Revered in Suspended Animation

My father worked at Revere Copper and Brass in Rome, NY for more than 42 years. He sweltered in the summer, and froze in the winter – 13 days on, 1 day off, for as along as I can remember. Although it is many years later, I smiled when I pulled in to the parking lot where we would wait for him get out of work. Waiting and watching and we’d (mom included) all cheer him on as he got closer to the building where he had to “punch out.”

This image is the backside of the gigantic horse and rider that used to gallop through the night sky during my childhood. When we’d drive into Rome from the “country” as my city-dwelling aunts used to say, we’d all be in anticipation to see if the entire horse was lit up. Sometimes a section of the horse or rider would not be lit up and we’d make up a story about what was going on. The best one for a little kid was when my father would tell us that Paul had to get off and take a pee (bathroom humor and kids go so well together.)

According to articles I found from the Rome Daily Sentinel, the horse has not been lit up in about 10 years. You can read more about this sign at: Rome Sentinel. 

This is what the horse looked like when it was lit. This sign is in New Bedford, MA and was refurbished.

Below is what the sign in Rome looks like during the day. In this view it looks like the horse is making a jump. The detail in this photo can not be seen by the naked eye because the sign is very high in the sky and it’s difficult to find a good vantage point. (BTW, the sign is HUGE.)