This is turning into a series...So, the accountant/endocrinologist from yesterday's post must have a grandmother who lives across town in this house. And maybe the story goes something like this:
For years Grandpa must have wondered why Granny was so distant, so unreachable ... until he found the box on the top shelf of her closet. It was the one with all those pictures of a young Granny next to Johnny Weissmuller on the set of a Tarzan movie. She'd been a contract studio player then, an aspiring starlet, and she gave it all up to marry Grandpa.
He would finally show her that he understood her. After all these years, he'd be the man she always wanted! And thus ... the hammock. Placed (with great love) high in the trees of a little suburban jungle.
That's the best I've got. My other explanation involved pole vaulters. Anyone else want to take a crack at figuring out why this hammock is 7 feet off the ground?
21 comments:
The reason the hammock is 7 feet off the ground is simple. It's to keep the occupant safe from marauding bands of wild ostriches that were part of a small group that escaped from the Cawston Ostrich Farm nearly 100 years ago. These peafowl are a little known secret that most South Pasadenans are unaware. They usually hide out in the lower portion of the Arroyo between the golf course driving range and the nature park. But on warm summer afernoons they occasionally are seen wandering through the leafy neighborhoods looking for their favorite snack - fallen figs and pomegranates. It would appear that the occupant of this home learned the hard way not to nap in a normal hammock when the ostriches are out and about.
Entry into the hammock is easy. One only has to get on the disc shaped device hanging from the chain mounted to a high branch. The expectant napper swings higher and higher until able to lauch into the hammock for a peaceful afternoon. I haven't quite figured out how you get down. That will take some more research.
Actually, the Rivertons applied for a permit to put up that hammock. That's how it ended up after careful consideration and seven meetings of the South Pasadena Design Commission.
I met that woman.
She married another swimmer, but both her husband and Johnny swam in the 1932 Olympics at the Swim Stadium built for the event south of USC. Eli Broad wanted to level the stadium for a parking lot. Didn't happen because concerned parties were able to get the stadium a reprieve and a redo. Later the metal rings from the 84 olympics were found hidden away somewhere in a storage yard. The rings were pulled out, fixed up and placed on the newly revised 1932 Swim Stadium. On the opening day of the stadium's dedication "she" served as a keynote speaker.
sort of "true story"
Is there a way to correct wikapedia?
She was trying to relax beyond the reach of her kids.
I don't know why it's there, but, once again, I'd love to see it used.
Ostriches????? Johnny Weissmuller??? I can't even begin to compete with those two very well done explanations!!!!
Yeah, between the Weissmuller and the ostrich tales, I have nothing to add. You guys are amazing.
Upon a second look, I'm thinking that the disk-like seat of that swing, is actually one designed by aliens who are 8 feet tall, and they needed a way to relax above the fulcrum of the swing, when their fellow beings(aliens have no childhood vs. adulthood issues - they have fun no matter what their age)are using it, and others want to just relax and view the action from above. I'm just proud of myself that I was able to use the word fulcrum after only one mug of coffee.
Fulcrum...after only one cup of coffee and on a Saturday morning...awesome!!!
These residents know how to make a bear welcomed.
Too, bad you're not close to the foothills, like AltaDena, where more of the wild species live.
I'm laughing this morning, people. You guys are GOOOOOOOOD! PA, feel free to edit the Wiki..
:-)
Now, where are the HIker, Yak and Anton to weigh in???
I can't tell you where the AD Hiker & her many followers are. And with all the insider knowledge Mr.E has, neither should he tel! It could ruin their fine upstanding reputations in the community.
btw, Welcome Home, LA!
Just started this blogging thing, and I love your blog. Here in the rainy north of England I can imagine myself far away in Pasadena which in your photos looks as lovely as it sounds.
The Wilsons felt guilty about depriving their neutered tomcat Beluga of his favorite napping spot, but they were sick and tired of re-stringing the hammock after it continually collapsed under Beluga's weight.
Wait!! Maybe Beluga was onto something and he worked it out with a neighboring bird, that if he could somehow get a can of tuna on the flat disk swing, then Beluga could jump into the hammock, he could work a pulley system and and his weight could bring the can right up. He repaid the bird in seed later.
Oh I don't know. It seems like a very fun..... activity for those that have no acrophobia issues.
V
Hi again,
Welcome Kate!
I'll be hard pressed to top the last two posts, so I won't even try. Thanks, everyone, for the great comments -- and all the great fun you bring to this blog.
Til next time!
The Mario brothers' grandparents first moved to So Pas in 1932, long before video games were done in color... Note that the swing is set very low off the ground for someone with very short legs, which initially suggests a child, but if you follow the chain all the way up you will see that the swing is clearly designed to be able to reach the roof on a long swing--and that's the giveaway. (For which you receive an additional 500 points.)
Anton, that's great!
Maybe the hammock was hung so many years ago that the growing trees rendered it out of sight, out of mind. tee heehee
This is my best friend's house, and I must have been in that hammock a hundred times. I love this blog. Keep it up!
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