Glorious lakes!

I picked this one up because I liked the picture and the unfortunate name of the lake. And the casual reference to death.

(June 22, 1954)
Dear kids,
This shows the lake we’re staying at. (Birch) Also the lake Emil died in. (Leech) We went to Walker Sat. and went across some of it. It’s about ten miles from here. It’s sure big. Thought you’d like to have it. The boys are going to Leech Lake to fish tomorrow. Wish you were here. Know you’d enjoy it. Tell Hank + Mary “hello.”
Love, Pauline + William

If I had to choose a favorite geological feature, it would probably be the lake. And though I am partial to all the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario is my favorite. Here are some shots I took while sailing home from Toronto with my dad a few weeks ago.

Toronto at night.

Coffee in the morning.

Boat parts during the sail home.

I did go swimming, but he didn’t want to put the sails down so I had to swim 1.5 knots/hr to keep up. Faster than I thought it would be.

Post swim, nap, and sunburn.

In which a reputation is restored

Ah yes, the floaters

…of the Great Salt Lake. “There’s nothing like it.”

Ogden, Utah
August 24, 1910
Stopping at this Park to wait for train Everything is OK Just a short ways from from Salt Lake City will be at Cheyenne Thurs
Fred

Is this just Mormon culture, or is this woman’s dress-and-stockings a typical 1910 bathing costume? Maybe those men threw her in fully clothed. It’s pretty amazing that just fifty years later, everyone was bopping around in a bikini. Grandma must have been so scandalized. Imagine the parallel advances in personal grooming technology.

More Weeki Wachee mermaids

Here’s one from the daily “Mermaids and Pirates” show.

Modern stadium seating.

“Hi” Alta + Ted. Here we are having wonderful time. It’s nice and warm wearing summer clothes. People watering their lawns. Hard to believe it is Jan. See you next month. Love, Theresa, Phil, Lynda, + Theresa Mae. (Jan. 4, 1961)

Quick internet research: This place is still around. I guess the state of Florida recently took it over to save it from closure. The New York Times did their best to make today’s mermaids seem sad and trashy. I can’t believe they only make minimum wage. Holding your breath for four minutes is skilled labor. A costumed rendition of The Little Mermaid seems to be their thing now. Sixty years ago I think the air tube technology was probably enough of an attraction. Some 16mm films on YouTube suggests that drinking cokes underwater used to be a big part of the show.  From 1952:

A magical place

I’ve really let this place go since Sweater Thursday ended. I’m just going to jump right in with a postcard I found at Granny’s, my favorite spot for old postcards which just closed forever. Where did those shoe boxes full of postcards go? It’s keeping me up at night.

On my last visit, I found a handful from the Weeki Wachee Spring of the Mermaids underwater theater. Pictures like this one inspired someone to write a novel about the attraction. It inspired me to sew my own bathing suit. I’ll keep you posted.