..... if released are litter. It's not a huge deal but every year I find 4-6 mylar balloons on the property. Why in the world would parents allow kids to litter their "Happy Birthday" balloons? Picked up these remnants just the other day when out clearing trails.





Of course the parents are probably the ones tossing their beer cans and McDonalds along the road so what can we expect.

Birthday balloons are only a small part of those balloons released to go and fall wherever. .............................. drill sgt.

Probably so however all the ones I find, that are still legible, are happy birthday ones. But I certainly include all balloons.

They are also responsible for an inordinate number of unfounded business alarm police response calls when employees leave them floating in the building, lock up for the night, and then the HVAC kicks on...

When I was a kid I tied a note with my name and address to a helium rubber balloon, and released it from my home just east of Kansas City MO. The note requested the finder to reply with the location of where it was found.

Some weeks later I received a reply from a farmer near Terre Haute, Indiana. I was thrilled! Sent him a thank you letter stating the release point and date.

As a younger guy we used to stuff a chem-lite into a large(r) balloon, break it open (the chem-lite), fill balloon with helium, tie off, and release.

When you get the helium to air ratio right, the balloon will rise about 500-1,000 ft as it moves along with the breeze...

looks like a large green glowing ball / UFO to the stoners and drunks

When I was flying saw them all the time floating around and they are all over the woods when I go hunting...

60

Wonder where all these landed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bge6IJiemJs

PC

quote:

Originally posted by PCWyoming:
Wonder where all these landed.

PC

I'm pretty sure those are made from paper and wax, and decompose.

The larger offense is the waste of Helium. That is not an infinite resource, and when it’s gone, it’s gone.

Yep. When there was a helium shortage several years ago the soccer moms
would have meltdowns because they could not get balloons for the birthday party.
If they want balloons let them use hydrogen

Those pair so well with birthday candles!

That’s ok

Live and learn right?

quote:

Originally posted by PCWyoming:
Wonder where all these landed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bge6IJiemJs

PC

I wonder how many wildfires those started.

The real question is: Why do these balloons wind up on your property? Maybe someone is trying to send you as message.

Around here they like to release a buttload of them at a time to memorialize somebody that died .

Hunting/hiking I'm always surprised at how many I find. I think "If I see this many, this often, in just this 1000-1500 acres, how many are out there?" And you only find the mylar ones because they're easy to spot, so reflective, stand out and don't break down. How many "normal" balloons are out there? You'd think I'd see more balloons flying away on a day to day basis if there's this many.

As for the parents, they're letting them, or teaching them to do far, far worse things than letting balloons go sadly.

Prolly the Chinese.

I know a guy that works at a cemetery,
Those plastic flowers that people buy for headstones are a substantial p.i.t.a. for grounds keepers.

Some have wires in them that play hell with mowers.

And the people rarely fasten them down , so they blow hither and yon.

There is a four foot tall pile of them out back of the machine shed.

The Instatwit crowd seemingly cannot have any celebration without a balloon arch which is approx 100 balloons. Social media photos are #1 priority and they'll have an outdoor balloon arch on a day with 15 mph winds and gusts over 30 mph. I wound up with one in my side yard on a windy weekend, and the owners weren't looking for it. Fortunately, I knew who had the party.