Circus Time

It's that time of year again - The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus was in town the past few days and I for one couldn't have been happier. I think I've made it abundantly clear on several occasions that my love for the circus may be a wee bit unnatural. 

As is often the case, I got tickets the week they went on sale. I usually send my dad down to get tickets the day they go on sale, but I could never quite figure out what day that was going to be and so we missed it. Have no fear though, because I went the Monday (January 12) after they went on sale on Friday and managed to get great seats for me, my parents and my circus buddy Erika! 

Finally, the day of the show arrived. Erika picked me up about 5:30 and we met my parents and Ada at the VBC. My dad had bought Ada a ticket in the section next to us the day before the show. We went in when the doors opened at 6:00 p.m. and Erika and I made a pit stop before going to our seats and then venturing out the floor to get the up close and personal circus experience. When we arrived at our seats, we were surprised to find that our seats were not there because the Ringling folks had decided to set up their sound equipment in the handicapped section where our seats were. I turned to the usher and explained our dilemma and she took my ticket and immediately walked off - not saying a word. I chased after her, calling out, "ma'am" but she continued to ignore me and kept walking. We passed my parents who clearly had someone already on the case and I again tried to get the lady's attention and she again continued to ignore me. I followed her all the way to the stairs where you come in until I could go no further or else I wouldn't have been able to get back in. She finally came back with my ticket and declared she was making sure it was a valid ticket. At this point I was so fired up, it's a miracle I didn't hit this rude woman. 

To make a long, aggravating story short, after an hour of the VBC talking and conferencing among one another, it was finally decided that they would give me my money back and put us in some other available seats. So, I had to walk back with the ticket manager to get my money and our new tickets. The new tickets were at the end of the arena, not the center where I prefer to sit, but at least we were at the circus. Also, we now were all five sitting together so Ada didn't have to sit by herself which worked out better. Some of the views were obstructed, some were closer than we have ever been and the best part of all was that we could see the curtain being pulled back and see what was coming next. 

This version of the circus (Circus Extreme) was good, but not the best one I've ever seen. For starters they didn't have what I love to refer to as The Globe of Death. There also weren't as many animal acts. They did have a lot of interesting human acts though and a lot f the time I got more enjoyment out of looking at the wonder on Ada's face than I did the actual show. 

All in all, after my blood pressure settled down and we finally had somewhere to plop our bottoms, I think we all five enjoyed the evening. I, of course, am looking forward to the next time the circus comes to town because I want all my days to be circus days! 

A Night at the Circus

This past Friday was a night I have been looking forward to since February - our annual night out at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. My dad was kind enough to go down to the Civic Center the day the tickets went on sale and picked up four tickets for us and we basically split the expense. Circus tickets are getting expensive, y'all!

As it turns out, Justin was unable to go, so Erika was kind enough to tag along with the Parkers for a night of fun "under the big top". My parents were running late at dinner and so Erika and I went on ahead without them so we could participate in the pre-show fun that takes place on the floor of the arena. We had a big time trying on costumes, posing on the motorcycle and one of the "Circle of Death" riders and getting circus tattoos. At one point a man and his wife with their baby tried to cut line in front of me and Erika but I put him in his place and told him there was a line to pose with the motorcycle and that we were next. I guess it was rude, but hey, there's an order to these things.

The show started right on time and I really think it was one of the best circuses we have seen in a while. One of the first things was the Globe of Steel, or as I like to call it, the Circle of Death. I know I mention this every time I blog about the circus, but it is seriously one of my favorite things the circus does. I yelled and cheered for the guys (and gal) on the motorcycle and loved every minute of it.

Other acts throughout the evening were the big cats, the elephants, horses, dogs, and even a kangaroo. The clowns, as always, were very entertaining, and the trapeze was a crowd pleaser again this year. All of the acts in this years circus were absolutely fabulous. I honestly don't think there was moment I didn't enjoy. Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, it's truly the Greatest Show on Earth!

