June 19, Saugerties, New York (45 miles, sports complex.)
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Millbrook.
June 18, Millbrook.
Martha Stewart has a house in the area. So do Katie Couric and Mary Tyler Moore.
There was a nice farmer's market downtown this morning, croissant at almost three dollars and organic everything. And two other full houses.
Martha Stewart has a house in the area. So do Katie Couric and Mary Tyler Moore.
There was a nice farmer's market downtown this morning, croissant at almost three dollars and organic everything. And two other full houses.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
The drives.
June 17, Cortland Manor.
Something about not being on a certain highway after seven in the morning had me frazzled all drive long, so stressful those drives, the rain, the dark, like this morning, or traffic, and the maze of East Coast highways, and it's a sigh of relief when I turn off the engine, safe, on time, home for the next twenty-four hours. We had a five o'clock call in order to be off the Bear Mountain Parkway before seven and of course a whole caravan of us wasn't, didn't even get on the highway by that time, much less got off of it, but nothing happened, we just drove on.
I started getting some asthma on the way, the feeling of closing in on my lungs, take a deep breath and breathe but you can't.
Something about not being on a certain highway after seven in the morning had me frazzled all drive long, so stressful those drives, the rain, the dark, like this morning, or traffic, and the maze of East Coast highways, and it's a sigh of relief when I turn off the engine, safe, on time, home for the next twenty-four hours. We had a five o'clock call in order to be off the Bear Mountain Parkway before seven and of course a whole caravan of us wasn't, didn't even get on the highway by that time, much less got off of it, but nothing happened, we just drove on.
I started getting some asthma on the way, the feeling of closing in on my lungs, take a deep breath and breathe but you can't.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Strip mall sadness.
June 16, Napanoch.
The Napanoch Valley mall is a familiar sight.
We played here two years ago; it came back as we pulled in, the only sign of change a lot more weeds. It has been a constant sight along the road these past two years: a strip mall gone extinct, sitting empty but filling the area around it with its neglect. It is a familiar sight but no less gripping for it, this ubiquitous sight of an economy gone bad at the most basic level, affecting a whole community along with its demise, the loss of jobs only second to the loss of that vitality which makes a neighborhood, a small town.
This mall now sometimes hosts a flea market site on week ends, the Ames sign in the marquee is ripped and fading, the trace of a store long gone, cracks and craters in the parking lot, where the circus is, bits of pavement on the ground, and detritus, broken glass, weeds taking over.
Several New York correctional facilities are a few miles up the road.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Lush.
June 14, Greenwood Lake.
The horses in the morning in the lush grass, waves.
By afternoon they had chewed it down to a stubble.
Full houses.
JJune 14, Greenwood Lake.
Both shows full, rain again and a surprise visit by Courtney.
The Secaucus dash was so successful as well, the city, our sponsor, asked us back for two days next year.
Let the good times roll.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Tiny's help.
June 13, Greenwood Lake.
The day without shows filled with its own languor, slipping out from under us, just an extraordinary day off in a circus season.
Jeremiah's younger brother, barely eighteen, joined us last week to take care of the ponies along with Tiny. Their blue shirts in concert as they worked in the field behind the circus.
Secaucus.
June 13, Greenwood Lake.
Secaucus, right by the City.
So close.
Half the circus got lost on the way in, New Jersey road maze crash course for small-town America circus drivers (confusing directions made everything worse.) The Fuscos went by the same toll booth three times; the attendant recognized them the third time around and let them by with no charge.
Kristine came by; we met with her sister and went for lunch at an Indian restaurant on Route 17, then for ice-cream at Carvel's. Kris bought a little Fiat, the new version of the "yogurt pot" car of my childhood, and it has turned out to be a road novelty and a guy magnet. The last of today's long series of comments and thumbs-up, an old Latino guy in an oversized red Cadillac pulled over next to us at a traffic light, rolled down the window and said, "Nice car." We said we liked his and he chuckled.
We were in and out of Secaucus in a few hours as we had to move last night to avoid weekday morning traffic. It was a stressful drive for me, the blind night driver. The reward: two whole days here plus a day off today.
This is a beautiful lot in a postcard-perfect mountain village.
Secaucus, right by the City.
So close.
Half the circus got lost on the way in, New Jersey road maze crash course for small-town America circus drivers (confusing directions made everything worse.) The Fuscos went by the same toll booth three times; the attendant recognized them the third time around and let them by with no charge.
Kristine came by; we met with her sister and went for lunch at an Indian restaurant on Route 17, then for ice-cream at Carvel's. Kris bought a little Fiat, the new version of the "yogurt pot" car of my childhood, and it has turned out to be a road novelty and a guy magnet. The last of today's long series of comments and thumbs-up, an old Latino guy in an oversized red Cadillac pulled over next to us at a traffic light, rolled down the window and said, "Nice car." We said we liked his and he chuckled.
