the carousel

As I am only a story teller, I thought I would drag some poets in to help with this entry.
Previously in, “Caregiving on the Conodoguinet” an outing stumbled into both 'the now' and a part of Patti's 'long ago then'. There was something about a thread of synchronicity I could not get out of my head.

“Pondering horses on circular courses
A purpose with nowhere to go”Carousel (Revised) by Pablo Cruise

Generations including Patti’s parents and later their family were part of the history of this hand carved Carousel from Willow Mill Amusement Park, pictured above.

“I sat upon a painted horse,
And I went round and round
And up and down, and up and down,
To the hurdy-gurdy sound.”On The Carousel by Ilo Orleans

Idyllic times yield to forces of nature, such as hurricanes and MS exacerbations.



Hurricane Agnes in 1972 would flood the meandering Conodoguinet Creek to 17 ft, drowning the carousel along with the amusement park.

Never fully recovering Willow Mill Amusement Park closed in 1989 after 60 years. The carousel was sold to Bushkill Park in Easton, PA.

That SAME year Patti was hospitalized with her first MS exacerbation … 'never fully recovering'.

“You hope this ride will last forever, you know it never will. … In life just like the carousel..... there's not another ride … never is in black and white, real life and dreams collide.” Carousel by Urban Legend

15 years later our daughter and myself driving through the flood damage from Hurricane Ivan crossed the Delaware River at Easton, PA.



Little did we know that drowned below the pictured flood water was the exact SAME carousel intertwining lives.

Squeals of laughter now only ride on the zephyr of memory.

Yet the 'place' where it began, Willow Mill Park, lives on as an “accessible” municipal park still serving kids and families ... and yes, Patti still "rolls" on though now teamed with a spouse caregiver pushing here and there.


'Forces of nature' do reshape the land and even people but not the hearts of kids who are too old to be kids at all.

“Tilt your head let the breeze kiss your face, always remember this wonderful place.” Carousel by Karen Palumbo

Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer
web site: http://caregivinglyyours.com/
videos: http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer
musings: Patrick Ponders ...