Wandering With The Wrights

October 10, 2021

I promise we are going to be slowing down our travels which means you won't have to get so many blogs and look at so many pictures - but that time is not just yet!!

After leaving Yellowstone we headed for Salt Lake City.  

Enjoyed touring Temple Square -Beautiful & Interesting.  

Gorgeous Art Work

The interior of all of the buildings were breathtakingly beautiful

Organ inside the Tabernacle 

(that weekend they were filming a Christmas Special so they had decorated the stage.)

The organist is so small compared to the huge organ.  

The 11,623-pipe organ is one of the world's most famous organs

(because of Covid the choir had just held its first rehearsal in 15 months but was not performing yet)

Here the organist dropped an everyday straight pin onto a piece of wood so we could hear how wonderful the acoustics are.  We could easily hear it with no amplification!   

We were able to listen to him play a beautiful recital.

This is another organ in a different building - it was just gorgeous

The Temple is under massive updating - no one allowed in at this point.

The following day we visited the Utah State Capitol

Another beautiful building - we had a wonderful tour guide and learned a lot!

We then spent several days traveling to Albuquerque, New Mexico

We stopped at The Four Corners Monument - where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico all meet 

The only point in the United States shared by four states.

The roads we traveled for several days were in terrible shape but the scenery was 

beautiful and interesting

We spent a few nights at Old West RV Park in Monticello, Utah and the previous owner came over and put on a gun show for us

At another campground right outside of Albuquerque we loved how they built little adobe huts to give shade over the picnic tables 

Then we arrived at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, what a fantastic experience!!

I could load more pictures than you can imagine but won't post them all but it will be hard to decide what not to post.  We actually crewed on three different balloons.  We came here with a group we belong to, Escapee Boomers, and they have come to the Fiesta for years and crewed.  What a unique and educational (and tiring) experience.  We had to get up at 4:30 every morning for 9 days to get to the field.  It was more than worth it.  Once arriving at the field it was so exciting and beautiful.  We also went back in the evening to help crew for what they call glows.

Two of the pilots we crewed with - they go to a briefing every morning at 6:00am and get all the latest weather information.  The first set of balloons to leave every morning are called the Dawn Patrol and the other pilots pay close attention to their assent and where the wind takes them.  

Airabella - the largest balloon at the fiesta.  

Every morning at 7:00am the entire field fell silent (with over 500 balloons and their crew that is no easy task) when someone sang the Star Spangled Banner and one balloon lifted off with the flag.  Several morning also included a fly over from Kirkland AFB.  This morning the balloon chosen to carry the flag was Airabella.

Another mornings lift off with the flag

The balloons only fly in the morning, weather permitting, but every night they do a night glow - balloons are set up and the pilots light them up for the crowds.  

We thought this one resembled our Teddy.

This is called a candle stick and was done one night as it was to windy to but the balloons up but they try hard to offer the crowds something to see.  It was very pretty and really warmed the field up

A balloon of balloons

This is the dawn patrol taking off in the morning - the other pilots pay close attention to where these first half dozen or so balloons go

Getting the balloons ready to fly is really something 

Getting ready to remove the envelope (balloon) from the blue bag - to spread out so it can be attached to the basket and filled with air after hauling it out of the trailer - they are heavy

Laying the envelope - balloon out on the grass so it can be inflated

The envelope must be attached to the basket very carefully - no twisted ropes and attached securely.  The large red item is a heavy duty fan that blows cold air into the balloon to inflate it - called cold inflation 

Takes two people to hold the throat open so that cool air can be blown in from the fan

After the balloon is filled with cool air from the large fan the pilot then heats the air up.  There is a sensor near the top of the balloon and the pilot can see the temp down in the basket.  They have to be careful not to get it to warm or it will leave before he wants - and believe me no amount of people are going to keep that balloon from raising once it reaches a certain temperature.

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Once the balloon is inflated, depending on the wind, it takes at least 3 or 4 people with hands on the basket to keep it from ascending before the Zebra (more on Zebras later) gives you a thumbs up to ascend.  If there is even a slight wind it can take up to 6 people to keep her in place.

