April 24, Mount Vernon, Illinois (68 miles, a field.)
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Double celebration.
April 17, Ste. Genevieve.
The Cainans celebrated both Georgia's and Genevieve's birthdays with a Bar-B-que tonight after the shows.
It was nice to see everybody after a day by ourselves.
Bright.
April 17, Ste. Genevieve.
As we spent the day playing outside, waiting, Dylan brought me flowers and lay them on the steps.
Later we ate oranges, and one of them had a peculiar pattern, but the same vibrance.
Road mishap (part two.)
April 17, Ste. Genevieve.
One of the axles on the trailer was broken, and I went on to park near an exit. I spent the day waiting for Fridman and Castro who, after driving on to the lot and coming back with the shop, took off the axle and went off to a horse trailer store to try and see whether they could buy another one. They did, it had to be welded to size but we were lucky to find that shop, and get to it before noon, when it closed. It took the best of the day to fit it back on. We made it to the lot as the first part of the second show was well under way.
Road mishap (smells like candy.)
April 17, exit 135 on I-55 North.
One of the trailer's rear wheels took a little road trip of its own this morning.
On interstate 55 North, some forty miles short of our destination, I was glancing at my rear-view mirror when I saw it bound across the highway behind me. Off it flew, and then back across the road again, nearly hitting Buckner, although I did not see that part because I was intent on getting off the road safely. He stopped and hit the runaway wheel so that it would not continue on its parallel journey, as it threatened to.
Miraculously, it had not hit anyone. It was on fire when Buckner got to it and he could not find anything better to do than pour his soda on it to extinguish the flames, so that minutes later as he stopped behind us the wheel smelled like candy.
One of the trailer's rear wheels took a little road trip of its own this morning.
On interstate 55 North, some forty miles short of our destination, I was glancing at my rear-view mirror when I saw it bound across the highway behind me. Off it flew, and then back across the road again, nearly hitting Buckner, although I did not see that part because I was intent on getting off the road safely. He stopped and hit the runaway wheel so that it would not continue on its parallel journey, as it threatened to.
Miraculously, it had not hit anyone. It was on fire when Buckner got to it and he could not find anything better to do than pour his soda on it to extinguish the flames, so that minutes later as he stopped behind us the wheel smelled like candy.
A trailer with a highway view.
April 17, exit 135 on I-55 North, somewhere near Brewer, Missouri 68 miles out of 90 or so.)
Friday, April 16, 2010
Walking the dogs.
April 16, Anna.
Every morning, shortly after we all arrive on the lot, Carolyn, walking stick in hand, goes out with her cohort of adorable mutts.
This morning she walked in our front yard. It was a lovely, quiet drive, and it is a lovely lot.
Handling the dogs.
April 15, East Prarie.
Mariana and Cathy have been helping Carolyn with her dog act for a while now, when Mike was before, and this week Mariana started performing a couple of tricks during the act too, looking proud as a puppy.
Mariana and Cathy have been helping Carolyn with her dog act for a while now, when Mike was before, and this week Mariana started performing a couple of tricks during the act too, looking proud as a puppy.
Parenting revisited.
April 15, East Prairie.
Nicolas' toilet training is an uphill struggle; I think he's not ready yet. A couple of weeks ago, when he turned three, I started letting him go around without diapers and all I got for my efforts was a succession of acrid puddles on the floor. Dylan was toilet trained effortlessly and in no time at two and a half, so this has been another lesson in parenting. All kids are different and each has his or her own rhythm; Nicolas started talking a lot earlier and is much more articulate than Dylan.
I keep forgetting to make a note of the latest development in my child rearing even though it was a major milestone in my family's domestic bliss status index: Nicolas left his pacifier behind without so much as a cry, the week before the season started. The tototte, as it is called in our household, was pushed back to only bed time, and then one night I couldn't find it and told him so and he went to sleep quietly anyway. The next night I pretended it was lost again, and the same scene enfolded, and in a few days there was no mention of the magic piece of plastic that I contemplated with increasing dread as the hour of its obligatory downfall approached (turning three was my deadline.)
