Our Summer Day Withers Away Too Soon, Too Soon

[austin_dern]

For the first time in 87 days we got above freezing today! Just for a couple hours in midday but still, it was there. ... Also we got another inch or so of snow, just in time to make bunnyhugger's fourth drive up to work this week lousy. But it also meant we have a somewhat clean-ish driveway for the first time in a month or so, with the snow and ice scraped clean. That's nice.

It also puts me in mind of unending days in the 90s or above, like during the Most Extreme Mid-Atlantic Parks trip, and our day at Kennywood that was too short because for some reason they closed at like 8 pm against all reason and decency:

Here's the Lucky Stand, now a self-service pop refill station, and the silhouette of The Phantom's Revenge in the late afternoon light.

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And the fountains of Lost Kennywood's midway looking into the late sun.

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We're back to the Grand Carousel for the last ride of the day!

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And here's a picture of a horse with the pole almost lined up to the decoration of the railing around it. This is a good idea that maybe I can execute better next time.

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So, shockingly, Kennywood closed before sunset that day. The result is the traditional picture from the bridge looking out at Racer and Jack Rabbit over the lagoon looks like this instead.

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There's the carousel with the lights all off suddenly. They closed it fast on us, including running a weirdly short cycle after waiting for everybody to get on.

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This directional sign is new but I like it, for building on the Kennywood Arrow and for letting all the attractions have their own typefaces.

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We didn't even get to see if the Refreshments neon was still neon!

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Since the park didn't have printed-out maps I grabbed a photo of one of their too-few map signs.

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Spotted this car in the parking lot. Wonder if it's an amusement park fan's.

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This is a picture outside our motel room. bunnyhugger found a spot with a great 50s-60s style layout (the interior was sadly fresh-renovated) that was really sweet.

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Here's the road sign which could not be much better.

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Trivia: The International Olympic Committee accepted its first female members (Pirjo Haggman and Flor Isava-Fonesca) in 1981. Isava-Fonesca became the first woman elected to the Executive Board in 1990. Source: Encyclopedia of the Modern Olympic Movement, Editors John E Findling, Kimberly D Pelle.

Currently Reading: Joke Farming: How to Write Comedy and Other Nonsense, Elliott Kalan.