Flight of Fancy or Spirit of Adventure?
Joseph Montolfier, a French papermaker, wondered why smoke wafted upward in his chimney. His brother, Etienne and he also wondered how the clouds were suspended in the sky. The brothers designed a 38-foot diameter silk bag lined with paper and open at the bottom. In June 1783, they placed it above a charcoal fire. The balloon went up 6000 feet and traveled laterally 1-1/2 kilometers before the air cooled and the bag came down.
Three months later a sheep, rooster and duck were airborne, in a flight witnessed by both the King of France and Benjamin Franklin. One month later, two other men, Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis d'Arlandes, funded by the King of France, flew the first manned flight, above the heads of 400,000 of their amazed fellow citizens.
In time, balloonists flew the
The Blue Panther Experience is host for Blog Your Blessings Sunday. Visit the blog, grab the blogroll code, add it to your blog, and leave a comment on Blue Panther Experience. Next Sunday, post your blessing. We are of all faiths, creeds and races, so everyone is welcome. Join us on Sunday as we blog our blessings.
* If you would like to know this story, and many others, read Why the Wind Blows : A History of Weather and Global Warming by Matthys Levy (2007).
10 comments:
Well, I have to love these guys for thinking it through! Such simple thoughts sure can take on a shape and size that really challenge the imagination.
Thanks for this, Cybercelt, and for the great image. You've challenged me to think big, and that is a blessing.
The picture is really nice...and I have always wanted to go up in a balloon like that.
I guess I am blessed with the spirit of adventure, but I have to wait before I am blessed with the chance to actually try an adventure like that.
Because of many who had this spirit and followed it, we have many blessings today! Interesting to read about their hot balloon adventures.
Great post my friend! And I love that adventuresome photo :)
Happy BYB Sunday!
Yeh for the adventure! How is your son? He's been in my prayers!
Try not to giggle... but I have NO issues in flying pretty much anything with wings or rotors... but being suspended in a basket under a balloon actually terrifies me! Still, there is something marvellous about seeing a balloon in flight... and I love to watch them!
I like to think that the "Spirit of Adventure" was one of the things that motivated me to make "A Big Change in my Life." The jury is still out on whether it was ultimately a good thing or not. I think that the spirit of the spirit (heh) of what you are talking about is something that I DO regard as a blessing.
Thanks for the wonderful post!
Simple thing can lead to great innovation :)
The picture look so nice, that I'm feeling like boarding the balloon to taste the spirit of adventure.
Great post. Keep 'em coming...
nice photo and post! :)
@sandy-You are always thinking big and your thoughtful posts and comments show it.
@neo-I think I would want to go up the first time in a balloon that is tethered to the ground.
@paulie-Its amazing to think about the inventions in the 20th century. I wonder what this century will bring?
@sue-Thanks, Sue!
@kuanyin-Please keep praying. I am hoping that the charges dissipate like fog in the morning sun.
@matthew-Once I saw a show where there were many balloons tethered, the sun was setting and the colorful balloons were backlit. Of course, I did not have a camera.
@whatever-You are welcome, my friend.
@happy-Thanks for visiting. I will bookmark your ecard site for those last-minute birthdays that appear without warning.
@michael-I followed you back to your photo site, but I do not know what I was seeing. LOL
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