Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2016

Mass Ascension at day break.
If you want to be blown away, fly to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM, at the beginning of October and be awed by the colors and shapes of hundreds of hot-air balloons. Friend Arie and I visited daughter Ingrid to see this spectacle.

 It starts while still dark. A few balloons are equipped for night flight, and pilots have the appropriate rating. They take off for the Dawn Patrol.
Dawn Patrol.
Soon the sun rises over the Sandia Peak to the east. Hundreds of balloons are readied for takeoff and rise into the day. Then the entire sky fills with balloons; see title photo.
Burner shoots flame into partially inflated balloon.
There are more than a dozen whimsical shapes; most photos below are courtesy of daughter Ingrid.
You cannot but smile at the the cow and many other specialty balloons . . . 













At night, the balloons are inflated for Night Magic Glow, but do not take off. 
Preparing balloon for Night Magic Glow.
Every five minutes or so, a countdown starts over the PA system from 10 on down. The crowd shouts along. Then all pilots turn on the burners, and the entire field of balloons lights up for a few seconds.
Field of glowing balloons . . .

 There are more reasons to come to the Albuquerque area. For example, the art galleries on Canyon Road in nearby Santa Fe, NM, offer a variety of paintings, sculptures, windmills, and glass art.
Glass art, Canyon Road in Santa Fe, NM . . .  
The most recent attraction is the Meow Wolf exhibit in Santa Fe.
Meow Wolf Exhibit in Santa Fe, NM
The parking area already provides a clue that this is no ordinary exhibit.
Space man with flower.
Friend Arie with wolf.
Spider.
Inside you find yourself in the front of a house.
The house.
As you enter the house, it's best to forget that you are an adult. Go back to being a curious child. This is the home of a family that encountered a strange development, so to speak. You are to figure out what happened here. 

 So open every door, every drawer, even the refrigerator in the kitchen. Crawl into nooks and crannies, no matter how tight. Read notes on a desk, listen to strange voices coming from unexpected screens. Watch pictures and mirrors.

 We are not going to tell here what you will see and experience, and we will not spoil your experience with a lot of pictures. But we do include one picture that is part of the advertisement for the exhibit, and then another photo that shows an easily passed-over miniature scene.
What is this?
Where is this?
Got curious? Great! It's an imaginative exhibit that tickles your brain and is enjoyed the most if you act like a child of age 10.

Have any questions or feedback about this post? Please share your thoughts in the comments. 

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