Circus World Day...

Brynwood Needleworks - Our Granddaughters

We were so happy that our younger son could join us at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo for the Windjammers' final performance at this convention. We met them on the grounds around noon, shared lunch and visited with them until after Grandpa Handsome's performance. My, how the girls have grown since last we saw them!

Brynwood Needleworks - Watching An Outdoor Act

We watched an interesting outdoor performance which involved a rotating arm with a round basket (think hamster wheel) at each end. A father/son team flipped and rolled inside the baskets, finishing with one of them on the outside, walking on his hands!

Granddaughter #2 was so concerned, she held her hands over her mouth as they started that portion of their act. (She was adorable.) Needless to say, both performers were fun to watch and no one was harmed.

Brynwood Needleworks - Riding An Elephant

When I was a child, I remember seeing the elephants at the circus, but never asked to ride one. I admit, they seemed much larger when I was a child. I asked the girls if they would like to ride an ellie with their grandma, and they both jumped at the chance.

This elephant was the sweetest girl. She slowly moved into position next to the platform so we could settle on top, and then she walked a fifty foot circle back into her original place. That was it. Once around. But it's a memory I'll always have, and I hope the girls will remember the time Grandma joined them on an elephant ride.

Brynwood Needleworks - Windjammers' Circus World Performance

 

After the elephant ride and the outdoor performance, we all had lunch together and then made our way to the Hippodrome for the Windjammers second and last concert for this summer convention.

They played a series of pieces which would be played during a circus performance...The opening number; the tightrope walkers; the prancing horses; acrobats on the flying trapeze; the elephants and the dancing bears. (If I closed my eyes, I could envision each of the acts I remember from my childhood.)

It was all so much fun to listen to, and to have one of our sons and our granddaughters there to see and hear Grandpa playing with the band. They were most enthralled with the experience. Our younger granddaughter was so excited that, as soon as she walked onto the grounds (before she'd seen much at all), she exclaimed to her daddy, "Yup. This was really worth the two hour ride here and back home!"

The weather was perfect, it was such a fun day, and we all agreed with the ringmaster as he declared at the end of the performance...

"May all your days be circus days!"