Message on balloon flies to Carthage area

From left, Jacob Potter, Covy Confer, Linleigh Denney, Declan Washburn, Gracyn Hallam, Kyndrek Atkins, Taiten Neal, Connor Irwin, Lauren Sloniker and Lucas Turowski line up to release balloons. Submitted photo.

Nevada Daily Mail

Larry Griffeerg, 68, found a nice surprise in his yard when he went to mow Aug. 16.

Floating along the ground was a balloon message sent by Lauren Sloniker, who attends Bright Beginnings Preschool.

From left, Connor Irwin, Declan Washburn, Kyndrek Atkins, Gracyn Hallam, Taiten Neal, Lucas Turowski, Linleigh Denney, Lauren Sloniker, Jacob Potter and Covy Confer begin to send off their balloons. Submitted photo

Griffeerg lives 4 miles west of Carthage. The little message had traveled 45 miles.

"It was pretty neat," Griffeerg said. "It surprised us."

Every year the preschool sends off balloon mail to see how far the messages travel. Last year, a balloon was found southeast of Springfield between Seymour and Mansfield.

Tracy Sewell, who runs Bright Beginnings Preschool, said that several years they released balloons in August, but no one found a balloon until the following spring when they were out hunting mushrooms.

As of Thursday afternoon, Sewell said Griffeerg is the only person to return one of their balloons this year.

Griffeerg said the message had a pretty little picture on it of whatever was on Sloniker's mind. "I can't tell what it is," he said.

His wife, Gladys, said she was happy they got the message from her.

"This is the first time I've found anything like it," Griffeerg said.