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I wish I knew what kind of tree this was. I don’t. I think it’s something ornamental, something you’d find in a garden. Thoughts?

OLP 2013 – 7 – Riptide

Yay Riptide! I like that photographer in front, too.

Here’s what the Riptide looks like in a shorter exposure:

I think that’ll do us for this year’s Our Lady of Peace festival. ‘Til next year!

OLP 2013 – 6 – Run rabbit run

I still get a kick out of non-horse mounts on carousels.

OLP 2013 – 5 – Dragon Loops

The Dragon Loops are a new one for me. Apparently they’re a variant of the Loop-O-Plane ride.

Here’s what they look like in a shorter exposure:

OLP 2013 – 4 – Himalaya

The Himalaya is apparently so named for the chilly blast of air in your face as you speedily go ’round and ’round. It’s based on German Caterpillar rides from the early 20th century.

As far as I can tell, it’s one of the only modern rides that uses a DJ— or I guess technically it’s a “manual operator,” but he/she controls the music and talks to the riders (“Do you want to go faster?!”).

It’s charmingly old-school, which I guess could be said for all amusement rides.
But in contrast, this year, the Gravitron and Monkey House both had automated voice recordings to deliver safety admonitions, which I don’t remember from years past.
I still like to hear the voices of real humans sometimes.

OLP 2013 – 3 – Ferris wheel

Ferris wheels are fun.

Hats off to George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. for designing them. Thanks man.

I got nothin’ beyond that.

OLP 2013 – 2 – Swing ride

I’ve never actually been on a swing ride… or any other carnival ride, actually, come to think of it. It looks like fun, though! What’s your favorite amusement ride?

OLP 2013

New Providence’s Our Lady of Peace Festival was this week, culminating in tonight’s festivities, all very exciting.

I’m trying to go through all the photos I took and weed out the REALLY bad ones… but I’m falling asleep on my keyboard. This’ll do for tonight, eh?

Revolutionary cemetery

The old cemetery across the street from Westfield Presbyterian has been officially noted on the National Register of Historic Places as the “Burial Ground of the Presbyterian Church in the West Fields of Elizabethtown” since 2007.

The gate shuts out casual onlookers because the headstones are soooo old and fragile that they can fall apart if you touch them. People were buried here from 1730-1958 (give or take 10 years); if you lived in Westfield, this was the only public burial ground available to you until Fairview Cemetery opened a little over a mile up the road in 1868.

The site includes ~70 Revolutionary War veterans, three War of 1812 veterans, and eight Civil War veterans, as well as a few veterans from WWI and WWII.

Originally, local residents could just select whatever random spot they liked, pick up a shovel, and bury their loved ones (at no cost). Eventually the Presbyterian church got its act together and enforced some sort of organization here.

 

References:

NJ DEP – Historic Preservation Office. (2012). “New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Union County.” p.6. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/1identify/nrsr_lists/union.pdf
.

The Presbyterian Church in Westfield. (n.d.). “Cemetery information.”
http://www.westfieldpc.org/AboutUs/CemeteryInformation/tabid/32234/Default.aspx
.

Westfield Bicentennial Committee. (1976). “The Westfield Bicentennial Committee has designated the Revolutionary Cemetery…” (Plaque). Documented May 2013.

Dogwood tree

“Oh no,” I hear you groan, “ANOTHER flower?”

Answer: Yes. It’s Mother’s Day. You need flowers for Mother’s Day! I’ll have something less flowery tomorrow.