Balloons!

Hey the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has started! This morning Mom & I were watching the balloons on the TV! Several of the balloons were doing the "Splash & Dash! Thats where they fly over the Rio Grande River and drop down and get the basket wet! Then dash up back up in the air! One of the commentators stated that the first time he did a "Splash & Dash" he was wet up to his waist! Then later just before we went to church the balloons started flying North and they were landing around our house! This first picture is of a balloon flying just over our garage! (Our house is a Southwest style house...It's a big box that's brown!) It was always exciting to see them! The second picture is of a balloon that is just lifting off from around our house after exchanging passengers! You can also see their Chase Crew in the left hand corner! There is 1-2 chase trucks or vans for each of the 700 hot air balloons! All of them are volunteers! The crew and pliot has to be at the Balloon field in the very early am. The Pliots as early at 3:00 a.m. and the chase crews about 4:30 a.m. During that time they are testing the air currents to see if they can fly that day! The third picture is of the Bees...Jill & Joe Bee. They are Braizallian made and were brought to the Balloon Fiesta 2 years ago where they were sold to 2 people in Arizona. If the conditions are right the bees hands have velcro on them and when they lift off they are holding hands! They some how they get them to realise before to long! They are just some of the "Special Shape" Balloons that they have at the fiesta! The last picture was taken just down the street from our house and you can see the balloons coming toward us! My friend Dennis & His dad & His friend Jorge are coming Thursday for the Weekend from California! We will be going to see the Special Shapes lift off and then the Glowdeo that evening! Then another mass lift off on Saturday! They we are going to Santa Fe for the weekend! It should be a lot of fun! I'll keep you Posted!