Is The Dragon In You

On Thursday night, I went to the circus with my parents, Erika, and my parent's friends Wayne and Shirley. My parents, Wayne and Shirley stopped by to pick up me and Erika a little after 6:00. I told everyone that it was going to look like we were the first act of the circus with six people piling out of the van. It would look like a clown car and people would wonder how many more were going to come out.

We arrived a little bit before 6:30 which is when the doors opened for the pre-circus show where you could go down to the floor and watch the animals and entertainers up close and personal. The line to get in was very long but my dad in all his excitement managed to find a way to get us up by the door and cut in front of about 100 or 200 people when the doors opened. I think it was the most rebellious thing Erika has ever done in her life.

We made our way inside, found our seats and promptly went to the floor for the fun. We got "The Greatest Show On Earth" temporary tattoos on our hands first; sadly, mine washed off in the shower Friday morning. I was really hoping I would still have it to show off at work. We watched the elephant paint a couple of pictures (once again we didn’t win the picture), watched a horse run around and perform some jumps, and watched some dogs perform a few tricks. Soon it was time for the show to start and so we found our seats in preparation for the show to begin.

This year’s show had a dragon theme and the song they sang to open and close the show had the line “Is the dragon in you?” Needless to say it was a catchy tune and I’m sure Erika and I were not the only ones singing it the next day.

The first half of the show had performances by the Ringling Clowns, of course, and also folks performing stunts on horses which was pretty amazing. I’m pretty sure I gasped a time or two. There were tigers and a lion for the big cat performance. Some of those tigers were pretty fired up; I would not have wanted to be in the cage with them. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lion at the circus before; maybe I have and just can’t remember. The guy riding a motorcycle on a tight rope made an appearance again, only this time there were two – one on each side of the arena and instead of one girl dangling below there were two. There were various other acts such as girls swinging around by their hair and girls twisting and turning all sorts of ways in glass orbs. The first part of the show ended with a kung fu performance that was also rather impressive – well, I was impressed at least.

The second half of the show had the flying trapeze which Erika which is one of Erika’s favorite acts. There was the always wonderful display of elephants, this show had eight elephants and of course more performances by clowns. There were also tricks by dogs, cats and horses. As mentioned every time I write about the circus, my favorite act of all, The Globe of Steel (or The Globe of Death as I like to call it) took place in the second half of the show. This year they put EIGHT people in the Globe of Death! EIGHT! I was so impressed! Two years ago they had six and last year I don’t remember how many were in there last year because I didn’t mention the number in my post about last year’s show. EIGHT people! That’s amazing!

It was a great circus once again and I hope a lot of you were able to go by and check it out. Sadly, the circus leaves town tonight (Sunday) and will be moving on to the next city to entertain some other circus lover. I told everyone not to be surprised if I one day joined the circus; the good thing is I’m pretty sure The Tide would be welcomed too. My dad also said he wouldn’t mind running away with the circus. So, I told my mom when she goes on to a better place (not that we want that to happen any time soon just for clarification) that me and my dad would just join the circus. She said she would look down on us and say “there’s my crazy daughter and husband, running away with the circus,” or something like that. I guess I should maybe work on an act. Actually I would just want to be the person who organizes and manages the show. I think I could handle that. It would definitely make for good blogging material!

A Ringling Clown

Getting a tattoo - yes, this photo is from 2012, my dad just likes to wear this shirt to the circus!

I thought this was a pretty horse

Maybe we can teach The Tide and Scout to do this

The Ringmaster

The big cats

My favorite - the elephants

The Circus Is Here

Listen, I'm sure I don't have to tell you all how much I love the circus. I'm pretty sure you already know that I love it; after all, I go every year it comes to town and then always post about it afterwards. Well, I'm happy to announce that Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus is officially once again in Huntsville and I couldn't be happier about it.

I found out the circus was coming months ago, back in January I guess and sent my dad down to buy our tickets the day they went on sale. He bought six tickets, three for me, him and my mom, one for Erika and two more for whoever else we decided to bring along (turns out that ended up being Wayne and Shirley, friends of my parents).

