Something in the Air

Albuquerque is the Hot Air Balloon capital of the world!

For over a week, the morning and afternoon skies of Albuquerque are filled with enormous hot air balloons. I saw this balloon in the middle of the city, far away from the activities of the Balloon Fiesta, last Tuesday morning. Sorry for the poor quality, I took it on my cell phone through a dirty windshield. I imagined they were looking for a good place to land.

Between predawn flights, nighttime balloon glows, and parties, hot air ballooning is almost a 24 hour sport with naps in between, rather than regular sleep. During Balloon Fiesta most people get up between 3:30 and 4:30 AM so they can beat the traffic and be at the launch field before dawn. The balloon field looks much like a state fair during Fiesta with all kinds of vendors and food stands. There are breakfast burritos (hand held sandwiches of scrambled egg, bacon, cheese, potato, and green chili all wrapped in a flour tortilla) which, I believe, began many, many years ago at a balloon fiesta. At least that is the first time I ever had one. It worked as a hand warmer as well as food. I think there are miles of different stands to visit. And the purchase lines are a mile long too!The Dawn Patrol are the first two balloons to go up. I missed getting their photographs; it was too dark! They rise in the pre dawn light casting occasional eerie glows in the black skies as the propane burners are turned on and off. They are used primarily for the pilots to observe the varying wind patterns. Because it is in a valley and there are mountains to the east, Albuquerque has a special wind pattern called the Albuquerque Box. The currents go one direction and then as you rise in altitude they go the opposite direction. This is great for the hot air balloon pilots because they can take off and land in the same general area. They can also control their direction easier.

After the sun rises, this balloon launches, signalling the start of the morning ascension.

Next to inflate are the Rainbow Ryder balloons. These balloons carry the paying customers. There are twenty commercial balloons affiliated with Rainbow Ryders this Fiesta. Some of the balloons can hold as many as ten people! My son works for Rainbow Ryders as part of the chase crew but I had no idea where or even which balloon he was at and the crowd was just too crazy so I gave up looking for him. I knew that as soon as the balloon went up with the pilot and the customers, the two crew members (my son and another guy) would be driving off to follow their balloon around until it landed. Today, the special shapes balloons took over the field after the Rainbow Ryder balloons left the area. Usually, all of the balloons are on the field inflating and launching in waves, as the 'zebra' launch directors guide them. Here is a gathering of some of the zebras to show what they wear.

Today was special, however, as there were contests to be played on the field, so all the regular balloons were driven off site for launching so they could fly back over the field for the competition.

The police horses are also very popular at the Balloon Fiesta. Imagine how much training these wonderful steeds must have gone through to be here.

This morning I got up at 4:00 and rode in with my son. Because he works there, he has a pass for free parking and admission on to the field so I got in free too. My daughter, who also works for Rainbow Ryders, wanted me to come out this morning to see her and all the balloons.

Imagine my surprise when she handed me this pass!
Here are my daughter and son talking to a couple of customers about their upcoming balloon flight scheduled for this coming Sunday morning. Even when they are off duty they work hard promoting the sport.

To be continued...

Something in the Air - song: Something in the Air, artist: David Bowie, album: "hours..."

Keep a photograph

Here are some newish pictures of Yalla! She is almost 4 months old. She has one white near front foot, actually a half coronet, and the rest of her legs are black.

She's got racing blood, maybe I should train her to be a racehorse!

These last two photos were taken today. I think she changes color a little bit every day! Notice how the hair of the stripe on her back is raised. ;)

Keep a photograph - song: An Occasional Dream, artist: David Bowie, album: Space Oddity

Gee, it's hot

I harvested lots of these little hot peppers, habaneros, from my garden this summer but nobody wants to eat them because they are so hot! My son's girlfriend saw them and suggested that I dip them in chocolate. Hmmm, chocolate is great with everything, right? So I washed and dried the peppers completely. Then I melted down some chocolate in a bowl. I dipped the habanero peppers into the chocolate mix and coated them all over with the stems still attached like chocolate covered cherries. Gosh, they looked good! I took a couple of dozen with me to the church where I was working with the bookkeeper this morning. I offered the chocolate peppers around but since no one wanted one, I decided to try one. I took a little nibble. It was good! Then I bit off a little more. It was getting really hot but I could still handle it. I ate the whole thing, minus the seeds and the stem, of course. My lips burned and my throat and stomach felt a little funny. I chugged my coke but that didn't help much. My friend offered me a peppermint. Take it from me, that does not help the burn! Peppermints are hot in their own way. Anyway, I knew the burning would get better eventually so we went to work.

