NIGHT GLOWDEO

This is the last of the fireworks, that was a lucky break for me to catch. I thought it turned out great.

This is Thursday night and all the balloons inflate, then sit there and when prompted light up their burners. It is quite impressive

I got these out of order as you can guess. But caught Tweety Bird just as they fired the burner

This has been just the best fun. Today, Saturday ,it was too windy for them to inflate. The decision was made about 6:30 not to fly. As you may have heard, one pilot was killed and his co-pilot injured yesterday. The wind drove them into some power lines and the basket caught fire. Very tragic.
Now this afternoon the rain has come, so our balloon fest is probably over. It has been worth every penny to come and witness this whole thing. We leave tomorrow morning for AR. , so won't post for awhile, unless something exciting happens.

CHAINSAW CARVINGS

I have never been much impressed when I've heard chain saw carvings. Probably because of some of the work I've seen along the road. John and I walked down thru the venders and came to the end of the row and here were the artists. I use artist because they were very good. It started at 4 pm on Friday and ended Saturday at 6. You can see they started with a big stump of Ca.redwood. (It was a tree that had been blown down)

It is absolutely fasinating what they do with that piece of wood. You can see one bear, but on the opposite side of him is another, w/a balloon on top of him. What they are clinging to is a cactis.

This one is a old sad Indian with a peace pipe in his hand and a horses head curved around his shoulder and an eagle sitting at his feet.

Can you imagine, Ghandi? I wish you could see the glasses. I could not figure out what he was carving and when I went back the next day, there it was. GREAT FUN!

MY FAVORITE BALLOONS

How can you not smile when you see this

The Wells Fargo is pretty awsome

Orient Express took quite awhile to fill, was one of the last ones to lift off

This one really stood out, loved it
If another picture comes with this bunch, it is regular ballons doing a mass asscension to fly over the field and try to drop markers closest to poles

ALBQ BALLOON FIESTA

Here is the day we came in and walked down and looked on the field where the balloons would take off. Couldn't believe how empty it was. Even the venders are closed from 11 until 4 or 5.

This is about 6:30, imagine all the people standing there watching the filling of the balloons. There are places around town to catch a shuttle bus. We were sitting w/our coffee about 6 watching all the activity. I guess people get up around 4 or so to go to the mall or where ever and catch the bus to get here so early.

As you can see the inflating is coming along and is just beautiful.

In the next section I will show you my favorites. See the Wells Fargo balloon coming up in the left hand side of the picture? This is the only balloon show where the public can go and be near the balloons as they are being aired up. We will do that in the morning I think. ENJOY!

SANDIA PEAK TRAM RIDE

Now is it my fault that the ticket line (to purchase tickets for the tram ride) was 30 minutes from where they are standing. In my figuring out our time line, I allowed at least an hour and half for the tram. Then we would go by where the balloon park is (we move in the 8th), and then John wanted to stop by the Cummins place, THEN we go eat. Now how simple is that? Except everyone and their dog decided to go the the tram THIS day. So John, Marilyn, and Bill are cheerfulee standing in line to get our tickets. (I'm on my way to the gift shop)

Truthfully I was disappointed in the ride and scenery. But I'll show you the best. Albq is about 52oo feet and the start of the tram is 6559 feet. This was taken about 8000 feet.

The face of the mountain was really pretty, the picture is a little dim because of the tinted windows.

This is Albq from the top, which is 10,378 feet. Unless you were lucky and got by a window there was no way you could see anything except sky. The cars carry 50 people and it was like cattle cars the way they herded you in and out. Anyway it is a total of 2.7 miles long and takes 15 minutes.
It was a little hazy this day, probably tomorrow it will be beautiful as a storm has and is moving thru and sunshine tomorrow .... cleaner air!
Did I mention when we got here there was a Super Wal-Mart and Sams about 20 miles from us? We thought we had died and gone to heaven. Cheyenne, Wy was the last ones we went to, however long that has been (seems like a year)

ROCKS AND MORE ROCKS!

I titled this session so you would know that this is mostly rocks. These were taken on the road from Chama to Albq. Some of the most unusual designs, especially in the shade.

I especially loved where you could see the different layers of the rocks ....

