Just the Facts, Ma'am... the COLD Facts!

As you recall from my previous post,

"John & Helen Week," it was 28 years

ago today on January 16, 1993, that

John Ettline, owner of the Shady Dell

and The King of All Dell Rats, died a

couple months before his 87th birthday. 

To begin today's post in which I reveal "COLD FACTS" about the Dell, I'd like to play

one more song I think John would like, a wonderful cover released a few weeks ago at

Christmas by the Atlanta-based old & young - family & friends band Foxes and Fossils.

"Mr. Sandman," a song that calls upon the figure from folklore to "bring me a dream"

in the form of a sweetheart, was first recorded in May 1954 by Vaughn Monroe and

 His Orchestra. A pair of covers, one waxed by the Chester, Pennsylvania, all male

pop quartet The Four Aces and the other by the Sheboygan, Wisconsin, female

barbershop quartet The Chordettes, shot to #1 during the Christmas season

of 1954. The Chordettes version stayed at the top of the chart through

 the month of January, 1955. Enjoy this cool cool cover of a

 solid COLD oldie by Foxes and Fossils! 

"Mr. Sandman" - The Chordettes cover

by Foxes and Fossils (Christmas 2020) 

 A 

 COLD 

 FACT 

 ABOUT THE 

 SHADY DELL 

 IN WINTER 

 THE 

 SHADY 

 DELL 
 1960 

Remember this aerial

photo of the Dell taken

in the winter of 1960?

Remember this detail from the aerial

image that appears to show owner

John Ettline shoveling or blowing

snow in the parking lot... possibly

to uncover a Dell rat's car that was

abandoned during the blizzard?

I would like to share with you a cold fact,

an interesting piece of trivia I learned

about my old hangout.

In 1959, one of John Ettline's brothers converted the

hillside across the road from the Dell into a ski slope,

this according to a family spokesperson.  It wasn't

exactly Aspen or even Ski Roundtop, but the slope

was functional and for years served as a nifty

little practice hill for local ski enthusiasts.

THERE'S MORE! BELOW - PUBLISHED

FOR THE FIRST TIME ON SHADY'S BLOGS -

MYSTERY PICS! - NEW/OLD IMAGES

OF THE DELL IN WINTER!

ABOVE AND BELOW: RARE VINTAGE POLAROID PICTURES TAKEN

AT THE SHADY DELL IN WINTER, DATE UNKNOWN, COURTESY OF

TONI DEROCHE'S SHADY DELL FACEBOOK PAGE. VISIBLE IN THE

FOREGROUND OF THE ABOVE PICTURE IS THE DELL'S LARGE

OUTDOOR FIREPLACE WHICH WAS TORN DOWN CIRCA 2011.

 THE PICTURE BELOW SHOWS TWO PEOPLE POSING AT THE FRONT

CORNER OF THE HOUSE, AND WHAT MIGHT BE A GROUP OF PEOPLE

SPREAD OUT AND POSING ON THE LARGE PORCH. WHO ARE THEY?  

How cold cool is that?

Have a Shady day!