Mountains, Holidays, Birthdays, Good Friends & Drive Shafts...what a week!



Happy Easter everyone!



  Coolidge, AZ.  The hometown of Waylon Jennings.  It doesn't boast much else except a super Wal-Mart, a dusty feed store ran by the southwest's answer to Wilfred Brimley and the Gallopin' Goose.  The Goose is a bar & grill located at the front of the rocky field we set up on the Monday after Easter.  It was an oasis for several of us last Saturday night after a long white knuckled mountainous drive, complete with a long 6% downgrade followed by a nice 7%.  After a tense night jump like that, most people find themselves with a sense of relief in having made it safely to the lot combined with leftover raw nerves in having to navigate hairpin steep turns...all while pulling a trailer of some sort.  As tired as you can be, you find you're too keyed up to sleep.  The Goose provided many of us a place to unwind, grab a bite of surprisingly half-way decent food & enjoy a surprisingly decent live band. 

 


Easter egg masterpieces!

 

  After a while we all headed back to the lot and I later joined Robin in her trailer to put together Easter baskets for the kids.  Since we'd done our Easter shopping a couple weeks prior, we were all set to customize each basket with candies and toys.  All the kids were very pleasantly surprised Easter morning when they discovered what the Easter bunny had left!  I was equally surprised as my nieces gave me two beautiful Easter baskets...they know all my favorite candies!  Robin surprisied me with the prettiest foil wrapped chocolates that resembled bumble bees & lady bugs...almost too pretty to unwrap!

  We first colored eggs in my house... all the kids, Robin, Simone and Mrs. Perez gathered in our trailer to color eggs.  We were more than prepared with five dozen hard boiled eggs, lots of color packs, decorations, cups, vinegar & crayons.  Lots of Easter egg masterpieces were created and we all had lots of fun with little mess.



Birthday Toot



  Robin outdid herself with an awesome Easter dinner complete with ham, two perfectly prepared  turkeys and plenty of sides.  We all ate far too much but enjoyed every minute of it!  After Easter dinner the birthday party got started.  Since the girls' birthdays are just a few days apart, I decided to have them together on Easter so everyone could attend.  Two pretty cakes and lots of presents made the girls very happy!  We all got a kick out of watching Toot open her presents and respond with "OH, WOW!" many times!  She had to put on her headbands Simone got her and of course the baby high heels from R & R were a must to sport asap!  Georgia was thrilled with the beautiful clothes her cousins got her, along with art sets, funny cards, movies and the giant life-size sock monkey.  After the party the adults hid the fancy Easter eggs all over the lot.  The older kids gave Toot the right of way many times and everyone was happy with their basket full of hard boiled and candy eggs.  All in all, it was more than a memorable day.  

  The birthday fun continued into the next day as I headed to the post office to pick up a couple of boxes from Kelly Miller.  Goodies & cards from the folks at K.M. very pleasantly surprised the girls! Thanks to everyone at K.M.! :))

  This last week Georgia's school books finally came.  She enjoys school and often gets most of her lessons done on the drives in the morning.  I check her work later in the day and most often find she's done well.  Her favorite subjects are science and language. Math is her least favorite although she does well in it.



Left to right:  Jenna, baby M, Ava, me, Toot
and in the front, Georgia



  In the middle of last week we had another night jump, this time into Black Canyon City.  I had the awesome pleasure of seeing one of my dearest & closest friends whom I haven't seen since 2007.  Time & distance do not keep Ava and I apart in spirit.  Of course with Facebook, texting and chatting on the phone we manage to keep up with each other's lives.  We also got to see one of her beautiful daughters, Jenna again and we got to meet, hold, hug & kiss her grandbaby for the first time!  Baby MacKenna is a couple months younger than Toot, and let me tell you, Toot was happy to have one of her own toddler kind in the house!  They sure seemed to enjoy each other as they played ring around the rosie and generally interacted/played in the toddler kind of way that's too cute to put into words!  Our visit only lasted for a few hours but we all sure enjoyed each other's company.  I hope it won't be another four years till we get to visit again!

