The special shapes balloons are so much fun to see that they deserve their own post. Many of them were flying during the first two days I was at the fiesta.
My 3rd Day at the Fiesta Field
The Special Shapes Rodeo was scheduled for Thursday, October 12. Sadly, the balloons couldn’t fly because of high winds. Luckily for everyone it was safe for the balloons to inflate on the field and set up for a static display. There were many spectators walking through the field getting up close to these creative balloons.
Kelli and I had a great time walking through the field of balloons. We stopped to watch Kermie the Frog inflate. There were families and children looking up in awe at the the giant Frog. While I was capturing the activity of the crew setting up the balloon Kelli was busy handing out Evil Twin balloon trading cards to the kids.
Kelli also did some pin trading with some of the balloon teams while I was busy taking pictures.
After we had seen most of the balloons we headed for the vendors area to grab a bite to eat. I enjoyed my first ever Green Chile Hamburger – Yum! We wandered through the Artisan’s tent and then stopped to watch the chainsaw carvers at work. A dazzle of Zebra’s caught up with us for a final photo.
Attending the 51st Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is an event I will never forget. The balloons were spectacular and everyone I met was friendly, helpful, smiling, and having fun. I also enjoyed spending time with my brother Joe and his wife Kelli when we weren’t at the fiesta. We caught up on family stuff and enjoyed some amazing New Mexico cuisine meals together. Thanks Joe and Kelli!
I recently returned from the 51st Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The theme this year was “A View from Above”. This was my first time at the fiesta and the theme for me was “A View from Below” because I chose to stay on the ground and look at the balloons above me and all around me.
More than 550 hot air balloon pilots and their crews gathered in Albuquerque, New Mexico from October 7 – 15, 2023 for this year’s event. For nine days balloon crews, volunteers and spectators got up in the middle of the night to be at the Fiesta Park before 6:00 a.m. I was one of the many spectators there to take part in this magical event.
My brother Joe and his wife Kelli were wonderful hosts while I was there. They live in the Albuquerque area and have been involved with the Fiesta since the 1990’s. Joe volunteers as a Launch Director each year and his wife is a balloon pilot. They are part owners of the Evil Twin Balloon with their friends Don and Connie. I chose a photo of their balloon as my header photo.
My first Day at the Balloon Fiesta
We woke up each day about 3:40 a.m. and left the house around 4:15. Joe had early morning Launch Director meetings and Kelli had pilot briefings.
Tuesday, October 10 was my first day attending the Fiesta. While Joe and Kelli were at their meetings I started the day by meeting the Evil Twin Balloon crew and being wowed by the glow of the Dawn Patrol balloons. What at great way to start the day!
Once the balloon crews started preparing their balloons for flight the field was filled with activity. As I walked around in search of my brother Joe there was so much going on I didn’t know where to look. Balloons were being inflated on the ground as others were launching into the sky. It was sensory overload as the clear blue sky filled with colorful balloons of many shapes and sizes.
Trying to keep up with a Launch Director
The launch directors are called Zebras because of their black and white striped shirts. Their job is to make sure the balloons take off safely. Once I found my brother Joe I had a hard time keeping up with him as he ran around the field giving the pilots the go ahead to launch their balloon.
I turned around to capture my brother Joe at work but when I saw him standing with his hand over his heart I knew they were playing the National Anthem even though I couldn’t hear it.
I was exhausted and my feet hurt at the end of the day but WOW! This day ranked right up there near the top of my list of memorable events in my life.
My second day: Working as a member of a chase crew
Wednesday morning we were up early and ready for another beautiful day of ballooning. I spent the morning working as part of the chase crew for the Evil Twin Balloon. Many thanks to Kelli, Don, Connie, Kelly and the rest of the crew for showing me what to do and allowing me to be part of the team.
