Up Close

You can see the white truck and trailer which gives a good idea just how big hot air balloons are. Balloon crews use a pickup or SUV with a trailer to haul their balloon and gandola around. Once the balloon is up and away the truck tries to follow the balloon from the ground. Of couse they use cell phones and 2 way radios to help keep track of the balloon. Some balloon owners bring their own chase crew, as the people who follow the balloon are called but some don't and the Balloon Fiesta is always in need of people to work on the chase crews.

More Balloons

Balloons from many Countries

The International Balloon Fiesta is called that because they have many balloons come over from other countries to participate in the fiesta. This one was the only one I saw that I could really tell was from another country because I couldn't read the writing on it. I suppect Germany but I could be wrong.

Pink Elephant Balloon

Jug Balloon

Darth Vader Balloon

Church Balloon

Beer Mug Balloon

Crowded

I heard there were some 600 balloons registered for the fiesta. I have not heard exactly how many went up yesterday, nor how many people attended. I did hear that there were some 25,000 cars in the parking lot at some time during the morning.
The morning was perfect, but the afternoon turned into a sand storm with lots of wind, followed by a rain that kept the balloons from doing the evening balloon glow, and then a harder rain during the night, (we had 1 and a half inches in our rain gage) caused a cancellation in this mornings mass ascension. But I heard the this evening the balloon glow was supposed to go. So if you don't like crowds don't go.

Raise and Fly

First the balloon which is about 3 stories high when inflated is unrolled from the large bag it is kept in. Then several people hold the bottom open while cold air from a large fan is forced in. At the proper time a propane burner which is attached to the top of the basket that holds the balloonist under the balloon is used to heat the air in the balloon. As the balloon heats it raises until it standing straight up. The balloon crew holds it on the ground with ropes until it is told it can go by the balloon referees. In this photo you can see the baskets, called gondolas with people in them. Each balloon is piloted by a licensed balloon pilot. Most balloons are from the United States, but there are pilots and their balloons as crews that come from lots of other counties.

Early To Raise

Balloon people seem to take the idea of getting up before dawn to extremes. Early morning in the fall seems to be the best time to fly hot air balloons. So going to the balloon fiesta meant that my aunts and I got up at 4 am, drove to a designated parking lot in Rio Rancho where we caught a special bus that took us to the Balloon Park in Albuquerque. That was at 5 am. We arrived there while it was still dark and waited impatiently for the Dawn Patrol to take off, which they did about 6 am. The Dawn Patrol are the first few balloons that take off right before dawn to make sure it safe for the other balloons to fly. Sometimes it may seem safe on the ground but higher air currents can be a lot different. Balloons don't fly if it is raining, too windy, or snowing. But this day was perfect. No wind, rain, snow, and it wasn't even that cold. Balloonist don't understand the word cold. It seems the colder the better. By 7 all of the other approximately 600 balloons were preparing to fly.

Balloon Fiesta

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is in full swing, or should I say flying high. It is held every year in October. This year my two aunts, ages 80 and 78 came to visit us and other friends and relatives in New Mexico and wanted to go to the fiesta. I had not been for a number of years and decided it would be fun so off we went to see the balloons. On the weekends the balloons do what is called a mass ascension, and during the week they have different kinds of competitions. There is also, balloon glows on some evenings, and a special shape rodeo when the odd shaped balloons are featured. In this photos are mostly the normal or regular shaped balloons. Some are up and flying while others are just rising.

Dirt Roads

I found this old story of Paul Harvey's at the following website. I really like it but wish it was still true. On our dirt roads we do have drugs and drugs dealers, now. We do have tailgating and inconsiderate drivers. We have people running stop signs including the police and sherrif, and animal control. When we have rain people complain about the mud and expect county road crews to clean it up. But hopefully we don't have as many problems on our dirt road as people have in the cities on their paved roads. http://famguardian.org/Subjects/FamilyIssues/Articles/DirtRoads/DirtRoads.htm

Phewwwww

We grow watermelons this year. More than we have ever grown before. Last year we tried but they were still green when we had an early freeze and never finished ripening. This year we have had all the watermelon we could eat - and the neighbors, too. And it sure has been good. They have tasted a lot better than the ones we buy from the store. A lot more taste or flavor and oh, so, sweet. Of course that goes for the tomatoes and cucumbers, and squash we have grown, too. I joke with the neighbors saying it is because I fertilize them with horse poop.
And that brings up the thought of if horses like watermelon. I had always heard that they did. So I took some out to the horses. I was pretty sure none of them had ever had any before, and I must have been right. Each horse would smell it like it might taste good. Then he/she would reach out gingerly with their long lips and do a little nibble-nibble on the edge of the melon. You could see the wheels turning in their mind. It looked like they were thinking "Not to bad". So he/she would nibble a bit more - and it was at about this point that they would get a real taste of the melon. Then each and every one of my 5 horse would give me a disgusting look and spit at the melon with a "ppphhhewwww" sound. Which would make me laugh. The horse would look even more disgusted and turn and walk off. I got them impression that they thought I was making fun of them for not liking the watermelon. No I haven't offered them any more.
But they do beg for their other treats like horse cookies, carrots, apples, what few grass clippings we get from the scattered clumps of grass in the yard, and their favorites gingersnaps, animal crackers, and their very best favorite peppermint candies.

