BTW # 28 Back to the West Journey ROF= Ring of Fire journey
Wednesday July 18, 2012 46* this am ... we're at 8,500' elev
Nederland, COlo 3 Carousel of Happiness
from prior post:
Past boulder falls -- another post -- continue on CO hwy 119 on up into higher country of the rockies.
And we come past this beautiful lake / reserviour, to Nederland, COlo.
Nederland, Colo is one of the most unique towns I've ever seen.
?That strange octagonal building.... ?What is that?
That building... ?What is it?
?That strange octagonal building.... ?What is that?
Come into town, traffic circle. Looks like a small town with a half dozen streets. A local strip shopping center, but it has an atmosphere of unique small Colo town.
We're looking for a national forest camp and head out on hwy 72. I want to come back tomorrow and see what is cooking in Nederland.
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Carousel of Happiness... Nederland, Colorado
In a lifetime of journey...This may be one of the most phenomenal days! EVER!
I've walked around Nederland for a day....enjoyed the town and cafes... checked email at the town library - a VERY nice library- now back to have a last look.
Stop at the towns supermarket, Mountain Market in the "L" shaped shopping center...
?That building... across the parking lot... ?What is it?
a 2 story strip mall... large parking lot.... and the circus railroad cars over by the hwy 72 side... need to see these before we head out.
Stop at the towns supermarket, Mountain Market in the "L" shaped shopping center...
a 2 story strip mall... large parking lot.... and the circus railroad cars over by the hwy 72 side... need to see these before we head out.
I wanted to see the old circus railroad cars in the shopping center square the 1st time we passed by them The old Barnum and Bailey type circus railcars. Didn't have time yesterday; there was just so much to see in Nederland that this is the 1st chance .
Neat old wooden cars with the painted on hawking scenes of the fire-eater circus acts.... the circus animals... a walk back into time... turn of the century.... 1890.... 1910?....two faded wood painted rail cars. Red caboose . A cafe in the end of a car.... menu has coffee for only $6; pass.
Then walk next door to the octagonal roofed building... and am blown away. Literally... blown away.
Now I don't do commercials.... even on this blog I've turned down the adsence ads... so when I speak about a commercial business it is because it's extraordinary.
When I walk into this building... and see it's a carousel... a merry go round.... it's good. THEN ... as Paul Harvey used to say... I learn the rest of the story
Jeff at the counter.
Jeff at the counter.
This is a neat looking merry go round/ carousel. We're the 1st ones here at 10am....They are just opening up and getting ready. We've got the run of the place.
Walked around in awe of the craftmanship attention to detail.
Hand carved horses, bears, fish, and circus animals... a zebra, gorilla, birds, foxes.... all hand carved, meticulously hand painted in distinct reds, yellow, browns, and blues... hand urethaned that the glistened in the hundreds of lights... this was absolutely a beautiful carousel/ merry-go-round... pristine... just like you were in 1910. A very well done job!
Absolutely magnificent work!
We get a kinda personal tour as Marc begins to explain all the technical facts of how this was a turn of the century 1910 carousel that was in disrepair/ liquidation/ salvage sale... and that "Scott" had bought it in a despair sale a couple decades ago with the hopes of restoring it.
Walked around in awe of the craftmanship attention to detail.
Hand carved horses, bears, fish, and circus animals... a zebra, gorilla, birds, foxes.... all hand carved, meticulously hand painted in distinct reds, yellow, browns, and blues... hand urethaned that the glistened in the hundreds of lights... this was absolutely a beautiful carousel/ merry-go-round... pristine... just like you were in 1910. A very well done job!
We get a kinda personal tour as Marc begins to explain all the technical facts of how this was a turn of the century 1910 carousel that was in disrepair/ liquidation/ salvage sale... and that "Scott" had bought it in a despair sale a couple decades ago with the hopes of restoring it.
Scott had spent a couple decades+... some 26 years of hand carving every animal... laboring over this carousel to bring it back to life... to make it pristine... it was beautiful....
it was like you were riding around... with organ pipe music... at the turn of the century.
A restored work of art to enjoy.... glad we got to see this... T-bird rode around like a kid... huge smile.... for a few minutes... she was a child again; that made me happy... to see T-bird happy.... that's what I live for now. When T-bird is happy.... I've done my job.... it's a good day.
StoneBear riding the carousel.
it was like you were riding around... with organ pipe music... at the turn of the century.
A restored work of art to enjoy.... glad we got to see this... T-bird rode around like a kid... huge smile.... for a few minutes... she was a child again; that made me happy... to see T-bird happy.... that's what I live for now. When T-bird is happy.... I've done my job.... it's a good day.
Then... now.... it gets better.
Marc remarks about my Marine cap.... says Scott was a Marine! Walks me over to a wall with some pictures framed, plaques, a pedestal with a visitors book, and as I start reading the story of the carousel history, Marc fills me in on the details.
During the middle of firefights in Viet Nam, Scott... kept his sanity by listening to some music in a music box for a distraction from a battle... I don't remember which music.... but for a few brief moments he did what Marines do; he found a way to concentrate on something hopeful while in the middle of the horrors of an ugly war.... He did what he had to, to survive. That's what Marines do; they do what it takes to survive.
Cpl Scott Harrison, USMC 1968
from the carousel website:
As a young Marine in Vietnam Scott had received a tiny music box that he held to his ear to distract him from the horror of the war going on around him. The music, Chopin’s “Tristesse”, brought him a peaceful image of a carousel in a mountain meadow. After rescuing the abandoned Looff carousel in Utah he spent the next 26 years hand-carving animals to bring it back to life.
Now I'm partial to the Marines, it's in my blood and we do take care of our own. ... and our country. When you look around your local town/ city... the guys that are still looking out for our country... It's the Marines and Veterans. The guys that are still on the job, working in the local food banks, singing in the church choirs, speaking to middle schools during Veterans day week, ... those are our guys. They are still in service to our country!
So years later Scott wanted to bring back something .. something he remembered that was pleasant and brought joy back into the world. When some parts of this carousel came available... in a distress liquidation sale.... run down, in disrepair,... maybe some going to the scrap heap.... Scott bid on what was left and began this restoration project. ...to make kids happy... to bring back some happiness in an often dark world... to honor his Marine buddies that were KIA and didn't get to come back home.... to fill a part of his heart that still had hurt from Viet Nam.... I don't know. I didn't get to meet Scott; I didn't have to. I already know him and all the other Marines. I know what makes them tick. After learning the story of Scott renovating this carousel -- and he doesn't need me to butter his bread-- I am not surprised he brought this Carousel back to life. ... to give some life back.... The carousel is a non-profit and the admission is like a dollar and am pretty sure it doesn't cover the operating expense. This project was not done to profit from the world, or take something from the world; this Carousel of Happiness is a gift.
I walked around and observed more of the building. There was a place for really young kids to sit and color,...
...upstairs there was a puppet show stage where kids could do puppet shows...
places where kids could play, create, ... and not worry about the bad things in the world.... just to be kids for a little while. We need more leaders like this.
Cpl Scott Harrison, USMC; Well Done Marine!
When you get to Nederland, Colo... you stop by and see The Carousel of Happiness. Even if you're a big kid take some time for this. And say a prayer for those Marine buddies.
and if I recall, the only other blog post I highlighted about a business was this one : 4 Corners Tracks of the StoneBear Ring Of Fire: Burger King Kayenta, AZ Monument Valley Navajo Code Talkers, USMC
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