Reba Farmer, 89; Michelle James, Farmer’s daughter-in-law; and pilot Doug Lendberg, with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures; kiss the ground with a sporting landing, a landing in which the basket drags along the ground, in the Animas Valley on Tuesday morning. The balloon ride came as a birthday present for Farmer who will turn 90 on Sept. 28.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Reba Farmer, 89; Michelle James, Farmer’s daughter-in-law; and pilot Doug Lendberg, with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures; sail down the Animas Valley toward Durango on Tuesday morning. The 50-minute flight went 1,100 feet above ground. “I was talking with my son, Mark James, and his wife, Michelle, and said, ‘I’ve never, never been up in a hot-air balloon.’ And I thought that it would be a lot of fun” said Farmer of Pueblo. “The next thing I know, they get me this pretty great birthday gift. I just loved it, and hated to come down.”
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Reba Farmer, 89, waits as the crew of OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures inflate a balloon at Red Rock Ranch subdivision in the Animas Valley before she takes birthday ride on Tuesday. Farmer’s 90th birthday is Sept. 28. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A crew with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures secures a balloon on Tuesday morning as pilot Doug Lenberg lifts Reba Farmer, 89, into the basket for her 90th birthday ride at Red Rock Ranch subdivision in the Animas Valley. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Reba Farmer, 89; Michelle James, Farmer’s daughter in-law; and Doug Lendberg, a pilot with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures; lift off from Red Rock Ranch subdivision in the Animas Valley on Tuesday morning. The ride was a birthday gift for Farmer, who turns 90 on Sept. 28. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Reba Farmer, 89; Michelle James, Farmer’s daughter in-law; and Doug Lendberg, a pilot with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures; lift off from Red Rock Ranch subdivision in the Animas Valley on Tuesday morning. The ride was a birthday gift for Farmer, who turns 90 on Sept. 28. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Reba Farmer, 89; Michelle James, Farmer’s daughter in-law; and Doug Lendberg, a pilot with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures; lift off from Red Rock Ranch subdivision in the Animas Valley on Tuesday morning. The ride was a birthday gift for Farmer, who turns 90 on Sept. 28. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Reba Farmer, 89; Michelle James, her daughter in-law; and Doug Lendberg, a pilot with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures; sail down the Animas Valley towards Durango on Tuesday morning for Farmer’s birthday ride. Farmer turns 90 on Sept. 28. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Reba Farmer, 89; Michelle James, her daughter in-law; and Doug Lendberg, a pilot with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures; sail down the Animas Valley towards Durango on Tuesday morning for Farmer’s birthday ride. Farmer turns 90 on Sept. 28. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Reba Farmer, 89; Michelle James, her daughter in-law; and Doug Lendberg, a pilot with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures; touch down Tuesday with a sporting landing – one where the basket drags on the ground – in the Animas Valley north of Durango to complete Farmer’s 90th birthday ride. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Reba Farmer, 89; Michelle James, Farmer’s daughter in-law; and Doug Lendberg, a pilot with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures; touch down Tuesday morning in the Animas Valley north of Durango to complete Farmer’s 90th birthday ride. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Reba Farmer, 89; Michelle James, Farmer’s daughter in-law; and Doug Lendberg, a pilot with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures; touch down Tuesday in the Animas Valley north of Durango. The 50-minute flight went 1,100 feet above ground. “I was talking with my son, Mark James, and his wife, Michelle, and said, ‘I’ve never, never been up in a hot-air balloon.’ And thought that it would be a lot of fun,” said Farmer, who lives in Pueblo. “The next thing I know, they get me this pretty great birthday gift. I just loved it, and hated to come down.” Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Reba Farmer, 89, hangs on tight to the back of Doug Lendberg, a pilot with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures, as they come to rest after a sporting landing, which is a landing in which the basket drags along the ground. Their 50-minute, Tuesday morning flight in the Animas Valley was a birthday gift to Farmer. She turns 90 on Sept. 28. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Reba Farmer, 89, points to the sky and says “let’s go up again” to Doug Lendberg, a pilot with OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures. They had just completed a 50-minute flight in the Animas Valley north of Durango on Tuesday morning. The hot-air balloon ride was a gift for her 90th birthday. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The OTR Hot Air Balloon Adventures ground crew from left, Jimmy Crespo, Mary Hayes, Dave Smith, and passengers Michelle James, Reba Farmer, 89, along with pilot Doug Lenberg, pack the balloon after a 50-minute flight in the Animas Valley north of Durango on Tuesday morning. The ride was a birthday gift for Farmer, who turns 90 on Sept. 28. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald