It's a good thing I'm in a Snoozly mood today, because it's Snoozle Sunday. The first scan is from 1956, taken from a Jungle Cruise naphtha launch as it chugged along the Rivers of the World. On the shore is a crumbling temple, you can juuuusst see a golden idol to the left of that awning support. Let's go steal it! It's gold! Stealing is cool! This would have been a nice picture if it wasn't partially-obstructed. Notice the orange tree in the upper right, I love seeing those (from the original orchard upon which Disneyland was built) used around the park!
I almost always enjoy a look at the old Swiss Family Treehouse (this one is from August 1966), but the only person who is in focus is the skinny kid facing away from us. The rest is too "soft" - though we can discern some o the original red blossoms in the tree, those were apparently there for a fairly short time.
I kinda like the obstruction in the first pic. It gives you that "you are there" feel as if you're sitting in the boat. We can see one of the crocs in the water on the left. The golden temple at the golden hour.
ReplyDelete"we can discern some of the original red blossoms in the tree, those were apparently there for a fairly short time." Like the century plant, the Swiss Family Robinson tree, blooms only once every 100 years. And as luck would have it, the tree bloomed almost as soon as it was planted in the ground. We won't see it bloom again till 2055!
Thanks for the Snoozles, Major. An update from yesterday: One of the feral GDB cats actually CAUGHT an AED! Of course, it exploded real good, taking the cat and some of Tom Sawyer Island with it! But it was the part of the Island where the "Fantasmic!" stage was located, so it's not all bad news. All the same, HURRY BACK!
Orange trees in Adventureland? So that must be why they put a Sunkist juice bar location in that land. Were they also growing grapes in Fantasyland?
ReplyDeleteI like seeing any orange tree in Disneyland photos!! I think there is one at 12 O'clock as well. They probably needed some "filler" when purchased trees grew slim...and knew that the others would grow in quickly. I am still after the elusive 1955 Anaheim Orange...I know where they are: I just can't get past the fencing and barbed wire! It seems that if I were to trespass...it might seem silly to say: "I just wanted an orange seed" sorry Judge Judy.... There are other ways, and I continue to explore options. The blossoms of the treehouse: I think I've mentioned that during my orientation our University Leader had said that the tree was once full of blossoms and a freak storm came through and blew them all off in one go. Cut to: about 4 years later where in the Tour Guide spiel still said "Leaves and Blossoms"...there was also a count to the number of them: however I will have to go into a past live regression to get the number. Note: that there was not one blossom on the tree at the time, but that spiel had to be said verbatim. You did not question the spiel. Ever. It was updated for the New Fantasyland in '83: but the blossom line stayed in. There was another update when we started to include Mr. Lincoln after the DDRR: I sensed some "let's get going" with tour guests since that kept us in Town Square for sooooo long...."are we going to go on rides!?"....I got that question more than once....usually from kids. We got to Pirates and everything was fine after that. Happy Snoozles, thanks Major!
ReplyDeleteSuch early Pics of the Jungle Cruise are always welcome. The orange tree is definitely an Anaheim native, and the “mangrove” in the foreground is one of the original walnut trees, uprooted, overturned and pruned, with some kind of epiphyte wired to a limb, making an exotic prop out of otherwise waste materials.
ReplyDeleteAlas, I do not recall the era of the Treehouse in bloom, and I’m not sure I’ll make to the next flowering, but this picture will tide me over.
Bu, I am confident that you will secure an Anaheim orange for your garden, somehow.
Thanks for the drowsy images today, Major. Perfect for a sleepy Sunday.
JG
I love the smell of naphtha in the morning!
ReplyDeleteIf those kids on the stairs would stand still, they'd look like the Brady Bunch.
Happy Snoozleday!
Hi guys, it’s me, Major “Big Daddy” Pepperidge, back from the beyond!
ReplyDeleteJB, I guess it is true that the obstruction gives us a “you are there” feeling, but I’d still rather have it without the obstruction! We have century plants around my area, and they seem to bloom every year - maybe it is different plants that bloom, but I do wonder how they got their name. Did a feral cat actually catch an AED? Brutal! But… you know, “hard facts”.
TokyoMagic!, yes, there were orange trees in Adventureland, grapes in Fantasyland, and radioactive mist (for Space Mist drinks) in Tomorrowland.
Bu, maybe you need to go to that tree (or is there more than one tree?) in Anaheim and bring something long so that you can reach over the fence and grab an orange without actually scaling the fence. You know, like those long-handled citrus pickers. What would be best is to get some cuttings of budwood for grafting, then you would get a genetically-identical orange! But… that requires a lot of effort and knowledge. My buddy is a plant guy, and his success rate for grafting seems to be about 50% (based on what he has told me). It’s too bad you can’t contact whoever owns the trees, I’m sure they would not mind giving you an orange (or budwood) if you asked nicely. I kind of love that the guide spiel continued to mention the blossoms long after they were gone. I’m sure guests never thought about it once.
JG, like you, I love the way they repurposed some of those unfortunate walnut three trunks, I wonder how long they lasted in the water? A year? Maybe less? You’d think they would rot out in a hurry. By the way, the big tiki at the Harbor Hut in Morro Bay was gone! I didn’t steal him, I swear!
Melissa, I just like the way “naphtha” is spelled. More “h’s” than usual. Looking like the Brady Bunch is the ultimate goal. Which one would I be??
Maj! Welcome home!
ReplyDelete@ JB-
ReplyDelete"Like the century plant, the Swiss Family Robinson tree, blooms only once every 100 years... We won't see it bloom again till 2055!"
Make that 2062-!
Hi Major, welcome back. Sad about the big Tiki, but it’s inevitable I guess.
ReplyDeleteThere are still two big ones at Cane Tiki in Paso.
I’m willing to give up the old walnut orchard in return for the JC. Those old trees look old and possibly diseased. (That seam in the trunk looks bad to me…) Walnuts are subject to some soil fungi and don’t last forever, so removal would be inevitable even the farm stayed in business. We got the good end of the deal.
⬆️ JG
ReplyDeleteBut what if someone wants a Walnetto?
ReplyDeleteNanook, Oh yeah. I forgot that the Tree wasn't there when the Park first opened. Dang, now I'm not sure I'll make it to the next blooming, in 2062. I'll be 109 years old... Maybe if I eat my Wheaties and drink kale smoothies every day.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, they can always ask Arte Johnson's character, Tyrone, for a Walnetto.
Welcome back, Major. And not a moment too soon: The AEDs were flocking together for an all out assault on the GDB feral cats. CARNAGE!!!