Time Flies

  Hard to believe it has been about two weeks since Bakersfield. But as I mentioned in a post before the season started, time on the road goes by like the proverbial shot. 
  We are still in California but in more green, less mountainous areas.  The jumps have been shorter which of course allows for more time during the day to get things done.  That's always very nice!
  My niece April came to visit over the last week.  She celebrated her 19th birthday while she was here.  She is the second oldest of  R & R's five kids.  It's hard to imagine her being almost 20 as the images of April  toddling around in her Snoopy t-shirt and brightly colored kids' sunglasses are so fresh in my mind.  I always say that the kids get older but I don't feel older.  How'd I get to be 41???  When you're on the road time flies and when you have kids or have nieces or nephews that you're close to, time flies.  I see them grow and change so quickly and yet I feel the same.  
  April has always marched to the beat of her own drum.  She doesn't compare herself to others; she compares herself to herself as she tries to improve herself, move forward and try new things.  She has a quiet strength about her and is a deep thinker.  The most remarkable thing about April is her seemingly endless list of talents.  Most of which she has honed and perfected on her own.  Her incredible artistic abilities spill over into her make up transformations on herself and other people.  She has a natural eye for coloring, contouring, highlighting and all those make up terms that sometimes confuse women.  Her tattoo artwork is some of the best and most original I've seen. It blows out of the water much of the artwork I've seen any so-called professional conjure up on the walls of tattoo shops anywhere.  She spends countless hours creating tattoo artwork masterpieces on clothing, shoes, banners, tote bags,etc and has created a demand for her original creations.  April also has immeasurable patience.  This is evident when she is dealing with the public, particularly children at her face painting stand or helping out at the novelty stand.  One talent that showcases her seemingly Job-like patience for tedium is her jewelry making.  This started out a few years ago when April was just kind of fooling around repairing some jewelry.  That sparked an interest in creating her own pieces and the rest as they say, is history. She's made countless pieces for family and friends over the years and has continued to create a demand for her jewelry.  There are two particular pieces that I have that always get compliments every single time I wear them.  My favorite thing she does is making custom pieces to match outfits.  She knows what she's doing, and again, this talent was cultivated on her own. 
  When April was on the show, almost every Sunday on Culpepper was "pedicure Domingo."  This is when April would offer the girls on the show what I consider, bar none, the world's best ever pedicure.  Now, I have been to nail salons all over and I can attest to the fact that April's pedicures are by far better than any professionals' work.  Lord knows she's had plenty of practice giving pedicures, because again, she's created a demand.

Me and "Kin"

  The thing about April is that she's fun and full of life.  She's not afraid of much, or if she is, she surely doesn't show it.  I appreciate her quiet strength, boldness to speak up, to be honest, original and to be funny and be herself no matter where she is.  I have a favorite great aunt who has long since passed that shared those same qualities.  I often thought that my aunt would've gotten along oh so well with April! 

Taking a Breather

  Bakersfield brings to mind Buck Owens.  The country music icon with his original Bakersfield sound inspiring many country music artists throughout the years.  I've been a fan of Buck's since I was a kid, but never made it to Bakersfield until I came to Culpepper. 
  This San Joaquin Valley city offers plenty to see and do.  With perfect weather on a perfect grassy lot our stay has been eventful.  Not only because of the arrival of the new tent but because of the shopping, movies and trips to the playground/sprinkler park everyone has been able to enjoy.  But I think the most appealing thing about this multiple day stand isn't just the Starbucks, hair & nail salons, movie theater and Von's up the street, but the sleep we are able to catch up on.  Speaking for myself, I mostly keep the schedule of my two year old.  There are days that no matter how much I'd like to take a nap, she does not.  And some nights that no matter how much I'd like to get to bed before 11:00pm, she does not.  So being able to sleep in is the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear a two or three day stand is coming up.
  Not only do I look forward to catching up on a few winks, but I really love the extra time I get to spend with the kids without feeling so rushed at times.  It's nice to put the dogs in their pen after the second show and look forward to spending more time with the girls instead of rushing to put the props away, putting the dogs in their traveling kennels, making sure p.j.s are on, the house is packed down and teeth are brushed all before the generator goes off.  Multiple day stands offer a nice change of pace and a chance to take a breath.  These are the days I can really enjoy watching a dvd with Georgia or playing ball with Tootie because I can be all there; I don't  have to think about how much time I have left before I have to get some routine task taken care of.
  While the big city attractions are fun, it's in just being together that we make our own fun.  Our morning stroll to Starbucks with Simone, Lana & our resident clown Melvino was just as enjoyable as it could be.  And playing with the girls and Noah in the inflatable pools was tons of fun!  We did get a little extra sun, but that won't keep us from refilling the pool with fresh water tomorrow and loading up on extra sunblock!  Toot had a super time on the swings and there was lots of laughter coming from the sprinkler park.  Tomorrow, after horse shoes, I thought I'd surprise the girls with a picnic in the park.  We'll have plenty of time.

          "Love one another." -- Arnie Barr  
            "Pace yourself." -- Ava Houle

Big Tops Old & New



Feb. 1995 - May 2011

   Lake Isabella is a vacation paradise located in the Kern Valley in southern California.  It is naturally beautiful  with its picturesque green rolling hills, giant boulders planted along the hill and mountain sides and the waters that practically call out to swimmers and boaters.  However, it's difficult to maneuver anything much bigger than a full sized truck let alone semis and travel trailers on highway 178 leading into the resort town.  Coming from dry isolated Trona, Lake Isabella was a welcomed change in scenery and shopping.  I'll remember this town  not just for its beauty but also because it was the last town in which the circus used its old big top.

