It takes about 15 minutes from the time the material is stretched out on the field until it's turned upright, preparatory to taking off. Some 700 hot-air balloons are launched in total. The sky is afloat in a sea of color and shapes. Besides the standard balloon shapes, there are animals and cartoon characters filling the air above.

Floating above may be an upside down Humpty-Dumpty, a boy and girl bee, a mushroom house, a devil, an angel, a mammoth cow, a Wells Fargo wagon and a Jack Daniels bottle. In the gondolas that steer the crafts there may be one person or several, depending on the size of the basket or the inclination of the owner.

Some balloons are owned privately, some by corporations. All have a ground crew to keep the craft anchored before send-off and help steady it upon landing. One balloon had a single pilot, sans gondola. He rode simply on a platform, clothed in shorts and sandals, yet landed smoothly, aided by his ground crew.

Since dawn had just barely broken, the temperature was brisk (we were in earmuffs and ski jackets), and it had to have been even brisker as high up as he drifted. The people who marshal the timing of the ascents are called "zebras" because they wear black-and-white uniforms.

Despite the crowds in the sky and the possibility of fire, there's never been a fatality, we were told. However, some injuries are sustained. On the final day, the Smokey the Bear balloon tangled with a radio tower. The balloon was somehow secured to the 650-foot tower, and the three riders managed to scramble down.

Workers on the tower said it generally takes them half an hour to reach top or bottom. But the 10- and 12-year-olds who were passengers in Smokey made it down much faster than that—setting something of a record, I imagine. The third passenger, an adult, descended at a more deliberate pace.

WINNING COMBO: Emily Leo, a diabetic nurse counselor, first met her husband, Thomas, an internist, very briefly at Community Hospital of Los Gatos where they both worked. Another nurse had asked who Dr. Leo was and Emily said she had no idea. But when a newcomer came down the hall, she jokingly said, "Here comes Dr. Leo."

When he introduced himself, "I started to laugh and left the other nurses to handle the situation." To this day the others think she knew him earlier. Two days after that fleeting meeting, however, Dr. Leo had a more leisurely introduction to his future wife when both attended a Quaker meeting.

"He made a beeline for me," she says, and reintroduced himself. The pair fell in love and married, raising a yours, mine and ours family in Los Gatos. "I bought in Los Gatos because houses were less expensive than in San Jose—can you believe that?" says the longtime nurse.

The diabetes program at Community that Emily works with recently received a certificate of recognition from the American Diabetes Association, largely for classes taught there. Two of the educators are certified diabetes educators, a process requiring 2,000 hours of practice and a rigorous exam.

Emily is one of those two. She's been at the hospital more than 25 years, managed the pediatric unit before turning full time to diabetes. She's also worked at diabetes camps for children.

"Life is a challenge for those living with diabetes, and it gives me pleasure, gratitude and a sense of accomplishment to help people meet that challenge," she says.

RETRO SHOW: Rick Seeber's 8-Track, The Sounds of the '70s, a fast-paced musical featuring four song-and-dance performers, is the latest offering at Theatre On San Pedro Square, beginning Oct. 27 and playing Wednesday to Sunday through the holidays. This is the Bay Area première of the show.

8 Track is called "an eclectic, energetic, powerful good time," with more than 50 hits from the decade of "You Light Up My Life," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "YMCA," "Stayin' Alive" and "Shake Your Booty."

Saratogan Gary De Mattei is chief honcho of Theatre On San Pedro Square and the number is 408.283.0200. "Admit it, you feel good in polyester," says the promo. Doubt if I'd go that far.

BULGARIA, ANYONE?: The potluck dinner and travel talk at Sanborn Park Hostel on Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. will feature Betsy Schwartz, an October tradition at the hostel. Her slide show will be about her recent trip to Bulgaria. The hostel is at 408.741.9555.

SWASHBUCKLER ALERT: Ballet San Jose needs men 5 feet 5 to 6 feet 2 with chest measurement 46­48 inches to play non-dancing guards, sultans and servants as part of The Nutcracker Dec. 16­26. The number is 408.288.2820, ext. 235.

Got a tip for Saratoga Sampler? Send email to maryanncook@earthlink.net.