adventures in aerial artistry

Doing something

2011-12-13T08:22:00.001-08:00

Hadi Shrine line up

2011-11-29T10:27:00.000-08:00

new and shiny

2011-11-29T09:48:00.000-08:00

In my opinion..the new management did a splendid job..actually an excellent job with the new Hadi Shrine Circus !! A lot of new fresh faces, excellent lighting, a great building (except for the wind tunnel in the back door and the parking is tight )
Rumour has it that next year the band will update their charts !!

The last day for me I had the most mishaps ever, my web was not lowered for my trapeze..so I was a little late getting started. My neck loop came crashing to the ground off my lyra , always a comforting thing to see. So I climbed the web with the loop on my shoulder, looking extra spastic. I had a snafu in the little dance..grrr.. .To make the show perfect I forgot to wear my gloves in the elephant act. Oh yeah and my costume almost fell off during trapeze..In conclusion..I felt like the ultimate idiot

There were some crowd favorites The Castle Performing Bears (people love the dancing bear) , lots of women and aerialists in the air , Dave Smith Sr. performed his last shot from the cannon and how beautifully and high did he fly !! Elephants, tigers, doggies, horses, camels, jugglers, acrobats ....it was a big, happy, pretty, show

hallways and dressing rooms

2011-11-24T21:19:00.001-08:00

we spend a lot of time in dressing rooms and hallways
waiting , changing, warming up, gossiping, telling tales..

some of the faces of the Hottie Shrine

2011-11-24T21:11:00.000-08:00

elephant empresses

2011-11-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

we are wearing real corsets and breathing !!!

under new management

2011-11-24T09:33:00.000-08:00

something about driving to Evansville and being part of the Hadi Shrine Circus is pretty privileged..

We lost our beloved Paul Kaye last year, we also performed at Roberts Stadium for the last time...

This year the Jordan Circus is the producer and we are performing at the Ford Arena in downtown Evansville.

I am not one of the circus royalty who has performed here since the beginning of time, so my little mark in the history of the Hadi Shrine is insignificant.
My first time was 1995. I missed 2001-2006, because of other shows and obligations. I came back in 2007, just Fresia and me. Marshall will have nothing to do with hanging out in the cold weather and watching me suffer through the shows. Don't ask me why but this is the most agonizing date I have ever done. I love the wretchedly soreness of it all. It makes me thankful I can climb up to my rigging and do spectacular and unspectacular things.

Yesterday was a day full of practice and running animal and production number.I am wearing some fun little costumes and doing a cute little dance, as well as aerial things and riding an elephant.

The highlight of opening day is we only have 1 show today at 3pm !! Normally we have 2 shows followed by a big Thanksgiving dinner, waking up super early performing at 9.30, 2 & 7 Friday and Saturday closing with 1 show on Sunday............

Lyra

2011-11-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

whoever said Lyra , the roundish aerial aparatus , was easy and a joke is an uneducated fool !!! oh wait ..I said that once

well I take it back. Lyra is not easy and the metal part is ouchy.

I hope to have learned from this exercise , nothing is easy .

My very wonderful friend Jody U is helping me with Lyra...

neighbors at the fair

2011-11-16T05:39:00.001-08:00

11 days of fair

2011-11-16T05:27:00.000-08:00

I forgot my power cable for my laptop. I also did not bring a TV. I had my trusty Iphone and great books and lots of sewing and trailer organizing ...oh yeah and there were shows to be done.

The weather was cool and refreshing, there was a hot tub we had the use of, I found an Aveda salon and had my hair beautified.

The show kids did a show. darling !

I went to the Flying High Circus at FSU, very nice.

Looked at a beautiful Merry Go Round across the way

Worked out

Tallahassee

2011-11-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

Another fair...this is the life. One spot for 11 show days. The weeks days have only 1 show at 7.30 , for the most part. We have a few 3 show days and a couple of 2 show days.sigh.. the show is loaded with talent..

Lots of side show attractions at this fair, I am going to visit each and every one..

We have a beautiful double decker merry go round right next to us.
There is also a jacuzzi next to us and the jacuzzi guy has taken a shine to us and we asked him if we could try it . So today he comes up to the tent and says the jacuzzi is 107 !! However my people at the circus told me I can't go jumping in the jacuzzi while the fair is going on..boo

I am pretty much over being without the family...but fortunately I have great gal pals to hang with and I am working with another aerial diva !!!

