Home Again

 It is the end of the year already and I never finished our trip report back in October.

After our time in California we visited good friends in Surprise, AZ and then headed to Albuquerque, NM in time for the annual balloon fiesta which is held the first two weekends of October.

We had a good visit with our son and daughter-in-law who love ABQ.  On Saturday morning we got up before five to join the traffic jam into the fiesta parking lot.  We arrived just before seven, in time for the grand opening and the first ascents of multi-colored balloons.   

The first balloons drifted their chasers had to go after them.After the sun rose over the mountains to the east of ABQ the air movement changed so that most of the balloons hovered in the airspace above the fiesta grounds and the city for several hours.  A few came back and landed at the same place where they took off. The phenomena of the air movement, "the box" as it is called, is what makes ABQ one of the premier balloon sites around the world.

After the weekend we left for home with one stopover in Kansas for a night with friends.  

The month of travel was delightful and safe.  Aside from one tire blowoout we had no difficulties; just pleasure and marveling at the wonders of the earth.  If you haven't been to southern  Utah it would be a great trip to visit the five national parks and Natural Bridges Monument.

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 In October I went up to the Upper Peninsula Bible Camp again to work for two weeks with 5 or 6 other men.  We were able to nearly finish the siding on the outside and final bits of drywall installation so that insulation could be blown into the attic areas of the one building.

  Since then I have done some handyman projects for other people and also a major flooring and painting project in our own home.  I did my first bit of installing hardwood flooring in our kitchen and family room area by the fireplace.  I am now almost finished with the project--tomorrow should do it.  Just in time for Christmas!