The Legend of the Lost Souls

For the last13 years I have spent one day each week all summer with my boys. Years ago, before they became disappeared into teenagers, Eric, Zach and sometimes Evan & Casey spent those days with us. Now I find my oldest grandchild is about to be thirteen, the time when our family celebrates the departure of teenagers with the song, "Nana,na-na, nana,na-na, hey, hey, hey, good-bye"..... allowing them safe passage and no-guilt disappearance from not only family life but from sanity. They usually return at age 21. Most make it back and some do not. Today I am enjoying the first of my last "Grandma Fridays" with my 13 year old.(pic above is from 2003)

Canobie Lake Park is always our first summer stop. Canobie opened in 1902. Today Canobie is one of the most beautiful, small, parks in the country. And speaking of beautiful, today has to be the most beautiful day God ever created. The Yankee Cannonball is our first stop and my 7 year old's first 48" ride at Canobie. Today is monumental. For 3 years he has been wanting to ride the bigger rides but without enough height his attempts have been unsuccesssful - until today! Phew! The Yankee Cannonball is (and has always been) my most favorite rides of all time! And now, his too! We screamed so loud on the way down the first hill that I almost lost my voice. I think his face tells his story without words.

We are quickly hopping from one ride to another and I am being careful not to capture too many "face" pictures of the older guys (my grandson & his friend) as they are camera shy. But I can't help smiling while taking this picture as they walk by the haunted mine. It is a 'haunted' ride which tells the story about how two boys disappeared looking for gold. Isn't every teenager looking for gold? The hard part is letting them find it on their own.

As we continue our quest for the best rides, I lag behind keeping my distance as every good Grandma should. One thing I find very hard not to do, while trying not to be "Grandma", is to be continually working. As a "Granite State Ambassador" I can't help to think about customer service, our New Hampshire image, and how guests see a property whether it is an attraction, hotel, road-side, or airport. I just can't help myself. Canobie is as perfect of an example of Dennis Snow's theory of "Everything Speaks" as I have found outside of Disney. The park is beautiful, clean, and organized. It sounds good, it smells good. The staff is friendly and they work together. I noticed many walking with garbage pick up sticks. Talk about EVERYTHING SPEAKS!

They have plaques with histoical content (which they could even add more of as I know some other stories told to me when visiting with Granite State Ambassadors, that would interest other guests visiting the park. Here is a quick video overview with more details.) They pay homage to New Hampshire's Old Man and utilize the lumber from the grounds to build parts of the park as they expand. The grounds and trees have lots of history and are historic themselves. There are flowers, shade, and benches everywhere. The smells and music flow from theme to theme. At each stop I wonder how they know what I want to hear and smell. From woodsy smells and the sweet food smells to 70's  rock and the cooning of good ole' Frank and his friends. I am happy. I am enjoying myself. The kids are happy. The kids are enjoying themselves. Life is good. 

Each year after our visit I reminisce by looking at old pictures. I wonder if the fun house mirrors of my mind depict the true story of our lives or does it just reflect how I remember it to be?

  How does THEN... become NOW so quickly?

 









I have decided just to enjoy today and let the memories of each day wafted by me like the smells and sounds of a fun day at an amusement park.

Visit my Picasa page for all our pictures from today's visit of Canobie Lake Park 2010. Love and kisses from Grandma Judi enjoying the best ride in the park... the Cheeseburger in Paradise chairs.