“Riding under a baloon beats making hay, but
believe me after we came down no more baloons for us.
How foolish to want to be way up in the air,
& then after you are up there,
you want to be down.”
I’m not sure who the two men are in the “baloon,” but this post card was one of a very few saved by my maternal grandmother, Louise Schlinke Boring a/k/a Dude to me. I believe the man on the right was one of my grandmother’s five brothers, and the man on the left was my maternal grandfather James Marion Boring, Sr. The post card was unsigned and not stamped which makes me imagine it was hand delivered.
What struck me about the card was the message written in pencil on the back, regardless of the missing names or how it was delivered. The people in my grandmother’s family were farmers so they were well acquainted with the labor involved in making hay in the hot Texas sun. My grandfather, on the other hand, was an adventurer who started and failed in business enterprises from root beer stands in Houston to a movie theater in Richards with four children along the way during his lifetime (1887 – 1938). I can believe the balloon ride was his idea.
No more balloons for these guys, though. “How foolish to want to be way up in the air, & then when are up there, you want to be down.”
I’ve felt that same feeling more than once in my life, too…not about balloon rides, of course. I’m not that brave.
Stay tuned.
I'll Call It Like I See It 
I share that feeling too, Sheila. Way too many times I’ve asked, “Child! What were you thinking???!!!” 😂
But that postcard is priceless.
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Child, what were you thinking???Aint that right, Ann? You made me smile at that thought.
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Now there’s a fine metaphor combined with family history. Amazing memento!
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Thanks, Susanne…that’s how I felt, too.
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I will look out for them when the weather changes, Sheila, they’re flying every day over our house…MOL😸Pawkisses for a Happy Day🐾😽💞
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Too funny, Granny – please do look out for them!
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Boring? Refuse to believe this name is from your family tree! Hot air balloons are not for me either, you have to get up before the dawn of crack to get to the ‘favoured’ launch pad and then you get turfed out on your bottom in the mud on ‘landing’. Or something like that (ruder) according to my wife 😀
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Wow – you have an adventuresome wife like Pretty!!
Boring should never have been a last name in my family!!
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Actually, a little side story is that when Europeans arrived in America, their names were often either misspelled at immigration or changed deliberately at some point in later years. My paternal grandfather’s last name was probably Boren or Borin or somthing else even. How they settled on Boring is a mystery!
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This could be part of the TX Medical School in Galveston??
On Tue, Feb 18, 2020 at 10:54 PM I’ll Call It Like I See It wrote:
> Sheila Morris posted: ” “Riding under a baloon beats making hay, but > believe me after we came down no more baloons for us. How foolish to want > to be way up in the air, & then after you are up there, you want to be > down.” I’m not sure who the two men are in the “baloon” >
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I thought it looked like a hospital I knew. Do you have any idea who the two men are? I just guessed from other pictures I had.
How are you all doing?
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P.S. It hit me when I was working on this family history that Mother’s father died when he was 51, and her husband died when he was 51. Don’t you find that weird?
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The post card is awesome and I love the story.
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Thanks so much, Donna. I thought of your post card collection when I was looking at the very small number I have. Most of mine are family pictures, but I have a few that show places in Texas without the family twist. They’re fun, though. I see why you like yours.
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