Sunday, July 1, 2012

BALLOON OVER BUNNYTOWN

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is known the world over as the largest gathering of Hot Air Balloons anywhere...It always takes place the first two weeks of October when New Mexico is at its most beautiful. Each of those two weekends, provide startling mass ascensions along with daily activities in the early morning and at sunset during the week. It is in the cool of autumn mornings that the "Albuquerque Box" best works allowing for balloonists to take off in one spot, float silently eastward toward the Sandia Mountains, and be gently brought back to the same area that the took off from for safe landings.

However there are companies that offer balloon rides year round as well such as Rainbow Ryders of Albuquerque.  On a recent June morning the unmistakable sound of gas being shot up into the envelope of a passing balloon woke me and our Schipperkes up...The balloon seemed to be lower than usual as it passed over BunnytownUSA and in fact, ended up landing a block away in the midst of our neighborhood.

Here are some photographs of the fun and surprising event...


Hot Air Balloon and BunnytownUSA







Hot Air Balloon touches down at St. Francis Xavier Church.




Hot Air Balloons open their tops to let out hot air on landing.







Soon to open the traditional bottle of a.m. champagne, 
the crew and passengers will soon celebrate a soft landing. 

--photographs courtesy Aquila Arts LLC and © 2012 Jeff Hartzer--

No comments:

Post a Comment