2010 OWOH Giveaway ~ A HAB Story ~ Part III

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More pictures and details about Susan, the main character in my short story and my giveaway, "Susan's Flight"....

This 6 inch figure, named Susan for my story, was made by Miss Clara. I sent Miss Clara historical artwork depicting the clothing style of the 1700's for her to base Susan's outfit on and she interpreted it head on. She made her exactly as I wanted.

Miss Clara is an extremely talented artist who makes small delicate figures out of paper and reworks their photos into stunning dreamy scenes. Her work is one of my favorites and I truly admire her talent. Please visit her blog at http://www.lescarnetsdemissclara.blogspot.com/

Here are photos of the two small figures (Susan and De Rozier) I made out of modeling clay to fit inside the balloon's basket. They measure about an inch and a half tall.

Here is Chapter III of "Susan's Flight"

Panorama of Versailles 1715

There was a huge crowd at the great courtyard of the Chateau de Versailles the following morning. The demonstration was to take place before the public and before King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. De Rozier and Susan met at the fountain as planned but only for a brief moment as De Rozier had to assist with the preparations. Before De Rozier departed, he whispered in Susan’s ear, “If all goes well with the flight, meet me at the barn of your father at a quarter past midnight tonight. I have something to give you!” And off he went.

The balloon was set up on a huge wooden dais covered with canvas made especially for the occasion. The process of inflating the envelope began at about one in the afternoon. To inflate it, they burned a combination of straw, chopped wool and dried horse manure underneath the balloon. As the straw burned it released heat that helped the balloon float. The wool and manure made lots of smoke and helped keep the burning flame low, which lessened the risk of the balloon catching fire. Once the balloon took shape the lines holding it were cut and it immediately rose, lifting skyward the three animals. Susan was astounded and the crowd roared. The flight lasted approximately eight minutes, covered two miles, and obtained an altitude of about 1,500 feet. The craft landed safely in the woods after flying. The flight was a success!

Since all went well with the flight, Susan anticipated meeting with De Rozier that night. The balloon was scheduled to be returned to her father’s barn for storage before sunset. Was De Rozier going to help her get a glimpse of it up close?! She was thrilled at the thought!