Some time later, I began to feel really bad inside, like I couldn't breathe. I went to the bathroom and I got the sweats but I didn't feel any better. Can you die of cardiac arrest from eating hot peppers?? I felt like I was going into analphalaxis, an alergic reaction. I was thinking that I was probably in a good place to die, being in a church. And then I remembered that I still needed to get my will done.

I remembered that there was some little individual tubs of ice cream in the freezer so I grabbed one. The best way to cure spicy heat is with milk products, not water. I opened it and started eating the cold stuff by the spoonful. I immediately started feeling better. Soon I felt well enough to go back into the office. Everyone thought I looked really pale. I threw all those chocolate peppers away.

I told my son about it and he wants to try one. Well, I still have some left but I'm not so sure I should let him try one. He told me that he went to a fiery foods show and they offered him some habanero paste on a toothpick. He said he almost passed out. Maybe we ARE allergic to them. Oh my!!

Anyone want some really hot delicacies?

Gee, it's hot - song: Drive in Saturday, artist: David Bowie, album: Aladdin Sane

Pour me out another phone

This morning, as I was going to school, the craziest thing happened to me.

I was traveling down the highway a short distance from my home towards a stop sign at the intersection of two highways when my phone signaled that I was receiving a test message. Since I was slowing down, almost at the stop sign, I decided to read it. I know that isn't the smartest thing to do but there was no one in front or back of me. It is illegal to use a cell phone in town but it isn't against the law where I was at. I was most likely guilty of careless driving, however. Anyway, as I was cruising towards the stop sign, slowing down, reading the message on my phone, I suddenly noticed movement right in front of me. I looked up and almost freaked! A big pickup truck was right in front of me, coming across the road diagonally! He took out the stop sign just in front of me and zoomed past into the parking lot next to me, stopping at the end of the lot in some trees! If I hadn't been going so slow he would have hit me! As it was, he ran the sign completely down and there were tracks all the way across the lot. This all happened about 3 feet in front of my car. I don't know how he just missed the telephone pole next to the stop sign either! I can only guess that he was traveling eastbound on the main highway, fell asleep, and turned the vehicle slightly south into a direct path diagonally towards me as I was coming north on the side road. He was traveling quite fast and there were no brakes applied or evidence of swerves in his path. I am very thankful there were no other cars around at the time and I am EXTREMELY thankful that I had slowed down to read the text. This is the very rare occasion when cell phone use was not detrimental or the cause of an accident. Quite the opposite, in fact.

I noticed that they put the stop sign back up right away but you can still see his path. I took this photo this afternoon. It had been raining but I don't believe he skidded out, do you?

I don't know if he hit anything here but I'll bet that was part of his front grill work!

Pour me out another phone - song: Drive in Saturday, artist: David Bowie, album: Aladdin Sane

Sorrow

It was a day like today, eleven years ago, that we brought home an awkward, too-big-for-his-feet, loveable German Shorthaired Pointer puppy. I had wanted a GSP for a LONG time so when we decided to go dog hunting after Buck died we looked for one. They are not very common around here in spite of their large litters so we patiently waited until a litter was available for adoption. When we went to see the puppies they had 5 rowdy puppies left. It would have been a tough decision but Gunnar chose us. He stayed by us while the other puppies came up and then romped off again.

We named him Gunnar because of his German heritage and because he was a 'gun' dog. He never officially hunted but he loved to point out rabbits and other small creatures. He was a beautiful dog, from a long line of field and show champions!

He was a daddy 3X and he sure loved those puppies! He would lay with Daisy and the puppies as soon as they were born and he'd let them climb all over him. Here he is with one of his puppies.He was such a charismatic gentleman that when we had people come over to see the puppies, they always asked if they could take Gunnar instead. lol, as if! He had a way of sitting next to visitors and gently laying a paw on their arm. He'd look at them with his soulful eyes and they'd melt and begin scratching and petting him. He was an incredibly sweet dog.

He loved to play fetch and he enjoyed chasing the cats. Buddha was his little buddy. They would play and lay together for hours. He and Daisy were often found cuddled together.

