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Friday, April 22, 2016

Friends of the Famous - S



“A fiery horse with the speed of light ......Out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver”

Clayton Moore (aka The Lone Ranger) hand-picked the majestic, 17-hands high stallion named White Cloud from a San Fernando Valley ranch as his noble mount, Silver in the 1949-1957 television series. And though the stallion had an impressive rear stand and a gentle disposition, a Silver #2 had to be hired to do the galloping chase scenes. Nonetheless, Jay Silverheels (the Native sidekick, Tonto) contends he often had to reign in his own horse, Scout as they loped into the sunset, to keep from leaving the masked rider in a “cloud of dust”. Intended as a family-friendly show, in addition to the exclusive use of silver bullets (precious metal metaphor for precious life), strict rules were written into the storyline, such as the Lone Ranger did not smoke or drink and spoke only in perfect diction (ostensibly for the benefit of young viewers), though some were led to wonder where the Ranger obtained his education. Both Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels are honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame although Moore is the first actor ever to have both his name as well as that of the character he played listed. But alas, there is no mention of Silver or Scout on the Walk of Fame. Thankfully, as you’ll read in a later post, stellar stallions do eventually get noticed.

Yorkshire terrier
Smokey – the Yorkshire terrier aka Angel from a Foxhole was found abandoned in the New Guiana jungle (WW2), and adopted by American Corporal William Wynn. The spunky little gal proceeded to astonish everyone by earning 8 Battle Stars for outstanding performance in 12 combat and 12 rescue missions and helped build a much-needed airbase in Luzon by running telegraph wire through 70 feet of pipe by herself!


Thanks to the brilliant minds at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, engines of Super Sonic jets are now structured to work like the nostrils of Peregrine Falcons in a speed dive. Clocked at speeds of 200 mph, the birds are able to breathe with the help of tiny cone-shaped protrusions within their nostrils which guide airflow.

Did you watch the Lone Ranger? Do you know any animal heroes? Have you ever seen a falcon in a speed dive?



14 comments:

  1. Hi, dear Diedre!

    There's a lot in this post to which I can relate. I was born in 1949 and The Lone Ranger is one of the first TV series I remember watching. I never missed an episode. I saw Jay Silverheels in person when he made a guest appearance in my hometown of York, PA. As I recall Jay rode Scout in the city's annual Halloween Parade. Imagine a clean-cut hero who doesn't smoke or drink and speaks only in perfect diction! That's what heroes were made of when I was a kid. Sometime during the 60s, the antihero became the "in" thing in pop culture, flawed bad boys who just happened to be fighting on the side of law and order. I am happy to see traditional heroes returning to the media in recent years in series like Daredevil, The Flash and Arrow, all highly recommended.

    As I told you, I owned a Yorkie in the 70s (Thomas' English Muffin) and the story of Smokey's heroic deeds during WWII was inspiring.

    A few years ago a falcon took up residence in the woods next to my house. One day close to sunset I was looking out the window when I saw the falcon swoop down from the sky, land on a mourning dove at my back yard feeder, pluck its feathers and fly away with it to devour the meal. The falcon was clever. He waited until the sun was near the horizon, then flew in from that same direction, using the sun to blind it prey until it was too late to escape.

    Thank you, dear friend Diedre!

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    1. Thanks for a wonderful comment, dear Shady! To my chagrin, you've been more inspiring than I was;-) I should add to the fun facts on the Lone Ranger the fact that sources claim the actor really was just like the character and throughout a life of both triumph and tragedy, he never changed one bit!

      I enjoyed learning that heroes can come in all sizes - as in Smokey's case:-)

      Your falcon sighting sounds breathtaking! I've never seen one that close. I've watched roadrunners go after cactus wrens, and while I'd rather shoo them, I can't help but be awed by how cunning predator birds can be:-)
      It's always a pleasure when you stop by, dear Shady. Thank you:-)

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  2. Great work on your theme!
    Keep it going!

    Heather M. Gardner / @hmgardner
    Co-Host, Blogging from A to Z April Challenge
    The Waiting is the Hardest Part

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  3. Smokey is so cute. I want her! But my cats wouldn't like that. haha

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    1. Hi Chrys!
      I've been surprised more than once at how well animals adapt;-)
      I'm just the opposite right now, I'd dearly love a cat (or five) but I dread the reaction of my girls - ha!
      Thank you for coming by:-)

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  4. It must be cool to see a falcon in a speed dive!

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    1. Hi Kelly!
      I imagine it would as well;-)
      Thanks for popping in!

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  5. As a child, I only watched the Lone Ranger sporadically. Usually if my dad was watching. The music was great, but there was something that never truly drew me in.

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    1. Hi Jeffrey!

      Indeed, the music was thrilling! For a time I thought it was written specifically for the series:-) Still, not much interest at our house. Too many females, I guess;-)

      Have a great weekend!

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  6. Reading your first paragraph about the Lone Ranger and the horses reminded me of Trigger, Roy Roger's horse, who was stuffed after he died and put on display. Too bad Silver and Scout didn't get the recognition they deserved. That show was a bit before my time, but I've seen some reruns. Loved the story of Smokey the Yorkie! Such a courageous little dog. Fascinating fact about the falcons and the jet engines. I learn something new every visit here. Great stuff!

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    1. Hi Debbie!
      Funny you should mention Trigger;-)
      Wasn't Smokey the best little hero?
      I'm just a nut about learning new things - glad you enjoy it too;-)
      Thanks for coming by and for your ever-welcome comments!

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  7. Born in 1949, and growing up in the fabulous fifties, I easily relate to The Lone Ranger!
    Http://cazgreenham.blogspot.com
    @CZsBooks

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    1. Hi Caz!

      The fabulous fifties - I love that:-) I mostly remember the music used in the show. But I still love music from the fifties in general;-)
      I'm glad you stopped by, Caz:-)

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