“It’s a white-knuckle roller-coaster ride”

The day is uninviting. I was asleep when it rained and didn’t even hear it. I woke up to a damp chill and wet grass. Today will stay cool, in the mid 60’s. Mind you, I’m not complaining. It will be hot every day soon enough. I have to go out, a doctor’s appointment. That will be out two days in a row, one short of my record.

On the dog front, Nala makes me laugh. She has so much energy. She pulls every toy out of the toy box to find the perfect one. She loves toys which make noise. As for the cats, Nala lies in front of the cat room gate. Jack sits on the other side of the gate and stares. Nala cries.

Boxers are smart dogs. Nala already knows how to go in and out of the dog door. I’m hoping she’ll teach Henry it is safe to go into the house through the dog door. Henry is still a bit skittish, a bit fearful. Right now Nala is asleep on the couch. Henry is upstairs asleep on my bed. The cats are asleep in their room, Gwen on the bed and Jack in the kitty tent with a flap.

When I was a kid, I remember my father taking the whole family to a Hood dairy farm in New Hampshire open to the public, a Sunday family jaunt. I remember the house, barns and fences around the pastures were white, a New England farm, but I remember the barns the best. Music was piped inside for the cows. It seems cows like music though I’m not sure what genre. I doubt rock and roll. Cows lumber.

When I was graduating from the eighth grade, we went on a class trip to Nantasket, to Paragon Park. My mother came as a chaperone. My friend Jimmy and I went all the rides together. The roller coaster was our favorite, a wooden coaster aptly named The Giant Coaster. The rotor, a sort of giant looking barrel, went fast in a circle and stuck us to the walls. We even went on the carousel. I chose a mighty steed. The carousel is the only ride left.

A couple of friends and I spent the day at Paragon Park just before it was closed and torn down. I rode the roller coaster four times. The ride was spectacular. I loved the clicking sound as the coaster moved on the track. It slowly went up the hill then sped down and around corners. I screamed only for effect.

Once I went on a coaster that went upside down around circles. It was fast and a little scary, but I missed the quirks of the wooden coaster with so much personality.

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6 Comments on ““It’s a white-knuckle roller-coaster ride””

  1. Christer. Says:

    I like tthose wooden coasters, they are usually not scary rides but the sound in sharp turnes always make me wonder if it’ hold 🙂 🙂 Ther nbew ones don’t have that clicking sound, too bad because it was one of those sounds I liked to think of when I came home again 🙂

    Nice weather over here and the horse fly season has started. Still not too many and I can take one or two bites per walk 🙂 🙂

    Have a great day!

    Christer.

    • katry Says:

      Hi Christer,
      Down the big hill was the scary part of the ride then quickly around came second. That old ride was great fun. The coaster is still being used now in an amusement park. They advertise the old fashioned wooden coaster.

      The rain early this morning left a damp chill day. It is a cold night, in the low 60’s. It will get even colder later Is this June? I’m wearing my sweatshirt.

      I know I told you before but I watched more videos today of Ran Sailing on YouTube. They are sailing around Sweden. Today they were at Alaska Gardens. I’m not sure of the garden, but I know it was Alaska.

      Enjoy the weekend.

  2. Bob Says:

    Hi Kat,

    You’re much braver than I am. I have never ridden nor will I ever ride on a roller coaster of any kind. The thought makes me want to puke up my guts just sitting here in my rocking chair on the patio. My wife and I went to Disneyland a long time ago and she wanted to go on the Space Mountain ride. I wouldn’t accompany her. While I waited near the exit for her there was a men’s room. In the men’s room I saw a Japanese tourist washing the vomit out of his camera bag. I was very happy that I didn’t go on the ride because I didn’t have a camera bag. 🙂 Six Flags Over Texas amusement park has a modern version of the wooden roller coaster. It makes the clicking and clacking sound just like the old ones did. The wooden Cyclone roller coaster in Coney Island is still in operation and I wouldn’t ride it nor the Wonder Wheel next door.

    I generally don’t like amusement parks but I took my kids to Disney World in Florida when they were young. One year we did go to Hershey Pennsylvania after visiting relatives in southern New Jersey. There’s an amusement park owned by the Hershey candy company called, Hershey Park. My kids didn’t care about going into the amusement park nor the rides. Hershey has a free ride outside the park which explains how they make milk chocolate instead of a tour of the actual factory. At the end of the ride you get a small size Hershey bar. My kids loved that ride and rode it over and over again. I loved it also because of the free candy bar at the end. You know how much I love chocolate. 🙂

    Today was partly sunny with a high of 79° which is why I’m enjoying sitting outside on the patio while the weather is still nice. As soon as the monsoon season let’s up it will be too hot to sit outside without going into the pool.

    • katry Says:

      Hi Bob,
      The roller coaster was sold when the park closed. It is now at Six Flags America where the coaster was rebuilt and then reopened in 1986.

      I loved that ride. I remember riding it several times each visit to Paragon Park. I think being a little bit scared made riding it even better, more fun. I think the Japanese tourist was should not be your barometer. Even little kids like Space Mountain.

      I’ve been too Busch Garden Williamsburg and a small amusement park here.

      I still like a Hersey Bar. Sometimes I switch it up and get one with almonds. Hershey was an amazing man. He and his wife provided a home and school for orphans, and he left all his assets to the school as they never had children of their own. It now has 2,000 children.

      It is a cold night. Boston will start a heatwave tomorrow. It will hit 90˚ or more for the next three days. We’ll be in the 80’s on Sunday but in the 70’s the other two days.

      • Bob Says:

        Yes, he was an amazing man. While in Hershey we drove around the campus of the Hershey school and it’s huge. A Hershey bar is now synonymous with chocolate.

      • katry Says:

        I gave out Hersey bars a couple of Halloweens ago. They are classic.


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