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Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta – Sunday October 2, 2016

This morning we stayed in the RV camp to watch the balloons.  It worked out really great because all the balloons came our way and may went right over the camp.  Also, many balloons landed in an open area right in front of us.  Deciding which pictures to post has been a challenge.

Here are some balloons:

These balloons are from a set of balloons sent up just so they can be lite up in the morning before dawn.
Here they are opening the top of the balloon to let the hot air out.
In the evening we went to the launch field to be part of the balloon evening glow:
Asking some people’s kids not to touch to balloons is a waste of time.  The pilots are let people damage a lot of their equipment.

The balloons air filled with air, tied down to the ground and then lite up in the dark of the night.
The glow was followed by some great fireworks, this has been quiet the experience.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta – Saturday October 1, 2016

We got up at 5:00 a.m. to get the bus to go and watch the Dawn Patrol and the first Mass Balloon Ascension for 2016.  It is dark here in the morning and we really didn’t know where were going other than north.

The bus picked us up just 5 motor homes from our sight and dropped us off 50 feet from the launch field gate.   The RV parking field is right across the street from the festival area they have bus lanes so getting to the park and return is rather quick.  I understand to walk from where we are is a mile or a mile and a half depending on who you talk to.  I’ll look on a map and figure it out or walk it later in the week.  Oh, by the way all questions have at least two answers, depending on who you talk too.

We were on the balloon field from 5:45 to 9:30 and only got to see a few of the balloons.  You get to stand on the launch field right next to and between the balloons.  It is really neat event and we are glad we came.
Street maps of the festival area.
You can see where we walked.
Stayed on one spot and watched balloons going up around us.
This is where we are parked.

This is a great location, we seem to have more space then many other areas of the RV park.

Here are some of the balloons lit up in the morning.
Group of balloon pictures from the launch field.
Here is the campsite Richard and I set up between our motor homes.

 

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta – Friday September 30, 2016

Today was our arrival at the balloon festival.  As we drove into town this morning you could see balloons flying across the valley.

Campsite pictures, site 3894C

Saturday we will be going to the Dawn Patrol (balloons lit just at dawn) and mass Ascension  of all 600 balloons.  We I say going l mean going a mile north to the field where the balloons are assembled and lift off.  Our current understanding is we will be able to see a lot of the events from where we are parked. 

Bluewater Lake State Park, NM – Wednesday September 28, 2016

We are in site G8 one of the newer areas of the campground.
No electricity or water but it is kind of flat.

Overhead view.

This morning started out with taking Hank to a vet. Last night we were playing our usual evening games and while running to jump onto the bed he gave out his high pitched squeal, like he does when something hurts him.  I thought he had stepped on a burr or caught a toe nail.  He was not putting any pressure on his left hind leg.  When he has a burr he usually chews on his paw until he get it out however he was not chewing on it.  The first time he got a burr in his paw he let me pull it out, the second did go as well as the first and haven’t tired it since.  

This morning he did not come flying out of his kennel and when he did he was not putting any weight on his leg.  Google had two vets in Winslow, the first one was out of the office today visiting ranches and the second turned out to be great.  Hank has a strained knee ligament on the inside of left hind leg.  Doc have him a shot and some medication for the next ten days. Said Hank should be better in two weeks but not to worry if it takes up to six weeks, another one of those age things again.  He is to be kind of quiet for the next one to two weeks so he does not over work his good right leg. This means carrying him in and out of the motor home to pee and poo.  Hank has never liked to be picked up however he has been pretty good about it today. Hopefully him and I will get it all worked out and he will not be as afraid as he as been in the past.

Driving maps:

Around Winslow
Winslow to Bluewater Lake.
Campground over view.

 

 

 

Homolovi State Park, Winslow, AZ – Tuesday September 27, 2016

Travel day so we could get laundry done and hopefully get propane.  

We are in site 24 a pull through.  Their is a laundromat in Marble Canyon right at the turnoff to Lees Ferry.  We drove down to it yesterday and found 8 washers ( 1 was currently working) 8 dryers (2 were working).  We have been to Winslow several times before and previously found a nice laundromat right in down.  So today was travel, laundry and a little grocery shopping.  

Tomorrow we will go to Winslow Flying J and hopefully get propane.  I’d like to start the week at the Balloon Festival with full tanks of gas, propane and water empty grey and black water.  Goal is fill propane at Winslow, fill gas Flying J in Albuquerque, at Bluewater Lake State Park NM, dump holding tanks and fill with water.

Update: added maps

Lees Ferry, AZ – Thursday September 22, 2016

We left Sand Hollow at 7:15 this morning, wanted to get on the road before the bad weather moved into the area.  It worked out well at we got here about 10:30 local time.
Here is today’s drive.
Lees Ferry area.

Our campsite, we set in the middle area for a while before moving over to a canyon edge site.

We are in site 41 at $9.00 a night with old guy pass.   We may be here until Wednesday or might move on sooner.
View from my chair in the shade setting next to the motor home is below.

This is looking back towards the campground from the river.

At 8:30 this evening the wind picked up and by 10:00 it was blowing 50 and 60 miles per hour. We put the large slide in around 9:30 and then put the bedroom slide in around 10:00.  The wind was blowing over the bedroom slide topper however the weather app shows rain coming this way and I don’t want rain coming in under the slide topper.  Getting the wind from the driver’s side rear quarter panel and it is sure raising hell with the old satellite dish.  It is designed for wind to come from the front and not the rear.  It is really banging.  10:45 and starting to RAIN big drops. Update at 11:00, rain quit after a few minutes wind is still blowing. 11:21 wind has stopped. Man is it quiet.

We keep a thermometer in the refrigerator to make to easy to keep track of the internal temp.  This afternoon I looked to see what the outside temp was and the refrigerator was at 50 degrees.  We went through this several years ago and I finally figured out that if I shut off all the power to the house side of the motor home for 30-60 seconds the refrigerator will reset it’s self.  I reset the power turned on the internal fans and an hour later the refrigerator was back down to 38 degrees.  Those internal fan can move some air.

I like traveling in warm weather not hot but warm.  One of the advantages is the motor home’s batteries last forever.  This evening we had the TV on using the 12 volt DC to 110 volt AC for several hours and the battery voltage never got off 13.0 volts.  With a light it went to 12.9.