Captain Bob climbed into the balloon basket, making his preflight checks. Cassie ran down to the far end of the tarp and started to fold the huge blue fabric up. Linda trotted to the other far corner and helped Cassie wrangle the tarp. Brendan came over to help. Cassie shooed him away. “It’s time to go flying for you, get over there!” She smiled brightly as he turned away. The other passengers started to climb into the basket, using the foot holds which punctured the front of the basket.

Jon held the tether while the passengers got in. Brendan arrived and climbed into the basket, sharing the section with Ainsel and another adult passenger. Mark and David, Carol’s crew chief, dragged off the fans, Mark taking fan two into the trailer, and David taking the loaner fan back to Carol’s truck. Once the fan was in Carol’s blue truck, David jumped behind the wheel and took off after Hi Fly.

Cherokee Woman lifted off the ground and the crowd watching cheered. The rest of the crew cheered as well and Cassie waved. Brendan waved back and smiled. The crowd parted and the balloon sailed over the green grass and into the morning sky.

Once the tarp was folded in some semblance of order and packed into the trailer, everyone climbed into the truck, either the extended cab or the back of the pickup bed with the post-flight champagne cooler. Cassie sat in the back of the cab next to Linda and Mark. Jon wore a small two way radio around his neck. He drove the giant pickup with Marlee next to him.

After following the balloon to the south for a little over twenty minutes, the radio crackled to life. “Jonny, this is Captain Bob. We’re sailing fine to the south. We’re looking to land somewhere north of the highway. Over.”

“Hear you loud and clear, boss. See you there.”

Cassie watched the landscape fly by out the window. She was not familiar with Albuquerque, so the buildings and commercial areas were fascinating. Parts of the city looked like the southwest, like Santa Fe or Taos, and others looked like they could have just been taken straight out of Denver or Dallas, glass and metal, very modern, or brick and concrete. Another half an hour passed, as they followed Cherokee Woman south.

Other balloons drifted by overhead, and they passed more than one chase crew. Cassie waved when she recognized a balloon festival pass. She got lots of return waves. The sky was filled with beautiful balloons of all colors; yellows, pinks, every shade of blue, white, red, some silver and gold. Flowers filled the sky, blooming over the dragon’s breath.

Cassie snapped some pictures with her Olympus Stylus 750, a pocket digital camera. It didn’t have much in the way of optical zoom, but the pictures came out clearly and beautifully. Nor did it have a view finder, but the screen was large enough for viewing if the sun wasn’t too bright.

The radio crackled to life. “Jonny, I’ve found a field, we’re right near the municipal airport, and you’ll have to get clearance.”

“Aye, aye, Captain. We’re on our way.”

“Come again? Couldn’t hear you over the burners.”

“We’re on our way.”

“Good. We’ll be down in five or six minutes.”

“See you then.” Jonny turned off of the highway and went toward the municipal airport.

By the time Jonny got through with security, the balloon had landed, the cops had arrived, and Cherokee Woman sustained quite a beating.