Balloons!

I should've taken pictures with my phone, but I don't know how to get them onto my computer. I started work at 4:30 and was at Balloon Fiesta Park before 5am. It was frickin freezin. But it was pretty cool. I mostly watched balloons instead of working. And instead of paying $6 for a ticket, I got paid $9 per hour. Yay.

First is dawn patrol, where 10 or so balloons launch before sunrise with lights on to test the weather. Then is the Mass Ascension. Today was special shapes, so there were all sorts of cool things like witches, Smokey the Bear, turtles, Noah's Ark, a castle, a pink house, Pooh, the Energizer Bunny, two bees that kissed midflight, Darth Vader, and so much more. (Oh yeah, and the European crew for Darth Vader flew into the Sunport in full storm trooper regalia.) After they all launched, the regular balloons that were relegated to off-field because of the special shapes got to launch to play a game. They had to come down to the field and try to pick up flags off posts or drop streamers near posts in an effort to win prizes, but they couldn't touch the field. Then they would go back up. The box was working, so most of them could come back around for a second try.

If you are not familiar with balloon workings as I was not, balloons do not steer. They just increase or decrease the gas to go up or down. At different elevations the air takes them different directions. Albuquerque hosts the Balloon Fiesta because of the box. At a lower elevation, winds take you one direction, and then you can go up higher to come back. In theory you could land in the same place, although this hardly ever works. The box does not function all the time, but it was in full force for awhile today. It was so cool! Everybody should come visit for this event next year. I am going back on Saturday, but the weather might not be good enough for flight so that won't be fun.

I definitely came home and slept for about 3 hours in the middle of the day. I didn't want to sleep so long, but someone was supposed to call and wake me up and failed to do so. Men. I swear. Anyway, balloons! Yay!