We were in and out of Secaucus in a few hours as we had to move last night to avoid weekday morning traffic. It was a stressful drive for me, the blind night driver. The reward: two whole days here plus a day off today.
This is a beautiful lot in a postcard-perfect mountain village.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Ritual ice-cream ride.
June 11, Plumsteadville.
A little advertising while enjoying your Death by Chocolate cone: some of the performers rode in fire trucks to Chubbys Ice-Cream shop across the street, the way they did last year, our little Kelly Miller Circus yearly tradition, unless it's pouring down rain, as it did two years ago, and did just minutes after we got back to the lot this time around too.
The ice-cream was just as good, and there were even some of those tee-shirts I love left over from last year.
A little advertising while enjoying your Death by Chocolate cone: some of the performers rode in fire trucks to Chubbys Ice-Cream shop across the street, the way they did last year, our little Kelly Miller Circus yearly tradition, unless it's pouring down rain, as it did two years ago, and did just minutes after we got back to the lot this time around too.
The ice-cream was just as good, and there were even some of those tee-shirts I love left over from last year.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Home deco redux.
June 11, Plumsteadville.
Browsing through vintage decoration magazines gave me the idea of showing off a little circus motor-home decoration of my own.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Light.
June 9, Ringoes.
Intense heat, unbearable heat, and then by late afternoon it gets better, and then a storm and we can breathe again.
The sun set behind the circus after the storm and lit it like a ring light.
Thursday, June 09, 2011
New computer.
June 8, Mullica Hill.
New computer (no sales tax in Delaware) and a quick stop at Mary Ellen's again. It's hot in her house with no air-conditioning.
New computer (no sales tax in Delaware) and a quick stop at Mary Ellen's again. It's hot in her house with no air-conditioning.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
At the beach.
June 7, Egg Harbor.
Yesterday we went to the beach in Atlantic City then ate at the Galloway diner with Castro to celebrate the day off.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Two dogs and a boy.
June 6, Egg Harbor.
Nicolas spent the day with Mary Ellen's two dogs, Ella and her son Rock, and I was once again taken by surprise.
The first time was in France, going to school, and now cuddling with dogs twice bigger than he is.
Beware of what you think you know.
Off.
June 6, Egg Harbor.
I spent the past two days in Wilmington at my friend Mary Ellen's, and Dylan spent the past two days non-stop laying with Mary Ellen's grand-daughter Porschia, who is six years old.
We have the day off today, no town was booked.
It is also Fridman's birthday. No plans yet.
Saturday, June 04, 2011
Friday, June 03, 2011
Russian swing.
June 3, Bridgeton.
The week before last, Nellie drove to Florida and brought back a Russian swing.
Practice began today with the Poemas, Delena, Raul and Fridman.
Perfect patch.
June 3, Bridgeton.
Can't get any better than that.
A stop at Mecca (FlyingJ truck stop, dumping Mecca.) No traffic on I-95. And then, driving in Southern New Jersey, and nobody on the road, nobody and my little patch of tainted paradise, and a cup of coffee, the radio on, the kids asleep.
It can't get any better than that for the kid from Southern France who grew up among mimosas and olive trees and dreamed of urban jungles.
I am delirious enough to love New Jersey.
Can't get any better than that.
A stop at Mecca (FlyingJ truck stop, dumping Mecca.) No traffic on I-95. And then, driving in Southern New Jersey, and nobody on the road, nobody and my little patch of tainted paradise, and a cup of coffee, the radio on, the kids asleep.
It can't get any better than that for the kid from Southern France who grew up among mimosas and olive trees and dreamed of urban jungles.
I am delirious enough to love New Jersey.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Noah's ark.
June 2, Havre de Grace.
The Poema family is its own Noah's ark.
Four kids, four dogs, a bunny rabbit, a big horse, a row of overflowing plants, and Adrian and Nellie hovering over all this kingdom in motion, keeping it all in stride. They're both from old circus families, the Hannefords and the Poemas, together they span two continents and the same tradition, to them this is life, life and love and work, not thought of, just done, as it has been done for generations, the generations they uphold.
Every morning the kids are busy taking all the animals out, feeding them, setting out the pens, filling water buckets, taking care of them, and every night the work is reversed and everything goes back into the trailer, the arch enfolded.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Pool party for all.
June 1, New Freedom.
We bought a new pool.
The pool party was a success.
The kids fell asleep as one.
I feel like having a little party of my own.
An accident.
June 1, New Freedom.
There was an accident yesterday morning and Francisco, one of the tent crew, was hurt.
He was raising one of the circus flood lights when the glass on one of them came loose and fell on him, cutting him badly in the neck. He was transported to the hospital in Frederick, ten miles away.
There was an accident yesterday morning and Francisco, one of the tent crew, was hurt.
He was raising one of the circus flood lights when the glass on one of them came loose and fell on him, cutting him badly in the neck. He was transported to the hospital in Frederick, ten miles away.
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