Our rv park is about 20 miles east of Albq, probably elevation is 6000. So much for wanting lower elevation. At least we aren't in the trees. Anyway this storm came up quite aways from us, isn't it pretty? If you click on the picture it will enlarge and you can see that the rain is not reaching the ground. There is a word for that, but I can't think of it right now.
We are going to ride the tram today, so get ready for more rocks!

SURPRISE AT OUR RV PARK

Along about 8:30 in the morning you can walk to the back of our rv park and see the train. We did not ride the train, this year maybe some other time when we pass thru. But I think it was just as much fun to sit there and listen for the whistle and then all of a sudden here it comes. Of course it is not enviromentally correct, but who cares our here in the middle of no where.

It has several passengers cars and one open one. Looks like they were having fun AND it was a beautiful day.

Well guess who pulled into our rv park today! It is Mitch and Barb whom we joined up with in Minn. and all went to the races. They are with a caravan traveling thru this part of the country. They will stay here a couple of days and then we will see them again in Albq. (you know I can't spell that!) I think we will all go in on the 8th.

This is a mule tail deer that likes to wander in our park. There is a younger one that hangs around also, hope all those deer hunters that are in town don't see them.!
I think that has you all all caught up so will post from Albq.

A Ride from Chama to Taos

We took Hwy 17 to Antonito,Co, beautiful country. At Antonito we found a little park, had lunch (we had taken a picnic lunch). A very nice park ....

Headed on to Taos and on the road to Taos saw this like subdivision of weird houses. Come to find out they are Earthships made from recycled material. There was a office open for tours, but come to find out they charge 5 dollars per person so since we aren't going to build in the near (or far) future I didn't see any sense in paying. Besides I would rather buy some Indian fry bread in the village.

The silver things you see are like beer or pop cans, hard to see how they make something warmer and in the background are tires with sand filled in around them. Maybe if Indians are going to lay siege to you it would afford some protection, otherwise could see no use. Any way drove on into town and toured it stopped at some place just to browse, and went on to the reservation as it closes at 4:30 and it was bout 3 then. Got out there and they were having a fiesta. So you were to park in a field and ride a shuttle in. Since we hadn't planned for that decided not to go. We headed for home.

Along a rest stop we saw this vette parked taking pictures, then pretty soon it caught up with us and Bill pulled over and let it pass since we were enjoying the drive. A couple of miles or so we caught it with it and a deer had just jumped into their window. How blessed are we!! John and Bill got out and talked to them and they decided if we didn't care they would follow us into Chama. We were about 12 miles away. It was a couple in their 50's and were from close to Durango. So they made it in ok, said the wrecker was on the way and that they would be able to ride in it home. It was a good thing as all the motels and cabins were full with deer hunters.
We move tomorrow to Albq, will be glad as think it will be warmer! I have enjoyed the mountains and all the beautiful scenery, but am ready for wide open spaces!

Crede to Chama,NM

Well I have always heard of Wolf Creek Pass, and this is the first time we have been over it. Well worth the drive. After we started down the other side there were 2 places for runaway trucks (or I guess rv's). It is always startling to see those signs

This is one of the signs I found fasinating .....

The mountains are so majestic, I had so many shots, couldn't decide which ones to show.

I hope you can see the differents layers in this mountain and that is aspens on top with the pretty yellow color.

Surprise in Creede

This is Don Howard and he and John use to ride together. John retired in 91 and Don retired in 94. He came from the Creede area and came back to live. We had forgotten that he was from the area, but read in the rv park pamphlet the # of a local vet, last name of Howard. John knew that Don's dad was a vet, so he called him and asked if Don was around and sure enough ! So for 2 days he has shown us around to places we would never have seen and it has been fun listening to them relive old times and catching up on other people they rode with.

This ranch and resort has been in Don's family for 3 generations. The cabins are very primitive, no bathroom. A outhouse not too far. There are buckets that guests can go get water for drinking and washing up. There is a wood stove for cooking and heating. I said "People PAY for not having running water etc?"
He said yes. Go figure what people like!

This was taken at our rv park on the first night. A thunderstorm moved thru just after we got here and left this rainbow.

The rv park is right on the Rio Grande River and this is what you see when you walk to the edge. Really nice rv park.
Tomorrow we move to Chama, NM I think it will be warmer there, altho it has been warmer than ususal here. Cold nights (26 to 30) and warm days. The humidity is about 40 per cent or less, so has been very nice.