The Blog

The month of October begins with the first weekend. It is traditionally the opening weekend of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. It is the largest gathering of hot air balloons in the world. We fly at sunrise for the nine days of Fiesta, weather permitting. October has always been my favorite month of the year! There is a chill in the air, the leaves are changing, color is everywhere….especially in New Mexico.

On the way back home, a number of us stop off in Gallup, NM to fly in the gorgeous canyons of Red Rock state Park. We are there for the annual Post Fiesta Siesta Hangover Layover. This year the get together set a record with 40 balloons in attendance.

The weather could not have been better. A cold morning of 28 degrees with a cloudless sky greeted us with gentle, light and variable winds that allowed us to play in the fingers of the canyons for hours before continuing on our journeys home.

It was a great flight taking off with my Az flying buddy, John Ross. Flying and photographing in the gentle winds was fun and relaxing as we gently moved thru the fingers of the canyons. Before long, John caught up with me as he landed right where I did.

As most people across the country are parking their balloons for the winter, our flying season has just begun. The desert does have it’s benefits, aside from the hot summer days. There are many festivals in the winter, here on the Colorado plateau. I’ll be sure to keep you all up to date on where and when we fly, accompanied by some more beauty from the air!