High Flying Fun during Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta season!

We ALL love it when Balloon Fiesta time rolls around...and 2013 Fiesta was one HIGH FLYIN' ADVENTURE!  Why I saw SO many balloons flyin' through our blue skies of New Mexico that I was doggone Starry-Eyed!  It's just a dog-nifient sight to see!  And if you have never come to Albuquerque for Balloon Fiesta....well.....doggone it.....start plannin' for 2014 right now!

This year's event was 9 days of non-stop action for this pup!  I made sure my paws were everywhere a dog could go for fun times.  It all started out at my fav museum.....ANDERSON ABRUZZO ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON MUSEUM! After all I am the dog-ficial Spokes-Dog for the Museum...so I just MUST be there for all the good things happenin--both inside and out!

Where do we start?  Well with a planning meeting of course!  As Canine Host to the 3rd ANNUAL FURRY FIESTA DAY, it's important to gather a Pup-tastic Team.

 I'm workin' HARD gettin' my gals in line....Thanks Linda, Karen and Deb...YOU are UnDoGgedly the Bestest team a Canine Event Host could have!  MWWWWAAAAHHHH!   LUV ya all! Now let's get on with the show! BUT not before I get another award to add to my wall of trophies/awards!  (tee-hee!)

I was honored with an EIPPY award (that stands for Excellence In Publishing) and Miss Viki Winterton....talking in the background was announcing to a dog-normous group of internation authors that I-Travelin' Jack am the 1st EVER dog to win an EIPPY award.  As you can see...I'm pretty doggone proud.  Thanks Miss Viki!  LUV ya!

Day 1 of Balloon Fiesta dawns....WoW!  Take a look at this view wouldja? Nowhere else to be for Balloon Fiesta than right at the ANDERSON ABRUZZO ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON MUSEUM....in my dog-estimate!

But it's time for FURRY FRIENDS FIESTA DAY...and here we go!

 We were all in place on the Lawn at the Balloon Museum.......

The balloons are lifting off in grand style.....

and over at the FURRY FRIENDS FIESTA DAY We had Live DJ music on the Smokey Bear Stage.....it was a rockin'...let me bark at you!

We had Animal Welfare Groups and Adopt-a-thons like Chama Valley Humane Society, Save Lucky Paws, Sunflower Sanctuary, Felines and Friends....why we even had.........................

Tiny Toes Rat Rescue.......who knew?  But they were there in all their tiny cuteness!

Course I had to get the whole day rollin'....so Jill, along with my fav photographer, Christena from Texas and I all rolled on down to Fiesta Field...where we did 2 live interviews on KRQE TV.

Talk about in the Right Spot with the Right TV Team....Matt Mauro and Kristen Van Dyke...two of my PAWsonal favorites of all time!  Why I was just so bedazzled by all the balloons floating up around me that I made Jill do all the talking (HA-works every time...I get the fun job!)

But back to the Fun Happenings at FURRY FRIENDS FIESTA DAY!
  Gotta meet up with some of the good folks visitin there....and THEN.......who do I spy off to the right of center stage but the ONE...the ONLY....................

 
World Renowned PAW READER.....MADAME PAW-PAW! 

'Course I just HAD to get my paw read! Whew...I was worried at first...but......lucky for me.....

 It was all good....here's what she told me after she read my paw........

 "You will soon be invited to a Karaoke Party at the Dawg Saloon. Let the howling begin!
                                       (Lucky Song: I Ain’t Nuttin’ But a Hound Dog!)

Suits me just fine!  Thanks Madame Paw-Paw for flying into FURRY FRIENDS FIESTA DAY from lands far-far away!  You are PAWSOME!

But what else is there to see and do at the Dog Fiesta you ask?  Well there were dog-tastic Vendors of all types....like my pawsonal favorite groomer....GROOMINGDALE'S

They were givin' out free treats to all the Visitor pups and discounts for a dog-tastic grooming treatment...I KNOW....I'm her 'furr-ever favorite' customer!

There were also Dog Tricks and 4-Footed Entertainment from our special friends at DISC DOGS OF NEW MEXICO.....

And talk about some high flyin' dogs in action!

Why they even brought their little princess friend from Disc Dogs of Colorado ....and she's workin' on breaking the Guinness Book of Records for the Dog who can hold the most frisbees in her mouth...take a look at this trick!  It's pretty dog-pressive if you ask me!

12 and counting!  Wow-ee Gazow-ee!  I'm jealous!  I-Travelin' Jack can't even do that with my BIG mouth. How DOES she do that?   Hmmmmmm.

But the day is half over now...and I have some awards  to give out........to some well deserving Animal Welfare groups.  Together with our friends at New Mexico Tourism Department....Jill and I were lucky enough to WIN a  prize for our New Mexico True Story entry in their contest.  So we...without a dog's moment of hesitation knew the prize money had to go to some of our favorite groups..... SAVE LUCKY PAWS and CHAMA VALLEY HUMANE SOCIETY.

Thanks to our special friend....Mr. Jordan Guenther...for helping our 4-footed friends with the prize money!  In total we donated $1200 to animals this FURRY FRIENDS FIESTA DAY!  Not to doggone bad from  my pup-spective!

                                                    But there is  MORE fun to be had....

and I cannot hide from the action....I gotta quit PAW digraphing my books at the Rio Grande and LPD Press book booth...and be THE JUDGE for the 1ST ever FURRY FRIENDS FIESTA DAY Pet Costume Contest and Parade...and here they come!

 In all their pup glory...dressed every way you can imagine.....

.....from Super Pup 

....to the Sunflower Pup Brigade

...to book reading dog-team from Title Wave Bookstore!

 How's a Pup to Judge all these magnificent Canine Contestants?  Lucky thing...we had the One and Only QUEEN OF THE AIR WAVES, our very favorite 770 KKOB Radio Host (ess with the mostest!) Miss Terrie Q....she not only Emceed the Pup Parade...but she helped Judge too (whew...thanks Miss Terrie for helpin' this dog out in a tough spot...so doggone hard to choose the best...cuz theyr'e ALL WINNERS!)...and she even helped hand out all the great prizes we had for our winners! 

We're thinking the local dog-paper....our Friends at Bosque Beast news....who just happened to be there too....

might just be writin' this Top Dog Event up as well!  They are the newspaper-in-the-know when it comes to local pup-happenings (and other animals too!)

And we had some GRRRRReat photographers there too!  My new camera buddy who took this pic....and a dog-zillion more...I might add....is none-other than the dog-ficial photographer of Sunflower Sanctuary...Mr. Allen Winston at winstonfoto.com.   He sure knows how to capture a pup's expression eh?  Thanks Mr. Allen. I LUV my personal photo memento from the 3RD ANNUAL FURRY FRIENDS FIESTA DAY!   

Yep...no dog-doubt about it.... a FUN TIME was had by ALL...pups and people!  I must say....this was a doggone success.....but it couldn't be such a succsess without ALL my pawsonal friends and voluteers and the Balloon Museum....and just everyone...both pups and people...that came to the FURRY FRIENDS FIESTA DAY! You are just too dog-tastic for words!

And speakin' about words...there's a LOT more to bark about for our 2013 Balloon Fiesta...but I'm just dog-tired......before I start on PART 2 of my Balloon adventures....I think I'm gonna quit for now and take a little cat....er make that a dog-nap!

DOGGY HUGS AND SLURPY KISSES!