It started with a sprint and turned into a mara- thon. The Second Annual UFF Run, Walk, or Watch seemed like a sprint. The winners made it to the finish line before I could get back to take pictures. A great addition this year was the climbing wall, a first-time experience for many of the participants.
Tuesday marked the marathon. I awoke at 4:30 a.m., hopped in the shower, and headed down in the eleva- tor. We loaded onto school busses in the brisk, predawn dark. There was just time to grab a breakfast burrito before the balloons started inflating. The bright, pro- pane flames made the balloons glow from within. As the sun rose in the east, hundreds of balloons took off and flew west.
From the Fiesta Field, we returned to the Hyatt Regency for more speakers. There was a lunch filled with table topic discussions, more talks, the SMA business meet- ing, the reception and silent auction and finally, the banquet. Wow, such a long, amazing day. The only thing that could have made it any better would have been a scheduled nap about 3 p.m. I can’t wait to see what is planned for next year’s conference.
—Paul Johnson, Regional Urban Forester, Texas Forest Service
Fun Runners come together after the competition—no hard feelings. Official results were: Men’s Run: Steve Whitton, Owen Croy, Oscar Mestas (First, sec- ond, and third, respectively) Women’s Run: Peggy Drescher, First place, with Jerri LaHaie and Marla Eddy in a dead heat for second place Walking Division: Gene Hyde, Steve Shurtz, Andy Hillman respectively Watching & Heckling Division: Dan Hartman, Chris Pargoff, Paul Johnson
Darren Green and Oscar Mestas handily climb the wall. Photo by Paul Johnson
www.urban-forestry.com
A balloon lifts off from the Balloon Fiesta grounds before any hint of sunrise. Photo by Steve Cothrel
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