2011-10-31T08:59:00.001-07:00

a fun tear down at the circus

2011-10-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

sometimes you just have to close your eyes and use your imagination
sometimes it is impossible to take a photo

take a purple span set, make a harness
clip yourself to the main falls that are hanging off the truss at 34 feet
grab a rope that is tied to a climbing rope
get pulled to the truss by Marshall and Timi L
realize your harness is very uncomfortable
grab the truss with one hand
throw the rope tied to the climbing rope over the truss
climb out of the harness
wrap your leg on your climbing rope that is being held by Timi L
unclip the main fall
clip the main fall on the climbing rope
try and reach the other main fall
realize you can't reach
come down the climbing rope
drop the climbing rope
get pullied up with the other main fall
repeat process
come down to the ground
pack up rigging
chain main falls
drive home
photos are not of the actual event..

4 dogs and 1 turtle

2011-10-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

As predicted I am getting attached to the last ,cutest puppy ever !!

Is 4 dogs and 1 turtle and 3 humans too much for the Scythian ?

I am going to get a doggy yard if that is the case !!

It is a known fact that our dogs are the most walked dogs in show business !!

I can't imagine walking our dogs as much as I did this summer, I think I walked them a minimum of 6 times a day at fairs.It was ok, except for the puppy dog, she was so curious and EXCITED .I was parked in the middle of these crazy rides; the zipper, the stinger, wild mouse, blah blah blah.good times

Fuzzable barks like a freak at Shelly the turtle, Spartacus is a runner, Electra can be cool, will bark when provoked, the new puppy appears to have a great temperament does not bark at the turtle and Marshall has taken a liking to her....

She is black and brindle, her paws and face are brindleish and her paws are silver dapple and she has a piebald chest !!! I had been calling her Silvertooth but have now changed it to "puppy" . If we keep her will we call her Silver ??

Cheeko

2011-10-25T05:32:00.000-07:00

Cheeko aka Brent DeWitt is one of my first friends I met when I came to Sarasota in 1987 !!!

He is a clown, a butterfly garden caretaker, has a Punch and Judy show, a Fiji mermaid and other assorted circus and sideshow curiosities , a really cool Calliope organ thing that plays music on midways, he is an all around amazingly positive good person..We are lucky he is our friend! He is one of the good guys !!!

He wears shorts or kilts, he wore pants when he assisted me in my act!!!

He is a great coffee maker and the tour we did in 2004 , he was a life saver with the coffee !!
yay for Cheeko !!!

venues

2011-10-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

I have gotten so familiar with change and different venues that it has become the norm...

I can use totally different size trapezes, I accidentally hung my bar backwards and did my whole act..I noticed something felt weird but it didn't freak me out

Air conditioning with perfect lighting or a hot tent with the sidewalls down inhaling the old fumes of the human volcano. I just see my rigging and concentrate on stretching and doing my little act.

Fresia has been assisting me with the beginning part of my act at the pumpkin festival, I just look at her cute face and that makes me exceedingly happy

I am so happy about next year , 1 show all year....sigh

photo credit for trapeze Richard Czina

extension ladders

2011-10-20T05:38:00.000-07:00

we love going on the roof and enjoying the view!!
a ladder makes it an aerial thing....

I guess we could have done it ourselves, seeing as how I spent a couple of hours up there watching the work. It is just like fixing anything or sewing .Take it apart, remember the order, put it back together with new stuff, in the correct order, with the proper tools

every day is an adventure in aerial artistry

2011-10-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

Aerial artistry surrounds us!
Everyday we take to the skies and have adventures.
Today adventure came to my house.
The roof supplies !
This big truck thing showed up with shingles and what not.
This truck thing had a lift.
First they inspected the roof, next they turned on the lift and extended it to the roof, the lift has a conveyor belt .
One guy loaded the conveyor belt, the other unloaded on the roof.
Next step have me sign papers, retract extension and au revoire

puppies and pumpkins

2011-10-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

a new camera!! blogging with an iPhone is for the super dedicated. It isn't the photos that are the challenge but trying to write something mildly interesting that captivates every thought I am having at the moment...
We finished the first weekend of the Pumpkin Festival !! We did a 6 pack..say no more...6 shows in the Florida weather in a tent without air conditioning..my hands were on fire by the last show.
This is a nice time because there are many different kinds of performers and shows, all sorts of fun activities from butterfly gardens to pumpkin cannons to fresh watermelon with smoky chili powder from Mexico to a corn maze to thrill shows, novelty acts, arts and crafts and friends from the past and friends from the present.

