Balloon Rides!

Tio Chris took each of us up for tether-rides in a one man hot-air balloon he had on loan from Bruce B. Here are Amaya and Joe getting ready to inflate the envelope.


It went up fast!

Of course, I was too heavy for Chris to take me up, so I had to go myself. Don't let go of those tether ropes, kids!


"Come, Dorothy!" cried the Wizard. "Hurry up, or the balloon will fly away."
"I can't find Toto anywhere," replied Dorothy, who did not wish to leave her little dog behind. Toto had run into the crowd to bark at a kitten, and Dorothy at last found him. She picked him up and ran towards the balloon.
She was within a few steps of it, and Oz was holding out his hands to help her into the basket, when, crack! went the ropes, and the balloon rose into the air without her.
"Come back!" she screamed. "I want to go, too!"
"I can't come back, my dear," called Oz from the basket. "Good-bye!"

Cub Scout Day Camp

Tia Marissa on last day of camp (left)

Joe after tug-of-war. (right)

Joe building a treasure box (left). Joe loading the car on the first day of camp. (right)

Cub scout day camp was awesome this year! Joe got to spend 5 days at Camp Berry, crafting, singing, swimming, hiking, playing. The theme was 'under the sea'. They had the ODNR come to the camp pond with a special boat, equipped with electrical generator and special electrodes. When they turned on the juice, all the fish around the boat came floating up to the top, stunned. They showed the boys all the different kinds of fish in the pond. "Don't try this at home". (The ODNR uses this boat to count fish for stocking purposes). On the last day of camp, the whole family got to go out for pizza and ice cream. Tia Marissa was helping us out that week, and got to visit Joe at camp. Will really enjoyed having a running partner for a few days.