Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and visiting Chelsea

Our youngest, Chelsea, is completing her masters degree in geology at the University of New Mexico. This year we visited her while the Balloon Fiesta is going on. It's a week long celebration featuring hot air balloons. We got up VERY early, 5:30am,you have to be there very early for the Dawn Patrol. If you go, you must get there to see the Dawn Patrol. It's so cool to see hot air balloons flying in the dark. It's very dangerous to fly in the dark, but, I was told the 550 plus balloons need to be able to know the direction of flights, etc for safety reasons. The people in charge of the safety and tell the balloonists when it is safe to ascend are called zebras. Then, once the sun begins to rise the other balloons begin to unfold and inflate anticipating the Mass Ascension.

You old time hipsters out there will recognize this balloon. They even had a quilted balloon. This is the raffle quilt made by the local quilt guild, all proceeds going to different charities.

I think there is probably nothing more exciting for fabric enthusiasts, than to walk out amongst a sew of brightly colored fabric rising around you like being in the middle of a bright colored bubble bath.