Sunday, July 15, 2018

River Scenes

When it's time to choose photos to post for a Sunday, I generally pick out the scans that are either a little boring, or perhaps they exhibit flaws. Like bad focus! That would be the case for today's offerings.

We're gazing across the river toward the fishing dock, which appears to be populated by young boys, and one disinterested girl. Who wants to touch a slimy fish, for gosh sakes? Still, there is something about the thrill of feeling a fish tug on the end of your line. Further back is a full raft that has just arrived at Tom Sawyer Island (you can tell which direction it is heading by which way everyone is facing). And even further away is a remarkably empty shoreline.


Two War Canoes pass by, side by side; it makes me happy when I see how full the canoes were back in those days. How often did the average suburbanite get to paddle around a river? I've never been clear about whether the CMs pointed out interesting features along the way, or if they didn't want to distract the guests from safely propelling the canoe?


13 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

What a great idea Disney had to allow guests to catch their own fish, only to see the idea blow-up in their face when the fish ended-up in trash cans around the Park. They should have figured-out a way to have the caught fish end up on the menus of restaurants throughout the Park. Yum-!

Thanks, Major.

TokyoMagic! said...

Was the little shack by the fishing dock selling Orangeade, or is that a large pumpkin that we can see through the window?

Melissa said...

These lovely river shots are a sight for sore eyes on a hot day! As usual, I'm impressed at how much the color of the Rivers of America matches the real Mississippi River's.

I've been doing Shakespeare in the Park at our local marina, and whenever the college crew team rows by, it makes my arms hurt just watching how hard they pull. The second picture here makes me feel the same!

That would have been a brilliant idea for a restaurant, Nanook. The farmed fish in the Living with the Land attraction at EPCOT are served in the Garden Grill upstairs - not the same as eating your own catch, but still.

Chuck said...

That remarkably empty shoreline looks so odd without the Haunted Mansion lurking behind the trees.

Great idea, Nanook! They should have taken a page from the Sportsmen's Lodge playbook and had a place where Park staff cooked and served the fish for the guests who caught them. You know, that's a great concept for reopening Aunt Polly's at WDW's TSI...

JC Shannon said...

Great photo of the War Canoes. I am now offically confused as to what the pumpkin looking thing on the fishing pier is that TokyoMagic! pointed out, and now I have to know! Great idea for the fish, fry 'em up for the guests. I loved going to The Sportsman's Lodge as a kid, my parents favorite restaurant. Thanks to Mr. Major for the pics.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, today “catch and release” is a big deal for many fisherman, too bad they didn’t do that at Disneyland. Trouble is, trout are so fragile. But you know what isn’t fragile? Piranha!

TokyoMagic!, I think it was selling Pumpkinade. But seriously, folks! Good eye on that, it wouldn’t surprise me if they sold a nice cold cup of orangeade to thirsty folks.

Melissa, unfortunately these days the river looks less like the “Big Muddy” and more like a blue-green ocean. Even Schweitzer Falls (which shares the same water) looks weirdly blue-green. Shakespeare in the park! Wow, that’s pretty neat. Forsooth! Did anyone in any Shakespeare play ever say “forsooth”?

Chuck, the Mansion wasn’t there, but the grounds were already haunted by the ghosts of hundreds of dead fish. Pee-yew! I probably wouldn’t have had the patience (as a kid) to catch a fish and then have to wait for it to be cleaned, cooked, and served! “This is taking forever! Can we go ride Mr. Toad? I want a hamburger! I have to go to the bathroom! I’m tired!”. Etcetera.

Jonathan, the photo is not the sharpest ever taken, so I don’t know if zooming in to the original will result in any clear answer about the “pumpkin”, but I will check it out and see.

JC Shannon said...

A quick trip to Daveland produced two photos with the same orange ball, but I still can't tell what it is. Darn!

TokyoMagic! said...

Major and JC, I'm pretty sure it really is one of those clear "bubble" machine thingys that were used for lemonade, Space Mist, Jungle Juleps, Fantasia Punch, etc. You can even see the liquid level inside the ball....it's down about a quarter of the way from being "full."

Anonymous said...

We kept things pretty quiet on the canoes as we guided everyone through the river traffic MOST of the time ;) KS

JC Shannon said...

I think TokyoMagic! is correct, it is probably a Sunkist beverage dispenser. Although... it could be the Great Pumpkin making a cameo appearance at the Fishing Pier. Good grief, Charley Brown!

Nanook said...

Dear All-

I was so busy attempting to be "funny", with my "catch-and-dine" idea [Melissa, of course I've eaten several a piece of fish at The Coral Reef Restaurant - undoubtedly the idea was "stolen" from my feeble brain], I failed to notice the giant orange 'orb'. According to the 1959 Disneyland Guidebook, that should be the Tom Sawyer Island Refreshment Stand, sponsored by Nesbitt's. And for those who don't know - Nesbitt's was produced by the Nesbitt Fruit Products Company of Los Angeles, and was a popular brand of orange-flavored soda pop in the United States during much of the 20th century. Additionally, Nesbitt's had other flavors, such as Strawberry and peach-flavored sodas. In 1972, it was sold to The Clorox Company (Hmmmm.... that doesn't exactly sound like a winning beverage combination). And in 1975, their bottling operation was sold to Moxie Industries, Inc.

Nesbitt's (the orange stuff) could be found in similarly-shaped beverage dispensers scattered through the Magic Kingdom's eateries and snack bars.

Warren Nielsen said...

Nanook,

I am pretty sure that Nesbitt's is still being made, at least as of a couple years ago. My neighbor left a bottle of Nesbitt's Orange for me for doing some sort of small favor. It is still in the fridge in the workshop, waiting for either a special occasion, or an overwhelming sense of frustration about some project that went south.

W

Anonymous said...

Great scenes of the River here. Thanks Major.

I do recall those big drink dispensers, which seem now to be extinct. I'm sure that's what we see in the refreshment stand.

Also fondly recall Nesbitt's soda. Once in a while, Dad would buy us one after a drive to the packing shed with a load of summer fruit. Right about this time of year in the San Joaquin Valley, the heat was intense. Strawberry was the best, IMHO, but I would gladly have an orange right now. Peaches were picked at the end of July, and late variety plums a couple of weeks later, right before school started.

I now see some of the old soda brands like Nehi and Dad's and Frosty's Root Beer for sale in specialty shops locally (not supermarkets), although haven't seen Nesbitt's yet. I'm wondering if some enterprising marketer bought a bunch of defunct trademarks and is cashing in on nostalgia with generic soda inside.

JG