We get to do this for 2 more weekends!!!

subjects in the photos ; Timmy , Sashi, Lamonte ,myself and some puppies of course

Ingrid Bergman

2011-10-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Water For Elephants - Ladies And Gentlemen

2011-10-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKf2TH7dGAI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Sent from my iPhone

I love Hollywood

2011-10-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKf2TH7dGAI&feature=mh_lolz&list=FLPsVfEFAd0wiacUAd8QVKnQ

2011-10-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

Bromeliads and Dengue Fever

2011-10-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

Maybe I am being hysterical, but this spring I called mosquito control because the mosquitoes in my yard are out of control. The first thing the mosquito guy asked me was if I had checked my Bromeliads. Unknown to me Bromeliads are one of the best ways to breed mosquitoes ! Mosquito guy took a turkey baster and sucked out about 1/2 cup of nasty mosquito larvae pupa stagnant water!! He gave us these pellets called Bromeliads bites that we are supposed to throw in the plants once a month, why grow plants that are homes to creatures that bite you and can give you disease, that is a big cup of crazy !! I used to like these plants but this summer I was able to sit outside and not get eaten alive.When I returned home to Florida in the fall I was determined to rid our yard of these mosquito breeding machines !!Also when I returned home there were more plants in the trees , around the trees , everywhere !! it was crazy..Fresia and I began operation Bromeliad.It was kind of sad ripping out those plants, it was also very naturey...all kinds of bugs and stagnent water was spilling out, after a while we had to stop..Fresia was getting really grossed out.
After mosquito man came one of my neighbors ripped out all his Bromeliads, the other neighbor likes and grows them...I kind of panicked when I heard dengue fever was in Florida..

Dachshund puppies for sale

2011-09-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

appetizing young love for sale...we like the short legged , big on personality

dogs..... We got a nice boy dog and then we got a nice girl dog and now we have the most adorable, sweet, puppy breath puppies!!!!
so if anyone out there needs or wants a purebred Dachshund with unusual markings..we are your guy

Forklift artist..

2011-09-19T05:18:00.000-07:00

I am not the forklift artist,who shall remain anonymous

what a wild year it has been...different shows..totally different venues..being a freelance aerialist is interesting..I get to experience a gamut of emotions in between jobs.

In conclusion, so far so good.I have had the pleasure of working with my diva sisters on several jobs, the divas are taking over show business!!Who are the Aerial Divas ?? The Aerial Divas are a group of professional aerialists who are dazzling in many aerial disciplines and are able to shine as soloists and work fabulous in ensembles.

My last venue was a tent and I did have aerial rigging adventures!! However I didn't get mildly hysterical or even take photos of my aerial rigging!! What is to become of me? When the truss was on the ground I choked 2- 4 foot spansets on the truss , I shackled them to my light weight crane bare that had guy lines and my web attached( I kept my web in a bag). The big top crew attached the tent to the truss. As the tent was being pulled up I ran under the tent and hooked up my trapeze! ta da, all that was left was pounding 4 stakes, adding beckets and ratchets and guying out my rigging!! For my fabric I swapped out with Carmen , she let me use her pulley. At intermission we dropped her lyra and hooked up my fabric.

Tear down had a little bit of work for me.. I climbed to the tippity top of my web ,unhooked my trapeze clipped it on my belt and slid down my web.The rest of my rigging came down with the tent, the man pulled my stakes out with the fork lift. that was that!!

Setting up in the sun

2011-09-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

Lemonade

2011-09-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

Cirque Polynesian, Atlantic City 2011

2011-09-13T04:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRk8Zd-8W5U&feature=related

Extreme trampoline

2011-09-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

There are so many stages! So many people!!

2011-09-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

Drummer

2011-09-10T19:10:00.001-07:00

2011-09-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

2011-09-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

Toilet paper slack wire

2011-09-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

Yup!! How clever

My roots are out of control!!

2011-09-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

Stephanie and self . I asked her not to look so tall and so thin.

Uprights designed by Trevor Boswell

2011-09-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

I am working at a music festival with Bindlestiff Circus in Columbia, MD.
I am using their beautiful rigging!! Today was a set up day, it was great and easy. Rock concerts have food /chefs. Dinner was delightful!!!!
The place is called the Merriweather Pavillion. The event is Virgin Mobil Free Fest. Lots of great bands and happenings! Tomorrow should be a groovy day!!

