Growing up in the sixties I knew the Russians were spying on us from behind every tree and from far above. I never stopped to wonder why they wanted to know what we kids were doing on Circle Drive. We never had any secrets, well maybe from our parents, but not the Russians. Heck, I had never even met a Russian or even knew what one looked like back in those days. Every time I saw them on TV, they were bundled up in big fur coats and felt hats. They look more like old pudgy Abominable snow men.

My grade school teacher, Mr. Shreves challenged his students to wonder what was out there. He told us to go out at night and look up at the sky. Look at the stars and wonder. I can remember sitting looking up and seeing a passing satellite far up in the night sky streaking overhead. I figured if it was a Russian satellite, I would not open my homework, that way they could not see what I was studying. The speed at which it crossed the sky was amazing. I had no idea Russians and Chinese might be spying on me.

Little did I know that far above were spy planes? But shortly after May 1, 1960, I discovered that planes could fly beyond the limits of my imagination. In fact they flew so high that if they were to be shot down, the pilot had to inject himself with poison before he was killed in the crash. So began the story of Frances Gary Powers. The Russian’s were upset he was spying on them, but happy he survived. The CIA was upset Powers did not commit “hara-kiri.” Strange how in the Second World War, we believed the Japanese were perplexing when they committed ritual suicide and yet we instructed American pilots to do the same thing. Anyways…It gave the Americans and Russians one more reason to not trust each other.

One way or another, countries from around the world have been spying on each other for as long as the word, suspicion has been around. Even Elvis may have been a spy when he sang “Suspicion.” I’ll bet old J. Edgar Hoover had him checked out. Good thing Elvis didn’t sing about “The House in New Orleans Called the Rising Sun.ã J. Edgar might have figured it was a listening station for the North Koreans. I just thought it was a place for fun that ruined many a good boy.” I never knew Hoover believed it was a spy ring headquarters.

At about the same time as Powers was being held prisoner, America had put into orbit, its first spy satellite in 1960, named Corona. The Russians were upset about our flying spy planes and now we were using satellites. Maybe Gary Powers was just a diversion from the real spy in the sky, Corona.

Have you ever gone to Google Earth and spied on your neighborhood? It is amazing how much you can see from a free commercial service. The fact that we can see so much on our home computers, you wonder how much real spy satellites can see that is classified. It is reported that they can see from outer space something as small as five inches.

The art of spying goes back to the very beginning when an Egyptian named, Saramoose looked over his fence and saw the King was building a pyramid. He of course called his neighborhood housing inspector anonymously and filed a complaint. He figured the King did not have a permit in the window of the pyramid and needed to be cited. Neighbors are funny that way looking out for each other. “Ha, Ha”.

Today, we hear about the Chinese launching balloons that are flying thousands of feet over head spying on us. I bet you didn’t know, that during the Civil War, both sides launched hot air balloons. They were tethered to the ground and allowed to lift observation platforms high above the battle fields to get an idea of the other side’s position.

Way back in 1783, a scientist named De Rozier released the worlds first hot air balloon in Vienna. Its passengers were a sheep, duck and a rooster. After a few minutes it crashed back to ground when it ran out of hot air. Maybe De Rozier should have put a Washington politician on board to replenish the hot air and save the lives of the sheep, duck and rooster.

I have to wonder, what is it that the Chinese want to see from sixty thousand feet flying over America. Surely their satellites can see everything that they need to see. They spy on us and we spy on them. I sometimes wonder if there really are any secrets. The threat to reveal Top Secrets is the biggest prize of all. Besides if we go to war with today’s weapons, no one will be left to spy on us. It is almost like a big game the government plays with other governments, while telling the public our weapons and spy satellites are keeping us safe. Kinda’ like a government version of the game, Battleship.

One report said the balloon that passed over the country was listing for communications at sensitive military bases. Trouble is all the Chinese could hear were CB radio’s filling the air ways with talk of Rubber Ducky and the music of Willie Nelson. That has to be better than government talk of code red.

In my wondering mind I decided that the best ways to try and understand what can be seen and heard from floating below a balloon, would be to put a friendly eye in the sky. I didn’t have any spy balloons, so I went to Amazon and typed in “SPY BALLOON”. I found a picture of Joe Biden looking up at a balloon. I also found a large assortment of balloons for every occasion, except spying. What to do, what to do. I went to town and bought a package of colored balloons. Returning home I began the process of inflating them. With the help of Mary, she tied them to my belt. Try as we might we could not inflate enough balloons to lift my heavy weight. What to DO, What to Do. I contacted my friend Earl and ask if his Grand Daughter would like to go for a ride. He agreed and sure enough the balloons lifted Kaylee Yost high into the clouds. In fact she passed over the rainbow. So if you look up and see a friendly smile floating overhead. It is not a spy balloon, just Kaylee spreading good cheer.

The news is now reporting the three of the four balloons sightings were weather or kids doing science projects. Let’s see, at a half a million dollars each to shoot down balloons or a kid with a BB gun and a 2Ç BB, I wonder… is this all a practical joke?

I have to ponder, does the government ever get tired of looking at boring pictures of Chinese, North Korea and Russian country side? Maybe if they see Kaylee floating by, they will for just a moment find a little trust in a young girls smile as they look Through the Lens