Now, THAT is what I call a balloon!

Saturday evening of ABA, we went to the opening event at the Cavalier Beach Club. It was a blast…two bands cranking up in two different parts of the area, and fire pits blazing outside (in a fairly stiff wind…about the only really cold evening we had to endure the entire time we were in Virginia Beach!).

But the highlight for us? It had to be the gentleman making balloon animals. It led to a great new ongoing joke, and an even better new ongoing friendship. The guy (never did get his name) was amazing…I used to tie poodles out of balloons when I was a teenager, but the creations this man crafted were lightyears beyond anything I used to attempt. Turtles in a bubblebath, butterfly hats, and wings for people to wear on their backs– it’s balloon art taken to the highest level!

We stood in line, marvelling at his work, and waiting our turn. When he turned towards us, I let him know how crazy Emi is about whales. He got a mischievious look in his eye, winked at her, and set to work with a black and a white balloon. A neat looking Orca quickly emerged, but he wasn’t finished. What good is the whale without the sea? Soon, he measured Emi’s head, and started on the sea…a 2-3 foot high column of intertwined light and dark blue balloons that rose from her head to support her nameless Orca. When it was all done, a round of applause from us all, and Emi had to duck to get through doorways the rest of the evening!

Then it happened…we were standing there during all this time with a couple of Operators (names withheld to protect the innocent), and making comments about the animals he was making. One of the Operators very innocently spoke up at one point and said, “I can do snakes”, and everyone standing around lost it! She, of course, meant nothing by it, attempting a joke about making simple balloon animals, but everyone took it to the extreme, and a running joke was born! More on that later…

The evening was capped by fireworks shot from the edge of the water over the beach. We went and sat on the wall above the sand, and had a great view (especially when some of the embers came down fairly close). A little more dancing, and then back on the buses, with everyone receiving a small Dolphin as a gift from our hosts. A perfect ending to a great evening, opening a great show!

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