Friday, October 13, 2006

It's a bird, it's a plane.... no - it's a flying cow!





The wonders of the Albuquerque balloon festival continue! I didn't even have to go to the Fiesta park to see the balloons. I drove to work this morning amid hundreds of balloons of different shapes and sizes. It was cool to see them last night glowing on the ground - but to see them in the air was breath taking.

The wind was quite strong this morning and the balloons were moving! We had a great view from the third floor of my building where there is a little balcony facing them. The balloons were landing all around me - and it looked like they were landing on top of houses in the distance! I'm sure they weren't - but it sure looked like they were!


Check this out!





I also thought it was very appropriate to see the Energizer bunny attracted to the power lines...





And it wouldn't be New Mexico without chilli peppers!!!



Seeing all the different shaped balloons was so surreal - especially before my coffee!




About an hour after the shapes had their flight - the "regular" balloons took to the sky. I love the shapes - but there is just something so wonderful and pure about the regular balloons - it was just beautiful to see them all around me.





One even got close enough to my building to wave to the passengers!




And appropriately - it had a black sheep on it!




I got out of work a little early today - Hooray for Fridays! - and my mom and I headed out for more sight seeing. I took her to Old Town and we shopped and ate and shopped some more. I still love this church!



As luck would have it - I stumbled upon a shop that had yarn!!



Of course I had to buy a skein.... it was meant to be! I got a gorgeous Moss green colorway hand dyed by Mango Moon and spun in Nepal - 100% viscose. Part of my purchase helps to provide safe shelter, health care and education to women in Nepal. So - not only was it meant to be - it my moral duty to buy this yarn! Oh and I got it at a shop called Schelu. The owner is a knitter and didn't know about the Albuquerque stitch and bitch - so I enlightened her - and invited her to come next week!





After Old Town - we headed up to Sandia mountain and tramway. My friend Bentley had warned me about not going up there during balloon festival. She wasn't kidding!!! The line for tickets was out the door and around the corner! My mom wasn't too eager to ride the tram anyway - she's afraid of heights - so we just looked around the outside and saw the whole city - even if it wasn't from 10,000 feet - it was still beautiful.






After the mountain - we went to the Sandia casino to play my mom's favorite - the penny slots! It is a beautiful sight against the mountain isn't it!?




Just another beautiful day in Albuquerque.



I better get to bed - tomorrow we are going to get up at 5am in order to get to the Balloon park before they take off! I hate mornings!!

6 comments:

Nic said...

Ofcourse you would fine the chili pepper balloon. Does it get dirty and dusty too?

I love the green yarn. YOu know the next time you are feeling philanthropic and feel I could benefit from the same, pick me up one too and I will gladly pay you for my yar-- I mean to help people.

I love looking at the balloons and the skyline is so much clearer than last weekend. Here in LV we are having thunder and lightning storms like mad.

Instead of leaving this incredibly long post, I should just email you, but c'est l'vie and I am vested now in this comment.

KK said...

Oh wow again! Thank you SO much for sharing with us those gorgeous balloons! I just LOVE the chili peppers!

The Little (Knitting) Hedgehog said...

I'd heard rumors there was a shop in old town selling yarn! Do you remember the name?

Byronicwoman said...

before you leave new mexcio for good, i'm going to have you calling a string of chilies by its proper name - a 'ristra.' : )

Kerry said...

Thanks so much for sharing all of your wonderful photos Jody! The balloons are incredible. I've never had the opportunity to see one in person. To see hundreds must be amazing!

Giantsknitter said...

Missed you today at the Knit-A-Thon! Thanks for the code - my pix are better now!

BTW, I do have a finished pair of socks!! I have them on right now!! Woo-hoo!

The balloons are fabulous! How lucky you are to have seen them.