After the balloon lands it helps if someone lies on it and rolls to help get the air out - Jerry liked that job

So did the kids - the crew chief encourage all the children to come up and help or to get their pictures taken in the balloon

The spectators also enjoy helping

This is a Zebra!!

There are men and women called Zebra's that once the pilot decides if he is going to fly that day is responsible for seeing that he leaves the field safely - that there are no other balloons above or below him at takeoff.  There is no way the pilot can see above him when the balloon is inflated.

The pilots have a lot of respect for the Zebra's

Another Zebra talking to a few pilots - they are all so friendly and extremely knowledgeable

One of our pilots and his favorite Zebra

I was fortunate to get to go up in a balloon - the pilots try to get crew up as a thank you for their help - unfortunately the two days they had hoped to take Jerry the weather was such that they couldn't fly.

Getting instructions before lift off from the Crew Chief - she or he is in charge on the ground the pilot is in charge in the air plus the pilot is responsible for checking everything the crew does before take off

Up Up and Away with Pilot Tim

It is amazing to be among all the balloons as they ascend.

Looking down - I am afraid of heights but this didn't bother me at all

Finding a place to land can be a challenge but most people are thrilled when a balloon lands near their house, rv or place of work and come rushing out to help

This was taken when I was up in the balloon looking down at a balloon that was on the ground and deflated and waiting to get packed back into the blue bag

People and balloons everywhere!

Who said pigs don't fly?

Flew over a cemetery but decided not to land as we figured we wouldn't get much help packing up

We actually flew over the top of this guy to our landing spot

What the balloon looked like after we landed

Tim walking back to the basket - I was very grateful there were no pictures taken of me getting into the basket while it was upright and none taken crawling out when it was on its side as shown!!

There is a custom that after someone flies for the first time (actually I had been up in a balloon many years ago) but not sure they knew that so - the pilot tells you the story of how ballooning got started - he then says the balloonist prayer:  

May the winds welcome you with softness,

May the sun bless you with its warm hands, 

May you fly so high and so well that God

joins you in laughter and sets you gently back

into the loving arms of Mother Earth.

He then picks a little grass up and sprinkles it on your head and then pours some champagne on your head (my pilot knew we were going out to lunch so he just pretended but I have seen people get the better part of an entire bottle poured on their heads).  Thank you Tim for taking mercy on me :-)

And of course we then all toast and consume the champagne

The entire point of the fiesta is to have fun and help people learn about ballooning and to help the Albuquerque economy - all of which it seems to do very well.  This is a pilot who dressed up before his flight saying hi to our crew chief.  

Most of pilots and crew chiefs know each other - it is like one big family.

Jerry and I with Tim and Renee one of our pilots and his wife who is the crew chief

More Balloons

This is actually taken right infront of our motorhome on the right of the screen

Our dear friend Kayla Zenner Michiel and her husband Jerrad were waiting for their first baby - I sent her this shot yesterday and said the stork was on his way and today she delivered a beautiful little girl!!

The pig chasing the cow

We had several beautiful sunrises which we normally aren't up to see and sunsets but this one was the best

Each ballon basket has an ID banner that must be on it during the Fiesta - we all signed ours and the pilot keeps them

This was our crew for just one regular size balloon - the special shape balloons require much larger crews.

As I mentioned we were with a group we belong to called Escapees - they have a care center for rvers that have to come off the road either short or long term in Livingston, Texas.  Almost always when Escappes are together they hold an auction to raise money for the CARE Center.  That was how we spent this afternoon, our last in Albuquerque.  There was also entertainment the Status Crowes - it was a lot of fun - you just call out what you would like them to play and the do.  Haven't heard yet what the auction brought in but the Escapees are always very generous.

Teddy turned 13 while we were here - he had a nice birthday

Here is Vincent - getting so big

Here he is at his first swimming lesson

I hope we haven't bored you to death with all the pictures - and as I said things are going to slow down some.  We are slowly heading to Palmdale, CA to do a SOWERS mission project and Jerry will be able to visit with his family that he hasn't seen in three years before returning to Benson, AZ our winter home right before Thanksgiving.