Theme Thursday: Passion

The Theme this week is technically "Passions" but I choose to post the newest work of passion by my husband, fine art photographer, Cole Scott.  The image is singular as is my title.

Trees and Clouds I

Cole Scott

For more Theme Thursday, go here.   For more Cole Scott Photography, go here.

Disneyland Opening Day July 17, 1955

This brings back memories from the "happiest place on earth" as Walt Disney liked to call his Magic Kingdom.  Disneyland opened in Anaheim, CA on this day 58 years ago.  There had never before been anything quite like it. Walt kept it simple:  Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland.  

What kid couldn't remember that?    

I first visited the park within a year of its opening.  My father worked in the broadcast industry;  the original ABC studios were across the street from his office on Hollywood & Vine.  ABC helped finance the park.  One of their early hits was "Disneyland", later to become "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" in 1959.  At that time, ABC was a fledgling network taking on the mighty CBS & NBC, competing for advertisers, viewers and loyal media buyers. As a national broadcast rep, Dad helped sell advertising onto the network working with buyers in LA, NY, Chicago, etc.    He was regularly spiffed with tickets to Disneyland and we went every year from the time it opened.  He'd take us out of school.  He hated crowds and waiting in line.  

My brother and I would wait with baited breath for Dad to announce our trip.  He usually took us in the Fall.  Enroute, after we connected from the 101 to the 5 Fwy aka the Santa Ana, my brother and I would start the game,   "Who can spot the Matterhorn first?"  The Matterhorn opened in 1959 with a bobsled ride.  They were thrilling!

As a kid, one of my favorite rides was the Autopia.

We'd pretend we were real drivers in real cars.  We could steer,

we could brake, we could bump the car ahead of us.   The track was enclosed and safe but we always felt we had control.  It was amazing! 

My childhood and teen years are wrapped up with Disneyland.  After I was old enough to go without the folks, a gang of us would go to ride the attractions during the day and dance at night.  They had dancing pavilions and it was fun.   They also had strict dress codes.  Boys had to tuck their shirts in. No mini skirts on girls.  We could wear shorts during the day but if we wore a skirt or dress it had to come to the middle of the knee.  Of course, we thought that was stupid.

Many Southern California high schools held their Grad Nights at Disneyland, including ours. The park would close to the public at dusk and reopen around 8pm as busloads of graduating high school teens arrived, unloaded and took over til dawn.  It was unbelievable.  I went to three grad nights with three graduating boyfriends. Lucky me!

Head shots from Grad Night 1969 Disneyland

When our boys were young and we'd just moved back to San Diego from Virginia, we took them to Disneyland.  It's a rite of passage.  By that time, the evil emperor, Michael Eisner, was CEO.  Roy Disney was off the board.  Walt was long dead.  Eisner turned Disneyland into a commercial money machine with product lines galore from every conceivable movie made.  He retired the great artists long considered filmdom's finest animators, cheapening the resulting product.  Our boys loved it, of course.  My husband and I found the park a bit more sterile, not as tidy and disappointing.  Was it the magic of our youth we no longer saw?  Or was it simply the new corporate "look" too often duplicated?  I vote the latter.

People talk about Disney World in Florida.  I've never been.  My children are grown now and the likelihood of going to DW is slim.   For me, it's Disneyland in Anaheim that will always hold a special place in my heart.

Silly Crap We Do in New England

This is one of my clients up here in the Great North.  He's a humorist.  He runs a ski shop in Winter and a canoe/kayak/floater biz in Summer.  He loves to attract attention with signage.  During our muddy Spring, he closed up shop and the sign read "Gone fishing in Alaska", which was true.  

Saturday Levity

My sentiments exactly!

For those of you too young to remember, this is the Swedish Chef from "The Muppet Show", late 70s-early 80s.  He was always my favorite character.

Happy Independence Day!

"Americana", is a collaborative effort of multiple filmmakers to present a unique look at America's most breathtaking visual wonders. "Americana" also serves as the kick-off for Mount Airy Films' ambitious "The Five Year Film Project". An open call to all interested filmmakers, "The Five Year Film Project" will culminate in a captivating feature length collaborative film featuring the submissions of visual artists from every corner of the earth who will capture many cultures, countries and natural and man made wonders in time lapse, slow motion, tilt shift and other cinematography techniques. To learn more about the Five Year Film Project please visit: mtairyfilms.com - See more at: http://www.outsidetelevision.com/video/americana-time-lapse-journey-us#sthash.I36WISUU.dpuf

 

Worst Loss of Firefighters Since 9/11

A perfect storm of high heat, low humidity and monsoon-style winds turned a lightening strike into a deadly encounter as nineteen highly trained firefighters known as the Prescott Granite Mountain Hotshots died in battle Sunday night.  

Death in tragic proportion for a small Arizona town and their FD.  abc15.com