A Little Hot Air

 

Funny how well things work out, even though not always perfectly, in the end.

(A Chase Crew Vehicle on the road in front of us, on our way home from the Balloon Fiesta)

And this is Foolish Whim(taken from their website)

We still had to make up our Rain Check Tickets from the previous week's rained out Hot Air Balloon Glow.

So, when I received a formal VIP Invitation from the city of Albuquerque and the Anderson-Abruzzo International Hot Air Balloon Museum to attend a Teacher’s Appreciation Breakfast during a Special Shapes Rodeo and Mass Ascension, I thought it would be a great idea for Ranchman John to take the kidlets that morning, too. I felt a little better about the morning, knowing that my family was going to be having a great time, too.

As for me, there were going to also be some fun activities and workshops available during the Teacher Appreciation Breakfast, besides the food and hot air balloon viewing, so it was going to be a fun event.

I should have taken a photo of the fancy pink and gold parking pass and ticket I was given, but we used my parking pass to get in and we had to give the tickets at the door.

Getting up at 3am is difficult enough for adults, but even harder for kids. My daughter made me laugh when I woke her up and she mumbled sleepily, “Mama, I already brushed my teeth and put my jammies on”. She truly believed that she had just fallen asleep and I was waking her up to remind her to prepare for bedtime. haha!

Poor punkin’! She was happy to wake up once I promised her that Daddy would buy her some Krispy Kreme donuts once they were at the Albuquerque International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta.

Rise and Shine!

As for me, I was traveling to the Balloon Fiesta with my friend and fellow homeschooling Mom to attend the Teacher’s Breakfast, where there would, alas, be no donuts, but plenty of coffee, juice, pastries, scones, fresh fruit, and 3 different kinds of breakfast burritos! Yummo!

On the way through the canyon we watched with trepidation at the lightning flashes in the sky, wondering if the Balloon launch would be another wash-out. But we continued on in the dark of the early morning, knowing that at the very least we’d be enjoying a hot tasty breakfast and a tour through the hot air balloon museum.

My friend Suzanne, ready for lift-off! (Doesn’t Smokey the Bear look like he woke up on the wrong side of his cave?)

We felt pretty special when we arrived and were able to just bypass all the hordes of traffic and park in the VIP parking lots, too. Once we were inside the museum, we walked around looking at some of the exhibits and we’re invited to stand in the background with smiling faces, while the KRQE News 13 reporter did her morning report on the Balloon Fiesta. That was kind of neat, although noone we knew would be watching the news report because, either they were already at the ballooon fiesta, or they were asleep. haha!

And I looked like I was half-asleep!

The hot air balloons hadn’t even inflated yet when we discovered that the Mayor of Albuquerque, Richard Berry, was being honored and entertained just upstairs from our VIP Teacher Breakfast.

And to surprise him, the Albuquerque Mounted Police Department came to visit (Check out that link to see the entire mounted unit and learn more about their gorgeous draft horse officers, with lots of photos, too!)

The APD Horse Mounted Unit (HMU) was created over 30 years ago in 1977.  There was 1 Sergeant, 5 officers and 6 horses. Its purpose is Crime Prevention and Public Relations.

The HMU uses draft horses because of their calm nature and large size.  This decision gave the Albuquerque Police Department Horse Mounted Unit the singular distinction of being the first Mounted Unit to use all Draft Breed horses across the nation.

Currently there are 10 horses (and 1 mini mascot), 1 Sergeant and 6 officers in the HMU.

I spoke with a couple of the officers. This is Sergeant Collins and his equine partner Rudy. I enjoyed learning about the activities the unit does together with their horses to desensitize and train both the horses and the humans.

I think Rudy was getting a little tired of my camera. The big ‘ol stinker stuck out his tongue at me. hehe!

And this is the handsome Edgar. Ooolala!

Towering twelve feet above the ground, the Horse Mounted Officer is six times more visible than a foot patrol officer, a bike officer, or even a car.  Mounted Officers also have a 360 degree range of vision and, within crowd control functions; one horse is equivalent to 10 officers on foot.

I was so excited to meet these handsome horses (and police officers, too.) and almost forgot that I was there to watch hot air balloons. haha!

My friend Suzanne even captured a couple photos of me getting some draft horse love.

But soon the sun was beginning to peek over the mountains and the traditional Dawn Patrol hot air balloons we’re making their way up into the sky with the sound of the National Anthem playing in the background.

 

And soon afterwards, the field of balloons started taking on a different shape as they inflated. The APD HMU officers asked me if I wouldn’t mind using their camera to take a few photos of them with the balloons in the background, and I was happy to oblige.

And then I grabbed my own camera to snap a few photos for me.

Although the skies were still cloudy and we could see some flashes of lightning off in the distance, it seemed that at least some of the balloons would be inflating.

But would there be a mass ascension?

Then as all eyes at the museum (including The Mayor and His Entourage) focused excitedly onto the crowded balloon field and into the sky above………………,

……….the human and horse police officers trotted off into the sunrise to manage the crowds.

 

 

To Be Continued……………………