Lumby Books Series

About The Air: "The band of carnival vendors and operators who traveled from one fair to the next during the summer months allowed themselves three days to set up, so the fairground was bustling with activity in preparation for Tuesday’s official opening. By then, the service trucks would be gone, leaving straight rows of booths and rides between wide-open walking paths. When Mark and Joshua stepped out of the Jeep, they noticed that many of the concession stands had been erected and that several were already serving a limited menu of hamburgers and sodas to those who were working the fair. Two young men were struggling to set up an arcade game that had fallen off the ramp of a heavily rusted van. Although many of the carnival rides would be arriving the next day, the huge Ferris wheel, aptly named The Air, had already been assembled. The operating crew of three was just beginning to go through the long engineering checklist before they ran their first test. One of the operators had climbed up the frame of the ride and was swinging from a roped harness, trying to replace burned out lightbulbs among those that outlined the massive wheel. From all appearances, the worker was engaged in a serious conversation with Hank, the town’s mascot, a plastic pink flamingo who was perched in the highest basket of the Ferris wheel, eating popcorn and sipping from a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade. Enjoying the unobstructed views of Mill Valley, Hank had taken up residence there just after The Air was assembled. Although his acrophobia had been acting up in recent months, the well-padded seats and security bar allowed for a good night’s sleep. Hank, who thought himself more an eagle than some dim-witted wading bird, had seen many fairs come and go. This one certainly looked most promising. If nothing else, he would have penthouse accommodations for the week." - excerpt from Lumby on the Air