  The day before yesterday found us on the side of the road with my Dodge's drive shaft hanging from the undercarriage.  Some telltale rattling gave me warning that something was wrong and before I knew it I heard the worst racket coming from under the truck.  I pulled over right away and discovered the front of the drive line lying on the pavement.  I called our mechanic and he was able to get me going to the nearest dealership to get it bolted back on.  That afternoon I called another dealership and managed to get a much needed flange that will remedy the problem.  There is a small dent in the drive line but it seems I will be ok till I can get one shipped next week.  The only thing that kept coming to mind was the title of a book Gilda Radner wrote years ago entitled, It's Always Something.

  More to come...

The Last Week or So...

  Well, our run through New Mexico came & went and here we are on the second day of a much anticpated two-day stand in Arizona.  Two-day stands are few & far between; these are the days when people catch up on much needed sleep and try to get in an exrta practice session or wash their trucks & trailers.  The girls & I opted for a girls day out and a Starbucks to boot!   This is one of my favorite states.  My best friend and her family live in historic Wickenburg.  We'll visit with them very soon!  The scenery is much like New Mexico but a little more colorful and the winds aren't quite as drastic.  I always enjoy coming though Arizona and am reminded of the vacations my grandparents took back in the '60's & '70's to the Phoenix area.  (I can remember them speaking fondly of their time here.  They didn't mind the dry heat, they loved the history and almost made the Phoenix area their place to retire.  Instead, they settled in St. Augustine, FL, their other favorite vacation place.)   In sticking with my plan to study each state we travel through, Georgia and I will do research on the Grand Canyon State, and will hopefully be able to do some exploring while we here. 
  Well, over the last week or so, we've made some fairly decent jumps from town to town. The weather's been beautiful, warm as a blanket during the day and cool enough to keep the windows open at night.  Most of the lots within the first 30 days are gravely and sandy so I go through lots of shavings in an effort of keep the dogs clean & presentable for the show. We do have the pleasure of grassy lots here & there within the first month and they are much appreciated, but we won't be seeing too much more green till we travel further west.
  During the last week or so we have celebrated Georgia's 8th birthday.  It's an extra special day for our family because she share's Robin's birthday as well.  Genevieve turned two a few days later and though we gave them one present each on their actual birthdays, their party is scheduled for Easter Sunday.  (My very favorite holiday!)  Traveling further west, we not only come across more of our coveted Bank of America and Starbucks but the Wal-Mart Supercenters are plentiful. (Or as I refer to them, the Wal-Mart machines.)
I was fortunate enough to spend Sunday a week ago at a 24 hour Wal-Mart and was able to knock out my Easter shopping and birthday shopping in one night!  I have so far successfully been able to hide the presents and Easter goodies from the girls.  Although they know the party is tomorrow after East dinner and the egg hunt, they have no idea what they will be getting for their birthdays!  And, as an extra special treat, the folks from Kelly-Miller sent the girls presents that are scheduled to arrive in Monday's town!  Thanks to everyone on K.M.!
  In the last week I also learned a dear family friend has suffered a heart attack.  Rick is a big circus fan and is probably one of the most generous people we know.  When he comes to visit us it seems free tickets to the show and circus t-shirts & souvenirs, etc... just aren't enough to match the generous goodies he bestows on his annual circus trips.  Rick is of Polish decent has knows all the best places to get authentic fresh made polish sausage.  He has a line on the best bakery in his area and every year brings us a "bumpy cake."  It's the best chocolate cake I think I've ever had.  Not only that, he brings the girls all kinds of fun stuff.  He keeps up on their latest interests and even though I tell him not to, he brings them tons of goodies.  Georgia says when Rick visits it's like Christmas in summer.  When we found out what had happened to him a few days ago, we were stunned.  In all the years we've known Rick he is always upbeat, always positive and cheery, no matter what.  Needless to say, when we spoke during his hospital stay, he maintained his usual optimistic outlook.  Very inspirational, to say the least!   We wish Rick a very speedy recovery and though we won't get to see him on this tour, we will continue to stay in touch via phone, e mail, etc...  
  Since my last post , I have to say the dog act has improved a lot.  Things are really smoothing out and it is starting to feel like it used to when I had my original line up. I've taken the leashes off the new dogs and feel confident about their behaviors.  They are definitely ready to move on to new behaviors.  I'm very excited about that!
  Tootie is growing by leaps and bounds.  Her vocabulary is also growing bit by bit.  Today she surprised me with her version of Ring Around the Rosie.  I came in from filling the water tank and she took my hands and we circled in the kitchen.  When she got to the "all fall down" part, we happily dropped on the floor and she laughed like crazy!
  Georgia has been keeping busy with her friends and cousins on the show.  After she hits the school books she usually darts out the door and I hardly see her for most of the morning.  Between riding bikes, skate boards, scooters, exploring the lots and playing Wii, she rarely has a dull moment.  I look forward to our nature walks when we get further west and play near more parks with trails.  Of course, she'll have to pencil me in to her social calendar! LOL
  Well, tomorrow's a big day and we head out tonight for Monday's town.  It's about time to get ready for the show and the 5 dozen eggs I am boiling for the hunt tomorrow are almost done.  As I said, Easter is by far my favorite holiday.  Spring's my favorite time of year.  I think it's extra special both of the girls were born in the spring near Easter.  More to come on tomorrow's festivities...
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Learning in New Mexico

