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People lined up along either side of the balloon, trying to get it filled. Unfortunately, it's over a decade old, has huge holes, & is larger than a functioning hot-air balloon should be. I didn't find out until later that the thing had never been successfully launched. This was Leonard's final attempt--the balloon's now on view at Baltimore's Museum of Visionary Arts.

Leonard's source of hot air: a wood-burning stove on the back of one of his trucks.

"Who's the statue?" an older woman asked from the other side of the balloon. I held up Wagner. She frowned. "You don't like Wagner?" I asked. She just grimaced and shook her head.

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