This post was started several weeks ago...but alas, I lost my inspiration in it...
Several Wednesday's ago I had the pleasure of enjoying one of the BEST days I've had in a long, long time! Yesterday, in the cool early morning light, Carson and Barnes Circus rolled into town! With the passing of my uncle last month, my sister and I were eager to watch the circus set up, something we did when we were young with our dad, and uncle. We thought that would be a PERFECT way to remember uncle Mike. Michele took the day off easy, but for me its not as simple of course, but either my sister or mom had the idea to take the little boy I babysit to watch the circus set up! The plans were set, the T-shirts dug out, and I went to bed excited for the next morning!
The morning started out normally enough, until we hit the circus! After finding Michele, Adam and I settled in to watch the circus set up! Slowly I saw the tent raise, the workers climbing the scaffolding, the tent, and attaching odds and ends before the tent roof gained its life force! Slowly the poles began to roll around, forcing the roof of the tent to tighten and wave in the cool breeze of the September morning. Adam was excited to bits about the opportunity to see the great elephants! We would often step away from the excitement of the tent being stretched into its giant form, to visit the elephants and the other animals. With the tent nearly finished, the announcement went out! There would be a tight rope show! That excited all of us to no end, and when the time came, we watched the workers scale the tent, tighten a wire on top of the tent, and then the fearless performer scaled the scaffolding to the very top of the tent and to the wire hanging sixty feet above the earth! With what seemed to be otherworldly skill, the tight rope walker scaled the wire one way, on the way back though, he slipped, whether this was for effect or a true mistake, I will never know, but it elicited a gasp of shock and fear from all watching! With the crowd behind him, cheering excitedly, he attempted his journey again, this time with no difficulty!
Our next stop was to watch an elephant demonstration! The greatest part of having a wee one with me, was being able to quickly walk to the front row for the elephant demonstration. Michele took her spot beside us, and a few treasured green apples were disbursed between the school children that lined the gate of the elephant pin. The massive, graceful creatures were each introduce, Asha, Libby, and Opal, I do hope I spelled the first one right...Our first elephant, Asha was our feeding elephant! She walked to each of the children that held the treasured apples, and with the signal "take it" her long trunk would search out the sweet scent, and gently remove the treat from the child's hand and pop it into her own mouth! Her trunk would later travel very close to Adam and I as she searched for another apple.
After our elephant viewing, we sat in to watch a juggling demonstration. One of the workers/performers showed some of the children how to juggle, using delightful demonstrations with the children being involved including random moments of juggling balls being tossed to children to let them "try" to juggle. To the joy of the children, he even chose to juggle a few other items, a water bottle, and even a cell phone! We wandered a bit more, and saw the hippo as it began to lounge on the crispy parched grass. Toward the end however, Adam became a bit fidgety, which was to be expected as he is so young. Once everything was set up, and the demonstrations were over, Adam and I left the circus, Adam was of course thrilled to be going, again, he was going stir crazy haha! With two short trips, meds for me, a trip to the music store for his older sister, by the way I found one of the few circus posters in that music store! I also asked that they hold it back for me, its currently hanging out under the plastic on the dinning room table to protect it from "accidents".
Finally we were going to the place Adam had been asking about all day, in fact he had asked SO many times I told him to stop asking or we wouldn't go, we went to McDonalds! We huddled inside and made our orders! With food in hand, we made our way to the play room, and might I add, the person who made it INSIDE in the new McDonalds is a GENIUS! I never noticed the heat or nastyness of the playplace outdoors as a child, but as a sitter I'm grateful for the comfortable booths, and CIRCULATED air, no old foot odor! Adam parked us at the smallest table, but being a not petite gal, I had to move myself to a real booth or I'd get stuck at the seat! Adam kept eating and I sat at the booth across, eventually he was worried about not being able to play so I told him he could play, and come eat between. That did the trick! We moved his food to the booth, and he ran off, putting his shoes into the cupboard, and diving into the tubes! There were several of the classic, "hi Tina's!" from the tops of the playplace. The best part had to be the fact that when I said it was time to go, there was no screaming or crying! He was completely content to head on home.
The rest of the work day went along as usual, and in time, it was time for me to go home and prepare for the circus! When I arrived at home, I chatted eagerly with my sister while we both waited for mom and dad to return home so we could all go to the circus. We looked at bed and breakfasts to stay at while in North Carolina for a cousins wedding. In time, mom and dad made it home and before long we were hurrying to the grounds for the circus! When we emerged from the cars, the air was crisp and slightly chilly, and the wonderful food smells drifted on the wind as our eyes met the twinkling lights of the midway. We entered into the whimsical other world, filled with elephant and camel rides, toys and souvenirs, ticket sales, pony rides, an inflatable slide, and food vendors. We had arrived through the almost magical tarp portal of ticket takers into this bright beautiful world! In time we made our way into the big canvas tent, and were escorted to box seats in the front of the ring. After settling in the lights dimmed, the ringmaster made his approach and the circus was off to its exciting start!
Before the main acts began though, the current owner of the circus, and friend of my recently passed uncle, made her way to the center of the ring. She greeted the audience, and then said something that to this day makes my heart swell with gratitude. She spoke of how the circus had lost a fantastic friend in Mike Sorrill, my uncle. That it would never be quite the same, and that they, as a circus, were dedicating the shows in Jacksonville to the memory of my uncle. She told us all to have fun, and cheer a lot for my uncle who could no longer be there. Her speech brought a tear to my eye, and the circus had new meaning again. In the past I would have likely criticized my own future over zealousness, but it fit this time. I clapped like a five year old at her first circus, laughed til I cried at the antics of the clowns, savored the delicious buttery taste of the popcorn, and nearly held my breath, for the first time in years! as the acrobats did their acts of daring!
In honor of our fallen family member, my sister and I had vowed that the next circus we went to, we would get an elephant ride! When we were young, we rode the elephants at every circus, but we hadn't done this in years! Well, when the halfway point of the show came up, Michele and I proudly marched to the ticket box, bought our ride coupons, and climbed onto the back of a large beautiful elephant! We laughed as we felt the great animal move and sway below us, and the memories of those childhood elephant rides were revisited. We both had a twinge of self consciousness, but it soon faded as we reveled in another recaptured childhood moment! We bought coloring books, laughed when we heard the tell tale "first time ever!" speel about the peanuts, and eventually clapped our last as the masterful wonders of the circus came to an end. The costumes were splendid, gilded in sequins and adorned with feathers, the clowns in their floppy clothes and wild antics had us in stitches! Tight rope walkers, elephant riders, dog trainers, and the tell tale acrobats all made for a magical time.
With our circus time drawing to a close, we had our coloring books signed, I bought some cotton candy, and we wandered the midway a few seconds. Dad being a bit cheeky, decided to grab my cotton candy, but when he did, it came off the stick, cotton candy, bag, and all! I was mortified and couldn't stop laughing at the same time! We all laughed, and I got a few good whacks with my cotton candy stick, before I tried desperately to put the dilapidated candy floss back on its stick. We laughed our way off the midway and back to our cars, where we all parted, Michele and Nick to Springfield, my parents and I home.
In all, it was probably the best circus time I've had in many, MANY years. I felt my uncles spirit with us under that big top, and my dad had a good laugh off my aunt, Mikes widow. He said she hadn't changed at all! As we watched the tightrope act, she had her mouth agape in fear, and hand over her mouth. So many circuses and she still gets sweaty palms watching the tightrope. I do love my family, quirks and all, they are the BEST family to have, and I love them all to bits!
Love,
Christina
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