May 7, Huntington.
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Friday, May 06, 2011
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Ringling history revisited.
May 3, Rushville.
John Ringling North stepped back into the ring today for the first time since July 1956, when he led the last spec under the tent at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Raining elephants, blind drivers.
May 3, Rushville.
There is no respite from the rain, pouring cats and dogs and circus elephants.
We moved last night because a carnival was coming in to set up where we were parked. Driving at night in the pouring rain it's fair to say I am legally blind.
Monday, May 02, 2011
The news.
May 2, Connersville.
I am just as stunned as the rest of the world, and ecstatic.
Bin Laden off the face of this earth, at last. Only I wish they had captured him alive, and made him pay for his crimes. He had it too easy, dying in a firefight, a quick and violent death, the stuff of martyrdom.
He is dead, but his extremist madness lives on, and I am glad that President Obama took pains to say that this operation should not be interpreted as a move against Islam or Muslims. This is simply an important blow against the poisonous philosophy al-Quaida spews to young minds made susceptible by poverty, injustice and distorted, fiery religious demagoguery. That venom is sure to go on killing and terrorizing, but now is still a time to rejoice in a powerful symbolic victory.
I am just as stunned as the rest of the world, and ecstatic.
Bin Laden off the face of this earth, at last. Only I wish they had captured him alive, and made him pay for his crimes. He had it too easy, dying in a firefight, a quick and violent death, the stuff of martyrdom.
He is dead, but his extremist madness lives on, and I am glad that President Obama took pains to say that this operation should not be interpreted as a move against Islam or Muslims. This is simply an important blow against the poisonous philosophy al-Quaida spews to young minds made susceptible by poverty, injustice and distorted, fiery religious demagoguery. That venom is sure to go on killing and terrorizing, but now is still a time to rejoice in a powerful symbolic victory.
Left.
May 2, Connersville.
Darrell and his wife Deloris left abruptly today.
It seems they couldn't take the rhythm of Kelly Miller Circus, or maybe it was the weather we've been having. I meant to interview him any day, thought of it yesterday but had other work to do, and now he's gone.
Never leave until tomorrow, etc, etc.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Poker.
April 30, Madison.
Jeremiah arranged a poker party tonight in front of John's trailer. There was no pie car as we are in the middle of too many a fast food place where the guys can go get food.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Sunny.
April 29, Charlestown.
Mr North arrived today from Ireland and all the circus was invited to an early Cinco de Mayo celebrations at a restaurant owned by Tavana's youngest sister here in Charlestown. It hasn't rained yet today.
Mr North arrived today from Ireland and all the circus was invited to an early Cinco de Mayo celebrations at a restaurant owned by Tavana's youngest sister here in Charlestown. It hasn't rained yet today.
Repeat (an unexpected day off.)
April 28, Charlestown.
Sometimes life gets in the way of the circus - and sometimes it's not so bad.
Tell City was canceled; they are sandbagging, trying to save their town. Last night was rough, trailers rocking in the wind like feathers, but nothing to compare with the devastation down South. We had to wait until mid-day to leave the lot as we had to find a dry one in Charlestown, and the one we found, on school grounds, couldn't let us in until late in the afternoon.
So the impromptu day off unfolded as we waited and the kids made playground of the parking lot and the sun came out. Call it a party, under the circumstances.
Later we drove here, a long jump and a scenic road not made for trucks, flooding everywhere, making the landscape unexpectedly beautiful, and we arrived just short of more rain, but safe, and with an evening to spare. Call it a good day.
Later still we went to the movies, and we ran into the Poemas, Oscar, and others; we stuffed ourselves silly on pop-corn and the kids went to sleep in our laps.
Sometimes life gets in the way of the circus - and sometimes it's not so bad.
Tell City was canceled; they are sandbagging, trying to save their town. Last night was rough, trailers rocking in the wind like feathers, but nothing to compare with the devastation down South. We had to wait until mid-day to leave the lot as we had to find a dry one in Charlestown, and the one we found, on school grounds, couldn't let us in until late in the afternoon.
So the impromptu day off unfolded as we waited and the kids made playground of the parking lot and the sun came out. Call it a party, under the circumstances.
Later we drove here, a long jump and a scenic road not made for trucks, flooding everywhere, making the landscape unexpectedly beautiful, and we arrived just short of more rain, but safe, and with an evening to spare. Call it a good day.