On Tuesday during lunch, I was perusing the internet as I always do on my lunch break and I saw that the Elephant walk was going to be at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday. I thought about it for all of two seconds and decided I would go down and watch the elephants unload if I wasn't running too late in that morning. I leave around 6:40-6:45 to go to work anyway so stopping by the train depot which is about two miles from my house wasn't really out of the way or too early.

I must have subconsciously been really anxious to see those elephants because I woke up before the alarm clock and as hard as I tired to rest my eyes for a few more minutes, it just wasn't happening. So, I got up, got ready and headed on down to the train station. There weren't as many people there as have been in years past. I'm assuming that's because it was at 6:30 a.m., whereas in the past it's been later in the afternoon. I made my way over to the trains and the workers had already unloaded a lot of the horses. Not long after arriving, I could see big elephant feet walking on the other side of the train and sure enough the elephants were headed our way. I snapped a few photos, watched the elephants and horses trot by and then headed back to the car. The guy next to me was disappointed because he thought all the animals were going to be parading down the street. I, however, knew better since I had been a couple of years ago and also had the same feeling of disappointment.

Apparently years ago more of the animals were a part of the animal walk but now they only let the elephants and horses parade around in front of folks. However, I wonder how it is that all the other animals arrive because the railroad tracks do not go directly up to the arena. So, how do they get there? Perhaps they walk them over throughout the day? I know the circus has more elephants than walked down the street today as well. I think there were only about five, but in the finale of the circus, there are always about 12 or so elephants. Ringling, you've got some 'splainin to do! Maybe the next time the circus comes to town I'll take the day off and just camp out at the train station with my packed lunch and see all the goings on of the circus folks and animals.

Anyway, the circus is in town and I am thrilled. I saw the show on Thursday night and it was great. There will be a post about that soon. If you have a chance, be sure and see the circus while it's in town - it is, after all, The Greatest Show On Earth!

If the circus isn't for you, do not fear because there is so much going on in Huntsville this weekend! Here are some other fun items to choose from:

Panoply - After being canceled last year because of the April 27th tornadoes (we didn't have power for five days ya know), Panoply is back for it's 30th anniversary! There are a lot of various dance, singing, and music events you can watch and there will be crafts a plenty for kids of all ages. The global village is back which is an area that displays cultural items from countries around the world. On Saturday at the Showcase Stage is the Official Alabama State Fiddling Championship. Each night there will be a fireworks display and on Sunday night, the weekend closes out with my fellow Hoover High Class of 1995 classmate, Taylor Hicks. Passes for the weekend are $10 or if you only want to go one day, the price is $5. Panoply is always one of my favorite Huntsville events. I have really fond memories of going as a child and I hope to stop by for a while on Saturday to listen to some music and eat some junk food if nothing else.

Fantasy Playhouse presents Rapunzel - This is the last show for the 2011-2012 Fantasy Playhouse season and the last weekend for the show as well. There are productions on Friday night and Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. I'm going on Friday night with my friend Kendra and I'm looking forward to it. I don't think I've ever seen a live production of Rapunzel.

Beard and Stache Competition - This is being hosted by Dixieland Beard Coalition and will take place at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday at Lowe Mill. Benefits will proceed disaster recovery efforts and this is sure to be a blast. I doubt I will have time to stop by and watch this, but I have no doubt it will be hilarious! While there, you can pick up some good eats from Happy Tummy!

On Saturday there is a nature hike that begins at 10 a.m. up on Monte Sano. Park across from Burritt Museum if you are interested in participating in that. This is only 2-3 miles and they are encouraging folks to bring cameras as there will be plenty of wildflowers to photograph. I would like to do this one, but will have to pass this week as I have large plans of mowing the lawn after spin class Saturday morning. I don't know about you, but lately there just have not been enough hours in my weekend.

I'm sure there are a lot more activities taking place in Huntsville this weekend so get out and find something to do and have fun doing it.

It's The Greatest Show On Earth!