  There was a lot of history associated with the old tent that saw far more seasons than most.  Since the show purchased the previous tent in February 1995, there have been 7 weddings held under it.  It's had two owners and over a quarter of a million people inside to watch more than 7,000 performances.  Television stations like A & E and Nickelodeon have come to Culpepper to film portions of and full documentaries. It was raised more than 3,500 times and was taken down for the last time on May 5th 2011.  My brother-in-law, Ron said it well when he likened the tent being retired on the road as a kind of "burial at sea."

  Since my first year on the show in 2000, C & M has always kind of felt like a "home away from home."  Everyone has always been more than welcoming.  This is the show that I restarted my circus career on after having sort of retired for about three years.  I've made a lot of wonderful friends here and even got married under the old tent. We brought Georgia to C&M when she was just a few weeks old back in the spring of 2003 and it was her "home" for her first 3 years.  I was here when 9/11 happened.  It was also this show that I had the honor of being a part of the Zack Lopez scholarship fund raiser at the high school in Kountze, TX.  We've seen the red woods and Mount Rushmore in our travels with Culpepper and have visited Leadville, CO on more than one occasion.

  I've asked Trey for two small pieces of the tent to pass along to the girls, which he happily obliged.  And when the time comes for a new ring mat I'll look forward to a piece of the old one as well.  It was bought brand new in 2001 just for my wedding and as Simone reminded me, it was the first thing that happened on the ring mat.

  The new tent arrived here in Bakersfield.  It sure is pretty and bright with that new tent smell.  Several people have mentioned that it was too bad the show couldn't keep the old tent on the road to set up on the bad lots and put the new one up on the good lots.  That would save on the wear & tear of the new tent but of course is not practical. It occurred to me today that I've never been on a show that saw the maiden voyage of a new big top.  It is yet another special time to be here and to see everyone so happy, myself included, in seeing the new tent be raised for the first time.   In seeing the old big top off and welcoming the new one in, I felt honored to be a little part of Culpepper circus history especially since this show also holds a special part of my own family's circus history. 

Pounding Salt





This artificial road sign is the first thing visitors
of the local historical museum will see.

 

   The other morning I was talking to my sister Lauren during a long morning jump.  It was the perfect time to catch up on each other's lives.  I had a long drive on a lonely highway.  The kids were asleep and being 3 hours behind Lauren's eastern standard time made it convenient for her to chat for a while.  The show had only been in California for a day and we started talking about some of the memorable towns we've visited in the state over the last 15 years or so.  Towns like Corcoran where the prison that houses Charles Manson and the Menendez brother is located.  And Salton Sea, a former Las Vegas type resort town that reached it pinnacle in the '50's & '60's until a natural increase in saline wrecked the aquatic life, the fishing and the tourism.  It is sort of a ghost town now.  And of course we reminisced about Trona.  An isolated town established long ago by John Searles who developed the borax and potash mining industry.  To my surprise the following day, the show was headed to Trona.

   On the outskirts of town I pointed out the above ground water pipes that ran along highway 178 for a few miles.  To us they sort of looked like roller coaster tracks.  As we drove into town Georgia and I talked about what it must have been like for John Searles and his fellow visionaries to travel to such a desolate area so long ago.  We also took in the massive  boulders, rocky cliffs and Joshua trees that were on either side of us. 



 

Dirt ball field

 

  The population of this desert town is about 2,700.  It's located in the Searles Valley in the greater Mojave Desert southwest of Death Valley.  The town takes its name from the mineral trona which is abundant in the dry lake beds.  There are a little over 150 students that attend the high school.   The Trona Tornadoes play on dirt football and baseball fields.  There are a couple of restaurants, gas stations, a few small stores, churches, houses, trailers & mobile homes that dot the neighborhoods.  We couldn't help but notice a makeshift fence encircling someone's backyard made entirely of doors.  Different colors and made of different materials.  Grass does not grow in Trona because there is too much salt in the ground.  In fact the dirt resembles beach sand.

  I did make a quick stop into the historical society museum.  As I stepped inside, I wondered what this old, very long white wooden structure was originally built for.   It was quite impressive with nice displays of photographs, mule team statuettes, and lots of historical artifacts including clothing worn by John Searles.  You can purchase plenty of souvenirs: mugs, sot glasses, shirts, fridge magnets (I bought 2), and pieces of pure borax, hanksite and many other hunks of local rocks. 

  Though the town was officially established around 1913, it took Hollywood many years to discover its natural settings, particularly the famous Trona Pinnacles would be ideal sets for such movies at Planet of the Apes (Georgia's most recent fascination after having been to Trona) and Star Trek V, the final Voyage.  In fact a movie called Trona was made in 2005 and Just Add Water was filmed there around 2008.

The Trona Pinnacles

  It doesn't seem to be the kind of place that has a rather steady influx of new folks in the neighborhoods.  After all, there are no shopping malls, no resorts, no condos, no fishing, no beaches or movie theaters in Trona.  The locals don't seem to mind the lack of grass, shrubs, flowerbeds or town landscaping.  I imagine they have a deep appreciation for the vast stretch of mountains all around that maybe make up for the lack of color.   They are awfully nice and very hospitable.  I got the impression that everyone knows everybody and no one locks their doors at night.