Ain’t life just like riding a Merry-Go-Round? Lots of anticipation, excitement, & sure to be a wild ride! Lots of Ups & Downs neither of where you can stay for long! Sometimes it feels like you are just going around in a circle and then you realize that you are! The bands play, the horses neigh, and you hold on for dear life.
Another trip around just to make sure that you did not miss anything and then all of a sudden you are another day, another year, another decade, but only one dear, precise, & non repeatable lifetime older.. and wiser so you are ready to let go of the reins and jump horses!
After all there are people in line waiting for the next ride! But then the music stops, life slows down, sometimes abruptly with the slam of a coffin, sometimes it seems like it takes forever to end… longevity indeed has its place… with or without a Grand Finale! Enjoy the ride, the moment, the day, and the rest of your life! TROML Baby (an exclamation of JOY)!!! (Andy Reistetter; 6/1/19’ Facebook Post with 1 Video)
Some pics to complement the video! Truly a treasure of my hometown of Binghamton, New York! See Rod Serling of Twilight Zone fame… (Andy Reistetter; 6/1/19’ Facebook Post with 30 Pics)
Welcome to Binghamton, ‘Carousel Capital of the World’
Photo Credit: Google Search.
There are fewer than 170 antique carousels in the United States and Canada, and the Binghamton area has six, making it home to the biggest collection in the world. The six carousels are located in parks in Johnson City, Binghamton, Endicott and Endwell. They’re open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The carousels were a gift from George F. Johnson, a shoe manufacturer and benefactor, who donated them between 1919 and 1934 so anyone could ride for free.
The largest of the six carousels is located in Johnson City’s C. Fred Johnson Park and contains 72 original figures. With mirrors and painted scenic panels, this carousel is a decadent attraction. The oldest carousel resides with the animals at the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park, and boasts some creatures of its own. With 60 jumping horses, two chariots and monkeys, this one turns to the tune of its original 51-key Wurlitzer Military Band Organ. They are all now currently in enclosed areas to keep them from being exposed to the elements, to save on maintenance later. Still free, some of the parks ask for a piece of litter in exchange for an admission ticket as a way to have the community help keep the community spaces clean. Now in their eighth decade, the carousels have become a part of many memories, young and old..
–Excerpts from article by Alexandra Abel on April 20, 2012; CLICK HERE for the full article!
Recent Comments