The early December air was crisp and cold, with temperatures in the teens, as I walked out of the Gallup Holiday Inn Express to attend the 43^rd annual Red Rock Balloon Rally.  Frost had to be scraped off the 4Runner windshield before I could drive off for the morning Mass Ascension.  Chemical warmers kept my toes and hands toasty warm as I listened to the pilot’s briefing.  A clear sky with a gentle breeze was forecast as the pilots headed cheerfully to their balloons.  The launch area at Red Rock State Park is divided into a north field and south field, separated by a camp ground.  As the ground crews prepared their balloons for flight, I hustled between the launch areas to find the best photo locations. 

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Several dozen balloons, including a few special shapes, ascended into the calm sky against a backdrop of red sandstone bluffs.  To the delight of spectators, some of the pilots were able to maneuver their balloons close to the bluffs and scrape their baskets against the red rock.  The calm weather also allowed tethered balloons to be tightly spaced for a colorful, synchronized evening balloon glow.

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Jane joined me for the second of my two year-end jaunts.  We spend a day at Bosque del Apache enjoying unusually warm December weather at the National Wildlife Refuge.  In order to catch sunrise with the sandhill cranes, we overnighted in Socorro rather than driving super early from Albuquerque.  Driving around the south and north loop roads looking for cranes and other wildlife, with a baren, winter landscape, was very enjoyable.  There were not a lot of birds, but the few that were there provided some fun photography.  Perhaps the highlight of the excursion was seeing a mom javelina with a very young infant trotting behind.

With these two short year-end trips completed, Jane and I are now getting ready for the many social event planned with our neighbors to celebrate the holidays.  For New Year’s, however, it will be just to two of us in Santa Fe to ring in the new year.