Life as clown alley knew it — or: When a white clown fell in love with a black showgirl . . .

Clowning around
Including: Then & Now

Another circus memoir from Tim Torkildson (which we urge you to read, even if you aren’t so big a fan of these circus tales as we are — we know you’re out there!): “The Ringling clown alley in its heyday was an uninhibited bedlam, but with an underlying bedrock of showbiz professionalism. It really didn’t matter who you were, what you did or thought, or how often you sang ‘Ridi Pagliacci‘ to no one in particular — as long as you showed up fairly sober for each show and didn’t steal from a fellow clown. Just about everything else, in clown alley parlance, was ‘jake.’

Continue reading “Life as clown alley knew it — or: When a white clown fell in love with a black showgirl . . .”

Why won’t he shoot any of the fox squirrels invading their home? It’s a long, sad story . . .

Our squirrels, ourselves
Or: Life (and death) as we know it

Muenchner Kindl writes: “My wife thinks the fox squirrels who thrive in our back yard in central Texas are destructive thieves and lowly tree rats. It’s true that they’ve on several occasions chewed through the siding of my workshop’s attic to set up a penthouse suite for friends and neighbors. And they often get the lion’s share of sunflower and wild bird seed we set out for our feathered friends. But I can’t shoot them. Not one.

Continue reading “Why won’t he shoot any of the fox squirrels invading their home? It’s a long, sad story . . .”

Where do the Great Lakes’ great “boats” go to spend the winter?

Fun facts to know and tell
Big Boats Division

The Hillridge Court Jester reports: “Subject: Sleeping Giants.

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