Up, Up, and Away….

After an evening of good food and fun at the slots, we settled in at the motor home and made the plan for today.  It went something like this…

I wanted to wake up early…no later than 6:00.  That meant we had to set the alarm.  I knew if I got up that early, I could be dressed,  have camera in hand, and be outside…in order not to miss

the first balloon take flight

on what promised to be a beautiful morning in Albuquerque.

It wasn’t long until we could see the

balloons carrying the American flag…and that begins the day.

This mornings show was the flight of the shape balloons.  And,

  one,

by one they began to rise above the clouds.  Here they joined

the other balloons that led the way.

Before, you could blink, the shaped ones

just kept coming and

coming.

There are always a few favorites…like

the cow,

the kissing bees, and

the Energizer Bunny.

All of the balloons

were beautiful as they filled the sky.  But, like always…there is something that always takes the show.  This morning was no different, and it was none other than

a balloon shaped like the space shuttle.  It was awesome as it lifted off from the ground and continued

to climb high into the morning sky!  Can you imagine riding in that little basket hooked on the bottom of that balloon?  WOW, what fun that would be!

We continued to stand and watch in amazement as the balloons began to

drift off into the morning sunlight.  We decided to head in to the casino for breakfast.  And, yes, Joe and Weldon…the omelet was delicious and the biscuits and gravy too!

After lingering over that last bit of coffee, we decided it was time to get things packed up.  By the time we were ready to pull out, we were able to see some of the

  last balloons coming in for a landing.

What a great morning this was.  Thanks to the

management at the Sandia Casino for turning their

parking lot into a makeshift RV park for balloon watching.  I’ll store this one to memory.

We pulled out around 10:30 heading south on I-25 to I-40 east where the beautiful Sandia mountains call home.

We made a stop in Tucumcari for fuel.  The winds really begin to pick up as we got back on the interstate.  And,

I don’t think there is anything to stop it between here and Amarillo. There are also thunderstorms in the forecast. We will be staying over night in Amarillo at the Oasis RV Park…that is if my driver can hold on to the steering wheel for that long.

Hey…we haven’t seen this

sign in a while.  This is our home state.  Other than maybe a short trip here or there, we plan to be in Texas for a couple of months.  We are looking forward to spending some quality time with family and friends.

  And, to Jennifer and Lauren, who count the days while we are gone, I hope you both have

 

a smile on your face, because…YES…I am bringing Poppa home.