Any local will tell you that October is the most beautiful time of year in New Mexico, made so in large part by the much-anticipated sight of colorful balloons punctuating the skyline. During this season, the sky is bluer, the days are gentler, and the mornings crisper — almost as though the landscape has taken a deep sigh — and on the desert’s warm breath sails the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.