46th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Part 2 of 6 - Dawn, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

For nine days in early October, an extravaganza unlike anything I've ever seen unfolds in the mile-high city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. This blog post is Part 2 of a multi-part series about my recent experience there. Part 1 covered the pre-dawn activity. As many as 500 balloons may participate in this ritual every morning in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

I love this first image - the official Fiesta balloon illuminated from within, without, and the American flag glowing, too.

 (Click on an image to view a higher resolution version if your device supports that action).

The nearly full moon still shines brightly as the morning sun is about to rise over the top of the Sandia Mountains to the east of the launch area.



The intermittent cacaphony of propane burners and whirring fans sounds like a mechanical symphony as the fleet continues inflation and preparation for launch.



And thousands of us spectators roam at will among the drama.



A "hot air balloon" as a title is slightly misleading.  It's not that the air is hot per se, rather, it is simply warmer than the surrounding air thus creating the ability for the envelope full of it to rise within the cooler air mass. The pilot manages this difference by firing the burners to control climb and descent rates.



The referee-striped person is a launch director/zebra.  There were scores of them roaming the field, coordinating and clearing each pilot for launch using a combination of radio, whistle, hand signals, and raised voice. They all seemed to wear the same jersey but the hats were individualized in many cases as you'll see over the course of this blog series.



Clearing the path for launch.....



.....and off they go to the hoots, hollers, cheers, and applause of the spectators.











Prepping the basket, testing the propane connections and burners.



Another launch director/zebra clears the launch zone and gives the thumbs-up release to the pilot who fires his burners to start to climb.



Still another friendly launch director/zebra - nice hat and a great smile!



Constant activity in the area as each flight crew orchestrates the dance of preparation and launch across the 78-acre grassy launch zone (about the size of 56 American football fields).



One of the many special shapes.



While I am not fond of in-your-face-advertising, I do recognize that the success of this event is dependent upon the 165 commercial sponsors who, along with public entrance fees and parking, provide a great deal of the funding.







Soon, the sun will breech the top of the mountain range and bathe the field in bright and warm sunlight - it will be most welcome after the morning chill.



The moon was a special added treat for the event.



And what an amazing event it was!

Some folks might not think that the slow-motion activity of ballooning would be very exciting but, they would be so wrong. The scale of this event is overwhelming and thrilling beyond expectation. I walked about 15,000 steps over a few hours on this morning as I tried to be everywhere and see everything at once. In retrospect, that might not have been the best strategy since as I scrambled from one area to another among thousands of people in semi-darkness, I missed other things I might have enjoyed by staying relatively in place. The age-old dilemma - marry one person or date many forever?

But there were as many as 500 balloons being spread out on the grassy field and in various stages of inflation and launch - the whoosh of the propane burners, the whirring of fans blowing the warmed air into the balloon envelope/bag, the hint of dawn approaching over the adjacent 10,000 feet high Sandia mountains - I just had to see it all and be everywhere at once - I felt like a ten-year-old just brimming with barely contained excitement and enthusiasm.

You just can't imagine the thrill of being here - it's like the difference between watching skiing on television and flying down the slope yourself on skis or, watching a spring rain through the window versus walking among the warm falling drops.

Yep, this is definitely a bucket list kind of peak life event.

Stay tuned - more blog posts coming...........daylight images and then the evening stationary glow!

46th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Part 1 of 6 - Before Dawn, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

For nine days in October, an extravaganza unlike anything I've ever seen unfolds in the mile-high city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. In the wakening dawn beneath the shadow of the 10,000-feet-high Sandia Mountains, (or 10,000-foot if you prefer), the balloon pilots began inflating their ships, readying to fly. As many as 500 balloons may participate in this ritual every morning in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. (Click on an image to view a higher resolution version if your device supports that action).



I am not inclined to get up at three o'clock in the morning now that I am retired. When my alarm sounded, it reaffirmed that preference. Nevertheless, I was on the road early heading for the Balloon Fiesta Park, and by 4:00am, I was sitting in stop-and-go traffic to get in to the parking area. It was still pitch dark but by 4:25am, I was with tens of thousands of others wandering among the flight crews inflating their balloons for flight.



One of the delights of attending the Fiesta is to roam up close to the activity and chat up the flight crews.  And the pace of the event is pleasantly slow but deliberate, especially when compared to the frenetic pace of a traditional sporting event. It unfolds like a precious flower.



These next three images are similar - the differences being which balloon had ignited it's burners for a blast of warm air at the split second of shutter release. I found it a great photographic challenge to not over-expose parts of an image with this very wide range of light levels.



I arrived in long pants, a long-sleeved turtleneck, stocking hat, scarf, gloves, and fleece jacket - this New Englander was ready for the chilly weather in the mid-40's Fahrenheit. Amazingly, I saw many folks were wearing shorts - go figure.



The excitement and anticipation was palpable among the crowd as we walked around trying to get oriented in the dark and not trip over their equipment as the balloon crews were finalizing set-up and preparing for launch.

The Fiesta purports to be the most photographed event in the world and after seeing as many cameras - both traditional and smartphones - pointing skyward at every second, I have no reason to doubt that claim.



