Lost-one blue balloon

   Please contact me if you find a light blue helium balloon. It took off from home in chenango forks and was heading towards the school at about 5:30 pm 2/1.

   Pete and I did a little shopping at Price Chopper. A nice lady in the flower / balloon section offered Pete a balloon and even put a plastic weight on it. We finished shopping and went back to the van without any problems. We got home and I set the weight on the ground while I unbuckled Pete. He said where's my balloon? I turned to see it 15 feet off the ground and making good time. The weight still attached!* It hung up briefly on the phone wires, and then headed south. Bad daddy (my words, not his).

Peter was very sad. After taking him in to snuggle with mama, I helped the girls take the groceries in. Pete was still sad so I got a balloon out of birthday supplies and Pete was happy. Until he popped it 5 minutes later. Good thing I brought a couple.

This morning Pete told me the neighbor would bring his balloon back. I explained that it went over his house and didn't stop.

A little while later he told Tera and I that the falcons would bring his balloon back. We explained that falcons don't do balloon returns. He kind of stuck to that, but eventually decided the black birds (crows) would help.

On the way to daycare he decided that the balloon blew all the way to daycare and got sucked in through the brown pipe and Stacy and Kelly (his teachers from last semester) would have it. I tried to explain that the wind was blowing the wrong way, but he was sure.

We got there and outside his old room was a tan rain gutter, but no blue balloon. Pete forgot about the balloon once he got inside.

* we go up about 350 feet in elevation between the store and home. In theory a helium balloon WOULD be slightly more buoyant at the higher elevation, I have just never been in a situation where it was a noticeable effect. Bad daddy :-(