Later still we went to the movies, and we ran into the Poemas, Oscar, and others; we stuffed ourselves silly on pop-corn and the kids went to sleep in our laps.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Our lot.
April 26, Jasonville.
It is becoming old, the rain not stopping, the waiting for another lot to be found, the muddy messes, like a flashback to the 2009 season, the Rain Season.
This morning we parked by the road and sat, and sat, and sat, and finally drove on a few hundred yards to an abandoned grain elevator. There is a big pile of decomposing corn backstage, giant puddles of stinking muddy waters, broken bricks, rusted metal pipes, and a circus.
Easter.
April 24, Clinton.
Two day stand, with a day off (today,) an Easter egg hunt in a soaked field and the Easter bonnet contest at the Chinese restaurant where the circus was treated to a free lunch, our annual Kelly Miller Circus Easter bonanza.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Darrell Hawkins.
April 23, Marshall.
Darrell is eighty-three years old.
He's on the road with Kelly Miller for the fun of it. He joined the circus at fifty-eight after a lifetime of ranching, barbering and other occupations, and he does a rope cracking act that fits right into the Western theme of the show.
The Easter eggs.
April 22, Mount Carmel.
The kids painted Easter eggs this morning at school.
It looks like we'll have the Easter egg hunt on Monday as rain is likely until then, and more strong storms too.
Friday, April 22, 2011
A hell of a drive.
April 22, Mount Carmel.
Tavana was writing about the road in the Mark Twain National Forest the other day, saying how she had to pry her fingers open from the steering wheel when she finally made it to the lot. Other than the engine giving out at every hill and finally dying in the middle of one with a line of trucks behind me, I didn't find that road particularly hard to drive, actually I would have rather enjoyed it with a fully functioning vehicle. But today, today was my turn to pry my hands open from the steering wheel finger by finger. Driving in the dark, with winds and rain pounding and the motor home swerving this way and that on the highway, now that's my road nightmare.
One day at a time, goes the saying.
These rainy stormy days make that day after day after circus day.
Tavana was writing about the road in the Mark Twain National Forest the other day, saying how she had to pry her fingers open from the steering wheel when she finally made it to the lot. Other than the engine giving out at every hill and finally dying in the middle of one with a line of trucks behind me, I didn't find that road particularly hard to drive, actually I would have rather enjoyed it with a fully functioning vehicle. But today, today was my turn to pry my hands open from the steering wheel finger by finger. Driving in the dark, with winds and rain pounding and the motor home swerving this way and that on the highway, now that's my road nightmare.
One day at a time, goes the saying.
These rainy stormy days make that day after day after circus day.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The show goes on.
April 19, Pana.
One of the worst storms I've lived through, a tornado threat, running for your life, but there was a show.
Right after we made it safe to the hospital and it appeared that the storm had lightened a little, Fridman called John to see if he was safe. He was told there would be an hour-long show in no time. And so there was, and there she was, the same woman who had served juice and cookies to the kids in the basement (she had been stuck at her workplace on her way to the circus when the storm hit.)
Running for your life one minute and getting into your costume the next, that's circus life for you, folks.
One of the worst storms I've lived through, a tornado threat, running for your life, but there was a show.
Right after we made it safe to the hospital and it appeared that the storm had lightened a little, Fridman called John to see if he was safe. He was told there would be an hour-long show in no time. And so there was, and there she was, the same woman who had served juice and cookies to the kids in the basement (she had been stuck at her workplace on her way to the circus when the storm hit.)
Running for your life one minute and getting into your costume the next, that's circus life for you, folks.
Running for your life.
April 19, Pana.
At six o'clock tonight a severe storm hit.
It came so fast the siren was on before I realized what was happening, all of a sudden a wall of darkness approaching and the tornado warning siren, and I rushed home and it went on and on, we stayed in the trailer because by that time the lightning and hail were bad and walking through the storm could have been dangerous, but the siren went on and as I was looking out the window listening to the radio for news there was a fireball behind the house across the street and then huge flames shooting up, we learned later that it was a transformer that had blown up, and Fridman was calling John, then Sara, to try to see what they were doing and if they were safe, Sara had run to the hospital, one block away, and so when the hail stopped a little we decided to run there too, running because the car was too far away, and here they were, the Fuscos and the Poemas, and town people too, in the hospital basement, and you catch yourself breathing again, and even smiling, there are all the familiar faces and they are safe, and soon the worst of the storm was tampering off.