Last Thursday night, my parents, Erika and I went to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. The circus was in town March 2-6, and we Parkers never miss an opportunity to go and see all the latest and greatest circus tricks. My mother isn’t as much of a circus enthusiast as my dad and I; but she’s always a good sport and tags along for the fun.

The VBC is undergoing some renovations right now and so getting into the arena is always a tricky experience these days. We were escorted in through a back door where we walked past the storage crates for the flying trapeze!

Walking in the back door

The Trapeze Crate!

My dad helped my mom get settled into her spot for the show and then joined Erika and I down on the floor for the pre-circus activities. Before he got down there, Erika had the privilege of trying on a circus jacket! It matched the clothes she had on – purple is her favorite color, can you tell?

Erika and I found a seat on one of the rings watching the clowns and a hula hooper. Erika and I are pretty sure we can perform this trick with no problem at all! Ha; then again, maybe not.

My dad joined us just in time to watch a few other circus performers, including a lady that dangled in the air while swinging on a hoop of some sort and some Asian guys that performed tricks with straw hats. Then came the moment we were all waiting for – the elephant!

Every year at the circus, an elephant paints a picture. You can register to win the picture and every year my dad crosses his fingers hoping he will win and unfortunately they never draw his name; this year was no exception. Maybe I can write a letter to the circus and ask them to send him one. We watched the elephant paint a couple of pictures and also catch some sticks thrown by the clown Bibi. After the elephant performed, it was time to go to our seats so the floor could be cleared for the circus to get underway.

Catching sticks thrown by Bibi the Clown

The elephant is painting a self portrait

Painting another self portrait

The clowns got things started by beating on some trash cans and dancing around and then the ringmaster came out and sang the national anthem. After The Star Spangled Banner, the singing and dancing and performing began. This show was called Funundrum, which is the same as last year’s show and a lot of the acts were the same but there were a few different acts as well.

The tigers were one of the first acts and I always enjoy watching them perform. They are very stubborn creatures and you can tell they’d much rather being doing something else.

The tigers look like they want to eat the tiger tamer.

I like it when they stand up like this.

This guy is thanking the Lord he is still alive.

This show also had one of my very favorite acts, the Globe of Steel, or as I like to call it, The Globe of Death.

There were lots of animal acts as well, including horses, a longhorn and of course elephants. Here an elephant is carry a basket with a dog inside. The dog kept wagging his tail and my dad said the dog must be enjoying it. When I got home I asked The Tide if she would ever ride in an elephant basket… she didn’t have much to say in response other than a turn of her head.

Hook 'Em Horns!

A dog riding in an elephant basket

One of the last things I took a photo of was of this duo – he was driving a motorcycle on a tight rope and she was riding some kind of contraption underneath. She was doing flips and all sorts of things. It was pretty interesting, especially considering it was right above our heads.

Do not try this at home!

After the circus was over, mother rode a construction lift down to the street and then we headed back to the car and slowly maneuvered our way through the hordes of people so we could head back to our homes for the night.

The circus was a lot of fun this year. I’m glad we were all able to go and that Erika was able to go with us. I think everyone had an enjoyable time. It was one of the better circuses that Ringling Brothers has put on in recent years. You can read more about it here, which is a recap of the Funundrum from 2010. I look forward to the 2012 circus; but until then, may all your days be circus days!

Circus: Barnum's Funundrum

Last night, my parents, Tony and I went to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. This show was called Barnum’s Funundrum. It was a pretty good show I thought. Something new that they had, which they have never had before were screens along the long portion of the arena that showed different scenes. It would either tell the name of the act, show scenery for the act or in some cases it showed scenes from vintage circus posters and “articles from newspapers” about the act. I put “articles from newspapers” in quotes because it wasn’t from actual newspapers I don’t think, but it looked authentic. I don’t know about everyone else, but I rather enjoyed those screens. They were not distracting nor were they in the way of any of the acts. They were also mesh so you could also see through them when they weren’t on. Not that it was necessary because the screens moved up and down in order to get out of the way of whatever act was performing.


