So I grabbed my camera and ran outside just in time to catch a hot air balloon inflate from almost nothing. Here is a 2 minute and 41 second super close-up video of hot air being pumped into a giant piece of fabric. Only click if you need a meditative break. The video below this one is more interesting.
This video is 2 minutes and 19 seconds of the final inflation and take-off. I've been treated to this view many times in the five years that we've been here, but never this close and from the very beginning. As I've mentioned before, we also had a hot air balloon land on our property, while we watched it jump the fence (because they were afraid of our dogs) and deflate next to our house. There must be a clause on our title called "HAB Easement", which explains that hot air balloons may do what they want, when they feel like it, wherever they please. That's fine with me.
If you don't have the time or the interest in watching the videos (can't blame you there), here are some stills that you can quickly peruse.