Here are more balloons flying in the early morning !

This shows the red rocks all around Sedona, the shadow is our balloon !

We were not the only ones flying this beautiful morning !

UP,UPand Away in My Beautiful Balloon

Well,My friends here is the best thing I have ever tried! If you ever get a chance, please go on a hot air balloon! It was the most peaceful & calming to the soul I have experienced

We flew over the red rocks of Sedona, of course this is done in the early morning. I saw the sun rise while riding on the waves of air. You are just floating in the air, the winds gently pushing you, the only sounds are the birds waking up to welcome the sun ,that and of course the hot blast of fire the pilot makes to keep you a float!

They has this balloon up in about 25 minutes! It is really interesting to see how the crew works together as a team.

The basket on this balloon will hold 20 people if need be,I was very glad there was only 11 of us. You hardly notice when you lifted off the ground,it was done so smoothly.We stayed up for about 1 1/2 hrs. Then it was time to come down & back to the ground. Now the landing was not so smooth, because at the last minute a breeze came up& we were coming in a little to fast for the pilot, So he radioed his crew to help slow the balloon down by grabbing for the handles on the bottom of the basket, they all tired, but we were still coming in fast, & when the pilot says" well, if I don;t land so, our van will stop us"

We did land within a few feet of the white van. It was still an exciting trip.. I would go again in a flash.

I will try to post more photos of this trip into Sedona, Cottonwood, & Jermone. We had 3 days to cover a lot of things we wanted to do.. & we did get most everything we wanted to see. The only thing we never found was the ghost town of Bumble Bee. We took the scenic way whenever we could, meaning we did a lot of driving on what they call primitive roads, which back in my area are called dirt roads! I even took a picture of a sign that told us we were on primitive road!

A Field of Yellow Flowers

Well, coming into Flagstaff,AZ I spotted this big field of yellow daisies.My plan was to stop & take a picture of it on the way back to the Canyon.But due to circumstance beyond my control, I didn't get to take the picture before the sun set. As most people know who live here at the canyon seem to "know" that when you go to Flagstaff you usually spend the whole day there running errands. I think maybe the errands just take longer than we think! I am hoping that this field of yellow daisies will still be blooming when I go south again to Flagstaff. It was really wonderful to see.

As I took this picture, there was a slight breeze gentling moving the flowers slowly to and fro.

Kinda like a rocking chair slowly rocking on the front porch.I miss not having a porch to sit out on in the evenings to feel the breeze on your face, to get stop for a few minutes and relax,just enjoying what Mother Nature has to show us.

Mother Nature the past few nights has giving us a light show! The storms have been really something ! Lightning & Thunder right on top of the Canyon. Had it not be so dark out I may have tried to get a few pictures of the storm. But the storms were so close this time, I figure if you can feel the crackle of lightning & the hair on your arms stand up, that is too close for comfort for me.This is really when I miss that porch to sit & watch a storm. I used to just that living in New York.

I am heading back to New York in September for a week vacation , My son, Brian is getting married! I will be out there for 6 days! Then back to the Canyon for fall.

I do love being out west, it seems to fit me. I just love the landscapes here, you can drive 30 minutes and be in the desert or high on a mesa.

next weekend I am off to the big sky around Sedonna, I will be flying high above the vortexes in a hot air balloon! I am sure it will be an adventure. I will be sure to post a few pictures once I get back.

I am now off to get some hiking in, before Mother Nature has time to work up a storm.

Rays of Light

Here is a picture I took going down Rt 64 to Flagstaff,Az. I was a wonderful sight to see.
Dark skies with the sun rays coming out to light up the sky. I couldn't help but wonder if the fairies & angels were sliding down the path of the rays.

Rim of the grand Canyon

Here is a view that we don't see much on the canyon. Gray skies!!! A storm is on the brink of letting some rain go. It seems to rain at night around here. Which is a good thing since the park is packed with guests. I have been out playing with my camera again. Taking odd shots ,like this tree. It was really twisted from wind . The winds that have blown here for centuries.

As I listen to the wind, I get the feeling that the trees are talking to one another. I can't help but wonder what kind of stories those trees could tell. I wished I understood tree talk.

I know that in the evening the winds feel cooling & calming to the soul. I am still searching for that inner peace within my soul. At times I feel it and other times I don't. When I don't feel it, I try to get myself back to that place. I have found walking , listening to trees talk, watching a storm come in are good for my soul. It is in those times I feel the peace within.

Things are changing at work, we have a new staffing manager, someone I have worked with before when I first started at HR. Things are different now and so I find I need that calming place more and more. I have been given more to do, so I do keep busy(which is a good thing so I won't have to think about who I have to report to) Life is always changing & so we have to learn how to roll & change with the flow of life.

I can only hope that you have found that inner place within that helps keeps us calm & at peace within.