Frontierland, September 1964
I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but sometimes I will scan a batch of 20 or 30 slides in one go, only to find that none of them are particularly notable or interesting. I knew in advance that I was in for a whole bunch of blog posts that would be bordering on Snoozle territory, but there's not much to be done, except to get through them and hopefully on to sunnier days and bluer skies.
Today's Instamatic (126 format) pix are from September, 1964, and they aren't bad, but they won't raise anybody's heart rate either. For instance, here's the Friendly Indian Village, or "FIV" to the cool kids in Cool Town. Somebody needs to do something about those rushes (or are they reeds?) along the shore, they are out of control. Life on the frontier isn't easy, and these Indians are doing all kinds of useful chores, such as carving a new dugout canoe, or drying meat. Two elk are hanging from that pole, but don't worry, they are just sleeping.
I'm telling you, they needed to get a weed-whacker and take care of those rushes. If there's one thing I can't stand about the wilderness, it's the untidy plants! They've practically overwhelmed the Burning Settler's Cabin (the cabin is burning, not the settler), a guest aboard the Mark Twain probably had only a few seconds to snap a photo before the scene was hidden by more plants.
6 comments:
This is a perfectly cromulent (as Chuck would say) photo of the FIV. If the sky had been more blue it would have been even nicer. Shiny Boy isn't looking quite as shiny here. He must need waxing. We've got the two bundles of baby-jerky propped up against the middle tepee. Major, I don't think the two elk are asleep, I think they've formed a conga line to entertain the guests as they pass by on the Mark Twain.
Maybe those aren't flames on the Settler's Cabin, maybe they're fox pelts, drying in the sun. Like the two elk in the previous photo, Carl Arrowshirt isn't sleeping, he's just using himself as a sundial to see if it's time for lunch.
[JB checks his heart rate] Still steady, just like you predicted, Major. Thanks for the photos.
These pics really aren't that bad. I'm glad you didn't punish them by relegating them to Snoozle Sundays.
I've never noticed that second dog hanging out in the Indian Village. He's in the back, and more or less in the center of the pic. I hope those two hanging elk were animatronic and together, delivered a speech about their brother who they always envied, because of his job as a mail carrier.
That arrow in the settler is sticking out at an interesting angle. Assuming that the settler was standing up at the time he was struck with it, the person who "fired" (no pun intended) the arrow, must have been high above him, perhaps in a treetop. Or a helicopter.
Thank you Major, for the Non-Snoozles!
Photo 1 is an excellent overview of animatronic Indian life on the Anaheim frontier. Shiny Boy and Biff the Wonder Dog are supervising all sorts of tasks to maintain their lifestyle. None of them are staring at screens either! Yes, those elk are sleeping, their vertical posture keeps their hoofs clean.
Photo 2 does illustrate the chores of forestry management on the frontier. The vegetation has taken off in just 9 years! Carl was trying to keep up with tree thinning by building his house of sticks, just like the second little pig. Should have gone with bricks.
Looking at the minor changes in the scenes from photo to photo (Carl’s arrow or the papeeses, for instance), I wonder if there must have been an SOP for each scene describing the details to confirm or re-set after a rain or wind storm, or periodic refurbishment? The inferred existence of such a document raises my pulse rate and BP, but not to dangerous levels.
Thanks Major, these made me think a bit on Monday. A good start to the week!
JG
JB, it is true, a blue sky can help even the most boring photo with a bit of zip. Maybe Disneyland was running low on boy wax? Ever since the Mysterious Benefactor had those amazing closeups of the baby jerky, I’ve loved them. Fox pelts, eh? I buy it! I’ll buy anything! I’m glad you didn’t have a heart issue due to these photos.
TokyoMagic!, I don’t think I ever noticed the other dog either. Good eyes! The hanging elk were animatronic, but they just twitched in an unsettling manner. Could it be that the archer who got the settler was on the roof of the cabin, and then he set it on fire? That’s what I would do!
JG, it’s funny, I have so many photos of the FIE, but I always kind of enjoy them. The scene is so peaceful. “Pastoral”? Life on the Disneyland frontier wasn’t easy, but it was rewarding in its way. I wonder if they watered the hell out of the plants in Frontierland so that they would grow fast? It really is amazing how lush the forests (and jungles) became in such a short time. I’ve seen a number of Standard Operating Procedure manuals, but never one for Tom Sawyer Island; that doesn’t mean that there wasn’t one. I’d love to know the answers to your questions!
Ah, Cool Town. It was nice until Flavortown invaded and everyone had to wear that weird hairstlye. NOT Cool Town now!
I wonder why the folks in the FIV never went and helped put out the cabin. It's really not that far. Maybe that arrow didn't come from the UFIV after all!!! A murder mystery!!!
I'd better be quiet before I get "silen.......
“Conga line”
LOL!
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