FMCA Rally: Albuquerque

This morning there were some people taking balloon rides and my friend Sami was disappointed when she couldn't go, too. Seeing five or six balloons on the field is quit different than having hundreds taking off during the Balloon Fiesta in October.
The weather was great yesterday when cousins Jim and Pat played golf, but it was cooler today and rain is predicted for tonight.
Regards, Gus

Albuquerque Balloon Museum

I went to the Albuquerque Balloon Museum today and these kids gave me a simulated ride in a hot air balloon. The museum building is very nice and has lots of history on ballooning. I had an added treat as we got to watch a wedding party enter the museum to attend a reception. Everybody in the wedding party had numerous tatoos and I think each person had a different color of hair.
I will be in Albuquerque for the week, as Jim and Pat are attending the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) Rally. We drove through some snow yesterday on the way into Albuquerque and the weather was cool. Today was much nicer and tomorrow should be even better.
Warmest regards, Gus

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Betty and I put on our St. Patrick's Day outfits for one of the dinners at the Full Timers Rally in Las Cruces, NM, last week. We will probably wear the same clothes for the dinner this week in Tucson.
The Fulltimers Rally last week had 17 motor coaches with 34 people in attendance for the four-day rally. Many of the people will attend other rallies in the southwest before getting together again in Albuquerque for the FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association) Rally.
In the second picture, you can see Cousin Pat playing a version of "snakes and ladders." This version has a wheel that rotates rather than solid bars. Players throw a rope with rubber balls (some use golf balls) on each end and try to wrap the rope around the colored bars to earn points. Each color is worth a different number of points. This game, along with bean bag toss and other games, served as a good way to get people together and have a good time.

On Friday, we drove to Tucson for the Monaco Coach Owners Rally. There will be about 300 coaches in attendance. On the 19th we will head to Albuquerque for the FMCA Rally at the Balloon Fiesta Park and NM Expo.
Warmest regards and may all your travels be safe...Gus

Tombstone, AZ

I went to Tombstone, AZ, the other day to help Wyatt Earp clean up the town. We had to run some rowdy tourists out of town! The town has changed a little bit since 1880.

Happy Valentine's Day

I can't believe it has been over a month since I last posted. I have been busy, not my photographer has not been taking any pictures.
The day after the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Cousin Jim received a phone call with the sad news that his mother passed away. She was almost 98 years old and still active until the end--in fact she had just returned home to Iowa from a trip to Minnesota to see her daughter and grandchildren (and great-grandchildren). Up until the trip, she was still driving her car and went to the local nursing home weekly to help the "old people" play bingo.
When Jim returned from Iowa after the funeral, we parked the motor home in the Palm Springs, CA, area. We attended the Bob Hope Classic Golf Tournament, but since cameras were not allowed, there are no pictures of me on any of the four golf courses.
Jim and Pat met their friends Rod and Joyce (Aurora, CO) several times to play golf. They also took me and Sami to the College of the Desert Street Fair, where there are hundreds of vendors on weekends. Mostly, we have been enjoying the nice weather (between rainstorms) and glad to not have to shovel snow.
We will be going to Lake Havasu City again for a week and then to St. David, AZ, before attending a rally in Las Cruces, NM.
Hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day. I may take Betty out for dinner.
Warmest regards, Gus

Sierra Madre Float

Here is the City of Sierra Madre float (California Girls) in the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade. This is the float I help prepare flowers for and you can see some pictures of the unfinished float in a previous blog.
I sure had a great time at the parade. The flowers on the floats look so much better in person than on T.V. The weather was great today and I really recommend that you attend the parade some year.
The New Mexico float was very nice, too. It was called "Enchantment is in the Air," and it won the Grand Marshal's Trophy for most creative concept and design.
Happy New Year!
Gus

New Year's Eve

I took Betty to a dance on New Year's Eve. We had a good time and sure glad we brought in the new year on New York time. We were back home by 9:30 California time!
I had to get up at 5:00 in the morning to get to the Tournament of Roses Parade.