Places to go and things to see by Gypsy Bev

Posts tagged ‘Ohio State Fair’

Stopped on Top

How do you like to go up in a swing?

Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

Ever a child can do.

Swinging! As a young child, Sarah always ran to the swing set whenever her family went to the Cambridge City Park. She tried to go as high as she could until she almost felt like she was flying.

However, when she was nine, the school bus took her class to the Guernsey County Fair. There she spotted the Ferris Wheel high above everything else. She knew she had to ride it.

Ferris Wheels at the County Fair in the 1950s had open seats – easy to rock!

At that time, the Ferris Wheel had single seats big enough for two or maybe three people with a bar across the front. Three young friends fit into one seat and headed around and around. Then they stopped at the very top to let someone off the wheel. One of the boys decided this was the perfect time to rock the seat. Sarah didn’t mind but her friend Betty squealed and yelled, “Stop, stop!”

The Century Wheel at the Ohio State Fair was a big attraction.

Through the years, Sarah never lost her enjoyment of a ride on the Ferris Wheel. She took her granddaughter, Emily, to the Ohio State Fair, where both of them decided to ride the Ferris Wheel, called the Century Wheel, that was 86 feet tall. Cost of the ride was $4 each. How they enjoyed going round and round until…it suddenly stopped. Sarah and Emily happened to be on the top when this happened.

Emily was concerned, “Grandma, when will the wheel start again?”

“Don’t worry, Emily, we’ll just enjoy the view while we sit here. They’ll get things fixed shortly.”

“We’re really high, Grandma. Was there ever a taller Ferris Wheel?”

This shows the early construction of the Ferris Wheel at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

“Actually, Emily, the first Ferris Wheel of note offered rides way back in 1893 at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. That towering structure reached 264 feet high. It was designed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., thus the name Ferris Wheel.”

“Wow! That’s a long time ago. Were people afraid to ride it?”

“Really,” Sarah continued, “millions of people wanted to ride on that magnificent piece of modern technology.”

“Were there Ferris Wheels before that time?” the curious Emily continued.

“Yes, some say there were smaller wooden wheels back in the 1500s. I read that they had what they called ‘pleasure wheels’ long ago where passengers rode in chairs suspended by large wooden rings and the wheel was turned by men!”

“How much did it cost to ride the Ferris Wheel in Chicago?”

Seats were enclosed on this Ferris Wheel at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893.

“At the Exposition, they charged 50 cents a ride. People were taken around the large wheel twice, which took over twenty minutes to complete. The 36 cars on that wheel were enclosed boxes with tables and bolted down revolving chairs in each box. 20 people could fit in one box!”

In Sarah’s mind, that early Ferris Wheel was a symbol of joy and having fun during leisure time. She had lots of information to share about the Ferris Wheels she had read about and seen in her lifetime. So while they were seated on top of the wheel, she told Emily stories about other Ferris Wheels.

“Have you ever been on a Ferris Wheel bigger than the one we are on?” Emily asked.

We rode the Great Smoky Mountain Ferris Wheel while at a travel expo in Tennessee.

“Bigger than this one but not bigger than the one in Chicago. One time I was at Pigeon Forge, Tennessee at The Island. The Great Smoky Mountain Ferris Wheel sits at the edge of the National Park there. It is 200 ft. high with a great view of the area. Each glass-encased gondola holds up to four passengers. It’s the highest Ferris Wheel in Tennessee. A cost of a ticket there is $16.99.”

No progress was being made on getting the Ferris Wheel moving so Sarah had to keep telling stories to keep Emily calmed down as she was afraid they might have to stay there all night.

The High Roller in Las Vegas is the highest Ferris Wheel in the United States.

“We are lucky not to be on the highest Ferris Wheel in the United States. It is called the High Roller in Las Vegas and is 550 feet high. Do you think you might like to ride it someday?”

Emily told her, “We have to get down from this one first.” They had been at the top now for over an hour and Emily had other things she wanted to do at the fair that day.

The Ferris Wheel on Bluewaters Island in Dubai is the tallest in the world.

To distract Emily from her fear, Sarah continued telling stories, “The tallest Ferris Wheel in the world is on Bluewaters Island in Dubai, where it soars to 820 feet into the air. Each air-conditioned enclosed cabin can hold up to 40 people. It takes a half hour for one rotation! A regular ticket costs about $50.”

“Grandma, I think we are moving again! Maybe we can get some cotton candy when we get off here. I’m thirsty too.”

Soon they reached the bottom platform where they could get off the Ferris Wheel. Emily skipped down the steps and headed for the nearest concession stand to get something to drink. They spent a few more hours at the fair, got some cotton candy, and headed home after a busy day.

“Thanks, Grandma for telling me all about the Ferris Wheels. That was interesting. Maybe we can go to Las Vegas someday and ride that high one.”

This flower ferris wheel is in Clyde up in the northwest corner of the state.

Sarah drove home still excited about spending the day with her granddaughter. All of a sudden, Emily shouted, “Look. Look at the side of the road. See that little Ferris Wheel? The seats are filled with flowers! This has been a special Ferris Wheel day from beginning to end. You are the best grandma ever.”

