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| Albuquerque Balloon & Aerospace Museum |
The day opens with rain, effectively canceling the Dawn Patrol
as well as “mass ascensions” of the hot air balloons.
VV and Michael head for the Office, where Fiesta reps
apologize profusely and relocate us to a premium site with suitable adjustments
to the bill. VV maneuvers the rig
masterfully and nearby RV’ers applaud VV's skill.
The sky clears late in the morning, so we head for the park
“grounds,” baskically a lane full of booths and a large empty field which would
ordinarily contain hundreds of hot air balloons. Jesse and I shop. I buy one of the 2011
commemorative pins of the new balloons, Noah’s Ark, hoping I’ll get to see
it. Jesse’s baseball cap clanks with ten
year’s worth of pins. At a Native
American booth I buy a CD by a group called Inka Gold, playing in the tent,
very soothing wood flute sounds. Jesse
buys a wind twirler shaped like a hot
air balloon with Kokopelli dancing.
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| Early Hot Air Balloon |
At the far end of the line is the Artists tent where fine painting, sculpture, and jewelry made by New Mexico artists and artisans is on sale. I buy balloon ornaments for our first Christmas tree, a secret present for Jesse, and a pair of turquoise dangle earrings. And post cards of balloons, of course. I ogle fountain pens crafted from wood, turquoise, jasper, onyx. Shop owners close their tents as the breeze picks up into gusts. I do buy a commemorative 2011 balloon pin.
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| Early Space Observation Craft |
Jesse’s daughter Porkey, who lives here in Albuquerque, joins
us for a visit to the Albuquerque Balloon and Aerospace Museum.
Not surprisingly the history of hot air
balloons is featured, with models of the earliest dirigibles. Aerial reconnaissance was carried out by
both sides in the American Civil War.
Little paper balloons loaded with explosives were constructed by
Japanese school girls, the available work force, during WWII and sent adrift
over the US Pacific Northwest, floating in the jet stream as far as Ohio, with
thousand to this day unaccounted for.
Other exhibits sponsored by Lockheed Martin, NASA and the US Navy
feature more modern endeavors into flight.
Argonauts to Aeronauts into Astronauts. On the museum terrace a Navy band plays rock &
roll. Radical, down and dirty
anti-government call to revolution rock & roll played by the US military! I digress.
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| Museum Display of Fiesta Pins |
We nap, I draw hot air balloons with colored pencils and
fail to get on line.
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| Twins VV & Porkey at the Museum |
We celebrate a birthday dinner for the twins at Red Lobster, in case I failed to mention that VV and Ally are beautiful women. This celebration at the Balloon Fiesta, is a decade old tradition started by the girls after their mother’s death to cheer everyone up. This is the first year Dad has brought another woman, and they are joyful to see their Dad happy again. Awesome women.
The evening finished off with fireworks over the Park and we watch the video Ratatouille as the rain drums softly on the RV.