THE BALLOON MAN

Sunday, November 20, 2011

SUNDAY FUNNIES

Green Side of the Grass

(NEW comical song/video about aging!)

libbyallensongs

DICK & BILLS FIRST BUSINESS (1964)

My Friend Howard found this and posted it on his blog

"Delmar Dust Pan" a few weeks ago.

SARASOTA NEWS--

CAPT. FRED LOGAN

FROM JIM ELLIOTT

Freddy Logan was elephant super on Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros Circus

for many years. He was a great host to visiting circus fans and will never be forgotten.

Years ago Freddy was on the Al G Kelly-Miller Bros Circus and also presented

many different acts for Dorey Miller.

The first time I (Dick) met him was on Kelly-Miller and he was also presenting

a "Fighting" Lion Act.

Here's Freddy with No Shirt Shawn Quinn and his son Walter

Cooling the "Bulls" down on a hot day.

Freddy always spoke and said Hi to all the fans and showfolk!

Here's Freddy at work at Winter Quarters

Pictures were all shot by Jim Elliott in early 1990's

#1 An Indian mahout watches as seven-year old female elephant Laxmi reaches with her trunk to touch her daughter 13-month old baby elephant Rani at the Sonepur Fair, in Sonepur, Bihar, near Patna, India, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. The fair, which is held annually, was originally a cattle and animal market where traders bought and sold livestock on the holy river Ganges.

#2 An Indian vendor blows bubbles as he tries to sell toys at the Sonepur Fair, in Sonepur, near Patna, Bihar, India, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. The fair, which is held annually,was originally a cattle and animal market where traders bought and sold livestock on the holy river Ganges.Kevin Frayer - AP

#3 An elephant is painted in decorative colours during the Sonepur Mela on November 15, 2011 in Sonepur near Patna, India. The cattle fair, held in the Indian state of Bihar, has its origins during ancient times, when people traded elephants and horses across the auspicious river Ganges. The mela used to attract traders from places as distant as Central Asia. It is one of Asia's largest cattle fairs and lasts for a fortnight.Daniel Berehulak - Getty Images

#4 Rania stretches her trunk out to touch the nose of her mahut during the Sonepur Mela on November 15, 2011 in Sonepur near Patna, India. The cattle fair, held in the Indian state of Bihar, has its origins during ancient times, when people traded elephants and horses across the auspicious river Ganges. The mela used to attract traders from places as distant as Central Asia. It is one of Asia's largest cattle fairs and lasts for a fortnight.

#5 Stuntmen steer cars as they drive on the inside of an attraction called the "Well of Death" during the Sonepur Mela on November 15, 2011 in Sonepur near Patna, India. The cattle fair, held in the Indian state of Bihar, has its origins during ancient times, when people traded elephants and horses across the auspicious river Ganges. The mela used to attract traders from places as distant as Central Asia. It is one of Asia's largest cattle fairs and lasts for a fortnight.Daniel Berehulak - Getty Images

Grote circusshow (1974)
BeeldenGeluid

Uploaded by BeeldenGeluid on Nov 7, 2011

78th ANNUAL EDITION

HADI SHRINE CIRCUS

THIS WEEK IN EVANSVILLE, INDIANA

PRODUCED BY JODY JORDAN

The Hadi Shrine Circus Performing Elephants will feature 11 pachyderms in all three rings of this year's circus, to be held at Evansville's Ford Center.

Castle's Performing Bears, a favorite from years past, will join the 78th Hadi Shrine Circus in the Ford Center.

Circus Sarassani (1970)
BeeldenGeluid

Uploaded by BeeldenGeluid on Nov 7, 2011

Broward County Fair offers screams, animals and fried food

Annual fair is back at the Pembroke Pines City Center, where it has plenty of room for rides, shows and even a water buffalo

By Eileen Soler

Special to The Miami Herald

Elvira the pot bellied pig, Bubba the longhorn steer and the aptly named Elsie, a milking cow, are among hundreds of VICs (Very Important Critters) at this year’s Broward County Fair.
There are also chickens for bathing, guinea pigs for racing, a camel for riding, and a water buffalo for — well, you can figure that one out when you get there.
“Animal exhibits, rides, funnel cake. The county fair is always something special to look forward to and this year its all that and more,” said Bob Mertz, of Plantation, in tow with his family of five.
Mertz has been to the fair every year since 1981 — even the leanest year in 2009 when it was scaled to bare bones for lack of a real home. Then, at a Pompano Beach shopping plaza, there was no room for rides or animal shows.
Now, packed into 115 acres at the City Center at Pembroke Pines, the old-fashioned American fair tradition is back with all the attractions:
Screams pierce the night, coming from rides that twist and turn. Food vendors dole out carnival delicacies, such as candy apples, cotton candy and deep fried anything.
“Some people go to fairs just to eat their way through the place,’’ said fair spokeswoman Caron Conway.Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/18/2508968/broward-county-fair-offers-screams.html#ixzz1eCKqhqB5

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Big Top Raising of our latest touring show, TOTEM

Follow the artists of our latest touring show, directed by Robert Lepage, as they enter the Grand Chapiteau for the very first time!

CLYDE BEATTY COLE BROS CIRCUS

1992

FROM JIM ELLIOTT

PART III

CLYDE BEATTY COLE BROS CIRCUS

1992

FROM JIM ELLIOTT:

PART IV

Wilson Goes Under the Big Top with the UniverSoul CircusUniversoul Circus In Town Through Sunday, November 20th

by Jon Wilson / Mike Thomas, Photojournalist

by D BarnesStory Created: Nov 16, 2011

On the road again

Pete Wood, a circus performer since he was a child, now raises produce and sells it at farmer’s markets and at his farm in Riverview. Penny Fletcher Photo

Brit makes Florida farming his life

By PENNY FLETCHER

from:observernews.com

17/11/2011

RIVERVIEW, FL — Pete Wood has spent his whole life on the road.
Once known as Safari Pete, now he’s known as Farmer Pete but he’s still taking his show on the road.
Born in 1943, Pete grew up in Lancashire, England, where his parents performed circus acts. At 10, he was walking the high wire and training circus ponies for his dad’s acts.
Then, in 1966, he moved to Canada because he had cousins, uncles, aunts and a grandmother there.
“I got off the boat on a Monday and started work at a furniture store on Wednesday. Then I met a guy who worked with a circus and I was off.”
Gradually Pete built his own circus. First he purchased a Ferris wheel and some kiddie rides. Then he built a roller coaster and started traveling all of North America; Canada, Mexico and the United States.
He added fun houses and a cotton candy trailer and 17 games and traveled North America from top to bottom.
One day, he decided to sell out and take a job at Farm Fun Park in Ontario. But soon, he put in his own show again- this time, called Circus Fantasy where he clowned and worked with animals and had a petting zoo.
One winter he played in Sarasota and realized how many other show people lived on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
He loved it immediately but didn’t settle here just yet.
“I had a contract with Boblo Island in Ontario that lasted nine years.” He fulfilled it, but spent his winters in Florida. By that time, he had more than 1,000 animals in an act called Old MacDonald’s Zoo and it took three semi-trucks to transport them.
“Moving from place to place wasn’t easy,” Pete said.
Yet he would come to Florida when the northern roads got too cold to travel and work with his animals, costumes and acts. That’s when he began doing shows at the Florida State Fair in Tampa.
By then he also had a dog and monkey show and raced roosters and runner ducks.
But then there was a party. A biigggg…. Party.