Category:

Family Fun, History, Just for Fun, Ohio, Tennessee

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Capezio’s Gift Ranch: Home of Alpacas

 

alpaca-melissa

The alpacas gather around Melissa for a taste of some ground feed in August.

Improve the lives of children and adults through a connection with the amazing spirit of animals.

That’s the goal of Melissa Snyder in the rolling hills of southeastern Ohio near Norwich, where she has created a home for alpacas. However, her story begins with a horse.

As a child, Melissa had a special horse call Capezio. This horse had a club foot and walked slowly but he was her special horse for thirty-two years. Capezio’s gentleness had children waiting in line at the petting zoo or for a pony ride at the fair. Melissa remembered, “His gift was to help kids. He was here to make kids happy.”

alpaca-herd-in-shade

While alpacas can stand very cold weather, the heat is something they try to avoid.

Capezio taught Melissa many lessons in life and developed her zeal for animals that needed that extra touch of loving care. So when she decided to name her farm, she knew that her passion for animals was a gift from Capezio; therefore, she named it Capezio’s Gift Ranch.

After she graduated from Lake Erie College with a degree in Entrepreneurship, she only raised horses. Then one day she purchased a pony that had an alpaca friend, who came as part of the bargain. A local vet told her that the alpaca would be stressed without another alpaca for company. The herd began.

alpaca-baby-don-diego

Eight day old, Don Diego, stays close to the fan with his mother, Miss Ellie and their last import, Appy.

The rare and exotic alpaca has been a treasure of the Andes for over 6,000 years. While they closely resemble the llama, who is a working animal, the friendly, gentle alpaca lives a life of luxury with their task being to eat and make exquisite fiber.

Over a period of a few years, alpacas became the center of Melissa’s life. Soon people were calling her to see if the ranch had room for another alpaca. One evening when she came home, an alpaca was tied to a post by their driveway. It appears that Melissa has a soft spot in her heart for any animal that needs fed. At this point, an alpaca rescue was established.

alpaca-shade-hut

This shade hut provides an escape on a hot summer day.

Alpacas might be Suri or Huacaya breeds, with Huacaya being the one most often needing rescued. The Suri fleece is long, straight and softer and demands a higher market price. These are seldom in need of rescue. The Huacaya have a short, curly fleece, which is also soft and fine.

Vet bills add up, so the size of the herd stops at around twenty. But if they need vet care, Melissa won’t deny them treatment. She has eaten peanut butter sandwiches for a couple of weeks in order to pay the vet. Extraordinary dedication!

alpaca-melissa-at-work

Work never stops as in the evenings, Melissa enjoys weaving and knitting with the soft fleece yarn.

Melissa and her partner, Nathan, do their own sheering when the temperature warms up in April and May. Then Melissa and a couple friends are responsible for cleaning, carding, spinning and weaving many items from the natural fiber that they receive.

Alpacas enjoy cold weather…even down to a -22 degrees doesn’t phase them. But heat is a different story so they have shade huts with fans to keep them cool on hot summer days.

Melissa works with the Living Waters Clover Crew 4-H Club, where she shares information on alpacas and has workshops on fiber use. Club members are encouraged to adopt an alpaca for their project so they can show them at the fair.

alpaca-cuteness

Addison feels a special connection to Delilah.

Capezio’s Gift Ranch covers all alpaca expenses for members of 4-H. This year some of the 4-H members showed them at the Muskingum County Fair and the Ohio State Fair.

alpaca-obstacle-course

Avalanche, a deaf alpaca, participated in the Obstacle Course at the The Ohio State Fair.

While fair judging centers on fleece and conformation, games at the fair provide great fun. Musical Rug, Leaping Llama, and Obstacle Course are favorites. Musical Rug is similar to Musical Chairs with the alpacas having to stop on a rug when the music stops. This year at the State Fair, that contest was won by a Capazeo alpaca…who was blind. The fun never stops!

alpaca-animals

Animals knitted from alpaca fleece feel soft and cuddly.

Alpacas are often adopted by fiber farmers, who want their own soft fleece for weaving.. Good retirement homes are always needed. They can be adopted for a fee.

While they usually eat hay and grain, like us they also enjoy treats. Some of their favorites are fig newtons, bananas, and raisins. Since they have no upper teeth, these soft foods are easy for them to chew.

alpaca-products

If you want to buy some of their products in Cambridge, Ohio, stop at their booth in County Bits on Wheeling Avenue..

Melissa dreams about someday having her own alpaca barn and showroom. The barn would provide an isolation spot for new alpacas and provide coolness on a hot summer day. In the showroom, visitors could experience making the yarn and see many beautiful finished products.

alpaca-booth

Last fall, Teddy came to the Cambridge Street Fair for the enjoyment of kids of all ages.

Melissa knows every alpaca in the field quite well. She knows their names and birthdates better than most people know this information about their families..Melissa takes great pleasure in talking about her friends, the alpacas.

Melissa Snyder can be reached  on Facebook at Capezio’s Gift Ranch, the easiest way to make a connection, or by phone at (740) 583-4030 .

 

Category:

Cambridge, Farming, Ohio, Uncategorized

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