  We've been traveling in New Mexico for a few days now and each morning the scenery gets more beautiful.  Our drives through the plains gave way to the majestic mountains today.  Before we reached New Mexico Georgia started asking question about the state.  I thought we'd include school lessons about each state we visit this season.  We've been having fun doing online research about New Mexico.  It is just as rich in historical events as it is in natural beauty.  I decided to start with the state capital and its nickname.  We also learned about the state's history in mining, its vast terrain, most popular recreations and touched on the Rocky Mountains as well. 



William H. Bonney
aka William Henry McCartey



  We decided to research an historical figure and the first name that came up was one of New Mexico's most famous historical figures, Billy the Kid.  Given Georgia's interest in the old west, my first thought was wishing my dad were here to share his vast knowledge of this bygone era with us.  I've seen  movies from the time I was little that included this notorious old western persona but never bothered to do any research.  We discovered that much about William H. Bonney is shrouded in mystery & myth.  No one seems to know for sure when or where he was born (the most common information has come into question).  Though he never married, it's not known if he fathered any children.  This famous scratchy photograph is apparently the only verifiable one in existance.  We discovered he had a very rough start in life.   No one knows if his birth father left Billy, his mother and brother or passed away.  His mother's death landed him and his brother in seperate foster care.  After leaving his foster home he started his famous gunslinging ways.  We read up on everything from his favorite songs & hobbies to the letters he'd witten to Gov. Lew Wallace and interviews given to newspapers.  We were surprised to learn he was buried in Fort Sumner, a town we'd just driven through the other day.  In all he led a violent life and was left to his own devices very early.  Some who knew him gave interviews commenting on his more positive qualities and stated he could've been a valuable member of society if he had a "better start in life."  Our research painted a picture of a real person who made some very poor choices.   We concluded Billy the Kid knew how to survive but not how to live. 

 We will do more research on the state of New Mexico, it's history and other historical figures for the time we are here.  We'll certainly continue to enjoy the scenery on our morning drives as well.  Though the grounds are rather prickly and the red dirt stains our shoes, it won't stop us from doing a little exploring day to day around the lots and around the towns. 

  I have a new appreciation for the Land of Enchantment.  I think Georgia does too.

 

 







Differences

  It's amazing how two children from the same gene pool can be so very different in so many ways.
It's been a while since I've had a toddler in the house, after all, there is a six year age difference between Georgia and Toot.  But I've been around lots of kids my whole life and know that it's almost impossible to completely toddler-proof any home...especially when Tootie lives there! :)
  Genevieve was actually due on Georgia's birthday, which is also my sister Robin's birthday.  She was 5 days late and probably would have been even later had the doctor not scheduled an inducement.  Both girls were born in April which is difficult timing when you work for a circus.  We left the show we were on early to go home and prepare for Toot's arrival in early April 2009.  My due date came & went so inducement was scheduled for April 19th.  Robin and I checked into the hospital early in the morning.  The pitocin did it's job because 5 1/2 hours later baby Genevieve entered the world!  An easy labor compared to the day and a half with Georgia!  The girls were only 2 ounces apart in weight and look so much alike that many of Georgia's baby pictures have been mistaken for Tootie's.  The similarities up to this point of their lives pretty much end with their looking so much alike.
 