We got there an hour early as always so that we could go down on the floor and see some of the circus people up close and in person. There were lots of clowns around including this on juggling

And this one pictured with me and Tony

We also saw this lady swinging high above on a ring

Then came a group of Asian men who juggled hats (check out that action shot!)

And jumped through hoops

We saw this strong man juggle some large weights. Tony and my dad both held the weight. I guess the performers didn’t want anyone thinking it wasn’t real. The weights were supposed to be 65 pounds, but my dad said it was probably more like 35. I didn’t lift it – I guess they thought it was too heavy for a girl. Later in the show this strong man, The Mighty Meetal, lifted over 1,000 pounds with his legs and feet. I told Tony that the band should get some outfits like these; I especially like the boots. (Note: This is not the Mighty Meetal, but his buddy - The Mighty Meetal's picture did not turn out well).

This guy was not the ring master, but he spoke in the microphone during the pre-show. He also introduced the ring master and opened up the second act where he said something like, “Are you having a good time, Birmingham?” Well, that fired up the natives including my dad who yelled out, “This isn’t Birmingham, bozo!”

My favorite part of the pre-show was these Caribbean stilt walkers – they were SO TALL! When they came out, the one in red gave my dad a high five. Well, I guess it was a low five for Red. They danced around and then each lifted a leg while the other held on and hopped around in a circle, and then the one in blue limboed under red’s leg. It was a lot of fun to watch. There was one time when I thought one of them was going to lose his balance and fall on Tony and another time one of the guys pretended like he was going to fall on some kids. I laughed so hard. After it was over, Blue walked right over me – literally – I was standing under his two legs. It was so fun! I laughed and laughed!

Here’s another photo of Red later in the show:

When the show got started, we were all surprised to find that Candy’s husband, Andrew was working in the circus! Ha, just kidding Andrew, but I think this guy could be your brother. I think ya’ll look alike!

The circus also brought elephants. This is the only elephant picture I have with me today. I copied my pictures to a disk this morning and for some reason the ones took at the end of the show didn’t copy over to the disk and I didn’t notice it until now. So, this is the only elephant picture I have with me. Lisa and Candy, I panned when I took this picture (a little tip from Farley Vaughn).

There were also tigers at the circus. This year the tiger act came early in the first half. There was a white tiger and many other “regular” tigers – you know, the orange ones. They performed some tricks for us, but also seemed stubborn. I should have spot metered these tiger pictures, but I haven’t practiced yet.

There were other animal acts as well, although not a lot. There were a few horses and llamas and only one dog in the whole show. The dog rode in on the back of a horse; and in his act, he sat in a basket lifted by an elephant. I’m pretty sure The Tide would not sit in a basket for me, let alone an elephant. Tony said he wished there were more dog acts, I agree.

There were also the tightrope walkers

And also the flying trapeze and a really cool trampoline act that reminded me of Cirqe du Soleil. I also took pictures of these, but these are some of the ones that didn’t show up on my disk. Ya’ll might be viewing more circus pictures come Monday.

My favorite act of the night was The Globe of Steel, which I have always called The Globe of Death – I think it may have been called that in the past. Anyway, it’s a large steel globe and they lock guys on motorcycles inside and they drive around. They put four, five and then six folks inside driving around! And one of them was a girl! She’s my new hero! I took a picture of her, but guess what? Not on my disk! I’m really perturbed about this disk situation. Here are a couple of photos I did take:

Every year we always are amazed at how much the circus souvenirs cost. You have to be rich to buy any of them! The toys that light up and spin around were $22 this year! The lemonade was $9! The popcorn was $7! The cotton candy was $12! Talk about a profit! I think I’m in the wrong business! The cheapest thing I saw was after the show and it was a coloring book for $5. Of course, they wait until after the show to bring these out. I also saw a DVD for $8, which is a bargain compared to everything else.

This last picture wasn’t part of the show, but it was something I haven’t seen since the 1980s! I though the rat tail was dead; but apparently in Alabama it’s making a comeback. Please pray for us.

May all your days be circus days!