little girl back home; for awhile

she made it through basic and ’A’ school and ‘jump school’. pretty amazing and i am very proud of her. she will be headed to her duty station soon back in VA.

can you believe it? she jumps out of planes!

matterhorn

ok, if the castle and mark twain are icons, then matterhorn mountain is surly the landmark. opening as part of the 59’ tomorrowland expansion, the mountain was latter moved to be a part of fantasyland. a move on paper only. see old tickets and park maps. i have never heard or read a real explanation.

there is a rec-room in the upper part of the mountain put there to have a place for the climbers to have a rest. in an effort to make their time pass, a basketball hoop was installed. the original climbers were members of a local sierra club group.

an interesting fact: the matterhorn was the first ever tubular steel rollercoaster built. prior, they were wood.

in it’s original form, they was a single bobsled which provided a very smooth ride. later, the tandem car setup was adopted to increase ride capacity.  another common debate is which of the tracks provide the better ride? most people and i believe the tomorrowland side entrance provides the better trip down the mountain.

here is an especially pleasing look at the matterhorn at night.

the idea came to walt during filming of third man on the mountain. considered ‘impossible’ by many at the time, walt simply smiled and uttered his famous quote:

It's kind of fun to do the impossible.

next time we head into tomorrow!

from Wired’s Mystery Issue

these are just amazing and i wanted to share.

jump here

Man dies after storm sweeps him into Mississippi River

Mr. Ian Talty, was a fellow member of the whitechapel forum which i frequent. my thoughts and prayers' as well as all of whitechapel’s go out to his family.

the story is here

words have meaning

do not spread panic please, use your words wisely and correctly.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pandemic

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/epidemic

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/plague

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/disease

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/illness

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/affliction

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/panic

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/alarm

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/apprehension

i could have added more to this list, but, this contains just some of the words i have seen misused this morning. being aware and being stupid are two separate things people.

get good information here

do not get your information here

on a soapbox

i am so proud of all of you who have kicked the habit. it is hard i know. it took cancer to make me stop and i still have an occasional urge to this day. if you have stopped; congrats and good luck. you have to work at it every day. if you haven’t quit, please, try hard. if you do not smoke, don’t start. i ran across this and figured i would share.

be strong because cancer sucks.

beloved by most; accursed by the ear

to continue in fantasyland, today we make our way to it’s a small world. put your ear plugs in now as that song will be with you the remainder of the day.

originally built for the 64’ worlds fair, this attraction MAY Just be the most beloved attraction in the park.

here we see the entry motif clock.

 

believe it or not, the track (waterway) is officially referred to as the seven seaways.

and an interior shot (referenced ~ latin america)

and now the controversy:

this attraction just recently reopened after a long refurbishment and ride rehab. god love mary blair, the internet went into a crazy ‘civil war’ over the changes made to the ride. “THEY” updated and added several references to disney characters and films. i as a purest ride the fence here because walt himself often changed and updated attractions calling it “plus-ing”. i also am in favor of an updated ‘star tours (2)’ if you will. you can find both sides of this argument well represented on the web. just a few weeks ago, my daughter and i were in discussion on this very subject. for the purest in all of you, here are some pictures of walt taken on opening day for iasm from my collection:

one of the cool things long filtered away is that on opening day, all the kids from various countries and regions around the world brought and poured into the waterway, water from the rivers, seas and oceans from their native countries.

i hope you enjoyed our look at iasw and tune in next time for a look at the mage’s favorite ride in the park.

if i could choose a view?

these two are at or near the top of my list. they both appeal and have redeeming value.

 

 

i am torn.

showdown

"The showdown is coming to a head.  I've been reading the Israeli press and it's clear that Israel is not only now prepared for an attack but they have rehearsed the attack ... it's a totally unpredictable war and the consequences in the US would be dramatic and adverse." -- First hour guest Jerome Corsi talking about the possibility of war between Israel and Iran.

on the occasion of earth day; next year

this should prove to be most spectacular.

 

 

thanks to first showing and JUMP

Amaryllis blooms

from one of my friends at my support comes these words and pictures.

 

I want to share with you some photos of Verla's Amaryllis blooms that have apeared in the last few days.  There will be many more

blooms to come in the near future. They always seem to me to be a harbinger of good things or at least a good will reminder from above

that miracles are all around if we keep our eyes and hearts open.

 

 

 

they are so beautiful and i am so appreciative of the gift they bring.

One hundred fifty six and one half pounds and other blessings

Like all of us with cancer, waiting for the Pet Scan results can be a strenuous period of one's life. In reality, you are waiting to hear what God has decided. His verdict on the abilities of those that treat you. In the end, that's what in fact it is.

For the first time in over 2 and ½ years.............................. ; I guess the term is:

I am cancer free.

