Skywheel Jimmy

The Skywheel was built in 1968. Skywheel Jimmy joined the carnival fresh out of the Army in 1984. There, the two of them began a long and storied relationship. In 1998, in Lincoln Nebraska a ride operator turned it on while Jimmy was climbing. He pushed himself to the inside on purpose so there'd be something to grab onto. He was telling the story and I couldn't help but interject:

"I bet you can still hear the lights crashing."

 "I still think about it every night when I lay down" he said, "It was nothing but star lights and sucker rods all the way to the ground."

"What are sucker rods?" I asked him.

"That's those things you try to grab onto when you're falling through that son of a bitch." 

He went on. "Jeff Crespo said 'Ya' alright Jimmy?' and I said 'Yeah, I'm alright but that motherfucker that turned it on ain't gonna' be alright, not after I catch him.'"

Swan Song

Dick used to cook for his sister Gracie on The Mighty Bluegrass Shows. I can't begin to guess how many years they were on the road together. After work Dick would have a few beers and get to singing. Opera mostly, and occasionally show tunes. Turns out he was in the Army with Mario Lanza. This and his eventual stint in the carnival business led him to Red Skelton and Jackie Gleason among others. The man had stories and a wicked sense of humor. He died this past month and it didn't take long for the news to reach his old friends, some of them retired and some still out on the road.

If only he could pour them all another cup of coffee, take their dollar and cheerfully suggest that they "Have a nice day at the fair."

Rest in peace Dick.