Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2015

Four months is a long time to be on the road but it went so fast i'm still whirling...actually i should probably say glowing, or floating, or heady or just in a WOWZERS state of mind.

Our travels took us from the east coast to the west coast then north as far as Fairbanks and south to New Mexico. Twelve thousand road miles done in the most superb car built for adventure. We took her down horrible dirt roads that only big 4-wheel drive vehicles should have been on. She kept us dry when we needed her, cool when it was hot, and warm when it was cold and she hauled around all our junk.

Along the way we saw some incredible scenery, met and stayed with the nicest people,  camped all over, had wonderful things happen to us, and want to go back.

i'm not going to go into lengthy verbiage but i do have loads of pictures to post and will start with the last first which was the highlight of the trip...and i do mean high!

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

It all starts in the dark.

Balloons need a lot of tender loving care and can only be touched while gloved.

Spreading them out on the ground happens after having set up the basket and flame thrower.

Balloons need air to fly and filling them takes time. The pilot checks the inside to make sure everything is secure.

When he is ready he uses the gas to elevate the balloon.

The crew hangs on while he does.

Once up, the balloon is held in place until the word is given to fly.

Lots of other

balloons wait too.

Only two other people

besides the pilot will go up with this balloon.

Every day, during Fiesta, a different set climb in and soar with 500 other balloons.

Soaring in a balloon is addicting

...especially when your first time is with all these others. They are below you,

above you,

beside you

...all around you

and its a glorious feeling

to be sharing air space with them.

No one knows where they will land but the chase crew keeps close tabs.

This is where we landed.

 Thank you Martin, Carol, Valerie, Stefan, Susan and all the rest of the chase crew for picking me to go ballooning i will never forget how quiet, peaceful and exhilarating those 45 minutes were.

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