Remembering the 2018 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

This year with the ‘rona invading our lives people may not get to experience this phenomenal event so I thought you might enjoy seeing some shots from the (click the following link for current year info on the Fiesta) 2018 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM. 

 

This crazy week long party is an excellent time of year to visit the area, and after the pandemic is over remember to make your reservations early as hotels are often booked a year in advance for this tourist invasion of ABQ. 

This trip was a bucket list item of my Mom’s and we all wanted to see this annual event. 

Since it is in October, it was a great time to go. 

The weather is warm during the day and cool at night and depending on when the last cold front has blown in you may or may not need a coat. 

 The hubby and I will always find a good reason to visit his hometown. Once you have the desert in your bones you find that no matter where you live it calls you back. 

The Fiesta grounds are great to see the launches, but you must get up and get there before dawn to secure a good viewing spot. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the “Morning Glow of the Dawn Patrol”. 

There are plenty of vendors selling food, souvenirs and hat pins. Gotta have a hat pin, it’s required man.

 

Getting shots of the balloons being filled in the predawn is breathtakingly amazing and they are so big; if you have never been up close to a hot air balloon you are in for a treat. 

Whenever you visit a new town always remember to pack your manners, it really pays off.

We found a great spot on the Sandia Pueblo along the river to see many of the balloons taking off in the distance. 

Pay for parking where people ask for it! 

Really don’t be a jerk, don’t trespass, and be friendly it makes everybody happy and you get those great shots you are looking to take and show off when you get home. 

Thanks again to the wonderful folks at the Sandia Lakes fishing spot and park. I was able to grab these from that vantage point and came home giddy, wondering which to print first?! Exciting stuff to this photo nerd. 

It is incredible to me the creativity and personality that goes into designing these balloons. If you can imagine it, they can sew it and fly it. 

 So next time you are in New Mexico, plan to be there in October. We had so much fun and it is so worth it. 

Oh, and remember, you don’t need a passport. Winking at you folks from Albuquerque.

Welcome to the country, the first year.

Welcome to the Country, the first year…Really?!

Hard to believe it, almost exactly a year ago we scaled down from a five-bedroom house near Galveston, TX to a one bedroom apartment

Demo Day Begins

(we lived in it during reconstruction, yes we are that crazy and we dubbed it “The Shed”) in the middle of a small pasture with a couple rentals and lots of grass to cut near Huntsville, TX.

In the end after a lot of hard work from our contractor and on our own; we have a very cozy nest with a garden, lots of wildlife and never a dull moment.

 Stick around I have lots of photos to share and plenty of stories, and I hope to start up with a weekly blog again. (I guess I am crazy, arrogant or both enough to think folks might like to read about how much fun retirement can be.)

Did I mention the large amount of grass to cut?

Yeah, lots of grass.

Our tractor

Don’t get me wrong, this is the best thing I think we have ever done. We bought a used tractor. I HIGHLY recommend driving a tractor in a large field with a big floppy hat on your head. Best therapy in the world to cure corporate burnout.

Peppermint

My garden has been lots of fun so far. Right now the best plant is the peppermint, it doesn't seem to care about the heat. The summer squash has succumbed to bugs so tomorrow will be gifting these plants to the compost pile. The tomatoes are still hanging on as well as the herbs and the okra.

We have had some good and bad moments with our pets. We lost the last dog. She was almost 20 and it was a heartbreaking time to say goodbye.

 But the country Gods saw fit to gift us with a feral kitten in that same week. I say that because there was a feral Mom on the property when

Mamma Kitty

we bought it. We had been feeding her for about a month when one night we were sitting out front enjoying an adult beverage, or two.

Mamma kitty came up, so we gave her some food and she left. About five minutes later she came back around the house from out back carrying what I thought was a baby rabbit.

Nope, it was this little ball of fluff…

Luna

“Hey, thanks for the food, here’s a kitten.”

We named her Luna, and here is why. It was a full moon that night, and she just looks like a Goddess. She is one of the best cats I’ve ever had the pleasure to share my house.

Please don’t let Chester know I said that, he’s sensitive you know.

That same mamma, who disappeared a few months after she gave us Luna, also had other kittens. 

Mr. Jiggles

 This is Mr. Jiggles. He will accept food, but has yet to let me get close enough to touch him. That’s okay, he is now the property guardian and very handsome. Mr. Jiggles has a lot on his mind and talks all the time, so I nod knowingly, and it seems to make him happy.

We have other neighbors on the property, a couple of young armadillos make a morning of it wondering through the back by this beautiful old oak.

Young Armadillo

Texas Live Oak

We learned about a new Texas wildflower this month. It is called Spotted Horsemint or Spotted Bee Balm. Thanks to the website put out by Dr. Mark "Merriwether" Vorderbruggen, of Foraging Texas . He is an awesome source for plant identification. Check him out on his website and on Facebook.

Spotted Horsemint

So, one last photo and now you are caught up and we will chat again next week, stay safe out there y’all.

Local Bumble Bee