A bleak day....

The flag above the Cenotaph descends to half mast

 

and we grieve for another cherished Veteran.

 

My darling husband died yesterday,

 

but I will be back anon.......



ABC Wednesday
November 14th, 2012

The letter is R

The object is Roller Coaster

What a merry ride as they slide over the top, into a gentle incline, but wait!  Soon they will not be throwing their arms in the air and displaying their bravery with such happy aplomb.  Soon they will enter into a 'mindbending',  breath stealing, heart stopping plunge...and then what of all that bravado!!!!

Here is a rather noisy video of the MindBender at West Edmonton Mall, - the largest

indoor roller coaster in the world, I believe.

 

This is not the Roller Coaster I cut my teeth on, so to speak.

In the '30's when Sunday Schools were the vogue

and Sunday School Picnics were big social affairs,

the Parish of St. Faith's (Anglican) held their annual Sunday School Picnic

at Borden Park, in Edmonton, where there was a Tunnel of Love

and The Green Rattler roller coaster!

 

 

In those days of my childhood I was fairly brave.

Each child got a ticket to ride the Green Rattler, but there were some among us

who were not as brave (or foolhardy) and it was quite easy

to collect extra tickets and have a half a dozen rides on

The Green Rattler at just one Sunday School Picnic.

 

My next encounter with a Roller Coaster was in the late 1960's, or maybe the early 1970's.

 

I took the two youngest children to the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver

and while there, remembering my delight with The Green Rattler

in days of yore, I suggested a ride on the fairly new (1958) wooden

roller coaster at Playland (or Happyland, depending upon your vintage.)

 

photo credit tiffa130 Flickr

 

 

 

photo credit Dennis Sylvester Hurd Flickr 

It is still a great thrilll to thousands of folk, but alas, I found that I had lost my zeal for roller coasters at that stage of the game, and though I love to read about the rickety enjoyment
other people get from it I will just watch and admire.

Charles and I are on our own personal roller coaster at the minute, both physically
and emotionally as his health swings from the heights to the depths.
At the moment he is on an upward swing, but I have
been there before ........I pray that we will reach a nice even run.....

For more great R's visit here, at ABC Wednesday
with thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt and all the rollicking ABCers.