JAN 22, 23 (3/4) .. THE 12th ANNUAL HAVASU BALLOON FESTIVAL AND FAIR

Make no mistake here, although Patti is not actively involved with me in the Havasu Balloon Festival and Fair (the title of this current series of Posts)  we ARE doing other things. To wit, that is to say : we ARE watching at least a significant part of the four NFL Playoff football games currently underway this weekend.

Saturday, January 21st

Today was my active day as a volunteer on the THE 12th ANNUAL HAVASU BALLOON FESTIVAL AND FAIR.

I had two specific commitments : One at 8am and one at 5pm.

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1. From 8am, until it finished at 10:03am, along with one other volunteer, I was stationed at the midway point (position 5) of the 5K / 10k Fun Run / Walk route.

The Run / Walk took place in the Lake Havasu State Park. There was one 5 Kilometer (3.1 Mile) route. Those who participated in the 10 K (6.2 Mile) event simply ran the 5K route twice. 

I plan to do a more detailed Post about this event on blogspot but I wanted to show those of you who may be interested the below six photos of the Fun Run / Walk here on dotnet.

I was able to park our GMC Suburban very close to our checkpoint 5.

You will notice my partner was wearing a coat. So was I. You might also notice my partner was wearing shorts with her coat! The weather, at 48 °F, was chilly because with it came a 10 mile an hour, very bothersome, wind.

We were set up and all ready for the runners and the walkers.

Below, on his second loop of the course, was the winner of the 10K run.

Yes indeed as you saw above and again below ..

We were ready. We were REALLY ready. Then suddenly, it seemed instantly, we got overwhelmed with a mob of walkers. In what seemed like five or ten short minutes all of our cups of water were gone and we were frantically trying to keep up with the demand for water. Here the wind came into play ! We’d set down a cup and before we could fill it with water the wind would blow the cup away. So we had to work as a team. One of us would set down and hold a cup in place and the other would fill it half full of water and place it out for a walker to pickup and drink.

Then, after a short time during our overwhelming rush of walkers, I could barely twist open the bottles of water. My hands were cold and, on the best of days, these bottles of water have become a challenge to open for me at age 86 years. However everyone was having fun and all were in good humors and we made it through the event.

Then suddenly, at 10:03am, the event was over and it was time to call it a day. We used all of our cups and 95% of the bottles of water.

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2. From 5pm until 8pm I was signed up to assist at the main entrance to the festival.

At 4:45pm, after finding a place to park our GMC Suburban, I was there early for my shift beginning at 5pm. At 5:15pm the supervisor said to me that they had more volunteers than they needed and would I like to go home.

“Would I like to go home and not be standing for three hours in the cool weather with the strong breeze? Would I like to go home and with Patti watch the New York Football Giants play the number one seeded Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC playoffs? “

“Yes I would be happy to go home !” .. “Thanks so very much for being a volunteer. We hope to see you again next year Cap.”

The Eagles blew out the Giants. Destroyed them 38 – 7 and it wasn’t that close !

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Sunday, January 22nd (also known as today)

First, I am going to go out about 7:30am to see IF the balloons are going to fly today. We are all hoping that the wind will quiet down so the balloons can take-to-the-sky!

At 1pm Patti and I are going to watch the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals square off in their playoff game.

After the game, Patti and I are going to drive over to Kingman, Arizona, to meet up with Tom and Ginny and hear Doc tell his story at Leon’s 7pm meeting at the Kingman Hospital.

It should be a very nice day.

Over And Out ..

Cap and Patti

• ← JAN 21, 23 (2/4) .. THE 12th ANNUAL HAVASU BALLOON FESTIVAL AND FAIR
• JAN 23, 23 (4/4) .. THE 12th ANNUAL HAVASU BALLOON FESTIVAL AND FAIR →