Nancy! Thank you! (photo by Tony Martin)

I also wish to express gratitude to the participants and presenters at  the conference, especially my husband and fellow collaborator Tony Martin. And, thanks to everyone at Warren Wilson College who made our stay on the campus comfortable! Finally, thank you Peter Trusler, both talented artist and scientist for providing so much inspiration through your work and friendship although it be at such a great distance.To see how Peter weds art and science, see this video: 


That's Coffee with Hallelujah! Soul Blog with me and tell me what you are thinking now about the symbiosis of art and science!

BALLOONING ACROSS MENTAL LANDSCAPES: Novelty of travel in Cappadocia provides different terrains

BALLOONING ACROSS CAPPADOCIAN LANDSCAPE. (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for perspective and for viewing our lives in a myriad of ways! Hallelujah for the foreign terrain that we confront both willingly and unwillingly as we venture forth courageously in what is ours to claim and proclaim!

BALLOONS ARISING AT DAWN IN CAPPADOCIA. (photo by Tony Martin)

CAPPADOCIAN ALIEN (photo by Tony Martin)

In June 2013 during our visit to Turkey, my darling Chiboogamoo (aka Tony Martin) and I were awakened every morning around 4:00 AM by the Muslim call to prayer. It was no different in Goreme. The plaintive voice echoing over the tips of Cappadocian hills made of sand-colored tuff caused Chiboogamoo to climb out of bed, grab his camera, and capture the hot air balloon adventurers rising along with the sun over the transfixing landscape that has been so terrifically altered by nature and humans over the centuries (see my previous blog on Cappadocia).

ALTERED PERSPECTIVES. Seeing is a way of BEING. For me, traveling is such a wonderful privilege. To have the opportunity to see such a foreign or "alien" terrain as the one that Cappadocia offers is life altering. Perhaps the change is not in the dramatic fashion that one witnesses in Hollywood movies, but the alteration is subtle and profound. Alien-scapes are ALTARS for celebrating the SOUL! I now "own" this Cappadocian terrain in my mind, heart, and body, thus making it available for SYMBOLIC use to understand the intangible!  (art by Hallelujah Truth)

DRIFTING THOUGHT (photo by Tony Martin)

What is the function of BEING AN ALIEN--or a stranger in a strange land? We access new thoughts, and like these Cappadocian hot air balloons, they float through our consciousness into a memory, a thought, a new symbol. Symbols embody meaning that is difficult to access if you have limited worldly experience. Therefore flying in high above or trekking through rocky Turkish landscapes in searing heat under blue skies anchors our perceptions to the concrete experiential senses.


SEEING old symbols in new contexts also enlivens! I have long been an admirer of the "evil eye," an amulet that protects its owner from misfortune.  Yet to the Cappadocian landscape through a tree draped in evil eye amulets thrilled me! I started seeing multiple hot air balloons drifting in a mini-Cappadocian landscape. I envisioned my thoughts drifting away like hot air balloons with the evil eye on each one!

EVIL EYE CAPPADOCIAN LANDSCAPE.  (photo by Tony Martin)

TRANSPORTING THOUGHT. I, Hallelujah Truth, always start with the familiar, wherever I am, no matter what environment I inhabit. I begin with what I know in order to bridge the "difference" and what is "alien." Here is the SYMBOL I use to represent the masculine energy in my psyche. I love it that he wanted to ride in the carriage of the hot air balloon decorated with the visage of Hallelujah Truth! (art by Hallelujah Truth)

THE ORDINARY BECOMING THE PROFOUND. As each hot air balloon rose over the Cappadocian landscape, I felt a thrill run up and down my spine! Thought rising, another thought rising, releasing, moving, hovering over for me to view. These hot air balloons were just like meditation.Yet, it was alsofun to imagine the perspectives that the balloon riders were having as they rode in their individual balloons. Did they perceive me and Chiboogamoo photographing them? (photo by Tony Martin)

CAVE CHURCH ART.  I cannot help but make the connection of the hot air balloons in the Cappadocian sky to the heads of these saints as portrayed on the walls of the Cappadocian caves. Do you? (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

WHITE HAIRED JESUS. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

MORE DRIFTING THOUGHT (photo by Tony Martin)

SOUL PILGRIMS BALLOONING ACROSS ALIEN LANDSCAPE (art by Hallelujah Truth)

 

 

 

HALLELUJAH TRUTH wearing evil eyes! (photo by Tom Meyers)

Dear readers! Dear fellow SOUL PILGRIMS! That is Coffee with Hallelujah! Soul blog with me and tell me what your experiences are of journeying in alien-scapes, watching your thoughts with new perspectives, and wondering about other people's perspectives. My Chiboogamoo and I did not ride in a hot air balloon, primarily because of the expense, but we also felt we didn't need the actual experience of riding in a hot air balloon. Our imaginations are that rich! How about yours? Would you ride in the balloon?