ALBANY - Nearly 35 years ago, Nancy Schwenkner painted a mural on the side of a barn along East State Street in Albany owned by her sister Julie Cousin.
In September, now 56, Schwenkner was struck again by a muse.
"She said, 'I'll paint it for you one more time, but this is the last time,'" Cousin said, describing surprise when her younger sister announced the plan. "It was getting very faded."
Cousin, 64, and her husband, Joe, spent 13 years flying hot air balloons. The hobby began for Cousin when Schwenkner began lessons at 16, an age Cousin said made her sister the youngest pilot to take flight at that time.
While she began her interest through her sister, it continued with her husband.
"He realized I was never going to give it up," Julie said, noting that Joe soon joined in. "He loved it."
Joe even became a commercial pilot while Julie remained a private one, meaning Joe could provide rides to others in his balloon.
A staple of the Monroe Balloon Rally, the pair were together 30 years. They met through work. Julie was a nurse for the Head Start program in Rock and Walworth County while Joe was a therapist.
The two spent decades soaring through the clouds, but their time together ended when Joe went into the hospital in October 2010 with chest pains, dying suddenly a few days later due to heart problems.
Part of the reason for the mural repainting has been to remember Joe, Julie said. The artwork has an assortment of characters: Dr. Seuss, a peacock, replicas of the balloons the couple flew and a pig wearing sunglasses sporting a smile and wings on his back.
"That was one of my husband's favorite sayings, 'when pigs fly,'" Julie said with a laugh.
The peacock represents the use of the barn in previous years, Julie said. The couple raised chickens, hogs and peacocks on their farm.
Coplien Painting Inc. visited Thursday to help touch up the paint job. Coplien Painting owner Mark Coplien noted the importance of Joe and Julie in the area, from the bi-annual balloon rally to local government, the Cousins have been fixtures within their community, he said.
Schwenkner and Julie designed an outline with the use of the internet to project onto the front of the barn. Donning a black sweatshirt and some gloves, Schwenkner climbed the ladder despite a bad knee from decades of work at the GM factory in Janesville and began painting Thursday. She was helped by Tashana Kjelland and Tashana's brother Paul Kjelland.
Another session is needed before the mural can be called complete.
"We're waiting for one other really nice day," Julie said.
Once finished, the mural can last another three decades, carrying on a small part of the story of Joe and Julie Cousin.
In September, now 56, Schwenkner was struck again by a muse.
"She said, 'I'll paint it for you one more time, but this is the last time,'" Cousin said, describing surprise when her younger sister announced the plan. "It was getting very faded."
Cousin, 64, and her husband, Joe, spent 13 years flying hot air balloons. The hobby began for Cousin when Schwenkner began lessons at 16, an age Cousin said made her sister the youngest pilot to take flight at that time.
While she began her interest through her sister, it continued with her husband.
"He realized I was never going to give it up," Julie said, noting that Joe soon joined in. "He loved it."
Joe even became a commercial pilot while Julie remained a private one, meaning Joe could provide rides to others in his balloon.
A staple of the Monroe Balloon Rally, the pair were together 30 years. They met through work. Julie was a nurse for the Head Start program in Rock and Walworth County while Joe was a therapist.
The two spent decades soaring through the clouds, but their time together ended when Joe went into the hospital in October 2010 with chest pains, dying suddenly a few days later due to heart problems.
Part of the reason for the mural repainting has been to remember Joe, Julie said. The artwork has an assortment of characters: Dr. Seuss, a peacock, replicas of the balloons the couple flew and a pig wearing sunglasses sporting a smile and wings on his back.
"That was one of my husband's favorite sayings, 'when pigs fly,'" Julie said with a laugh.
The peacock represents the use of the barn in previous years, Julie said. The couple raised chickens, hogs and peacocks on their farm.
Coplien Painting Inc. visited Thursday to help touch up the paint job. Coplien Painting owner Mark Coplien noted the importance of Joe and Julie in the area, from the bi-annual balloon rally to local government, the Cousins have been fixtures within their community, he said.
Schwenkner and Julie designed an outline with the use of the internet to project onto the front of the barn. Donning a black sweatshirt and some gloves, Schwenkner climbed the ladder despite a bad knee from decades of work at the GM factory in Janesville and began painting Thursday. She was helped by Tashana Kjelland and Tashana's brother Paul Kjelland.
Another session is needed before the mural can be called complete.
"We're waiting for one other really nice day," Julie said.
Once finished, the mural can last another three decades, carrying on a small part of the story of Joe and Julie Cousin.