Pinwheel Found
In the nineteeth century, here in America, this child's toy went by the name whirligig. They say that the simple pinwheel offers the child hours of endless fun. Huh? Yes, I can honestly say I got my hands of a few of these in my time but hours? Endless? Come on. I would say, honestly, they entertained me, tops 5 minutes. I blew into them as hard as I could for awhile. We had contests to see who could make them spin the fastest. Anyone with a big mouth and a good set of lungs did pretty good. I held my own. Then we ran around the yard a bit and that was about it. Ok, let me be very honest here. We ended our 'fun' using them as swords and destroyed them! There. Fun over! At least for us guys. I hear the simple toy has made an appearance in some video games: MK4 (Mortal Combat 4) and Scullgirls, but it shows up with not paper or plastic blades but ones of whirling steel. Now, there's some fun! This one pictured looks pretty new. Cast away, I guess, after just a brief encounter with the wind.
Was there anything else to do with them but blow and run? Anyone want to take me to task for picking on the innocent pinwheel?
En guard!
Didn't we put them on bikes, too?
ReplyDeleteDidn't we stick them in the lawn and let them hypnotize us? Didn't we make parades with the whirlies stuck in our bikes and ride up and down the street? Didn't my brothers race around the yard stabbing each other until someone got hurt and the whirlies broke?
ReplyDeleteDid your brothers grow up in Portland, on Stevens Avenue w/ me?
Deleteyou make me laugh.
ReplyDeleteNot me, I'm with you on this one. Five minutes tops.
ReplyDeleteThese days, they won't look up from their handheld electronic babysitters long enough to give it one puff of air.
ReplyDeleteCrotchetly yours,
V
Nah I wan't take you to task as I thought they were fairly boring myself. I do remember though that some kids attached them to their handle bars so they would whiz around as they pedaled. I thought that was all they were good for. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteMuch todo about nuttin'. I never thought they were worth a darn in the first place. I mean, really, what could they do. And if there wasn't any wind you had to blow really hard to get 'em to spin. Stupid things!
ReplyDeleteWe used to put them on our bikes and then roar around.
ReplyDeletecan't say they ever entertained me much neither
ReplyDeleteWe got the same, but in green, red and white...
ReplyDeleteRide on your bike without hands and hold it in the air! I remember holding one out the window of a moving car. It did not last very long!
ReplyDeleteBises,
Genie
LOL
ReplyDeleteHappy Aloha Friday!
Comfort Spiral
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Nice shot.
ReplyDeleteHold one of those babies over a teakettle with boiling water and you can illustrate how to generate electricity. Doesn't take five minutes. Unless it is a watched pot you are trying to boil.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm much too late here. Yes, on the handlebars of the Schwinn. As for hours of pleasure, comic transfers on silly putty was good for at least 30 minutes.
ReplyDeletePinwheels should not be put in the hands of boys, apparently...My favorite was to make our own, to see flat paper transform...Stick it on the end of a pencil with a straight pin. But then, you all probably would have had straight pin battles!
ReplyDelete