Hello Trail Blazers…. If you have been following along in this 31 Day Series, you might have noticed we took an extended “rest stop.” You see, over the weekend, I did not write in this series because I was out having some adventures. On Sunday, my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by going up in a hot air balloon, and I got to be on the chase team. My family has had a long history with this balloon company “Hot Fun.” and pilot Joe Shevenell. They have been landing on my parents farm for 31 years. To show appreciation to land owners, they always give us a bottle of champagne, and sometimes, they will give us a ride. As a kid, I was fascinated by the beauty, science and physics of the majestic balloons. As soon as I saw them float over the horizon, I would hop on my bike and start chasing them, cutting through fields and trails and trying to guess where they would land. The more I chased them, the more I figured out how to judge wind speed and direction to determine if they were worth the chase, and were going to land near by, or to watch them float over knowing their destination was more than a bike peddle away.
27 years ago, my father and I were treated to a ride in “Tickled Pink”- a pink, green and yellow balloon that Joe piloted for years. Our goal was to take off from somewhere around Sebago lake, and land at the farm. At several points along the way, we stopped along the side of the road and tested wind speed and direction. We let a toy balloon go – and watched it drift off, and with a map and compass determined the wind direction. From the coordinates we logged, we determined the launch site to be the north end of Sebago Lake.
Once in the air, we discovered the wind speed was light and variable. Joe compensated by flying at different altitudes – trying to catch one wind current or another. After a few adjustments, we ended up landing 1/4 mile short of our destination.
Sometimes we fall a little short of our goals, and sometimes we need to recalculate in mid-stream. Tomorrow, we will discuss how to set yourself up and be prepared for when life blows you off course, and how to stay on course with your goals.
This is part of my #write31days series – to read earlier entries – click HERE.
Hit the Heights!
Priscilla Hansen Mahoney
The Natural Business Leadership Guide
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Amanda Calitz
Thanks for sharing! I’d really like to go up in a hot air balloon some day!
Priscilla Hansen Mahoney
It’s totally fun! I highly recommend it!