What I did Last Night

Part of the evening involved watching this man perform shirtless, yummy! I love girls night!

The Greatest Show on Earth

We went to the circus last night. The Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey "Greatest Show on Earth" circus and it was fun. Now I am a self-described "non-circus" person with the exception of the acrobatics that make my palms sweat and those were spectacular. What surprised me the most is how much I actually enjoyed the animal parts of the circus. The horses were gorgeous and the performing dog show was, in many ways, similar to the one that we saw in Sea World San Diego a few years back and I really enjoyed that.

All in all the only downer part of the evening was the group of sour faced protesters stationed at the main entrance and the fact that the circus wasn't actually held under a big top, but that is a different story. Since reading "Water for Elephants," I have been entranced with the notion of the big top. Also, I am old enough to have seen an actual circus under a big top and *sigh* I do miss those old fashioned things. Anyway, back to the protesters. I am given to understand, after completing my cursory Internet search, that the law suit that RBBB circus has managed to keep out of the courts since 2000 is indeed going to court. This suit involves alleged mis-treatment of the elephants.

On many levels I do consider myself to be an animal activist. But I think protesters, even a small group of them, at the circus is ridiculous. I realize that many of them have never travelled outside of the U.S. and been to countries where elephants are used as domestic labor and often treated very cruelly. It is certainly easier to station yourself outside of the doors of a commercial event in your own hometown rather than deal with the abuse of international animal trade. I get that.

But, in my humble opinion, the circus has gone quite P.C. since the big top days of old. What benefit does it give them to mis-treat their elephants. I might add, that at $60,000.00 per year for maintenance, these elephants are a huge investment for the circus. Like I said, I didn't expect to enjoy the elephants, tigers, horses and such as much as I did. I thought that I would be sitting in my seat thinking how much nicer it would be for these animals to roam free, not that they ever could, being too domesticated, at this point mind you.

At any rate, perhaps, probably, maybe there has been more recent elephant abuse in the circus. That is not up for me to answer. I know that the protesters at this event had a picture of one elephant and held posters proclaiming that this one elephant had been beaten to death. If that is true, than of course it is a damn shame. But their evidence was sketchy and limited and seemed a bit fabricated to me. It also disturbed the children and not in a good way. The animals on the floor inside of the event were beautiful and treated well during the performances.

Yes, people have come to enjoy animal free circuses. I am a fan of Cirque de Soleil. I did mention that I enjoy palm sweating acrobatics did I not? But as a sometimes old-fashioned American, I would I think miss the animal portion of RBBB circus. How many decades has this circus been around?

I hope that the outcome of the upcoming trial is fair. And if circus training practices need to change, than change they should and this may mean animal free RBBB circuses in the future. In the meantime images of painted elephants in India with numerous scars and limited nutrition will come to mind when I think of animal mistreatment, not the stunningly beautiful creatures that I witnessed at the circus last night.

School is Back in Session, Drive Safe!

This is my daughter doing her safety patrol duty at our local public school. Last week, during the first week of school, there was an accident that occurred near the school and thankfully not near a crosswalk where children are patrolling. The cause of the accident was lack of attention and speed. Please remember to drive carefully in school zones. If you need to go through a school zone on your way to work and you are late, take another route. If this accident had occurred a block later than it did, a child could have been seriously hurt.

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole Over The Rainbow

We saw a rainbow driving home from our camping trip today and it made me think of this song. This is my favorite rendition and Hawaii is one of my favorite places on earth.

Trying to Eeek out the Last Bit O' Summer

We had a wonderful camping weekend here at this little State Park. What a great place! And to think that I had never heard of it before. When I attempted to fill the group site that I had reserved here a couple of months ago, I was under the impression that Labor Day weekend would be nice and sunny. It usually is, has been for years, it seems. Not this year. Our small, but wonderful and very dedicated group, camped bravely through two nights of rain and wind. Yesterday was sunny and we enjoyed a beautiful day at the beach only to be beset with on and off showers throughout the evening which led into a torrential downpour as we were wrapping up the campfire. As tempting as it was to risk it and spend a third night, on again, off again morning showers convinced us that it was better to pack up our soggy shelters and enjoy a day doing indoor activities around the coast and head home towards night. That way we would all feel like we got a full extra day. We did. Now everyone is tired. Our wet gear is hanging in the laundry room, our tent is set up drying in our yard, and now I get to enjoy being in my own bed without the fear that my shelter may blow down upon me. Happy Labor Day.

School Daze

School has started again. I feel overwhelmed with paperwork, supplies, due dates, and deadlines. I though that mother were supposed to look forward to the beginning of school? I think that I look forward more to the beginning of summer. Maybe I should home school or not. At least then we wouldn't have to get up so damn early. We, who are not morning people in this house, have the earliest school day imaginable and I just have to say that I don't like it. I am missing summer already. I feel crabby tonight. The crack of dawn does not agree with my system.

Vegetable Love by, Barbara Crooker

Feel a tomato, heft its weight in your palm,
think of buttocks, breasts, this plump pulp.
And carrots, mud clinging to the root,
gold mined from the earth's tight purse.
And asparagus, that push their heads up,
rise to meet the returning sun,
and zucchini, green torpedoes lurking in the Saragasso depths
of their raspy stalks and scratchy leaves.
And peppers, thick walls of cool jade, a green hush.
Secret caves.
Sanctuary.

And beets, the dark blood of the earth.
And all the lettuces: bibb, flame, oak leaf, butter-crunch,
black-seeded Simpson, chicory, cos.
Elizabethan ruffs, crisp verbiage.
And spinach, the dark green
of northern forests, savoyed, ruffled,hidden folds and clefts.
And basil, sweet basil, nuzzledby fumbling bees drunk on the sun.
And cucumbers, crisp, cool white ice
in the heart of August, month of fire.
And peas in their delicate slippers,little green boats,
a string of beads,repeating, repeating.
And sunflowers, nodding at night,
then rising to shout hallelujah! at noon.
All over the garden, the whisper of leaves
passing secrets and gossip, making assignations.
All of the vegetables bask in the sun,languorous as lizards.
Quick, before the frost puts outits green light, praise these vegetables,earth's voluptuaries,
praise what comes from the dirt.