Chief among the pastimes of that community was the surreptitious acquisition of a father’s hot air balloon, whether by a secret night outing or a cleverly placed diversion of viking look-alikes in a neighbor’s ferret pen.

The balloons allowed a level of freedom hitherto unknown to these country children, who might otherwise have never ventured beyond the borders of their respective family estates. As it was, however, the surrounding settlements became quite accustomed to the periodic discovery of distraught livestock perched atop trees, barns, and commonly Mrs. Henett’s outhouse.