In a bit of pre-dawn spontaneity, we ventured da nord at 4:38am to Saint Jean Sur Richeleau in Quebec for a 6am launch at the Canadian Hot Air Balloon Festival. We planned to stay outside the grounds and chase as they lifted -- but stumbled upon an additional launch site at a nearby college. No traffic, no crowd, hands-on access to eight balloons -- brilliant! We watched them unfurl and launch; raced to the river for inflight shots, and then chased them out into the cornfields to see the landings. Good day!