Garmisch carriage and horses

I found this Mini painting 2.5" x 3.5" that I painted years ago...it's a scene in Garmisch of a carriage and horses, the left side background showing the school that I went to. I believe now it's a Radio station and Casino. I might have used an old postcard for reference.

Golden Gate Park Mounted Police Stable

On our 2009 Vacation to California by a coincidence we ended up at the Golden Gate Park. Being close to the Police Stable we looked for it. The roads all had changed in the Park, quite a challenge to say the least, but fate had it and we found it. It was very different, but the building still was there with the original arena. I met some very nice Policemen this day and a tour guide that was very helpful showing us pictures, and talking with us about all the old time photos. I recognized the officers and horses in some of the photos. I was so very happy to have gone there and met up with people that showed kindness as they did 50 years ago. In the photo above are a few horses tied up where the cars used to be parked...because I was so excited I did not take pictures of the officers...this to my regret.

Next door to the MPS used to be a stable for the Harness and Polo Ponies till they converted it into a Riding Academy. In my youth I spent a great deal of time there, cooling down horses...too bad they closed this facility, it was such an ideal place to ride through the Park. I believe they are trying to rebuild this site. I also found a link on Ed Lawson, who was the officer that was so kind allowing me to ride the horses, especially the horse named Bob (seen below a painted I did from a photo...me sitting astride) Ed would even drive us home because he worried it was too far to walk through the Park...a kind man indeed and someone I will never forget.

Playland Carousel 1950's

Well the German came out in me today! Stubborn as can be...I would not give up on this painting...it took three times as long to finish...all that time I could have started over, but noooo, I was determined to finish it even after I spilled paint on it. Having no plan, just painting as I went along made it even harder to repaint. I couldn't remember what and how I did it, that's because I forgot to take a preliminary photo for reference...here is the worn out version.
Mom used to take us to Playland in San Francisco, at times she would allow us to take the bus by ourselves and just spend all day there, it was after the war and filled with sailors. Doubt you could do this nowadays.
Our favorite place outside of the Fun House was the Carousel. My sister Alex and I had our favorite horses, mine being a Black and sis liking the White one. I have no memory of how exactly it looked...here is my interpretation, most likely not an outside horse, as they where standing horses.
I remember thinking while going up and down on the black steed, that someday I was going to own a black horse (which I did) and I would ride it at my favorite places, on the beach and the Golden Gate Park, galloping with the breeze hitting my face, my hair tussled in the wind. I loved my black Carousel horse, and if someone else was riding it, I would wait till that kid got off.
When the Carousel sold/auctioned off in the '70s, I seriously debated on buying one of the Black horses instead of my Arabian mare and foal...it certainly would have been cheaper and a better investment, although I would not had gotten the joy of having my Arabian horse breeding program.