Kelli and Don, the two pilots of the Evil Twin
Don was piloting the balloon that day. I started out by helping take the balloon out of it’s storage bag while Don and some of the others prepared the basket to be connected to the balloon. I watched as they inflated the balloon by blowing air from a powerful fan into the balloon. I captured a couple of shots of the inside of the balloon as it was being inflated. Don had two passengers that day.
When everything was ready and the launch director gave Don the ok to launch the Evil Twin was up in the air. The chase crew piled into the van to follow the balloon to wherever it landed. Kelli was driving the van and was in radio contact with Don. We were soon at their landing site. We helped get the balloon back into it’s bag, loaded everything into the trailer and were soon back at the Fiesta Park for a celebration and a group photo.
It was another WOW day at the Fiesta! I had a great time being part of the Evil Twin chase crew!
Coming soon! More fun and adventures at the Albuquerque International. Balloon Fiesta.
For this challenge Ann-Christine has asked us to focus on Work in Progress.
Crazy Horse Monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota has been a Work in Progress since the Memorial was dedicated on the day of the first blast, June 3, 1948. The monument honoring Lakota Chief Crazy Horse was the dream of Oglala Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear and is the world’s largest mountain carving in progress. To learn more about the history of this amazing project please visit Crazy Horse Memorial.
Our mission is to protect and preserve the culture, tradition and living heritage of the North American Indians
Mission of Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation
We first visited the monument in the summer of 2006. We toured the museum, watched an interesting video about the the memorial, and bought some native made items in the gift shop.
Crazy Horse Monument in the summer of 2006Scale Model of the Crazy Horse MonumentHorse Head of the Scale Model with the Monument in the background, 2006
We returned to the Black Hills of South Dakota in the spring of 2011. We chose not to tour the museum again but I captured this image from the highway. It doesn’t look much different than it did in 2006 but some progress was made during those five years.
Ketchikan, Alaska is famous for it totem poles hand carved by native carvers. At the Herring Bay Lumber Company we learned from a native master carver how the totems were made and how each totem tells a story. After learning about the totems and viewing his work in progress we wandered through the totem park to see some finished totems.
For this challenge Anne asks us to tell us about a new experience we had.
Ten years ago this week Henry and I were in the final planning stages of a four month RV trip to Alaska from Georgia. We weren’t new to RVing and had made several long cross country trips but this would be the longest we would be away from home. The entire trip was filled with new experiences. I’ve included a few of the most memorable.
New Experience: Welcome to AlaskaNew experience: Humpback Whale on our first wildlife cruiseNew Experience: crossing the Arctic Circle on the Dalton Highway in AlaskaNew experience: Glacier Calving on Aialik Glacier, AlaskaNew Experience: Halibut FishingNew Experience: Denali National Park, AlaskaNew Experience: Orcas on Columbia Glacier tour from Valdez
Our most exciting and most memorable new experience was a flightseeing trip from the airfield in Talkeetna to the south face of Mt. Denali (it was called Mt. McKinley back then) with a landing on Ruth Glacier.
I was really nervous about flying in a small plane but it was worth it. It’s a day I will never forget.
Amy’s challenge is to explore differences between locations in the East and West or North and South using culture, architecture, plants, or landscape. I’m going to take a look at the differences between North Georgia and South Georgia landscapes. The opening image is springtime in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah.
North Georgia
North Georgia has mountains, waterfalls, Tallulah Gorge, and the highest point in Georgia.
View from top of Brasstown Bald, the highest point in GeorgiaBlack Rock Mountain State ParkL’Eau d’Or Falls in Tallulah GorgeOne of the waterfalls as seen from Inspiration PointSylvan Falls in Mountain City, GAAda-Hi Falls in Black Rock Mountain State Park
South Georgia
South Georgia is flat and has the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, barrier islands, beaches, salt marsh, farmland, pecan groves, and historic Savannah.
Okefenokee LandscapeNanny Goat Beach, Sapelo Island, GeorgiaSunrise at Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, GAEarly Morning Salt Marsh
Wandering Dawgs 