When my husband died of pancreatic cancer 2 years ago, Gunnar went over and said good-bye to him. A short time later he had pancreatitis himself, probably caused by grief and stress.

A few months ago, in May, Gunnar was diagnosed with cancer. He had a small knot on his forehead that the veterinarian said would grow larger at a very rapid rate. He wasn't kidding! All summer Gunnar has had a huge swelling on his forehead, right between the eyes and upwards. It would drain, go down, and then swell up again almost immediately. The last month or so, he has been having difficulty breathing because of the swelling in his throat. His sinuses were affected and he would often have nosebleeds. Last week, I took him in for some exploratory surgery to see if by some wild chance it was all really just an infection or a bone fragment from an injury. The doctor called me during surgery and said that there were many bone fragments. His sinus cavities were disintegrating from the cancer and he recommended "letting him go."

This picture was taken on his last morning, laying right next to Daisy. He loved to play with his stuffed fox. I took a lot of photos of him that morning but most of them show his bulging head and gaping, draining hole.

On one hand, I expected this. But still, I had hoped it was all a misdiagnosis because the vet had never taken x-rays. It breaks my heart that Gunnar is gone now and I know Daisy and Buddha are missing him too. My boys dug a grave out back so that we could bury him alongside our other long-gone pets.

Sorrow - song: Sorrow, artist: David Bowie, album: Pinups

She got a turned up nose

Here's Yalla! tonight waiting to be fed...

She got a turned up nose - song: Blue Jean, artist: David Bowie, album: Tonight

Buddha of Suburbia

Sometimes, it's a dog's life! Here's my Little Buddha of Suburbia.

Buddha of Suburbia - song: The Buddha of Suburbia, artist: David Bowie, album: The Buddha of Suburbia

Ready to Learn part II

I wanted to give an update on the weanling training I attended. The colt, Timmy, that was so ornery at the clinic has come a looonnng way. They went back to him after everyone left and were able to walk up to and halter him with absolutely no problems. This photo is from that same day, later in the afternoon. He is already beginning to use his neck quite nicely in a show halter stance. He must have been absolutely terrified of the people in the stands and the tarpaulin cover.
Ready to Learn - song: Buddha of Suburbia, artist: David Bowie, album: Buddha of Suburbia

Sunday (9/27/09 Signs of Fall)

Looking at the wall thermostat in my house, there are definite signs of fall. The top number is the current temperature outside. The bottom left is the low and the bottom right is the high in recent days. We've had a couple of freezes already and, as you can see, the afternoons are still quite warm. Yalla! has already grown a very plush winter coat.

Fall means getting the hay in the barn

and having a BIG woodpile outside. We still need to go wood cutting this year. This is just the beginning of our woodpile. We have to split the wood and season it before it is ready to burn.
Speaking of trees, the leaves are already turning colors!
Because of the freezing temperatures, my garden is finished. I pulled out all the produce I could.

We had a major corn roasting the other night. Then I fed some immature corn and dried out cornstalks to the horses. They loved the treat!

And, of course, my favorite sign of ending summer and impending fall is the pretty little purple aster.

Sunday - song: Sunday, artist: David Bowie, album: Heathen

Sunday (9/20/09 Purple)

Purple is for Iris, the beginning of Spring.

Purple is for Asters and the end of summer.

Purple is for gazing balls. Purple is for Christmas skies.

For more Sunday Stills pictures, please visit here.

Sunday - song: Sunday, artist: David Bowie, album: Heathen

Pull on your finger

The beginning of this month, I decided to bring my horses, Scout and Nadia, back from the big field where they had been pastured for the last few weeks. I just didn't think there was enough grazing for six horses: my two, my neighbor's three, and my other neighbor's one horse. They weren't losing weight, in fact, because they were wandering around in search of food, they were in great condition, especially Nadia, my 26 year old mare. The neighbors nearest to the field have been doing major yard work, building a wall, putting in a pond and river, graveling, and landscaping their backyard, so my horses have alternated between being super curious and staying back from the activity. I thought it was good exposure for them to see all the tractors, trucks, backhoes, etc. nearby, but I didn't feel like renewing the lease with the food supply running so low. One day at the beginning of September, I called them to me. Even though I couldn't see them because the field was so big, if I called them, they always came running or trotting over to me. I usually tried to have treats in my pockets to reinforce this. I often bridled Scout and haltered Nadia and rode bareback around in the big field, ponying Nadia beside or behind Scout. We would ride up through the trees to the other side and back. Often the other horses would trail along behind us for a while and then stop to graze. Then they would come running after us again. It was almost like a game of tag or hide and seek.

