Sparky the Seal
…and summer days at Como Park
((1956-1958) (Based on actual events))
At Como Park (St. Paul, Minnesota), in the Midway area (back in the mid to late fifties), when I was ten to twelve year old, I’d hike out to Como Park with my buddy Mike Reassert, a year or two younger than I.
There was a Ferris Wheel, and a Merry-go-Round, and stands selling things (food and such), and nearby was a free show once a day at 1.00 p.m., near a platform, that had a pool attached to it, and “Sparky the Seal,” was the main event, and he always put on a terrific and dandy show for us kids.
Most of the city kids went out there, during summer vacations; if not for the Sparky Show, to ride the giant turtle, or walk round the Zoo area and look at animals.
Mike Reassert and I were always conscious of the fair like atmosphere of the summer days at Como Park.
The lake that went beside it was about one and half miles round (circumference), and around the lake across the main street that divided it from the residential area, were nice expensive looking house, with large green lawns, and flowers and girls often sitting on their porches.
Well, as time went by, Sparky died, I think I had just become a teenager when that took place, and the following summer I saw a sign that read “Two shows, 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. by Sparky II” and I got thinking, it didn’t take long to replace Sparky No: I.
Fine, at about at nineteen years old, there about, that summer I read another sign out at Como Park, it read, “Visit Sparky’s pool,” (something on that order), and when I went to see Sparky, inside the building was it was full of seals, and it said “The Home of Sparky III” something like that, and the show was to be at 2:00 p.m.
Again I said “Fine…” thinking Sparky II had passed on. That’s when it dawned on me, we’re all so replaceable.
Well, at about fifty-years old, back in about 2001, I took my wife whom is from Peru, and there was a new Sparky doing a show, I don’t know what number he was, but it was nice that they kept the tradition up.
No: 542 (12-6-2009) SA
((1956-1958) (Based on actual events))
At Como Park (St. Paul, Minnesota), in the Midway area (back in the mid to late fifties), when I was ten to twelve year old, I’d hike out to Como Park with my buddy Mike Reassert, a year or two younger than I.
There was a Ferris Wheel, and a Merry-go-Round, and stands selling things (food and such), and nearby was a free show once a day at 1.00 p.m., near a platform, that had a pool attached to it, and “Sparky the Seal,” was the main event, and he always put on a terrific and dandy show for us kids.
Most of the city kids went out there, during summer vacations; if not for the Sparky Show, to ride the giant turtle, or walk round the Zoo area and look at animals.
Mike Reassert and I were always conscious of the fair like atmosphere of the summer days at Como Park.
The lake that went beside it was about one and half miles round (circumference), and around the lake across the main street that divided it from the residential area, were nice expensive looking house, with large green lawns, and flowers and girls often sitting on their porches.
Well, as time went by, Sparky died, I think I had just become a teenager when that took place, and the following summer I saw a sign that read “Two shows, 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. by Sparky II” and I got thinking, it didn’t take long to replace Sparky No: I.
Fine, at about at nineteen years old, there about, that summer I read another sign out at Como Park, it read, “Visit Sparky’s pool,” (something on that order), and when I went to see Sparky, inside the building was it was full of seals, and it said “The Home of Sparky III” something like that, and the show was to be at 2:00 p.m.
Again I said “Fine…” thinking Sparky II had passed on. That’s when it dawned on me, we’re all so replaceable.
Well, at about fifty-years old, back in about 2001, I took my wife whom is from Peru, and there was a new Sparky doing a show, I don’t know what number he was, but it was nice that they kept the tradition up.
No: 542 (12-6-2009) SA
posted by Dennis and Rosa Siluk at 3:20 PM
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