One of the highlights of my childhood came when my family would go to the Lake George amusement park originally known as Storytown, now known as The Great Escape. Well, technically now it’s Six Flags Great Escape, but that’s splitting some hairs there.
And if we went to Storytown / The Great Escape, we invariably would visit the Wild West section known as Ghost Town, where Sheriff Wild Windy Bill McKay would capture some bank robbers and horse thieves four times a day. It was fun. Trust me, it was fun. And all the junior deputies received a special painted steel badge for our efforts in capturing the varmints.
Over time, I’ve found and purchased and curated what I thought was a full collection of 15 different variations on the badge. And once I thought I had the full collection, I blogged about it. Because – yeah – of course I did.
But what I sadly neglected was that there was a 16th badge – a badge for the 49th anniversary of Ghost Town – that I did not possess.
Until last week.
I’m on a Storytown / Great Escape Facebook fan page, and I threw out a message asking if anyone had a 49th Anniversary badge. I would be willing to trade two of my badges to get it. Well, two of my duplicates.
Surprisingly, someone had the badge. And they were willing to accept the trade.
Two envelopes crossed in the mail …
And Monday, look what arrived in my mailbox.
Badge 49.
Okay, now I have to re-arrange the 15 badges that are currently framed and displayed. And after a little judicious “move this here” and “move that there,” I now have a new setup.
Yes, you’re counting 17 pieces there – that little coin in the bottom row is a token that was either sold or given away to Storytown visitors (as well as visitors to Storytown’s neighboring park Gaslight Village).
And you know what? It’s also there JUST IN CASE there’s another badge in the collection that totally escaped my eyes.
For now, anyway. 😀
Chuck The Writer 
Nice 👍
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