Champlain Valley Fair

2011-09-07T20:10:00.001-07:00

Bad puppy

2011-09-07T20:09:00.001-07:00

Holding a baby and trying to take a photo on a 116 foot ferris wheel ..

2011-09-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

Ferris wheel

2011-09-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

2011-09-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

Only in Vermont

2011-09-07T20:05:00.002-07:00

How fabulous

2011-09-07T20:05:00.001-07:00

2011-09-07T20:04:00.001-07:00

I have had too much adventure. Storms and rain and trees uprooting and falling on the interstate, roads crumbling, puppy love and wild puppies... The front of the Scythian is cracked... I can't get home soon enough.
Sent from my iPhone

Ringmasters

2011-08-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

Tasty beverages

2011-08-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Aftermath

2011-08-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

The view of Resorts International in Atlantic City, that was a little adventure....

2011-08-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

3 shows a day for 21 days , impressive

2011-08-13T16:31:00.000-07:00

My jobs on this fine show are as follows, face painting, ringmaster,aerial fabric and trapeze!! I was happily painting away, but the show was about to start! seeing as how I was going to be the ringmaster and all that I had to turn away 1 sad little boy...I promised him as soon as the show was over I would paint his face. I did, in wardrobe, sitting on the ring curb..how snazzy was that ???

In Sedalia, MO at the state fair we do 3 shows a day...one just has to pace oneself

This morning my truck was impounded because I didn't have my special pass in the right spot of my mirror, actually 3 circus trucks were impounded! I was forgiven because my pass fell off..

My day is mostly spent admiring the puppies , walking the dogs and making sure Electra is hydrated and fed . I suppose that is pretty great that I have something to consume me and I don't just sit around feeling sorry for myself and getting angry that Marshall and I aren't trouping around the planet together

Let's thank our sponsors!!!

2011-08-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

The food joint next to the big top

2011-08-11T16:50:00.001-07:00

Yum

2011-08-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

Puppy breath!!

2011-08-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

Opening day at the Missouri State Fair with the Anastasini Circus!

2011-08-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

Mother and childs

2011-08-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

Well this was a fun day! I drove 750 miles with baby puppies!

When you start having breakers with your moniker written next to them by the electricians , you know you have hit the big time

2011-08-08T23:38:00.000-07:00

Leaving Atlantic City was pretty heavy in the drama department. Why? I will tell you why, I loved being there, loved the peeps , loved the venue. I am talking love!!
Of I went in a trail of sweat and tears.
Naturally when I went to hook up my trailer I realized that little wire that was squished would not let me have external juice.. Lucky for me a world famous Wallenda and the Guiness record holding Hartzells were there to save the day!!!
When I came to the Ben Franklin bridge I discovered I was out of scratch and the $16 toll became a $26 toll just cuz the rat finks insisted my light truck was an extremely heavy truck!!! I had to drive around this funkalicious neighborhood trying to find an ATM and getting lost and there was more sweat and more tears.
The traffic in Philly was most trafficky and I was mildly hysterical ...
I finally got on the PA turnpike and Electra was painting and looking for the perfect spot to have her puppies.I thought she was overheated so I got her an ice pack.
There I am driving down the road and I look in the rear view mirror and she is cleaning her newborn puppy!!!!
Holy puppy poop!! She had 6 .. So that means I have 9 dogs...
What a bizarre day

Circus ingenuity

2011-07-31T11:07:00.000-07:00

Blogging from an iPhone is a challenge

2011-07-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

But I must blog about Tuffy Nicholas and his incredible spectacle in Atlantic City, New Jersey. We are set up right outside Resorts International Hotel and Casino. The tent is big and pinkish with some yellow.
Inside this tent we have 3 shows a day ! All totally different and great.
At 4.30 Great American Circus, lots of big thrills.
At 7.30 Cirque Polynesian, a beautiful breath taking love story with fire artists, dancers, the circus acts are the tests , the temptations and spirits... And there is a happy ending annnnnnd we have musicians and a vocalist!!!
At 11pm Cirque Risqué , an adult show. This is a sexy, choreographed show with circus acts ,comedians, live music and lots of sexiness and it is witty.
All shows have their own directors and temperaments.. Human emotions and other various sundries could make the most entertaining reality show.....
Dear Diary,
Forgive my grammar..