Parenting uberlesson: never take anything for granted, one way or another.
Nicolas' toilet training is an uphill struggle; I think he's not ready yet. A couple of weeks ago, when he turned three, I started letting him go around without diapers and all I got for my efforts was a succession of acrid puddles on the floor. Dylan was toilet trained effortlessly and in no time at two and a half, so this has been another lesson in parenting. All kids are different and each has his or her own rhythm; Nicolas started talking a lot earlier and is much more articulate than Dylan.
I keep forgetting to make a note of the latest development in my child rearing even though it was a major milestone in my family's domestic bliss status index: Nicolas left his pacifier behind without so much as a cry, the week before the season started. The tototte, as it is called in our household, was pushed back to only bed time, and then one night I couldn't find it and told him so and he went to sleep quietly anyway. The next night I pretended it was lost again, and the same scene enfolded, and in a few days there was no mention of the magic piece of plastic that I contemplated with increasing dread as the hour of its obligatory downfall approached (turning three was my deadline.)
Parenting uberlesson: never take anything for granted, one way or another.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Truck trouble.
April 12, Pocahontas.
On with the transmission troubles.
The problem is that the reverse is hard to get into and once you've got it on you have to take it out while in motion or it won't come out and the gear will get stuck somewhere in gear netherland. The golden rule is if it gets in smoothly it will come out just as easily but of course I never can get it in smoothly so I always gets stuck. Since I am driving in the morning that tends to happen often. Chris knows about this now so he tries to park me where I don't have to use the reverse, but this morning Tavo parked me and he didn't know and I was stupid enough not to tell him upfront so once again we had to ask Castro to come and take the transmission apart.
Dodge trucks are well-known for transmission problems. This is the third time we are dealing with this; Casey has had to make double trips for a week now with a bad transmission on his new truck.
Our problem has been going on since Hugo and it's getting old fast, but mostly I get mad because I'm not able to maneuver so I can get the gear in nice enough it won't get stuck, hence reinforcing the macho stereotype, much prized by Fridman I'm sure, of women being terrible drivers.
On with the transmission troubles.
The problem is that the reverse is hard to get into and once you've got it on you have to take it out while in motion or it won't come out and the gear will get stuck somewhere in gear netherland. The golden rule is if it gets in smoothly it will come out just as easily but of course I never can get it in smoothly so I always gets stuck. Since I am driving in the morning that tends to happen often. Chris knows about this now so he tries to park me where I don't have to use the reverse, but this morning Tavo parked me and he didn't know and I was stupid enough not to tell him upfront so once again we had to ask Castro to come and take the transmission apart.
Dodge trucks are well-known for transmission problems. This is the third time we are dealing with this; Casey has had to make double trips for a week now with a bad transmission on his new truck.
Our problem has been going on since Hugo and it's getting old fast, but mostly I get mad because I'm not able to maneuver so I can get the gear in nice enough it won't get stuck, hence reinforcing the macho stereotype, much prized by Fridman I'm sure, of women being terrible drivers.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
A surprise.
April 11, Ash Flat.
The Poemas had little Tommy run in to give birthday flowers to Cathy after the first show's Risley act. Her grandmother Hanneford, Nellie's mother, had sent them.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Friday, April 09, 2010
Department of road signs.
April 9, Mountain Home.
On the street leaving the circus in the morning: "God bless the cirus (sic)."
On the street leaving the circus in the morning: "God bless the cirus (sic)."
Morning drive ups and downs.
April 9, Mountain Home.
Down from the lovely village of Mountain View we crossed the Ozark National Forest; dressed in budding spring it would be beautiful, in the early morning sunlight it was better than all the Expressionists in the world. I would have had a big Kodachrome postcard smile on my face had it not been for the nagging preoccupation of going up and down a mountain with a bad transmission and fifteen tons (and two kids) in the back.
