I love both of today's large (or maybe "medium-format"?) slides, the big size means more tomatoey flavor for the whole family.
You all recognize the Suspension Bridge on Tom Sawyer Island. Not many people know that it was named after Harold P. Suspension (good friend of Albert Falls), who invented dental floss. The reason the bridge was named after him has been lost to history. You can see the smiles on the faces of many of the folks crossing the bridge. Below it, there is a dirt path (maybe for those who were afraid to cross?), with a dicey-looking wood plank over that cascade.
Next is this very nice view taken from the Swiss Family Treehouse, looking toward the impressive Columbia as it began its six-month journey around the Rivers of America. Those nautical flags spell out something very naughty, but I won't repeat it here. We get a tiny bit of New Orleans Square below, and even our buddy Cascade Peak makes a special guest appearance.
Major-
ReplyDeleteWhat a great shot from the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. (Are the 'falls' of Cascade Peak dry, at the moment - or is it a weird optical illusion...)
Thanks, Major.
The Columbia shot from the Swiss Family Treehouse is a beauty. Love seeing Cascade Peak off in the distance. I wonder what that black blob is on Cascade Peak. Could it be a black piece of cloth hanging from the Columbia? Or could it be a tarp over one of the waterfalls?
ReplyDeleteGreat set of photos today. Thanks, Major.
In the first pic, the kid on the far left is airborne. He's either jumping up and down, or he's practicing his gymnastic parallel bars routine.
ReplyDeleteNanook, the falls look dry to me, too!
The left-most boy is a wizard. He cast a weightlessness spell on himself; notice how he's floating above the bridge. He has to hang on to the cables to keep from drifting away. The girl behind him is holding something in her hand. Is that an attraction ticket? Odd pattern on the lady-in-red's dress. I can't tell if it depicts something in particular or if it's just some sort of geometric design. This is a pretty good photo of the suspension bridge; it shows what it's all about.
ReplyDeleteWonderful lighting in the Columbia photo. I love the subtle colors in the sails. Man, I wouldn't want the job of attaching all those leaves to the Treehouse tree branches! Just thinking about it makes me depressed. I also noticed the big gaping black hole on Cascade Peak, but since everyone else already mentioned it... I won't. (Hmm, that sounds familiar.)
I'll copy Nanook, Ken, and Tokyo! and say, "Thanks, Major".
JB....but I didn't thank the Major! I also didn't have the salmon!
ReplyDeleteLevitating Boy is in a pose very reminiscent of the Bell Jet Pack Guy, except that he’s not reversed. It’s possible that his reality dampeners are out of calibration.
ReplyDeleteFor some odd reason, Cascade Peak with its falls off makes me think of the Marx Guns of Navarre playset. I’m also tempted to imagine some Gerry Anderson creation flying their highly-detailed, hypersonic VTOL aircraft made from painted toilet paper rolls and Fairy dish soap bottles out of a hangar hidden behind the falls to thrilling adventures in exotic locales involving EXTREME DANGER.
TM!, you didn’t use tinned salmon, did you?
Dr. Goat/Peter, I didn’t comment yesterday, but am adding my well wishes and prayers to those already expressed by the gang. When you get a chance, be sure to check your e-mail, and if you don’t see one from me, please drop me a line and I’ll try to re-send.
Very nice pictures today!
ReplyDeleteThe lady in red in the first picture invented bungie jumping. We are witnessing the moment it occurred to her! Unfortunately she never told anyone.
Naughty Nautical sounds like a company that...well, we shan't delve down that rabbit hole. The picture of the Columbia looks fantastic, though! Soon the rest of her sails will unfurl and she'll lift majestically into the clouds, signifying the beginning of "tall ship mating season." At which point we find ourselves back at the beginning of the paragraph.
Thanks, Major!
Oh, and Peter, I'm wishing you all the best as well! Like Chuck, I didn't comment yesterday. Prayers yesterday and today, man!
ReplyDeleteClearly the wind is pushing the Columbia backwards.
ReplyDeleteWow photo 2 is the standout today. What a great angle. Shows how the River Belle Terrace cupola is so similar to that on Pirates.
ReplyDeleteI’ve also thought about the job of tying leaves to those branches and shuddered. Like painting the Sistine Ceiling…
I think the waterfall is just turned off, maybe the pump needed repair?
Yes Major, that little dirt trail in photo 1 led around the inlet to the far side of the bridges, so my Mom could meet us at the other end without having to cross either of the terrifying bridges. Notice the log bridge crossing the stream, which flows out of the roots of Tom’s Treehouse at the top of the hill. Only the skimpiest of guardrails! However did we survive as a nation, much less win World Wars, invent semiconductors, and fly to the Moon (and back)?
JG
@ Chuck-
ReplyDelete"Cascade Peak with its falls off makes me think of the Marx Guns of Navarre playset".
