Uplifting !

Attended a cool event yesterday, 
took the family and made an evening of it.
Called The Shine Festival, the main event is a 
hot air sky-lantern launching when if gets fully dark.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Houston is a flat place, and if you drive west just a bit, 
towards Sealy, Texas, somehow, it gets even flatter.
Which, when it comes to launching lanterns, 
which have a flaming heat source to keep them aloft, 
flat, open and treeless are good characteristics for a launch zone.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

There were at least a half-dozen drones zipping around overhead...
...me and the boys are gonna' have to get one of those !

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

So, poeple were gathering at the venue, which is actually a motor sports park 
(drag strip) out on this flat piece of land, you could bring chairs, blankets, 
coolers, etc., which people did.
There was a stage, music, food vendors, toy vendors, etc.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

As the sun set, they went around lighting a bunch of tiki-torches, 
placed in rows throughout the place they had us sitting.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

I hadn't realized how many tiki torches there were until I looked at the photos, from 200-300 of them, which is necessary, because lighting the lanterns is a two person job, and would have even been more cumbersome if a third person crouched under there trying to light the "fuel cell."

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

They want everyone to light the lanterns all at once, that's why the large number of tikis.  As we waited for full darkness, and everyone to be set up, the kids had sparklers to keep them busy.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 Kids love sparklers, just gotta watch to see they don't burn themselves...

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Then finally, the call went out to light up !  

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

As they say, it's a two-person operation.  Here, younger son Charles, 
on left, positions the "fuel cell" over the flame while older son William 
holds the lantern/balloon by the top, so it's doesn't collapse.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

You then need to hold it, from the bottom, 
until the air warms sufficiently to fill the balloon, 
and you feel it tugging to lift away.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

This balloon started to collapse, so William gave a quick helping hand.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

So all around us, lanterns were lighting up, 
and warming up, and beginning to drift up into the night sky.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

And then we let go !
William on the left, my daughter-in-law Kim releasing.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 ...and by now everyone else was ready as well (with some a bit early as you see).

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

And a beautiful "river of light" drifted gently up into the sky, 
heading north-north-west on a light breeze.
(,,,and as far as we know, nobody's barn burned down !)

Pretty cool !
Y'all take care now.
- Mark

https://theshinefest.com/