Stars still shining brightly, the sun yet to rise, the first ships among hundreds take to the skies to begin the 46th annual event - UP, UP, and AWAY!

Stay tuned - I expect a half dozen blogs about this event over the next few weeks covering different events and times of day.

Note to photographers: I exclusively used my point and shoot Sony RX100-M2 for this entire event, mounted on a monopod for the early morning images. I used manual settings and did not zoom so that I could keep the f-stop as low as possible. Shutter speeds were around 1/4 second, f/1.8, ISO as high as 6400. A fancy, full-frame camera would have been nice but, I'm glad I didn't have to lug around the weight. By the way, Canon is one of 165 official sponsors of the event - they had their own balloon emblazoned with their logo, a vendor tent, and their named camera equipment was everywhere.

Flying Away, Boston International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

I always enjoy the childish anticipation and excitement of an airplane trip out of town.........



.....especially when I am heading to visit family and attend the 46th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Check back here on this blog in a few days for some great images from the world's premier ballooning event. 

Storm Clouds Along the Bluff, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

A cloudy sky, a howling wind, and whitecaps made the Manomet bluff area a dramatic place to walk. Stage Point is in the distance.



With this type of weather, many of these bluff top houses look like they were taken right out of Victorian novels. (Panorama - click to view full width if your device supports that action.)



Yep, another New England fall is upon us. It will be cool and beautiful - guaranteed.

Manomet, Inc., Manomet Bird Observatory, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Tucked away on the edge of the Manomet bluff near Stage Point in southeast Massachusetts, Manomet, Inc., formerly the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences operates the Manomet Bird Observatory. For close to 50 years, they have conducted a world renowned migratory bird banding program. My own son's life long love of birds and appreciation of nature was nurtured here.



I had the opportunity to visit again recently with a group from the Plymouth Digital Photographers Club. In this image, a half dozen photographers are huddled around the scientist/bander as he readies a bird for release from the bluff edge property near Stage Point.



Here the bander/scientist is discussing the attributes of this particular species, a Gray Catbird. Each bird captured in the center's mist nets is taken to the laboratory where vital statistics are gathered and entered into the database before release.



The bander also mentions the occupational hazard in having his fingers and cuticles pecked at by the captives - but it's all in the service of science.



Each bird is handled carefully and knowledgeably by these skilled naturalists.



And here, a split second after release to freedom, this one takes to flight.



Different sizes and species like this Blue Jay require slightly different holds but soon......



....they all get to fly free once again!

Quincy Market, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

I had to go to Boston City Hall for a meeting recently that ended at the "blue hour," that special time of light just around sunset. I wandered a bit near the Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall area to enjoy the scenes. Above, the clock tower of the former Custom House pokes skyward into the deepening dusk.  Although Boston has had a Custom House along the waterfront since the 1600's, this structure was built in 1849 to serve the purpose, is designated an official Boston landmark, but now is privately owned by the Marriott Corporation as part of their timeshare family of international facilities. What a location! 



At right, the dome of Faneuil Hall is illuminated against the evening sky.  A marketplace and a meeting hall since 1743, Samuel Adams (the American Revolutionary not the beer maker) spoke there to encourage independence from England.

It is also the site of swearing-in ceremonies for new American citizens. Here's a link to a blog I did about it in the past - interestingly, it's the most popular blog I have ever published.

As darkness descends completely, there are still a fair number of folks out and about on this random early fall evening. The City of Boston - a world class city that is never a disappointment to visit!

A Walk on the Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I went for a delightful walk with Amy and Shadowman at low tide the other day. (Click on an image to view a higher resolution version if your device supports that action).



No, she is not under arrest......just posing for a nice tide pool reflection.



It was a beautiful walk - all the more special since I had just completed a five-day stay in the hospital. Walking around the hospital halls dragging an IV cart is not nearly as pleasant as walking unencumbered along a beach.



Dewdrops collect on a shaded spider web. There is so much beauty on this planet - I am happy I have more opportunity to appreciate and enjoy it. We never know when our time is up - until it is.

Music Festival, Soule Homestead Education Center, Middleborough, Massachusetts, USA

Always attracted to live outdoor music, I headed out to the Soule Homestead Education Center in Middleborough recently...



... on this beautiful late summer day to celebrate the 26th year of the Harvest Fair and Folk Festival.



The stage was set under these circus tents.



There were wonderfully talented performers making beautiful live music.







You can tell from their faces that they are just loving what they are doing - making music together as they have done for years.



A random scarecrow.



Even the backside of a sunflower is beautiful to my eye.



And speaking of beautiful.



Although I have mixed feelings about caged animals of any type, these injured and rescued birds were quite popular as educational tools for the young folks in the audience - and anything that fosters and instills appreciation of nature for the next generation has value to me.

Arc of the Bay, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I was able to time a visit to Manomet Point to coincide with low tide. Notwithstanding all the algae on the sand, this is still one of my favorite views of the south end of White Horse Beach. (Panorama - click to view full screen and in higher resolution if your device supports that action).



A portion of the panoramic view enlarged.



Later, I returned to find the tide back in and the blazing sky heralding the sunset. Another beautiful day in the arc of the bay of White Horse Beach.