Bill's First Ride-Flight of the Nations

Bill got his first balloon ride yesterday!!!

Bill, Leslie, Jim and I are crewing for Stan Wereshuk on "Northern Lights" from Canada. Stan works for Air Canada and has been flying balloons for 35 years - - - he is very good!

Yesterday was another Texas Hold 'Em run so we left the launch field after pilots briefing and drove to a neighborhood nearby to launch. This area were full of beautiful custom made homes and there was one vacant lot. The owner mows down the weeds every year at this time for balloonists could use it to launch....and launch they did. There were 5-6 of us inflating envelopes one right after the other.
All the neighbors came out to watch as they said they had had one balloon a year use the field, but never 5 or 6 use it. It was getting late in the morning so everyone was inflating at the same time trying to get up quick.

Stan and Bill actually "scored" pretty good on the Texas Hold 'Em, landing their targets on a Jack and a Nine, scooting two feet off the ground.

The field behind the rv rigs were we are parked is affectionately called "crash and burn field" or Smash City because you come in fast and land hard. Whoever is around runs after your basket to hold you down while you deflate the envelope.

Our friend, Marty Cassidy, didn't join a chase crew but he sure got a work out running after balloons as they landed near the rigs. Here he actually got to help Bill and Stan land.

Everywhere you drive in town in the early morning you can see balloons all around...easy for drivers to get distracted.

After we bagged Stan's balloon we all went back to the fiesta grounds to party. One of the other crews invited us over and we had champagne and posole for breakfast at 9 am. But oh, was it good.








While we ate here comes a cute custom made vehicle that replicates a balloon basket in the back for a bunch of folks to ride in.

This is the biggest balloon event in the world with upwards of 700 to 800 balloons registered some years. This year there are 550 or so. Many foreign nations are represented here from 18 nations like Poland, Croatia, Brazil, South America, France, Latvia, Germany, etc. So last night Stan gave us all free tickets to the "Flight of Nations" dinner at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort ---- very exclusive place. Got this shot from their website. Here is a shot I DID take on the way out there - came out pretty good I think.

You walked in this hotel and there were signs leading you to "transportation to the Flight of Nations dinner". You walked through the place, down to a patio and there are buses waiting to take you to dinner...which turned out to be in a huge, huge white tent back in the property. Oh, my, we were impressed. They had American Indian Aztec dancers performing. This dinner was for all the teams from foreign nations so us USA folks were in the minority. As each nation's table was introduced they all rose and shouted and raised their arms....great fun!

We had a wonderful dinner dinner of cold perfectly cook salmon, chicken with a great sauce and a pork loin in a red chile sauce that was unbelievable! Dessert was a great flan with fresh fruit. There was a open bar with beer, wine and margaritas. They served Barefoot brand Cabernet sauvignon that I really liked. Gonna have to get some of that for special occasions. The band was "Undiscovered" and they played 70s music...real good, but real loud!!! Stan and Lesle "cut a pretty good rug" on the floor.

We got home about 9:30 pm and were dead tired. All those photos that everyone thinks are night shots....oh, no, my friends they are EARLY MORNING shots. Balloons only fly in the early morning when the winds are calm. We are getting up at 4:30 AM and on the field by 5:45 or 6:15. Yes, all those shots of early burns to warm the inside air of the balloons are taken before the sun rises....usually of the Dawn Patrol that goes up to test the way the winds are blowing. So we take naps after the morning champagne breakfast so we are ready to go again in the evening.

Remember you are loved!