Balloon Fiesta Continues

The balloon field is 56 football fields long and they have them lettered from "A" on down the alphabet and the width is 10 numbers wide. It is all grassed so they don't have to put their tarps down.   There is just enough room for your truck and to lay out your balloon.  Its amazing to see 10 balloons in a row inflating.  I didn't work the first day so I was able to take a lot of pictures.  They let the public wander the fields and check out the balloons every time they ascend.  There were hundreds of people there every morning at 6 am and at night at 4pm.  If the wind is low they will take off in the morning and at night they just have the glow.  The glow is all the balloons inflated and at the count of three they all light their burners.  See pictures below.  There are vendors all around the field selling anything and everything.  Food mostly boritto's and mexican things.  They were selling last years clothing for $10 but didn't get there in time.  I did get a nice demum shirt with balloons on it at the local Casino 30%.  I crewed for the Strawberry a picture below.   These balloons run from $15,000 to over $100,000.  The higher priced were the speciality balloons. 

They had the helium balloons there they do a Great American Race every year.  These look like regular balloons that you blow up and they fill them up with a long hose.  I watched them trying to do this in the wind, it was probably about 20 to 25 miles per hour.  They had 6 of them and after they are finished they have to weigh them.  It cost $6,000 to fill them so you are looking at $36,000 for them all.  Well they waited two days for the wind to die down and that didn't happen.  They cancelled the race and emptied the balloons.  The Fiesta pays for the helium and they said only one fill.  These balloons go for miles and days.  They take all their supplies with them, food, cloths and anything else that they need.  The last balloon that is in the air is the winner.  Some have gone as far as Nove Scotia.  As they lose the helium they have to get rid of the weight so they throw things out, I guess where it is safe.  I would have loved to see them take off, but wasn't to be.

I crewed for almost the whole week, morning and night and I suffered the next week, but it was worth it just to get a ride.  Will I go back, if I am in the neighbour hood yes and crew again.  The pilots get all kinds of free stuff and usually take their crew, but not my guy he supposedly had personal problems and wasn't very nice.  Some are great some are not.  Lots of the balloons came over my motorhome and landed in the field in front of me. Some our group helped when they came into land, others just set down and picked up a rider.  The Colorado river is close so a few of them dipped into it, it is supposed to be a tradition, but not recommended.

They have a Balloon Museum on the grounds with the history from the start of ballooning until the present day.  A very interesting place with hands on things you can do.  Lots for the kids too.  Cost was $2.00 for seniors.
It rained one day so didn't have to get up and rush.  There were busses that picked you up near your motorhome and dropped you off when you came back.  I paid $25.00 a day because I stayed over 9 days and the first and last days I got for $15.00.  No hookups but cheaper than some of the tours. Below on the left is the balloon I rode in the Strawberry.  I get air sick but this you just float like on a cloud hard to describe. So I worried about nothing.

I hung out with a group called the Boomers people who were born from 1940 to 1960, what a fun group even though they are all couples.  I had a couple of problems in the motorhome so asked and there was always someone that would help.  Got my 12V plug for my back TV fixed and Barry, the guy that came over, gave me a lesson on Voltgage.  I now have a voltage meter permanently mounted on my wall so I can tell when I need to put the generator on.  I did drain my car battery some how but now I can keep a check on it.  Also found out that my propane tank I use for my portable heater had a bad valve so it is useless unless I pay $25.00 to get it fixed.  I bought it because it was small and I could handle it.  I have three 20 lb. tanks at home of course.

Albuqurque is at 5,000 elevation and the air is very thin.  Went for a walk one day and could hardly breath.  Didn't do that again.  Also very dry and your skin flakes and your nose bleeds.  They say you get used to the height, but I could never get used to the dryness.  I also picked up a bad bug which really knocked me down.  It was going around the group. My bucket list has two things crossed off now.  The cow is Canadian sponsored.