Can you believe it?

I almost broke down in front of Dr. Manning. Well, yes, there was a tear of joy and I am unashamed. I thanked him to which he replied, “What for? You did all the work.”

Yes, I did it. I am cancer free. However, let me not ever forget all those that held my hand along the way. My family, my friends,doctors, nurses, my employer and most of all; God. I thank you so very much. Trust me, I hold the skilled hand of my surgeons in high regards. However, no higher that you for the supportive thought or word of encouragement. I am in awe of the knowledge and wisdom that my doctors impart; but have been overwhelmed by just knowing you share in my experience. Lost sleep and tears of my family are just as important as a sterilize operating room. I could go on but I think you get my point. For someone like me, you, my dear friends, have a victory! I am merely the lucky one at the end of that wonderful news. I am cancer free.

Thank you Jan, for that hug. It is most awesome to share a hug of joy.

One of my friends on the Internet just asked what I will do now to celebrate. I answered him: I think I shall heal!

I have paid a price. But, I have now been reassured by my God that he is there. Watching, holding, embracing and yes, healing. I am cancer free! And; I am so very very happy about that.

Can you believe it? I weight 156 and a half pounds. Heck, that's less than what I weighted in high school. Ha!

Be strong my friends, cancer sucks.

some things are just interesting

from the new york times comes the following story which almost could be an h.p. lovecraft story.

and after the JUMP;

The Dark Secret at Blood Falls

Robur-le-Conquérant (1885)

(master of the world) by j. verne

a shout out to steamcon

JUMP

into fantasyland

finally, we come to every kids favorite part off the park. probably the most ‘disney’ part of the park and one which enthralls kids of all ages to this day.

first up is THE ICON of the park. sleeping beauty castle as seen from the hub.

one of the myths which was started by the disney company and one that is just not true is that the draw bridge has only been lowered once. (a long standing story till the new fantasyland re-opening in 1983) so now, they say twice. the truth is it has been lowered 3 times. seems they forgot about the dry-run of the park opening ceremony just a day or two prior to the actual opening day. that’s 3!

here is the castle at dusk. disneyland at night is a special time indeed.

here is a part of fantasy from the early days of the park. this is the heart of the castle so to speak. the carousel and mad hatter’s tea party anchor this shot but you can make out the entrance queues for several of the dark rides. i have loads of memories of my mother and oldest daughter riding the horses of king arthur’s carousel. walt  had the horses especially designed and made to show them in ‘action’ as opposed to being stationary. they have been painted in various colors from mixed, to all black to the current all white.

an yes, the ‘tea cups’ were moved for the 83’ redesign.

an interesting fact is that the tea cups are one of the few attractions if not the only one that “must” stop operation in the rain!

one of the hardest of the original opening day attractions to get settled in walt’s mind and for a few months, operated as a very dull little boat ride with not a lot to see, grew into the lovable story book land canal boats. it was originally called canal boats of the world, however that incarnation was closed on september 16, of 1955 and then re-opened on june 16th the following year as the storybook land canal boats.

here we see the cast of pinocchio pondering the fate of guest being swallowed by monstro. this attraction has been added to, ‘plus-ed’ and changed over the years but still is an enjoyable trip through the disney cannon of make believe.

for a long time, the boats were ‘skippered’ by both male and female staff members in non-tied in apparel. not sure when it changed, but today, the boats are piloted by female only cast wearing an ‘alice in wonderland’ motif. also, for some reason, this attraction seems to open latter in the morning for some reason. also, of interest, monstro’s teeth have been filled flat.

 

we will continue in fantasyland soon and i hope you are enjoying our little tour of the park.

i love submarines..

.. even old russian ones. WARNING! this page takes forever to load but worth the wait if your into subs.

 

and; DIVE

 

 

 

 

ok, i am a fan of hers.

Video Games - Cheat Codes - Attack of the Show

the rivers of america

in his opening day dedication of disneyland, walt spoke of the “hard facts” that made our country great. this is no where as obvious as along the banks of the rivers of america. in the form of an arrow riddled body of a settler and his burning cabin as the result of a savage indian attack; that of course has been replaced/redesigned to be more PC now.

our first card today shows guest arriving via rafts at tom sawyer island. the island is truly a young boys fantasy with caves, a barrel bridge, fort wilderness and plenty of space to run around on.

one of the interesting stories is how walt was not satisfied by the designed presented to him by an employee. walt took the blue prints home over the weekend and produced the island design as it is seen today.

there have been several deaths as a result of drowning in the river by drunk park guest and the unfortunate death a few years ago of a guest struck in the head by a mooring  ripped loose by the mark twain at the dock.

i do admit to not going over to the island the older i got, probably due to the fact that it took to much time out of a single day visit to the park.

