Hot Air in Texas?

There is more hot air in Texas.  After all it is July and August!  Instead of high temperatures in mid-90s we are now experiencing highs in triple digits and I will not even mention the heat index temperatures.  What would you expect from summer in Texas?

There are many types of ‘hot air’ in Texas as we have determined from our stay here this time.  You are well aware that Texans are a proud bunch when it comes to their heritage and culture.  You probably have experienced it yourself if not a native Texan when you come across someone spouting ‘facts’ that prove everything is ‘bigger and better’ in Texas.  Of course, a Texan (myself included) will tell you this is not braggadocio, it is merely the facts.  That’s right, ‘just the facts Ma’am.'

But boasting about state pride is not the only ‘hot air’ in Texas or from Texans.  There is much ‘hot air’ from spinning yarns or telling tall tales.  This is another favorite (pronounced fave—O—riiiiiite) pastime of true Texas folk.  As many of you will attest, yours truly enjoys this avocation as much as the next feller.  However, many of you will recognize that even in my tall tales there is a strong element of truth and a little bit of embellishment.  Some would say it is exaggeration or downright unbelievable the things included in some of my stories but that is certainly not the case.  Okay, okay maybe a bit of enhancement here and there to make things more interesting but certainly no dishonesty.

But that is enough about me and my ‘hot air.’  I want to relate another grand adventure to you about some ‘hot air’ we have just enjoyed while in Texas.  It all started several years ago when visiting the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  While attending the Fiesta, we were walking through the grounds just prior to the ‘balloon glow’ and were recruited by a balloon pilot to help out because his crew could not get through the traffic in time to help inflate his balloon.  This was our introduction to ‘crewing’ for a balloon and we enjoyed the experience so much, we added it as one of the items in our bucket list.

Now, fast forward to today and the Great Texas Balloon Race held as an annual event each year in Longview, Texas.  Bibi saw on Facebook they were still in need of volunteers to help ‘crew’ for some of the balloons coming to the race this year.  She called and we were assigned to a pilot and crew chief from Albuquerque.  Even though we had ‘planned’ on crewing in Albuquerque, this was the next best thing and as it turned out the absolute best scenario we could have hoped for as our first ‘real’ experience in hot air ballooning.

We made our way to pick up our T-shirts, badges and parking passes identifying us a ‘Crew’ for the Great Texas Balloon Race on Wednesday afternoon.  The next morning at 6 AM we show up for a practice flight before the actual races begin on Friday morning.  We were glad for a chance to learn and practice before the ‘real’ thing took place.  Our balloon pilot had just returned from a trip to Lithuania where he helped a fellow pilot and friend in a World Championship race.

The friend’s name is Cheri (pronounced sherry), our pilot’s name is Mark.  Together they are the International Gas Balloon Team representing the U.S. in events all over the world.  In Lithuania, Cheri placed third in the women’s division for the World Championship.  Yes, third in the entire world!  Mark is a U.S. National Gas Balloon Champion.  Together they have many distinguished honors and championships.  We were honored and extremely pleased to be put with them our very first day.  Cheri and Mark both flew in the balloon the first day (the practice day) and then they each had their own balloons they flew during the three day event.  You can read more about them at www.flygas.net and follow them on the Facebook page at Flygas (it is the one with the red balloon type logo).  They will be one of the USA teams flying in Germany during September.

We crewed for Mark during the Great Texas Balloon Race.  Mark had with him Danny from Albuquerque as his crew chief.  Danny has worked as one of the ‘zebras’ during the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta for over 20 years.  What is a ‘zebra’ you ask, well they are a group of dedicated folks who help coordinate and launch the balloons during the Fiesta.  They are focused on safety, organization and speed as they go about dressed in referee shirts (you know, the black and white striped shirts, hence 'zebra') and some wear fun, crazy type headgear.  It is a show, in and of itself, to watch these professionals get wave after wave of balloons launched into the air safely.  All three, Cheri, Mark and Danny were great to be around and so patient to explain, demonstrate and teach specific tasks to a couple of rookies.  We could not have picked a better bunch of folks than these to work with and that is not a tall tale.

We were amazed to learn how much technology is used in flying these craft.  You don’t just air them up and take off to wherever the wind blows you.  There is skill involved with choosing the right altitudes to catch the correct direction and speed.  Not to mention when to leave and how fast to leave that compass and altitude setting for a new one.  The races involve tasks and targets that use skill, experience and the constantly changing weather environment to proceed to a target area while performing specific tasks.  The whole purpose of which is to gain the most points possible during each segment of the flight.  Technology aids such as mapping software with built-in altimeter, wind speed, direction and GPS coordinates aid the pilots in accomplishing their goals.

