April 10 - Another Balloon Sighting

This evening Hannah & Maggie go tearing out of the house and raising Cain!  So, I followed them out and could hear a hot air balloon.  I looked up, I looked over, I peeked from beneath the tree and no balloon.  So I come back in - then they race out again, this time I spot it landing on the other side or the tree-line in the soccer field park next to us. I grab my camera and head over...  Well, the balloon cleared the field of soccer kids - and the balloon pilot was sweet (smart) enough to put those 20+ kids to work.  :-)  Here's some photos of the balloon and the wrap up.

View from our driveway

Getting closer - darn, its already on the

ground!

Kids from the soccer fields

Helpers felling the balloon

Getting ready to squeeze the air out

Packing it all in

Balloon Pilot giving the kids a pep talk

Stay in school, listen to your parents and teachers

stay off drugs and in about 10 years you can take a

free balloon ride with her.

How many kids can you stuff into a basket

Sixteen!

Mar 25 - We Are Being Invaded

According to Hannah & Maggie - who reacted exactly like Ben & Bear did when they saw balloons in the sky.  With consternation, lots of barking and running back & forth.

Sunday we woke up to a hot air balloon outside our kitchen window.  At first we thought they might try to land in our pasture but I think they decided it would have been too tight.  I grabbed my camera and captured a few shots.  For those of you in Albuquerque - this is not an uncommon occurrence for you but for me, this is the first balloon we've seen since moving.  So its still exciting!!

Hot air balloon over our pasture

CRAP!  We are being invaded!!

If we race back and forth really quickly maybe it

will think there are more of us than two and 

it will just fly on by!!

We are about to get the interloper chased off - a few more trips,

a few more barks and that should do it!

Past the Pecan tree.

Whew, chasing balloons wears a girl out.

Hannah: "But one of us must stay ever vigilant, in case they 

try to sneak back over."

Azalea Festival - Tyler, Texas 2012

OK... I need to find a photography class.  Got a great new camera last summer - and if I leave it on P (for program) then its great.  Photos are wonderful... take it off of P and it's over.  Well...  not OVER but kinda blurry.  :-(  Very disappointing.  My 'close-ups' turn out OK but I think that's because it's programmable.  Phooey... had a fabulous day in Tyler, TX on Sunday but my photos leave a lot to be desired.  Still, I've posted them below for your viewing... uhm, pleasure?

If you love flowers and wonderful historic homes, take a trip to Tyler for the Azalea Festival.  Its beautiful!!  But don't go on a Sunday - all the 'quaint' restaurants are closed, all you'll get are chains.

I apologize now for the poor quality - maybe the small photos won't look so bad.  I'm bummed...  sigh.

Wisteria growing in trees

Broadway - Downtown Tyler