Flying --but not to Oz

Gosh, seems forever since I've posted on my blog. I was busy getting ready for our 2 week trip, then I've been in transit since.

Today, my spouse and I did something I've wanted to do for nearly 30 years: ride in a hot air balloon. The first half of the ride, seems like we were floating straight up. On the second half, we flew west and saw Chimney Rock, Pagosa Peak, and all of the town of Pagosa Springs, where many developers are buying up land 4 times what the properties were worth 2 years ago. Amazing. Pagosa is a beautiful place, and the weather is so fair in the summertime.

We want to buy some land here too, but don't know if we will. I think the land will appreciate, but it bothers me in a way that the locals are being squeezed out by high rollers. Most of the businesses depend on summer tourism, and some winter tourism. Not much goes on between October 15-Dec 15 and January 15-March 1st, so they have to live on what they make. With energy prices as they are these days, it's getting expensive to just to "get by".

So, while it's OZ to some of us, I cannot call it Oz because for the locals, it's no longer a big playground with few rules and regulations and owners. But it sure was fun to be on that balloon ride, with the silk of the balloon in rainbow colors.