The purpose of the crew is to quickly unpack the balloon, attach it to the basket, air up the balloon envelope, assist the pilot with anything needed and help to safely launch the craft.  Once launched, you then follow (chase, literally in some cases) the balloon in case of an emergency or to assist at different target zones and ultimately recover the craft at the landing zone (which is unknown until the last minute).  Once the pilot has the craft down, the envelope is deflated, detached from the basket and all packed up until the next flight.  A lot of things happen fast (especially in the beginning of the flight) and then settle down to a slower pace once the balloon and pilot are safely back on the ground.

Receiving instructions.  Danny on left, me and Mark on right.

Heating the air, Mark is in the basket.

Ready to fly.  Cheri in 45 and Mark in 44.

She is off.

Last minute adjustment.

He is off too.

Up, up and away!

That is number 44 with the white band in the middle.

Lining up for the approach to a target.

Landed and now to pack everything back up.

Candlestick firing without balloon at end of National Anthem!

Balloon Glow with all burn, from beside number 44.

Danny, Mark, Larry and Beverly
Thanks Danny and Mark for making us feel
so much a part of the team!

The whole experience for us was wonderfully exhilarating and quite exciting.  We highly recommend going to balloon races and even participating as a crew member when you can do so.  It is quite the ‘hot air’ and worthwhile experience.  We will definitely do it again and hopefully with Mark and Danny.  Just like RVers, the ballooning folks are great fun to be with and have a good time too.  Thanks Cheri, Mark and Danny.  You are the ‘greatest’ in our book and that is not a bunch of ‘hot air.' 

Here is one last item of ‘hot air’ from Texas.

Gotta love it!

Can you believe how much ‘hot air’ there is in Texas?  Until next time, have safe travels and good health to you.

Back in Texas

Yes, it is hot in Texas.  High temperatures in mid-90s with heat indexes of 103 to 108 create suffocating conditions.  This is our third attempt to get out of the heat of Texas in the summertime and have not been successful yet.  Maybe next year?

Even though we cannot leave yet, we have found some interesting things to share.  This morning, one of our neighbors from the RV Park pulled out.  When we first arrived, we wondered why someone from South Dakota was in Texas this time of year.  We found out they were customizing the truck they use to haul their fifth wheel at a local establishment and were waiting for the finished product.

Today they took off for Memphis, TN.  This is one of the largest fifth wheels we have seen in our travels.  They use a smart car for running errands around town and then a large truck tractor to haul everything down the road.  That is the smart car behind the cab of the truck and in-between the truck and the fifth wheel.  Quite an arrangement is it not?  David says I am jealous of that air horn.  And I am!

Just goes to show you, there are things to see everywhere you go, even in good ol’ hot Texas.  But that is not the only thing happening right now.

We have used the time here to get all of our Doctor visits caught up.  So we are good for awhile now.  Speaking of doctors, I had to tell my physician that I took up for his honesty and integrity on our latest adventure.

It happened one day when temps in Camp Verde were going to exceed 100 degrees.  We decided to cool off by traveling north one hour to Flagstaff where high temps were expected to only be upper 80s.  While there, we decided to look for this squirrel my doctor told me about when he found out we were going to visit the Grand Canyon.  According to him, this squirrel is in the Kaibab National Forest and is named the Kaibab squirrel.  At the time that is all I knew.  So off we drove westward from Flagstaff in search of the Kaibab squirrel that day.

By the end of the 2 hour long search, which proved futile, my traveling crew was trying to convince me the doc was pulling my leg and there he was laughing about the prank he pulled on me.  Of course, I gallantly stood my ground defending his honor, but inside the doubt was creeping into my spirit.  For you see, he does love a practical joke.  I just could not bring myself to believe he would do that to me; one of his most loyal, long-time patients and up to that time, I considered myself a friend too.

The story does have a happy ending.  A few weeks later we were camped in the Kaibab National Forest next to Lake Kaibab eating dinner outside.  When all of a sudden, David peering past me, says “hey look, there goes a rabbit.”  Turning around, I see a Kaibab squirrel!  Eureka, they do exist!  As you can tell in the picture below, they are a rabbit wannabee with their long tufted ears.  And if you could see the underside of the tail, you would see it is almost snow white.

Closer View

At my appointment last week, I related the above story to my physician.  He smiled and let me in on a terrible family secret.  His wife about 9 years earlier was the only one in their family to actually see a Kaibab squirrel and had suffered mercilessly (supposedly from the kids) because no one else saw the squirrel and kept mocking her claim to have seen one.  He assures me he will pass along the sighting to his wife in order to vindicate her claim.

That’s not all the hot air to tell about but the rest will just have to wait until the next post.