55 degrees this morning. Greg and Gwynne head to the launch field while Beth hangs out at the Trek planning to do some clean-up and possibly contact someone about the fridge issues. However, about a half hour after they left, Beth begins to hear the familiar whooshing sound of balloon burners. Looking outside, she realizes the the balloons have launched and many are coming directly over the rv park! That's our rv on the front, right!
Today there were a smattering of white wispy clouds here and there in the beautiful blue sky! We have been fortunate with the weather!
Some are even landing in a nearby field. So instead of working, she watches and takes photos, even getting waves from some of the balloonists as they fly low in preparation for landing!
We thought this sign on the back of one of the chase vehicles might be a good addition to some folks' vehicles..mentioning no names.
Beth is finishing some clean-up when Greg and Gwynne return, having enjoyed their own balloon experiences from the launch field. They stuck around as some of the balloons also land at the launch field.
We turn to maintenance. Greg contacts a local RV Repair guy who is set up here, but he just does parts. Then he talks to a mobile repair guy who is totally booked for days. We call two other local businesses who are also overwhelmed and have no openings for several days. So we decide we will live with the situation and get some more ice and a small cooler while out and about today.
We head first to Old Town Albuquerque and find a good parking spot close to The Rattlesnake Museum, our first planned stop. It is a beautiful warm day with brilliant blue skies.
Old town involves several blocks of adobe buildings, mostly now shops, restaurants, museums and other tourist spots. As in Sante Fe, some folks have spread blankets and are selling jewelry and other crafts. We head to Church Street Cafe and after a short wait are seated inside.
The building itself, also known as Casa De Ruiz, is a house built during the founding of Albuquerque around 1706. It has been resurfaced and has some lovely southwestern art and beautiful cacti outside.
We wander some more streets and visit San Felipe De Neri church, the oldest in Albuquerque, also built in 1706 and still active.
Across the street, in the plaza, we pause and listen to some musicians for a bit, before continuing poking into shops here and there. Greg admires several vintage cars are parked near the plaza.
This place had beautiful pottery.
Through this entryway, we visited Daniel Ramirez Gallery.
From here we stop at the Albuquerque Main Public Library for an hour or so. Seems a draw for many homeless. One man has a seizure and is toted away by stretcher, another seems to be there for counseling...
Back to the RV Park, where Greg fixes pork chops on the grill and Beth makes some mac 'n' cheese. Tasty dinner. Greg and Gwynne take off for the balloon glow, while Beth does some writing and messing with the hundreds of photos from the last few days. None of them can quite capture the thrill of being on the launch field amidst all the balloons, then lifting your head to see balloons in every direction, brilliantly lit.
The evening has turned windy, so Greg and Gwynne are soon back since it was too windy for many balloons and only a few set up. They spoke with a "zebra" this evening, of which there are about 70 at each event. It takes 2 years to become a zebra. They shadow someone the first year and are allowed to help with the launching in year 2. It takes many, many dedicated volunteers to have a successful show.
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