Down from the lovely village of Mountain View we crossed the Ozark National Forest; dressed in budding spring it would be beautiful, in the early morning sunlight it was better than all the Expressionists in the world. I would have had a big Kodachrome postcard smile on my face had it not been for the nagging preoccupation of going up and down a mountain with a bad transmission and fifteen tons (and two kids) in the back.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
On with the zumba.
April 8, Mountain View.
The zumba lesson today had to move from the ring to the sidelines when the camels came in to practice.
They left and we moved back in.
The afternoon light.
April 8, Mountain View.
It's been a long time since I've taken a walk the way I used to, with the kids in the stroller, taking in the towns.
Down the road from the fairgrounds here there was a city park with a stone amphitheater going down to a small wooded creek; the dogwoods were in bloom, wild flowers piercing last year's mantle of dead leaves, sounds of the circus drifting with the wind. The kids threw rocks in the water, they wanted to go in the woods beyond (no can do, tick territory, the Poemas found three on Gordo just yesterday,) the afternoon sun made everything soft, even time escaping from under us.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Zumba.
April 7, Heber Springs.
Yesterday I finally joined the zumba lessons Carolyn has been offering since we started in Brownsville.
We all danced to Lady Gaga in the Beef Barn.
Yesterday I finally joined the zumba lessons Carolyn has been offering since we started in Brownsville.
We all danced to Lady Gaga in the Beef Barn.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Travel day.
April 6, Heber Springs.
Last year we had a party for Nicolas' birthday on this lot, and we were parked exactly at the same spot. Natalie was very pregnant, about to leave to give birth to Genevieve.
We moved ahead of schedule because no place could be arranged for us to set up in the previous town, so there are no shows today; it has morphed into a travel day, with its obligatory mechanical mishaps (Casey's transmission, snake show truck's brakes - at least I think so for I was behind it the last leg of the trip and its rear tires were smoking so bad every time he hit the brakes you'd have thought he had blown a tire; he kept leaving little skid marks, like punctuation along the road.)
Last year we had a party for Nicolas' birthday on this lot, and we were parked exactly at the same spot. Natalie was very pregnant, about to leave to give birth to Genevieve.
We moved ahead of schedule because no place could be arranged for us to set up in the previous town, so there are no shows today; it has morphed into a travel day, with its obligatory mechanical mishaps (Casey's transmission, snake show truck's brakes - at least I think so for I was behind it the last leg of the trip and its rear tires were smoking so bad every time he hit the brakes you'd have thought he had blown a tire; he kept leaving little skid marks, like punctuation along the road.)
Monday, April 05, 2010
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Health update, with Easter bonnets.
April 4, Ozark.
Or rather a parking lot off the fairgrounds for the day, a day off for Easter as every year, with an egg hunt and an invitation to a restaurant for the whole show, as always. This year there was also an Easter bonnet contest (for adults and children alike.)
I took pictures but didn't take the kids.
Too bad, for Dylan especially, as this was the first year that he could have enjoyed it. He's been doing remarkably well, only feeling sick on Monday, when I took him in. Still I kept him in the first days for I was most concerned about Liam being exposed; by Thursday he was out and about again, as he had not been contagious for a while, if he ever was. We must be either eating well (thanks, Brian,) or I've been doing a good job at maintaining the family strong and healthy (pat on my shoulder, pat on my shoulder,) or the medicine really works.
Most likely a little bit of all.
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Friday, April 02, 2010
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Forgotten circus news update.
April 1, Mena.
We picked up Zefta and Renzo back in Hugo. They will be with us for the rest of the season.
We picked up Zefta and Renzo back in Hugo. They will be with us for the rest of the season.
Department of mechanical problems.
April 1, Mena.
The axle on Steve's trailer broke upon arriving onto the lot this morning.
Castro was called upon to do his magic - and did it.
Remembering Myrna.
April 1, Mena.
On this lot two years ago began the saga of Myrna.
Fridman just called her to remind her and see how she was. She asked about our new cook.
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