Top: Toot & me at home
Bottom:
Georgia 4 months old C & M Circus



  Georgia always was a little on the feisty side but she got over it soon and was always easily occupied with her favorite stories, toys and tv shows.  She learned to talk early but got off the bottle late.  Toot on the other hand is demanding when it comes to getting attention.  (This is a behavior I am trying to balance with tolerance and discipline.)  Toot gave up the bottle a month or so ago very easily and never once asked for it.  Her vocabulary is limited right now.  She says random words and phrases here and there but no complete sentences.  Toot doesn't mind having her hair washed at at all, but Georgia still gives me a hard time when I wash her hair.   And while Georgia would eat almost anything I put in front of her, Toot is more selective and eats at random times of the day.  I can't coax her to eat at meal time no matter how enticing I try to make it look to her.  So, I don't win that battle, it's ok, she still eats good.  Georgia loved to play with her toys.  And do I remember a few times I would have to pry her down from the top of a counter, but she never had much of a desire to get to things out of her reach or play with things that weren't toys.  Toot on the other hand is a different bear altogether!!  Georgia and I like to say that there is nothing off limits from Tootie!  If she wants it, she will find a way to get it!  Some of the things she's moved, stacked and climbed on to get some little something...it's amazing and scary at the same time to see the wheels working in her head.  She's very calculating when it comes to getting an object that is seemingly out of her reach.  (As I type this I see Tootie has opened the closet door and move three large boxes to get to a pair of show shoes she's tapping around in. :) )  When I moved everything back into the trailer in preparation for traveling, I was very careful to store all of the cleaners in cupboards high up and in baskets.  I tried to make sure Georgia's and my jewelry were stored in locations unreachable to Toot.  I see now as time has gone by that I need to find another storage place for cleaners and jewelry.  My worst fear is for one of my kids to get into something that could seriously hurt them.  And I do my best to take every precaution again accidents and injuries and yes, I know stuff happens...but I really do try hard to prevent stuff from happening. 



Tootie



  Georgia has always been a little tall for her age, and Tootie's always been a little round for her age.  Georgia loved flowery girly toys when she was a toddler.  Toot prefers toy guitars, keyboards, blocks and balls.  Georgia always sat still to let me fix her hair while Toot does not.   Georgia played dress up in big girl clothes while Toot plays dress up in my costume show jewelry.

  I remind myself often that childhood is outgrown all too soon.  After all, Georgia it seems was two only yesterday and Toot will be eight before I know it.

West Texas Scenery

  Oh, this west Texas wind!  In the morning and evening the air is cool and still.  You couldn't ask for more perfect weather.  But in the middle of the day when the wind is in full force, it rocks the trailer and blows around everything that's not nailed down.  We will continue to head west and will soon be in New Mexico.  Such a beautiful but rugged part of the country this is. 

  When Georgia is awake for the morning drives from town to town we often take in the surroundings as we drive.  I really appreciate the beauty of the places this tour takes us.  The other day Georgia and I were imagining what the folks who travelled in horse-drawn covered wagons back in the "pioneer days" must have faced as they headed west.  No heated seats in the comfort of a motorized vehicle.  Rough bumpy travels in wooden wagons, no suspension, no air conditioning, no stopping for gas and a soda.  I remember reading once that those pioneers were lucky if they made it 5 miles a day.  I imagine the folks who headed west didn't really know what they were going to face but just hoped to make a better life for their families.  We talked a lot about what life must have been life for those brave people, and we both agreed, we're glad we didn't live back then, but appreciate those who did have the courage to face the unknown western territory.

  Today this part of the country offers the natural beauty of the land that is largely unchanged from the "pioneer days."  The land is rugged but breath taking.  But one thing we have seen a lot of in our travels this way are the huge drills in the fields of red dirt towns.  They've littered our big sky scenery the last few days (not to mentioned littered our sense of smell).  As we head further west those drills will fade away and we'll enjoy some of the historical western towns...I can't wait to take the girls sightseeing! 

Everybody Loves Otto



Simone & Otto

Move over Leon Phelps...



