Tarantula--Maybe?
I tried to take some photos of some of the balloons lifting off this morning before daylight. Unfortunately the photos didn't turn out, the balloons only show up in the dark when the burner goes on, so it is a bit like trying to capture elusive fireflies. I would wait and as soon as I saw some, I would snap; but the majority would again be invisible by the time I pushed the button. I ended up deleting all of the photos. Oh well, it was a pretty sight to see, and you will just have to visualise it for yourselves. Tomorrow is the special shapes ascension so that should be interesting. The newspapers are saying that there is approx. 700 balloons this year, from 17 different countries and 40 different states.
This morning while walking the dog, (the only morning I haven't taken the camera), I think that I may have seen my first Tarantula spider. I am not positive. It was a little smaller than the palm of my hand, with hairy black legs and a brown and black hairy body. He/she was just wandering beside the street. Whatever type of spider it was, it was big! This is not an average street that you would picture in a town in Alberta. The housing developement here is built into the existing landscape is such a way that the original land is kept basically intact. What grew there before the houses, still grows there. You cannot really tell where the landscape ends and the "yards" begin. Each time we go for a walk with the dogs, (twice a day), we see quail, rabbits, lots of birds, beetles, etc.. So far no snakes thank goodness, the dogs have had "snake avoidance" training; but I haven't!
The first 2 days here, I was short of breath as we are not used to being at this altitude; but we are fine now. A bonus is that our sinuses are nice and clear.
We are really enjoying the weather, it seems hard to believe that it is October. We sat outside this morning having our coffee at around 6 AM and it was comfortable, I am such a chicken in the cold that you know it must be nice. We have been sitting outside until around 9 in the evening, although I do put my light jacket on around 8. We heard that the low for Edmonton last night was supposed to be 3 Celius, I am not missing that at all!
