Last night I got to thinking on wide shots and how it would be nice if they could be diffused.. Okay. it was a test... Not the best pictures for it but hay.. Its a test. Pretty much none of these show what I want to.. I will try again tonight ( when I get home because for once we are going out to visit with some friends ) with better pictures that lend to the idea... Some distance.... yeah.. distance...
I just like my basket weave so I played with this one..
KFC neon.. Could not pass up this one.
This was a fail I think... Too much edge... black and white.... meh.
I like this even though it wont fit anything.
You get the idea.... I will try again...
My facebook banner for the day was from few years back when I got stunned to have my own table at Fiesta registration.... LOL.. yeah.. I got to sit there.. and funnily.. as nice as balloonists and balloon Pilots are they would come by.. see the sign and tell me that it was nice to have a reserved table... and I would tell them to sit and chat.. and we would chat and chat.... One of the things I love about Fiesta registration and really all of Fiesta if I think about it. You can sit and talk and find out about people and their lives and why they are there and all sorts of fun things.. its wonderful that everyone is like family.
Logo for today was this neat sticker for Fiesta.. Its their Logo I modified just for fun. Added my colors to the bottom..
Last night on facebook at person posted saying that they wanted a free ride during Fiesta.. that's about it.. followed by a statement that they lived in ( add place here ) and he they always got a free ride. The first thing I thought about when I read it was who the heck thinks they can just show up at Fiesta, the largest balloon fest in the world, the most photographed event in the world, where rides with 12 to 16 people go for upwards of 400 dollars.... The nerve! LOL
I really thought TROLL at first... Here is someone looking to incite trouble... so I watched and waited to see where it would go. Some good people took umbrage at the affront of it. As fiesta is a big deal.. not unlike Christmas is we save up any space in the basket for crew who were out busting their tail helping us fly all the year round... Its payback for those hardworking crew members... Here is a free ride by yourself or another crew member in the biggest zone of excitement in the year.... in with all those other 500 or 600 balloons. In truth I have had people show up from out of nowhere and ask for a ride... I never am rude... I will just tell them that we would love to fly them if they wanted to crew but if they wanted a ride right now their best bet is with a ride balloon operator and since I know the ride operators and I like them I want to send them business.
Okay.. off track a bit there... Crew have given their spots up for family members... Its always fun to fly new people and I love to fly friends of crew who have never been up. The smiles are to die for.
Now.. back to the supposed troll.... Turns out someone knew the person.. and we found out that they were 13 years old and at that age.. tact is unknown.. so after that information trickled out the mood changed.... There were some who were ready to give them a ride right away and those that thought it should be earned.. which it should if you ask me... It all turned out great and the kid will surely get his day in the air and will be completely happy and everyone who was on that thread will probably visit with the kid and say hi..... because we are a family and even when we are caught by surprise we do bounce back quickly.
Its such a strange world out there fully of some un nice people... We now have a nice kid who is going to get bowled over with the fun of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
Let me add this in... there are 9 days in Fiesta.. 10 if you count Albuquerque aloft. I am a fair weather flyer.. Meaning I will not fly if the winds are up or going in the wrong direction. If I have older passengers I will not take them up because I do not want them hurt. I will at times take a complete newbe up on a moments notice if there is a hole in my passenger list and they are working or helping. I leave holes just in case... and I always say.. if you are on the field and crewing and I turn around... I might just throw you in the basket as ballast.. no.. I mean as a passenger.. yeah!
PS.... My crew are the best.. they will go with me when its going to be a bit rough out and don't mind a drag or two or and abrupt stop or even hours of waiting in the middle of the pueblo if necessary. You guys rock!
