As my assistant, Blanc Noir, and I stepped into the cold dawn air, still bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, we were met with the chilling touch of fog. We buttoned our Aerodrome jackets tight and set about warming up the burner to inflate the hot air balloon’s envelope. My arms still ached from the night before when I had spent hours fashioning huge beams and planks into what would become the stage for today’s event. By the time the balloon was inflated, I saw that the eastern sky glowed brightly, promising yet another sunny day on the grid. Turning back to my work, I discovered that Blanc had fallen asleep in the basket, leaning awkwardly against the side. It was sleep well-earned, I mused, and let her rest where she was.*
At noon today, the staff at Abbotts Aerodrome and I would like you to join us for an afternoon of ballooning fun. We’ll have several flyable balloons lined up along the Abbotts runway for you to try out. Let’s fill the sky with balloons!
(* Alright, so none of this actually happened. In fact, “Blanc Noir” isn’t a person at all, but a spare SL account with a library avatar. The balloon, however, is presently on a stage next to the runway at Abbotts Aerodrome in Second Life. See you at noon!)