Independence Day '06

Yesterday was Independence Day here in the USA. The first half of the day I worked at Fiesta Texas, my usual summer job. (Except that, as I've explained in an earlier posting, this summer I'm in a new position at the theme park: Conductor and Depot Agent on the Fiesta Texas Railroad, the park's train ride.)

The park was crowded with Guests, despite the overcast skies that before dawn had given San Antonio much-needed rainfall. The clouds cleared later in the morning, and other than it being a very hot and very, very humid day (typical in summer for Texas), it was pleasant. The train was nearly full just about every trip (after the first one or two).

Once I had been cleared at the end of my shift (mid-afternoon), I stayed in costume for awhile, and went looking for someone else in costume. She is Linda Kitshner, a middle-aged lady who worked with me last summer as an Interviewer at the front gate of the park. But this year Linda is working as a costumed character in Spassburg, the German-themed area of the park. (Spassburg means "Fun Town" in Deutsch.) She's dressed like a traditional frau, whose name is Ima - Ima Jermain-Ladee, that is! Ha, ha, Six Flags came up with a cute pun for THAT one!

Linda (aka "Ima") was doing crowd control of Guests who were lined up to get their picture taken with Peppie Le Pew in the Sangerfest Halle patio. Once she was done we two went to the front of Sangerfest Halle, so I could get another park employee to take our picture, Linda in her volksdeutsche frau costume and me in my train crew costume.

Having achieved this desired photo shoot I went to the wardrobe building and changed into street clothes, and then re-entered the park as a Guest. I attended a couple of our live music shows; these shows have won awards seven consecutive years for Fiesta Texas. In the evening we got treated to natural pyrotechnics just before the manmade pyros got started. I watched the latter fireworks from Los Festivales, the Mexican-village area of the park. Los Festivales presents colonial Spanish architecture and strings of colored lights over the streets; it's very beautiful at dusk. Here was a great way to celebrate the holiday!