traditions...how they change

Labor Day weekend means hot air balloons around here.
When we first moved here nearly 20 years ago the balloons would go up at dawn and fill the sky with all sorts of odd shapes, such as a cow, a truck, or a champagne bottle. We'd set our alarm clock and get out the binoculars and sit on the porch watching for a long time.
Then we had a few years of bad weather over Labor Day, so fewer balloons came to the festival. And the balloons that did come were smaller and rounder.
Today I did not set my alarm clock or get out my binoculars. This is what I saw on my regular morning walk.