Our Visit to the Redwoods

  Life on the circus has its set routines but it is almost never boring.  Especially on a show like Culpepper that takes us to some of the most beautiful places in the country.  We spent some time in northern California a couple weeks ago.  We were all especially looking forward to the two day stand in Garberville.  On the way Georgia and I enjoyed the breath taking scenery along highway 101.   The we navigated the curves and hills with ease as we soaked in the green trees and rolling hills with bits of sunlight streaming on our faces here and there.  I had been telling Georgia of the giant redwood trees for quite a while before we hit northern California and she was more than ready to do some sight seeing when we finally got to Humboldt County.
As we approached redwood country I slowed down a bit so we could really take in the awesome sights of the giant trees and maybe catch a glimpse of bigfoot himself!  (This area is also known for many a bigfoot sighting! :) )  Every tree we passed seemed bigger than the one before and some were so tall we couldn't see the tops.  The expression on Georgia's face at finally seeing the natural wonders of the redwoods was priceless!  I only wish Tootie was old enough to appreciate the natural wonders we were enjoying!


  I set up the dog pens and got the house cleaned and situated in record time.  The kids and I scarfed down the giant subs at cookhouse, hopped in the truck and were off to play redwood tourists in no time.  Our first stop was at a little coffee house for a much needed caffeine pick-me-up for me. We sat outside the cafe and had some juice and snacks as we peered down the main drag and tried to decide where to go first.  The toy store won out!  As we made our way through the foot traffic we noticed quite a few locals walking their pet dogs on leashes, some not.  Funny enough, this little town with a population of less than 1,000 was originally named Dogtown before its postmaster James C. Garber renamed it after himself in the late 1800's.  We spent about an hour in the toy/gift/novelty store browsing and chatting with the owner who remembered the show well from previous years.  There so many unusual goodies the girls and I had a hard time deciding on souvenirs, but we made our selections and continued through town to see what else we could find.  Lots of cute shops, coffee stands and art galleries peaked our interests for quite a while.  Soon it was time to hit the redwood tourist spots about 8 miles outside of town. 
 Our first stop was a cute little souvenir stand right off the side of highway 101.  It had bigfoot in the name...there was a beautiful fountain right out front and redwood stuff galore!  I of course got my much needed souvenir magnets to add to my growing collection.  Georgia settled on shark teeth (LOL, too cute!), a rock the had crystals in it when you break it open and a Chinese finger trap. Next stop, the log house!
This little house is made entirely of a redwood tree trunk.  It costs $1.00 to enter.  The inside reminded Georgia of a travel trailer made for the seven dwarfs. Tiny twin beds, a tiny cupboards, dining table and chairs were attached to the inside of the rounded house. We signed the guest book and make our way through in about 12 paces and headed for a drive through more redwood country. 

  The Avenue of the Giants is the world's largest remaining old-growth coast redwood forest. We drove through one of the beautiful parks where campers, hikers and site seers were all welcome to enjoy the local scenery.  There are trees you can actually drive your vehicle through. The old grandfather tree features a trunk about as wide as the cook house is long.  Some trees are thousands of years old and have never been logged. There are recent discoveries recording trees heights over  370 feet tall.  That's about 5 stories taller than the Stature of Liberty!There are so many beautiful trails in this area it would take many days to traverse them all and appreciate their natural beauty.We talked about one day coming back to this area and spending more time when we weren't on a work schedule. This is a very laid back part of the country where the locals are very hospitable.  To us a dream vacation spot and just one of many special parts of the country we are lucky enough to visit with Culpepper.   

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.  

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!