 

the cast members lovingly refer to her as ‘the floating wedding cake”. the mark twain is probably the second most recognized icon of the park behind the castle. my dad loved the twain so much that we would often take the trip around the island twice in a row. i always enjoyed and preferred the view from the upper deck and waving to those along the banks of the river. just one of the silly things you do at disneyland. it also provides one of the more opportune times to get to know fellow visitors to the park. for some reason, most people enjoy talking to one another on the twain.

i have also posted the back of this card because i found it interesting. from 1965 we have this little remembrance of a day at the happiest place on earth.

another piece of interesting ‘paper’ from my disneyland collection is this.

as always, i hope you are enjoying or visit to the park.

my fascination with a city on the other side of the world.

National Library Week!

There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island and at the bottom of the Spanish Main... and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life.
--Walt Disney

 

It is in fact National Library Week. Remember to read. Take the time to just pick up something of interest or a book you have meant to read but haven’t got to to. There are wonderful worlds waiting for you between the covers. Your local librarian will be more than happy to help you. They are amazing places to go and find yourself in another world. Take the kids, they already know the magic and excitement of THE LIBRARY.

happy easter

two very quick stops today..

first up we find ‘brer’  bear and ‘brer’ fox in new orleans square.

back before there was critter country, there was bear country. i always loved this far part of the park. i remember hanging out for as long as possible at closing time back there. i always hoped that i would some how be missed as the cast members did a sweep of the park, but it never happened.

there was (to me) a wonderful attraction that i wish to this day was still opened. the country bear jamboree. one of the ‘big’ stars of the show was big al singing blood on the saddle. just wonderful stuff.

there is the hungry bear restaurant over there as well, along the banks of the rivers of america. standard fast food fare but the view on the bottom floor next to the water is one of the more picturesque places in the park. don’t miss the opportunity to rest for a few moments, drink a cup of coffee and feed the ducks.

moon

something a little different today

staying in adventure land but not postcards today. other items of interest in my collection:

prior to its opening on march 3, 1995; there was some excitement for the upcoming ride generated throughout the park. there was a cast member passing out these stickers which i wore proudly.

 

as the ride opened and for as long as supplies lasted, AT&T (who sponsored the ride) provided this card which translated the  “mara” font which is found in the ride queue. of course, holding up the line while translating was a no no and met with harsh critique from others in line.      

here is the front and back of the card:

                                

for some reason which i can not remember now, i had use of this ride passport:

i do have a map of the ride, but that is to large for me to scan.

see you next time!

@ support group last night

I once again have been touched by the love of my fellow cancer survivors at the Southern Arizona Head and Neck Cancer Support Group. I said hello to everyone and to a person there was an out sharing of love, hope, best wishes and prayers. These are special people who all have exceptional courage and a presence before God that can not be lessened by medical circumstance. Their strength is beyond measure and their faith is without flaw as pertains to our cause. We are there for each other and in that womb there is healing and joy. It is so very strange in it’s raw power to move mountains and bridge the loftiest quagmire of despair. Yes, cancer hurts us. However, we each face this demon; this black mask of mocking life sucking disease, as best each of us can. With one hand holding ourselves, each offers the other to our companion in fate, the other. We embrace for the winds that batter us daily and embolden ourselves for the dark. I am your brother and I love each of you. Each of you make me stronger and give me the drive and determination to face this day. Thank you Lord for allowing me to know them and be a part of this wonderful assemblage of worthy souls.

standing on the shoulders of giants

what is it that we are saying? where are we headed? and; once we get there, what then? i worry. i worry a lot. not to be a starch ass, i just do not know what happened or when it occurred. laugh. go ahead, i am an old man with no clue. however, you will wake up one day with the same questions. are we mad? am i the only one who cares?each of us alone will answer for something. i will, i know. however? does mankind as a whole have answers?

things that are really exceptionally cool

from the wonderful site Paleo-Future (please check it out); comes the following:

From 1912-61 tunnels below the U.S. Senate building were filled with monorail cars carrying senators on the "shortest and most exclusive railway in the world.”

 

sometimes, the really cool stuff is hidden right in plain site. it’s your tax dollar, might as well enjoy it.

 

JUMP!

take a left at the hub

this morning we continue our trip to disneyland. today we head into adventure land and a ride on the jungle cruise.

above is the loading area as it appeared on opening day. a lot of ‘growth’ has occurred on this attraction over the years.

one of the amazing sights from our voyage is the fabled bathing pool of the elephants.

 

animals in the grasslands along the banks of the river’s of the world. is that a gnus?

here, for all you fans, is the highlight of any trip to disneyland and why the jungle cruise is a must. it’s the backside of water!!!!!

headhunters; always the headhunters.

 

hope your’ enjoying your trip to the park!