Political Comercials Harassment

I think I'll quite watching TV on our local channels until after the election. I get so tired of seeing the same commercials over and over and over. And all those commercials do is tell what the other politication has done that is worng. They never seem to say what they will do to correct the problems. At least they aren't on the Direct TV channels. I don't watch a lot of TV but I do like to watch a few things when I sit down to rest. But having to see and listen to those political commercials is really getting to me.
And it isn't only the TV. Their bad in the newspapers, and then there is the mailings. But worst of all are the phone calls from people with India accents wanting to do a survey on my political thoughts. No one needs to know how I feel about the candidates or how I plan to vote. If my ballet is to be secret why should people from another country call to ask how I will vote? It is none of their business or anyone elses. And those calls can't be stopped as they do not fall under the "do not call" listing rules as they arn't asking you to buy anything. And when you ask to be put on a 'do not call' list they hang up on you. If a politicial really wants my vote he or she might find a way to stop this politial telephone harassment.

Deer

Here is the photo of both deer watching me as I was watching them.

The other day we went and started our fall woodcutting trips to the Jemez Mountains. The last few times we have been there we haven't seen any deer or elk. This time we saw 3 deer. The first one ran across the road in front of us on the way to where we wanted to check for wood. We got to where we wanted to go and spent several hours going from one fallen log to another using the chainsaw to cut it up and then stacking it on the pickup. We moved the truck again, not taking any precautions to not scare any animals that might be in the area as by now we assumed they would all be in hiding or long gone somewere else. Just as lee got out the chainsaw again I turned and there was a deer not more than 200 yards from us. We spent several minutes watching her. I assumed it was a her as it didn't have any antlers. But instead of watching us she seemed more interested in looking off to our left. She walked off in that direction when I got this photo of her. As I followered her she let me get even closer. Then I saw another one. It, too, seemed to be a doe as there were no antlers. I was able to get with in about 50 yards of them, then they would walk off a few feet. Finally they and I got tired of the game and they took off. I have never had deer do this with me before. It was very unusuall. I do hope they learn that humans can be dangerous as hunting season is near, and there are many hunters that will shot a doe even though it is against the law.

Gourd in Tree

the morning glories weren't the only vine that grew up into a tree. I had a gourd vine grow up into one of my redbud trees. I knew the vine was growing up the tree but hadn't seen any gourd on it. The tree leaves hid the little gourds so well I didn't see them until they were quite large. About a foot tall. I hope the tree can handle the weight. They look like odd decorations hanging in the tree - about 5 in all. And I have about 20 more growing on the ground where they belong.

Beauty in the Morning

Each morning the beauty of the morning glories help me get started on another day. I have about 4 different areas where there is hundreds of blossoms each day. Sadly they are all gone by evening but I know another group of them will be there to greet me the next morning. I love this blue color but also have other shades of blue and some purple. Morning glories have always been one of my favorite flowers not only because of their beauty but because they are so easy to grow. They are an anual and do have to be replanted each spring but grow fast, with little fertilizer and not as much water as a lot of other flowers. One group decided to grow up into my Bradford Pear tree. A Bradford pear is an ornimental pear meaning it has beautiful white flowers in the spring but no fruit.

Goathead Weeds

these weeds are going to just cover me up and every thing else on the place. All kinds of weeds - tumbleweeds, goatheads, ragweed, and a dozen others that I don't even know the names of. I sort of half way tolerate anything that doesn't have stickers on it. Except the ragweed - well it sort of has a sticker - or at least it has some kind of very fine, hairlike thing that likes to stick in my skin if I'm not using gloves. And it sure does make the me sneese and caugh, and sniffle. Yucky allergies.
but worst of all are the goatheads. In the southwest we have these horid, visious, monsters that are better know as a weed. If you've never seen one, it grows in a sort of circle, flat on the ground, with tiny yellow flowers that make the moster goathead sticker seed pod. It is a roundish seed pod with horns on it, hence the name goathead. The so called horns can penatrate the toughest skin and even tires on a car. Traveling on tires seems to be the favorite way of goatheads for getting from one place to another. I could have swore several times that I had them gone from my yard and then there they would be again. I see them on my car tires. I have learned to reconize them as soon as they pop out of the ground. But with all the weeds we have growing right now the goatheads are very good at hiding in amoung the other weeds so that they can get very huge with lots of stickers before I find them. You would think they actually have a mind and can think what they are doing when they hide among the other weeds that don't seem to care if they are providing shelter for a monster. Some have been at least 2 feet across when I found them. Their little yellow flowers can be a dead give away. Yes, dead, because when I find them I stop what ever else I am doing and pull them, making sure to put them in the trash rather than to leave them lay as I do lots of the other weeds. And the poor puppies and kitties when they get one in their feet. I have known 2 people who have had to have the stickers removed by doctors. One person let his get infected before going to the doctor and almost lost his foot. I try and keep them gone but most of my neighbors don't fight them at all.
I can't figure out how they can live with a lawn of goathead stickers. If anyone knows of a good organic way to get rid of the goathead mosters please let me know.