For many Pierce County residents trudging north on their Friday morning commute, they may have witnessed an army of hot air balloons floating their way east down the I-94 corridor as the sun's rays stretched her arms above the horizon to awaken for the day.   

Like a vibrant pod of gentle sky whales, they migrated in the crisp four-degree breeze against an unblemished sapphire-blue atmosphere canvas.

There aren't many perks in the job description of local newspaper reporter, but this was one of them.

Over 600 feet above the ground, it was a different kind of quiet. Vehicles could be seen marching north like ants to a picnic. Memory can picture the sound they should be making, but nothing is there. It was like watching an Academy Award-winning cinematic film on the biggest Imax screen ever invented with the volume turned down.

Hotter air inside the balloon causes it to rise and float. On this four-degree day, even the propane tank full of fire lay in hibernation for most of the journey. It was like an out of body experience in the basement of Heaven. Human skin should be frozen in these temperatures, but it wasn't.

"That's your adrenaline warming you up," said balloon pilot Mike Lesmeister. "That's part of the addiction."

Lesmeister is known as "The Piano Man." The big red piano supplanted on his 54,000 cubic feet deep-blue balloon will explain the reason why. Lesmeister has piloted almost 1,200 flights during the last 27 years and he was in town for the 36^th annual Hudson Hot Air Affair.

"I bought my dad a hot air balloon flight for his birthday because he never used anything we ever gave him," said Lesmeister. "I had never seen a balloon. I was just lovestruck how something so massive could be so gentle."

The Piano Man was in the mood for a melody and the hot air balloon had him feeling alright. He decided to become a balloon pilot right then and there. 

"I got a second mortgage and cashed in some life insurance," said Lesmeister. "That's how the poor people do it. I sold flights to pay for my hot air balloon habit."

In 1997, his first hot air balloon cost him close to $36,000.

“That’s why just about every balloon pilot sells flights,” said Lesmeister. “We have to have help paying for our passion.”

Lesmeister, a Rochester, Minn. native, is nearing retirement from a career fixing truck engines. He’s looking to buy some land and move to Pepin, Wis.

"I love it over here, just love it," he said.

He has no plans to retire piloting anytime soon.

"It can be pretty physical with the set up and the take down, but having a good crew is key," said Lesmeister. "The bigger the crew, the easier it is. Every landing is a controlled crash."

Lesmeister's crew chief is Dan Campion. Dan's wife, Mary, and another friend, Bryan Trimble, helped during this trip for the 36th annual Hudson Hot Air Affair. 

Lesmeister is one of approximately 3,000 hot air balloon pilots in the U.S. When he started 27 years ago, there were 4,300 pilots. In 10 years, the Balloon Federation of America expects there will be 1,200 pilots. Lesmeister’s last crew member is Bryan's son, 16-year-old Brayden Trimble. Brayden wants to be balloon pilot and Lesmeister has taken him under his wing showing him the ropes and wants to give back to the sport in his own way, passing on the propane torch so to speak.  

Like many passions, other people share them, and balloons of a feather flock together. Back on the ground before take-off, the pod of balloon pilots and crews at Rivercrest Elementary in Hudson were unpacking balloons, hitching up the buckets, and firing up motorized fans to help the balloon “stand up.” One pilot's fan wouldn't start, a neighboring pilot quickly brought hers over and said, "We all help each other, that's how it works!"

After the morning flight was over, Lesmeister was headed back to Rivercrest Elementary to speak to classes of kids as part of the Hudson Hot Air Affair's education outreach, coordinated by Brittany Schultz.

Schultz is Hudson born and bred. She's the vice president of the Hot Air Affair committee and in charge of the education outreach.

"We do a cold inflate in the gym and let the kids sit inside the balloon," said Schultz. "And we answer questions and talk about the science behind ballooning."  

Schultz's family used to own the Hudson House where the Hot Air Affair was based out of for decades. Schultz has been coming to the annual festival for over 30 years.

"The event was always there (at the Hudson House) and I got involved and I've been doing it ever since," said Schultz, wearing her homemade patriotic winter headgear made by a friend of hers named Lana. 

Schultz has served on the Hot Air Affair committee for close to 20 years.

The 36th annual Hudson Hot Air Affair has floated by this past weekend. From bingo benefitting the Hudson Boosters and the Friday night Torchlight Parade and fireworks to fat bike races and a kids' ice fishing tournament, it had something for just about everyone.