In what's become an annual event to the start of the roller coaster season, Karen and I ventured to Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury, CT, for their seventh Wooden Warrior Day.  It's amazing to think that their ride has already been in the park for that long; it seems like they built it just a year or two ago.  Quassy has continued to increase in popularity.  Last year's event saw a record number of enthusiasts attending.  For this season, the park added more water slides in their ever-growing water park.  They also added a new flat ride, Reverse Time, which was an updated version of the old Chance Trabant they retired. The weather wasn't looking too promising.  There was a 50% chance of rain and the temperature was in the 40s.  The entire previous week, in fact, brought nothing but rain.  We were hoping for the skies to clear a bit.  The hour-and-a-half drive down to the park was punctuated with brief showers.  But by the time we reached Quassy, the rain was holding off.  There were already quite a few cars in the parking lot at 9:00.  In the past, check-in time was from 9 to 10, and then exclusive ride time on Wooden Warrior was from 10 to 11:00.  But this year everything had been moved up an hour, possibly because of the large turnout the previous year.  There was now a two hour ERT session. A small tent had been set up in front of the Wooden Warrior queue.  The woman at the check-in table there looked extremely cold, but she was cheery.  She asked for my tickets -- and I realized I had left them at home.  She said it wasn't a problem and directed us to the park office where our tickets could be printed.  Along the way, we saw Eric Anderson, one of the park's owners, and exchanged greetings.  The woman in the office gladly printed our tickets, then we headed back for the check-in table and got our wrist bands and commemorative t-shirts (which keep getting more elaborate each year).  The woman told us that the buffet this year would take place behind the Quassy Restaurant, which was a change from the usual location at the  Fieldside Pavilion. Then we queued up for Wooden Warrior, the park's delighful coaster.  It was designed not as a kiddie ride but as a fun ride for any age, and it's lived up to that promise.  There were noticeably fewer enthusiasts this year, probably because of the threatening weather.  We were able to walk right into the station and queue up for the front seat with only two people ahead of us.  For this season, Quassy had built a small observation deck just behind the ride operator.  That was a thoughtful gesture to coaster enthusiasts, who love to take up-close-and-personal pictures of the rides. When the riders in front of us returned to the station, the operator (probably intentionally) rolled the train past the station sensors and couldn't unlatch the restraints.  So he sent them around a second time.  No one minded, since there were so few of us in line.  As the train went through its circuit, the operator told the rest of us in the station that he wanted to play a trick on them.  When they returned, he was going to pretend he blew the station again and we were all to sadly moan, "Awwwww...."  So as the train came to a stop, he told the riders he was going to have to send them around again (to their delight).  On cue, the people in the station groaned, and then he popped open their restraints to the surprise (and disappointment) of the riders. Karen had brought along her heavy raincoat, and I had an insulated jacket with a hood.  I was glad I brought it.  When we boarded the coaster, I pulled the hood over my head and tightened it snugly.  The ride attendant walked over and inexplicably jammed the restraint into my gut, knocking the wind out of me.  This seemed to be a growing habit at parks, and there was no need for it (especially with the unique restraints on the Wooden Warrior trains).  We were dispatched up the lift hill, which had large white Quassy flags lining either side and flapping in the breeze.  They were so large in fact that each one whacked me in the face as we passed them.  We swiftly turned and dove down the first drop with surprising speed, zipped over the speed bump, into the left turn and then up over the next hill that sent us out of our seats.  We screamed through the tunnel (which was starting to feel a little rough) and then flew over the bunny hops all the way back to the station.  It was an exhilarating and thoroughly enjoyable ride. After that we decided to wander about the quiet midway.  I noticed an odd structure at the front corner of the parking lot, and we went over to investigate.  It was an old portable ride, but I couldn't tell what exactly it was.  Karen thought it might be some sort of Tilt-a-Whirl.  I guessed maybe a type of Scrambler.  The only thing that was certain was that it had been sitting around a while.  It turned out that it was the park's old Trabant (which was replaced by Reverse Time).  Quassy had sold it and it was awaiting its new owner.  I was amazed at how so much ride was able fit on that small trailer! From there we walked down to the lake shore to check on the progress of the new water slides.  They faced the water and were difficult to see behind the construction equipment.  So we went back to Wooden Warrior and took another fun trip.  More enthusiasts were gradually arriving.  The park wouldn't open to the general public until 11:00, an hour later.  And our buffet wouldn't start until 12:00.  So we had some time to kill.  There were only so many rides we could take on the coaster.  So we walked along the west side of the park toward the Quassy Restaurant.  And it began to rain.  Small streams formed along the midway, with water running down from the parking lot into the lake. Fortunately, the restaurant was already open.  