  I've been working with American Eskimos for more than nine years never giving a second thought to having any other breed of dog in my act.  They are such a pretty athletic breed that have been seen in circuses for many years.  Then along came Otto. 



Otto came along from a ride
in the bottom of our stroller.



  A friend from church happened to mention that she needed to find a home for her male mini Schnauzer.  Being the sucker that I am for animals that need homes, I said I'd take him before I even completed the thought.  At first, I thought it'd be cute to have a little Toto-looking dog around the house. (Toto was a Carin terrier but mini Schnauzers look similar.)  Then I brought him home and saw what a lively little guy he was.  He was bouncing and jumping all over the place and lived to please & play.  Then I thought how cute he'd be at the end of the line up in the dog act.  Having all these pristine white Spitz sitting up pretty looking so regal...and at the end would be a little black bouncing little terrier doing all the "bad stuff" in the act. I pictured him running under hurdles and causing general chaos. 





Otto's the REAL ladies' man!
Karina & Otto

  Little did I know I'd brought home a natural born performer.  It took only a couple weeks to seat break Otto, have him jump through hoops and ride in the baby carriage.  I've even taught him to jump off the high dive into my arms.  He learned to jump through the two rungs of my hurdles and run underneath them in about two seconds.  It doesn't matter what this little guy does in the show, whenever he comes down off his seat, before he even does a trick I can hear the audience go, "AWWW!!!"  And when he jumps in the baby carriage they go bananas!  



  When the season started a couple weeks ago, I told Simone and Lana (my helper in the show) to listen to the audience when Otto does anything...they are like puddy in his paws!  Simone says that every show she looks for the "surliest looking person" she can find in the audience and watches their reaction when Otto works.  She says without fail, they smile big!  A friend of mine who's had a dog act for years once said she never thought of using a black doggie in her act, but she sure loved Otto and watched him work almost everyday!  Everyone from show owners and prop guys to total strangers have commented on his appearance in the show.  Simone says that no one is immune from Otto's cuteness.  The fact is, everybody loves Otto.



Otto & Lana after the act.
In his signature scarf...
he's secure enough to sport pink!



I said "ladies' man" Mel Ray.

    

West Texas Winds and Family Ties

  If you've ever been out in west Texas you're probably familiar with the high winds.  Today is the first day in a while that's been still.  The other day temperatures soared into the upper '80's with over 45 mph winds.  We were all bracing for the cold front that was supposed to move in around 8:00pm.  And boy did it come in, complete with over 65mph winds.  The temperature dropped quicker than I'd ever felt and by late night we had a nice covering of snow on the ground.  The high winds blew all night rocking the trailer and blowing dust through the frames of the windows.  Around 9:30 or so the three of us dared to treck outside over to Robin & Ron's in our p.j.'s & robes.  We could smell the popcorn as we approached the door...YUM!!       



Paulina, Lana holding Tootie, Noah, Robin & Georgia



Robin & I are popcorn fanatics and she makes at least two bowls almost every night.  She uses nothing but olive oil, no butter and lots of salt (of course, she's a Chandler LOL)  It's the best popcorn, even beats theater popcorn in my book! :) 

  We all sat around watching one of our favorite '80's sitcoms, Family Ties.  They have the dvd set and play it often enough that even my 8 year old nephew recites many of his favorite lines (of course he would, he's a Chandler LOL).  I can remember watching Family Ties every Thursday night right after The Cosby Show.  It was one of our favorite shows even back then.  We thought Justine Bateman's character was such a fashion plate.  Since the '80's styles are making a come back in a big way you can see the styles "Mallory" wore in many of those episodes in department stores today.  Ballet slippers and skinny jeans...who'd have thought they'd come back with a vengeance? 

  Four bowls of popcorn and 4 episodes of Family Ties later, the girls and I were getting sleepy.  We trecked back home and snuggled in bed, furnace going full blast.  Georgia's film pick was the Sword in the Stone...a Disney classic!  We made it about 20 into the movie and I saw the girls were sound asleep. 

  The trailer rocked all night from those winds.  The next day I wiped down every window sill and counter top in the trailer. The sun had done a fine job melting the snow off our truck and trailer.