Roswell New Mexico is about 50,000 cows shy of being Lubbock. Putting that aside, Carlsbad is definitely worth it, especially the descent. And I'm too tired to type any more. Tomorrow we head due east and home.

The last thing Daddy Lion said before we fell asleep last night was, "Tomorrow we visit a huge hole in the ground." We're leaving Albuquerque, hitting Carlsbad, then turning left on I-20 and heading straight for Atlanta. We had been planning on going home back across I-40 but decided to go see Carlsbad, even if it adds an extra day. Huge holes aside, there are good and bad things about the new route. On the plus side, the trip will be new again, we won't cross any mountain ranges, and we should be south enough to more or less eliminate weather threats.

But I feel like Gandalf straining to hear the Balroc in the mines of Moria. We'll be traveling through west Texas. West Texas is possibly the most abominable area of our nation. I can only hope we'll skirt far enough south to avoid even the taint of Lubbock and get through it fast. West Texas is one concern of mine.

The other is missing Sandra. Sandra, Dear Badass Cowgirl, on the way through Knoxville we were flying, anxious to get down the road, and not at all ready to stop. We blew you kisses and made a plan to try and insinuate ourselves into your home for a night on the way back. The new route makes this impossible. We are very sad to miss seeing you on this trip. You say Carlsbad is worth it? Sigh, I miss you.

The Old Home Place

You think you understand going up in a balloon is a big deal and something really cool to do. But when you're standing there watching your child rising up up and away and you see feel hear and smell the scope of the situation and you register that all the folks gathered around who do this weekly are definitely jazzed and super excited, STILL, about sending up a balloon, you understand its all bigger than you thought. It is a thrilling thing to do.

After us balloon chasers on the ground safely gathered our balloonists and the repacked the balloon and gondola in the trailer, we all returned to the launching site. There any first timers are initiated officially with a ceremony and a prayer. And a tailgating party of balloonists and their crews from all the landings celebrate together. In the car on the way back to the launch site I said that Dear Girl and her Dad are now balloonists and I wondered what balloonists are called--if there is some special name they give themselves. After a momentary pause Dear Girl pipped up from the back seat, "Badass! We're called badass."

Retelling that story at the tailgating party to all the big gruff salty old balloon men made them laugh a long time. Our pilot, Mike Garcia, said balloonists are just called balloonists mostly, but also they are called trespassers because they land everywhere. Which I think is kind of poignant.

Two videos from our day. The first is the Lift Off. The second is The Ballonist's Prayer and Initiation.

'As I went walking I saw a sign there

And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."

But on the other side it didn't say nothing

That side was made for you and me.' 

~Woody Guthrie

The Winds have Welcomed you with softness.

The Sun has blessed you with his warm hands.

You have flown so high and so well

that God has joined you in your laughter

and set you gently back again

into the loving arms of Mother Earth.

 Dawn and Aunt Marge's House

Tonight's post hopefully brought you by the letter G for Gondola....

  Resting in the living room.