The rest of the circus had gathered under a giant gazebo, by the cookhouse, apparently because there was a tornado shelter under it (but it was locked.) John was there.
Between walking among lightning and hail and being in a trailer when a tornado hits it was an excruciating decision but, luckily, one we made for nothing but getting wet as a rag.
Before the storm I had let the kids play in the mud and it was joy itself to watch them.
At six o'clock tonight a severe storm hit.
It came so fast the siren was on before I realized what was happening, all of a sudden a wall of darkness approaching and the tornado warning siren, and I rushed home and it went on and on, we stayed in the trailer because by that time the lightning and hail were bad and walking through the storm could have been dangerous, but the siren went on and as I was looking out the window listening to the radio for news there was a fireball behind the house across the street and then huge flames shooting up, we learned later that it was a transformer that had blown up, and Fridman was calling John, then Sara, to try to see what they were doing and if they were safe, Sara had run to the hospital, one block away, and so when the hail stopped a little we decided to run there too, running because the car was too far away, and here they were, the Fuscos and the Poemas, and town people too, in the hospital basement, and you catch yourself breathing again, and even smiling, there are all the familiar faces and they are safe, and soon the worst of the storm was tampering off.
The rest of the circus had gathered under a giant gazebo, by the cookhouse, apparently because there was a tornado shelter under it (but it was locked.) John was there.
Between walking among lightning and hail and being in a trailer when a tornado hits it was an excruciating decision but, luckily, one we made for nothing but getting wet as a rag.
Before the storm I had let the kids play in the mud and it was joy itself to watch them.
Off.
April 18, Litchfield.
I drove up to Jacksonville for the day and spent the night at Liliana's.
(From left, Julie, Liliana, and Zuzana.)
Friends.
April 17, Jerseyville.
My friends from Jacksonville came down to visit.
Tiffany and Steve, Liliana, and time stops for friends you don't see that often, especially when you love them more every time.
We ended the precious short moment by going to dinner at a family restaurant down main street, and stepped into Americana, all red, white and blue kitsch and the kids in their Little League baseball outfits lined up in front of their ice-cream floats, the perfect picture for a perfect evening.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Bug.
April 17, Jerseyville.
Nicolas threw up water all day with clockwork regularity yesterday and I got really worried that he was going to get dangerously dehydrated and end up in the hospital with an IV in his arm, a repeat of two years ago. But at eight o'clock he peed, and again at midnight, so we knew he was getting some fluids in between the trips to the bathroom. There is a virus that's been going around in the circus in the past few days, making first Mariana, then Flaco, then many others sick, but so far everybody has recovered well. Only with young children you never know.
There was Doricela's and Franco Giovanni's birthday party outside last night but we couldn't go. Dylan desperately wanted to but then said he was going to rest for a little while, plopped down on his bed and was out for the night.
I yearned to follow but needed to watch Nicolas.
Today he is better; it's one o clock and he hasn't thrown up, but I make sure I give him little food and water at a time still.
Nicolas threw up water all day with clockwork regularity yesterday and I got really worried that he was going to get dangerously dehydrated and end up in the hospital with an IV in his arm, a repeat of two years ago. But at eight o'clock he peed, and again at midnight, so we knew he was getting some fluids in between the trips to the bathroom. There is a virus that's been going around in the circus in the past few days, making first Mariana, then Flaco, then many others sick, but so far everybody has recovered well. Only with young children you never know.
There was Doricela's and Franco Giovanni's birthday party outside last night but we couldn't go. Dylan desperately wanted to but then said he was going to rest for a little while, plopped down on his bed and was out for the night.
I yearned to follow but needed to watch Nicolas.
Today he is better; it's one o clock and he hasn't thrown up, but I make sure I give him little food and water at a time still.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
News.
April 16, New Athens.
The show was full yesterday but the day difficult for everyone.
Today it looks like it's going to snow. And Nicolas just threw up all over the bathroom rug, avoiding the toilet bowl by a few inches.
The show was full yesterday but the day difficult for everyone.
Today it looks like it's going to snow. And Nicolas just threw up all over the bathroom rug, avoiding the toilet bowl by a few inches.
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