Big Top Busch

Dawn--of C & D Delights.
Southern Specialties with SASS
Big Top section L

She sells pickled asparagus, beans, beets, okra and jams and some with jalapeno flavor. She lived in Indiana at one time. We would talk with her each time we went to the Big Top Flea Market not far from our park. Just interesting to talk to different people. Dawn was the one that told us the asparagus price went out of sight when the strawberries got frozen and in short supply. Now there is a glut of berries. She received 57 FLATS of berries last week. A supplier had an overflow. Hey, Do you want these? and was to get more today. Dawn will have berries to work with for some time.


Our next friend is Gene of "This and That" He has one end of one of the spokes. (Big Top is like a wheel with buildings going out from the center like spokes on a bike tire.) This gentleman is 85. Has had this booth for years. He has been trying to sell it for the last 3 or 4 years. And he is slowly cleaning and clearing. When we first went here a few years ago it was so very full and dusty. Stuff everywhere and piled on top of each other. Now there is much less stuff and cleaner. Each time we go, every week, he has moved things around and made things neater. We enjoy talking with him and hearing some of his stories. And he knows what he has and the value of each item.

He wears the colored wig when his head is cold or for people to notice.

we hope he will be around next year, but if he can find a buyer we wish him the best. He was even telling me to go to Sam's for good fish and how he fixed salmon.

At Busch. this is at the Moroccan Palace Theater. KaTonga

Journey to the heart of Africa in this live musical celebration of animal folklore. The four persons standing above the dancers have all told a story about living animals. The dancers and gymnasts are in colorful costumes, some are skin tight to make them look like a part of the scenery. It is a 40 minute show.

Here, you can see he is talking about the turtle. the turtle is on a board with wheels so he can move around. Just ingenious as to how they had various animals portrayed.

Look closely and you can see the tails on the monkeys. They also did Ariel stunts. The scenery moves in and out. It is amazing how the stage and costumes change to make a colorful and meaningful story.

Flowers! I hope my spring flowers are still blooming when we get home.

Alligators will eat turtles in the wild. But they are fed meat and other food and so they do not bother the turtles here. There were over a dozen turtles that had come up out of the water to sun themselves. Most had a nice mossy covering on their shells.

These next animals are part of a 30 minute show called Critter Castaways. They have taken animals from various shelters across the country and taught them tricks. The show is about a couple that had gotten lost from their ship and they arrive at this "ship wreck" The people living there show them how the animals help them each day. It is fun and we watch the children. They are very intent on what is going on. It is fast moving and you have to keep watching or you may miss an animal doing a trick. Thus pig and a smaller one were the garbage disposal system.

Not sure what the skunk does. But he walked thru the set.

Here are 3 of the cast members. With a dog, bird and llama. The guy on the gang plank has a cat I think.

And "Joey" ran thru the set.

Porcupine waddles thru.

And this guy came flying in. got something out of the water and then came over to the man. For more treats. The people all had treats in their pockets to give each animal as they performed there tricks.

This is the set for Critter Castaways. The animals do various things to items that roll up and S O S sign. for passing boats to see. We see this show several times a year. sometimes they change the story a little or have a new animal that has been trained. After the show they all come out with an animal for you to pet and learn about the animal and the show.

The park had been closing at 6. Now with day light saving time they are staying open until 7. In the summer they are open until 9.

Butterfly

The birds. these birds are at this tree each time we go. They are not tied to the tree. They will squawk at you but have not heard them talk.

Two pairs. See the yellow tents in the back ground. The 4 Sundays in March it is Viva La Musical! Latino music on the main stage. Open air.

In February it was the bands, barbecue and? that was when we saw Huey Lewis and the New and Pat Benitar. The tents are for food and souvenirs. Last month they were red.

Time is growing short. Linda and Austin are packing their car. Had planned to leave Wednesday. We think they will be gone Tues. We leave Thursday for Ft. Myer.

Talk to you later. jkc