Speaking of balloons

37 chief · Feb 11, 2023

While mowing I would see happy birthday balloons in different fields. I don't see many now. One time I found a balloon with a note, asking where it was found, and send back to a boy. I did send it back. When Dad was farming someone found a weather balloon in one of Dad'd fields, back in the 50's. Being a young kid, that was really something, that fell from the sky on our farm. Stan

coonie minnie · Feb 11, 2023

When I was in grade school- late 70s early 80s- we released a lot of balloons with cards one windy afternoon. Quite a few came back, and we logged those cards on a map. It was pretty cool to us 3rd (or so) graders!

rrlund · Feb 11, 2023

I'm always getting those Mylar balloons rolled up in the hay. I'm always afraid of a cow or calf choking on one. It doesn't help my disposition when I envision some yuppie animal rights, environmental do gooder being the one who bought it and was careless with it.

When were were in elementary school, my cousins found a weather balloon in a field. It hadn't deflated all the way, but it just got soft enough to come to the ground. It popped when they tried to pull it in to the garage. Betty brought a big piece of the rubber to school.

504 · Feb 11, 2023

Helium is getting harder to come by,the cost has more than doubled in the last 5 years we have stopped selling balloon gas. Medical and industrial mix is all we sell.

Steve@Advance · Feb 11, 2023

I remember seeing big balloons for sale in magazines.

They were there alongside the $100 military Jeeps and Harleys, and the Xray glasses! I never bit the bait!

redforlife · Feb 11, 2023

Back in grade school, my class done a balloon release. We had our names and addresses attached to the balloons.
About 1/3 of the class received mail back from people that found them. The rest apparently were never found, or if so, no one bothered to reply. I was one of the ones that did not get a reply.
If I see a grounded balloon, I check it out. See if there is a note attached. I have checked out several I have seen over the years. But I have never found one with a note attached. Or if there was once, it was no longer on there. So I have never gotten a chance to reply to one that I have found.

Mark-Ia · Feb 11, 2023

I found a balloon in a fence row a few years ago with a note. A kindergarten class released balloons the previous day. We sent the note back with a picture of the combine and harvest crew. I remember that the balloon traveled 180 miles before it got caught in the cornfield during harvest.

Mike(NEOhio) · Feb 11, 2023

I find an occasional party balloon in my hay, usually June and July, graduation party time. Used to get a few hot air balloons landing on the place. Drive the chase vehicles into the field then open the champagne and toast their success. We appreciate you 'allowing us to land here' and enter my name with other landholders into a drawing for a $25 savings bond prize. I usually say you could give me a ride some time but nobody answer that question.

ss55 · Feb 11, 2023

Last year the University of Nebraska suspended their tradition of releasing red balloons at home football games.

www.si.com/college/2022/05/24/nebraska-announces-end-red-balloon-release-tradition-helium-shortage

A small majority of US states ban releasing Chinese lanterns due to the fire hazard

wildfiretoday.com/2015/12/31/update-on-the-legality-of-sky-lanterns-banned-in-28-states/

Geo-TH,In · Feb 11, 2023

A guy that worked for Duke energy said an aluminum balloon filled with helium came down on a transformer in a sub-station and blew up a transformer.
A note attached to the balloon said Have a Nice day!

The guys from Duke energy didn't find the note funny.

neverfear · Feb 11, 2023

Come on spring!

Steve in IL · Feb 11, 2023

Odd. Because helium is an inert gas.

RESLLS · Feb 11, 2023

It's the mylar. It will conductive, completes a connection just like aluminum foil.

37 chief · Feb 11, 2023

Hot air balloon rides are very popular where I live. sometimes they would land in my brothers cattle pasture. The chase vehicle would cut the fence to .get in, then leave the fence down. Then my brother would get a call from the sheriff about his cattle out on the road. Horse riders did the same thing to get in and out, by cutting the fence. Stan

big tee · Feb 11, 2023

Where did my F-Troop balloon post go???????????---

RayP(MI) · Feb 11, 2023

Found a latex balloon in a hayfield a few years back. Had a card attached from a Sunday School class in Chicago. Made it's way clear to central Michigan. Sent their card back with a nice note and a state map with the location clearly marked. Never heard back from them.

Mylar baloons - I find several every year in my hayfields. Not happy with that litter in my fields where it can become entangled in my machinery, or get eaten by my livestock. Folks are really careless about them. Had a smiley face baloon (remember when Walmart was doing the smiley faces?) anyway, it was lodged in my fence and my llama was having fits. She was not happy. She was about to breech the fence.

Another really serious issue is Chinese lanterns. Those things carry a lighted candle. Fire danger if they land on dry fields. We had a campground a couple miles from here. They released a dozen or so that all came down on our property. Took me all afternoon to collect them.

Very inconsiderate people.

Dennis(IA) · Feb 11, 2023

Darn, I wanted a report on the X-ray glasses.

ss55 · Feb 11, 2023

Taking you for a balloon ride sounds like a great idea. Here is a short 26 minute program about a balloon ride in SE MN that you might enjoy. It was a weekly outdoor adventure show called Let's Go Minnesota.

www.pbs.org/video/hot-air-ballooning-w-artist-ayub-hajiomar-qy5nij/

JMOR · Feb 12, 2023

(quoted from post at 21:38:26 02/11/23) Found a latex balloon in a hayfield a few years back. Had a card attached from a Sunday School class in Chicago. Made it's way clear to central Michigan. Sent their card back with a nice note and a state map with the location clearly marked. Never heard back from them.

Mylar baloons - I find several every year in my hayfields. Not happy with that litter in my fields where it can become entangled in my machinery, or get eaten by my livestock. Folks are really careless about them. Had a smiley face baloon (remember when Walmart was doing the smiley faces?) anyway, it was lodged in my fence and my llama was having fits. She was not happy. She was about to breech the fence.

Another really serious issue is Chinese lanterns. Those things carry a lighted candle. Fire danger if they land on dry fields. We had a campground a couple miles from here. They released a dozen or so that all came down on our property. Took me all afternoon to collect them.

Very inconsiderate people.

hat is just the Chinese for ya!

jimg.allentown · Feb 12, 2023

It wasn't the helium that caused the problem. It was the conductive aluminum that shorted something and caused the problem.

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