2011-07-24T22:07:00.001-07:00

I seem to be some kind of happy...

Fresia and Diane

2011-07-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

In between shows

Cirque risqué - abby's make up

2011-07-23T22:29:00.001-07:00

Has a professional makeup artist doing their make up!! How cool is that!!

Great American, circus Polynesian and cirque risqué all opened today in Atlantic city

2011-07-23T22:27:00.001-07:00

Cast of circus Polynesian

Dress rehearsal @ 10 am for circus Polynesian

2011-07-21T18:22:00.001-07:00

The amount of rigging in these shows is insanely amazing!! Tuffy says, " you can't have enough aerial" 6 webs, 6 silks, Russian swing, platform motorcycle, high wire, wheel of death , single trapeze, swinging silks,swinging spinning Lyra, contorting Lyra, static Lyra and that is just most of the aerial..well there 3 shows and there are other acts, that are incredible! Fire dancers and all kinds of coolness .
The lighting is real lighting with black outs. We have a stage black floor. The sound is really good. We have a singer and two wonderful musicians.I guess I am getting kind of excited...

Insane amount of aerial acts

2011-07-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Another set up...

2011-07-15T21:26:00.002-07:00

Pretty

2011-07-15T21:26:00.001-07:00

2001

2011-07-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

L.E.Barnes lot from Atlantic City 2001

A little tv

2011-07-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

Polynesian dancers, tv lady and self doing a little tv action!!!

Atlantic City

2011-07-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

Fresia and Jovana on Geronimo !!

2011-07-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

Fresia presets my mouthpiece - part1

2011-07-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

Sent from my iPhone

Part 2 - and she is happy about it

2011-07-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

2011-07-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

High wire stakes@ wild adventures

2011-07-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

Nice signage

2011-07-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

Inspired

2011-06-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by my movie star costume... I used 30 yards of single row stretch sequins.
I also needed something to go with my insane new awesome wings!
My wings are pretty heavy with the train tail attached .. Making an entrance is what those wings are all about!!!

7 needles

2011-06-25T22:22:00.000-07:00

I broke 7 sewing needles sewing thru many layers of sequins....

The children LOVE Boris

2011-06-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

2011-06-23T08:58:00.001-07:00

2011-06-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

I was told Shirley is about 70..

Shirley

2011-06-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

Ta da!!

2011-06-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

Motor home with airplane

2011-06-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

Tent

2011-06-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

Vents

2011-06-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

2011-06-16T12:11:00.001-07:00

Air technician

2011-06-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

An integral component of our show, the air cooling system. There are two of these units. The temperature outside has been 105f. The park wants the patrons to ENJOY the show. I certainly enjoy performing in climate controlled conditions.

Concert fun

2011-06-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

The stage is 20 feet from our trailer ! There is a locked gated which we were privy to , how lucky are we??? Sometimes very lucky. Last time the girls( Fre and Jo) were on a show together was 2001, they were very young and adorable. They have much in common now!! They love roller coasters, water parks, Vera Bradley bags, tween mags, lemon or sun in , shopping , L. E. Barnes Circus( the real one) and SRQ, etc etc... The list goes on. If there is one thing in life .. You want your children to be happy.. Ta da

Rolling spool

2011-06-11T18:56:00.001-07:00

Fresia and Jovana

2011-06-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

Opening day ! 3 shows! And a concert with Lady Antebellum ! A great band

2011-06-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

Park electrician saves the day

2011-06-11T18:41:00.001-07:00

Story of my life

2011-06-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

Too many amps...I guess 10 gauge isn't enough when you have 100 feet

Mister Peacock

2011-06-11T06:37:00.000-07:00

I looked out my trailer this morning and what did I see? I saw a peacock looking at me!

Lighting and sound

2011-06-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

Super loud

Rigging

2011-06-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

2011-06-08T06:37:00.001-07:00

Fresia spied this orphaned mockingbird in our front yard.
We gave it some water, put it on a stretcher and drove out to longboat key to " save our seabirds"
They have a hospital and rehabilitate birds of all kinds and then release them back into nature .
There are many kinds of people in the world , those that help creatures in need and those that don't . Perhaps they have a lame story , it is defective and doesn't deserve to live.. We are all perfectly imperfective ...
If you happen to be in the area , I recommend " save our seabirds" it is next to Mote Marine

Aviation

2011-06-08T06:28:00.000-07:00

Where did the guts go?

2011-06-03T06:52:00.000-07:00