Yeah - but it's missing the 'fire sprinkler water motor gong'.
Major, I always thought the Columbia signal flags spelled out Walt's Speech as heard on the railroad telegraph...
ReplyDelete"Fourscore and seven years ago, a new amusement park..."
JG
Nanook, yes, they did miss that detail. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd I did type "Guns of Navarone," not "Navarre." Autocorrect strikes again!
Nanook, yeah, I wasn’t sure what is going on over at Cascade Peak, but something looks off.
ReplyDeleteK. Martinez, I guess that could be a piece of black cloth, it looks too dark to just be a shadow. Why would they need to put up a huge piece of cloth, though?
TokyoMagic!, I thought maybe that kid was just caught in mid-step? But I guess it’s pretty likely that he was jumping, too (in spite of the signs telling people not to jump up and down).
JB, the boy is full of Flubbergas. Or some kind of gas. Let’s change the subject. I just can’t tell what the girl is holding - some piece of paper, but not sure it’s a ticket. I also can’t quite tell what the red dress design is - just some sort of abstract shapes I guess. The people who attached the leaves to the Swiss Family Treehouse didn’t mind because they were paid $75 an hour. Maybe that black hole on Cascade Peak is just a flat “wall” that is ordinarily hidden by water?
TokyoMagic!, don’t thank me, thank America.
Chuck, do you think that Bell Jet Pack Guy told women that he flew around in a jet pack? Especially when he was at parties? The “Guns of Navarre” (not Navaronne!) playset, I didn’t know that one. I guess if I do a handstand I can make the connection!
Stu29573, didn’t that lady need a bungee in order to bungee jump? Maybe that’s why we never heard of her. I’m kind of amazed that I don’t have more photos of the Columbia (or the Mark Twain) as seen from the treehouse… but they are not common.
Stu29573, according to Sue, Peter is very appreciative of all the good wishes sent his way.
Steve DeGaetano, I’ve always wondered if a stiff breeze would cause problems with the Columbia when it was attempting to go forward!
JG, the two cupolas look similar because they were bought at “Just Cupolas” over on 3rd (next to the Arby’s). I don’t think they tied those leaves on, they glued them with mucilage. I’m sure the waterfall pump did need repair, Mr. X has been angry about a tiny waterfall over at Storybook Land that has not been working for YEARS. It’s much easier to not fix it, I guess. Doesn’t it seem like that little wooden plank that your mom had to cross is almost as terrifying as the bridges? It looks way too thin and “breakable”!
Nanook, the “fire sprinkler water motor gong” was developed at around the same thing as “kung fu grip”.
JG, Walt was known to say some bad words once in a while…
Chuck, I have a beautiful home in Navarre, it has a fire sprinkler water motor gong.
I always enjoyed being bumped at the Treehouse for a break or lunch. Who wouldn't? As part of the routine however, we were supposed to walk through the Treehouse just to check things out. And the views above were a treat. Other than the Skyway, this was the only other spot where one could pretty much see the entire park in operation...and outside the berm as well. Big Thunder would occasionally shut down due to a failure but more likely when the Santa Ana winds were 'a-blowin'. Debris would clog the filters so maintenance would shut the pumps down in advance. Now I'm thinking how we overrode the spiel and for the life of me I think we had to run the spiel as if it was working and then add a few humorous comments on the mic afterward. KS
ReplyDeleteIf it's rehab time for Cascade Peak, that black patch is probably a coating of tar,for extra waterproofing. Maintenance photos of Rainbow Caverns reveal that much of the rockwork was apparently canvas dipped in tar.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm off to watch FORCE 10 FROM NAVARRE, which is a sequel to LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST.
KS, working the Treehouse sounds awesome. From what I understand (maybe you said this?), typically there were no more than two cast members, maybe even just one. I feel like I’d want to be up in those branches for hours! I never thought about how the Santa Anas might affect the waterfalls, other than blowing the water at guests. Makes sense that they’d try to not clog the filters (which I assume could cause damage).
ReplyDeleteStefano, you might be right, it could just simply be good old tar. Direct from the LaBrea Tar Pits! There were probably dire wolf skulls in it. For extra crunch. “Force 10 From Navarre” is one of Paul Lynde’s best action roles!
Now I can't stop thinking of Chuck as "Charles of Navarre" and hearing him say that "Cascade Peak is worth a Mass".
ReplyDeleteJG
JG, if I’d only known that converting to Catholicism would have saved Cascade Peak…
ReplyDeleteChuck, seems like you could have built a church on that Rock.
ReplyDeleteJG
"Clearly the wind is pushing the Columbia backwards."
ReplyDeleteSteve D., thanks for noticing that, it made me chuckle.
Thanks, Major, for these fun slides.