A few other enthusiasts had sought refuge there.  We ordered some French fries and drinks and sat at a table.  Tree branches were whipping around in the wind as the rain cascaded down.  We quietly munched away.  Two enthusiasts from Virginia sat down next to us and chatted for a while, which helped to pass the time. Finally the rain let up.  We ventured back out onto the midway.  The sun peered through the clouds ever so briefly, teasing us with welcome warmth.  Then it ducked behind the clouds again.  We watched Reverse Time go through its motions.  It was then just after 11:00, and the park was officially open.  So we walked over to the train, but it was closed because of the rain.  Instead we walked into the cavernous arcade.  I was hoping to find a pinball machine or two, but no such luck.  Karen noticed that almost all the machine had their coin slots covered with a small lighted white plastic contraption with a slot and an LCD screen.  It was for Quassy Cash, another growing trend at parks.  You would give money to an attendant who would give you a swipe card with that amount on it, basically a pre-paid debit card.  I guess it eliminated the need for attendants to go from machine to machine collecting coins. Karen checked out the nearby tiny gift shop then we walked to the Grand Carousel next door as the sky began drizzling.  Quassy originally had a vintage wood carousel, a menagerie model made in 1902 by E. Joy Morris.  Quassy auctioned it off in 1989 and replaced it with a modern fiberglass menagerie model from Chance Rides.  While the new ride does have some attractive animals, it would have been pretty impressive if the park had able to boast that they have a 115 year old carousel. After a spin on the jumpers, it was buffet time.  Karen and I headed for the tents at the back of the restaurant where the grill had been fired up and the food was cooking.  Karen requested veggie burgers for us, and a few other enthusiasts arrived and also made that request.  I was glad Quassy was still offering them as an option.  There was also penne with marinara and cheese, salad and lots of fresh condiments.  The picnic tables under the tents had been wiped dry.  Even so, George Frantzis, the park's other owner, arrived to tell us we were welcome to eat inside the restaurant where it was a little warmer.  That was a welcome offer, and most people took him up on it. The food was tasty as usual, and we took our time eating.  Afterwards, I wasn't in the mood for ice cream for dessert.  So I went to the concession next door and got Karen and myself each a fried dough.  The girl behind the counter seemed surprised and delighted that she had a customer.  She made the order fresh.  Strangely, the only toppings were a jar of cinnamon and a jar of powdered sugar.  And I had to be careful with the cinnamon because it was a wide-mouth jar which could easily have spewed a half-inch-thick glob of cinammon dust.  I had hoped they had the standard mix of granulated sugar and cinnamon, but no such luck. I brought the treats back to the restaurant and we munched away.  Frantzis entered and announced the annual auction to benefit the New England chapter of the American Coaster Enthusiasts.  I had won some nice souvenirs at past events and was curious what they were offering this year.  As usual, it began small with a collection Quassy trinkets from the gift shop.  That brought in $15.  Then there was a collection of Quassy shot glasses and a mug that went for $30.  Then finally a unique souvenir: a banner from the park's 100th anniversary.  I opened the bidding at $10, but passed when it reached $40.  Fortunately, they had another one and I won it for $35.  They auctioned one more and, curiously, they ended the auction at that point even though there was a Quassy sweatshirt left on the counter. Karen and I decided to see if the train was opened, and we arrived at the station just as it was returning carrying a father and his little boy in the back seat.  We climbed aboard and were the only passengers.  But for the first time, the train seemed to be in sync with Wooden Warrior.  Each time we passed by it, we were treated to close-up views of the coaster speeding by us. The park was also hosting another event, an arts day that was to feature local bands and chalk drawings in the parking lot.  The rain scuttled most of the activities.  The chalk drawings were moved into the Fieldside Pavilion (where our buffet usually was).  So we walked over to take a look.  The pavilion had been filled with people earlier; now their were a few remaining parents with their kids.  There was also a series of drawings the kids made, all of them related to Quassy in some way and many of them focusing on Reverse Time.  But there were a few others featuring Wooden Warrior and the park in general.  Karen noticed that even the trash barrels in the pavilion had been painted by kids.  I liked seeing how Quassy continued to reach out and involve the community.  That most likely was a big part of its continuing success. And that wrapped up another Wooden Warrior Day.   Obviously, it would have been more enjoyable with more favorable weather.  But even so, the park was charming, the food was good and the coaster was terrific.  There seems to be a move toward more teen thrill rides in the park.  I hope that's a temporary trend and that the park will gradually add more family rides.  A Ferris wheel would be a great addition along the lakeside, for instance.  In any case, the park seems to be in good hands and proves that you don't need the tallest or fastest rides to pull in the crowds -- even on a rainy day.

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