Apache Lavender Festival

So a while back we headed up to Apache to go to the Lavender Festival. 

It was held at a man from India's home.

 At first it was underwhelming, but we had to realize that we couldn't compare it to Little India in Singapore.

 enjoying the scents 

 So they had belly dancing.  It was funny with the tractor...

 ...and farm fields in the background.

 

 Definitely not in Asia anymore...

 Lavender, yay! (They look thrilled, huh?) 

 They had white and blue peacocks.

 How cute are these guys?

 Checking out Lord Shen's relatives.

 like this one

You looking at me?

peacocking, yes

And exotic quilts...

 It was really different; not at all what we expected. We had gotten used to everything being world class, so for middle of nowhere Oklahoma, it was fun.

 First Prayer Teepee I'd ever seen.  We love seeing different and unusual things.

 great scenery on the way home

 not a problem with overcrowding

and home to our puppy

Cannon Air Show

It's not very often (for me anyway) that I get to go back to some place that I am kind of from...we always joke that we are from everywhere and nowhere, but when I got put on a TDY to beautiful Clovis, NM, it was surreal to see where I was baptized, the house we used to live in and the apartments we were in just before we moved. 

We were here for a static display to support the show.

The Thunderbirds were in town and a low ceiling drove them to do their low show, but it was very impressive. Definitely more fun with hearing protection.

 The two mighty Altus birds. As you can see, people were lined up to get in ours and it was fun to talk to them about it. When they asked where I was from, I told them I went to Sandia Elementary here in town, and people liked that. Also, a bunch of people were Spanish speakers and I would answer their questions in Spanish, which made them take their picture with me.  It was pretty fun.

Other displays.

Clovis...it smelled just the way I remembered...like cattle.

 I was proud to see a 111 at the entrance to town.

 Even if it wasn't camo painted.

 I went and saw our old house.

 This is the playground of the school where I started Kindergarten.

 Watermelon elementary.

 The chapel where my dad was bishop and where I was baptized that just happens to be right across from the school.

I actually don't even remember if we were the Bulldogs back then.

 These were the apartments where we stayed before we left town, where my mom hurt her leg and had to use crutches.

 On those crazy stairs.

View of the school towards the church from the apartments. I remember making the walk when I was 8.

another static 111, this one on base but still with the wrong paint...

They had my wife's favorite flower there, the blue mystique orchid at Walmart of all places, so I was able to get some and bring them back on the jet for our anniversary. All in all an interesting trip.