Route 1 Miniature Golf has been a star kitsch attraction  on Route 1 in Saugus MA along with the Hilltop Steak House's life-size plastic cows,  and Prince of Pizza leaning tower of Pisa.  

Since 1960, the golf course has been home to a Route 1 icon.

Yes - through multiple hurricanes, even the blizzard of 1978, he has kept an unblinking watch over things.

I'm speaking of course of the giant Orange T-Rex.  He's been on station at the Double Trouble Hole #6 for nearly 5 decades.  He's never taken a day off.  Never called in sick.  Not once.  Not even when Saugus sent a team to the Little League World Series.

This fine photograph on the left is T-Rex in happier days.  It was taken by Elizabeth Thomsen.

I got a disturbing email from my brother today.  He told me that some punks brought down T-Rex.  The link to the news story said that some people with too much time on their hands and not enough T-Rex love in their hearts rocked him back and forth until..

...his poor old 47 year old, concrete reinforced feet couldn't take any more.  He broke at the ankles.  Luckily - he landed in some nice soft bushes and did not roll out into the street where he could have hurt oncoming traffic. 

But that's just the kind of Dinosaur T-Rex is.. Always thinking of the other guy.

I wasn't the only one there today taking pictures.  Evidently there had been a steady stream of people recording T-Rex's demise.

When crimes like this occur, everyone is affected.  I bumped into a Brontosaurus on the way out.  "How are you doing?" I asked him.  "How do you THINK I'm doing?" he replied "If this sort of thing can happen to him it can happen to any of us.  What is it with you humans?"  

I didn't have a good answer for him. 

Brontosaurus stopped talking for a few moments, and stared past me over my shoulder. 

When I turned to look at what he was gazing at, he said to me "Look buddy - If you don't mind - I got things to do.  Now that T-rex is down, I gotta pick up the slack.  If you know what little creeps were responsible for this - do me a favor - call the Saugus Cops."