On this day, I bridled Scout and haltered Nadia and brought them out of the field. Using the fence, I climbed on Scout and we rode around the neighborhood for a while and then I decided to turn them out with my other two horses, Annie and her foal, Yalla! I have a gate at either end of my arena so we rode up to the outside gate. Annie and Yalla! stood right near the gate anxiously awaiting the new arrivals. As I opened the gate to bring them in, I stood beside Scout in his bridle and Nadia in her halter, both to the right of me. Nadia saw Annie standing right there and panicked. Annie is alpha mare and Nadia trembles at Annie's look. Nadia pulled back and I thought she wrenched my arm out of it's socket at the shoulder. I thought, "Oh no, this can't be happening! My old mare is hurting me!" I gathered myself together, realized that my arm was okay in spite of the fact that I think she lifted me off the ground, and decided to again try to put them in the arena.

I shooed Annie back and we went towards the open gate. This time, Nadia pulled back again, but differently. Instead of being yanked up, I felt my hand get squashed or twisted, or something. I couldn't tell you what happened except that my middle finger really hurt. Somehow, I think it got jammed between Scout reins and Nadia's lead rope. Anyway, with my throbbing finger, I did get them in on the third try.

Then I went to the house and got some ice on my finger. I couldn't bend it and it was swollen at the middle joint. The next day I bought a finger support for it. I bought the medium size but had to return it because it was too tight. The pharmacist suggested a metal splint but I didn't want to wear anything like that so I bought a large size finger support. With the finger support, I am able to use my finger somewhat. (You can see my nifty little finger support in my blog header photo.)The swelling has gone done some now, so my large finger support is almost too big. Oh well!

Here is a picture of it from just a few days ago, three weeks after it happened. Please excuse my ugly hands! lol. I think all my fingers are slightly bent from riding horses and holding the reins.You can see that it's still swollen and slightly bent up at the joint. There is redness on the inside right of the joint, and a lumpy area. I took this picture today. Does this look like a fracture? I can bend it enough to use it but it's still very stiff. Either I jammed it or I fractured it, it doesn't really matter. I just don't know if it's ever going to be as good as it was.

This is a perfect example of how horses ARE dangerous and unpredictable. Nadia is my little angel who would never intentionally hurt me ever!

Another day, when I had all my horses turned out together in the arena, I walked down and sat on the log to watch them run around. The four of them ran around for a little while and then Annie walked up to me and stood, wanting to be loved on.

When she is in her pen, we have a game. I sit on the rails and she walks up next to them. I'll slide over onto her back and we'll go walking around the pen in circles and figure eights, whatever she wants to do. Then she comes back to the rail and I get off. We'll do this over and over.

On this day, she stood next to the log so I decided to climb aboard. I have never ridden her like this in the arena. In fact, when I ride her fully tacked up in saddle and bridle, she tends to shy and try to bolt from the outside corners of the arena. She thinks there are always spooks in the grass and the neighborhood is terrifying whenever I am riding her. Really, I think she just likes to play 'shying' games with me. Whatever, I never had the nerve to try riding her with no control before. On this day, I figured the worst thing that could happen is I would make a flying dismount.

So, with Annie contentedly standing next to the log, I scrambled on. I had to jockey for position because she still stood too high for me to just throw a leg over. I worried that my activity would upset her and cause her to run. I shouldn't have been afraid because as soon as I was on her back, she just moseyed around: grazing, licking and chewing the mineral block, nursing Yalla!, and wandering around. Over and over, Yalla! ran up to us and passed us. But Annie kept her head low and stayed relaxed. After fifteen or twenty minutes, she still hadn't wandered back to the log or near enough to any fences for me to dismount so I when she stopped for a minute, I slid off her back.

I was so happy and proud of her! This mare has had so many changes over the past year. She has been a great mom to Yalla! and I trust her so much more than I ever thought possible. She is still high strung, always will be, but she trusts me now too.


Pull on your finger - song: Rock 'n Roll Suicide, artist: DAvid Bowie, album: TRAFOZSATSFM