Ceremony at Dawn: Hot Air Balloon Adventure

From the minute Carol set out at the crack of dawn for the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, the colorful excitement and the surprises of the event won her heart and soul. Carol March’s story begins with the uncanny sight of the Dawn Patrol, three balloons lit from the inside out and floating in the blackness above a sleeping city about to waken to giant orbs rising in the clear New Mexican sky. We experience the careful planning and anticipatory excitement of spectators, chase crews and safety directors called “Zebras,” as they prepare for launch. And we watch as Carol, a reluctant bystander who is determined to never step aboard a basket about to be lofted into the air, is confronted with an invitation—and a challenge no one expected.Accompanying Carol’s narrative of high adventure are the photographs of Bill Pearson, a videographer and skydiver with over 900 jumps. His keen eye for spatial context cause these full color images of the fiesta to lift the reader right off the page. Ceremony at Dawn is your escort through the wondrous ritual of hot air ballooning, and may well serve as your invitation.