The last weeks of winter in Texas offer a touch of springtime, a taste of summer to come,and enough snow and cold to remind us that it isn’t April yet. On Culpepper and Merriweather’s Great Combined Circus the first weeks are about hard-assing, learning anew to thrive on little sleep, some long drives and for the tent crew, back breaking work on a tight schedule. In 2008 circuses are short on manpower makings the tough jobs tougher.
On Friday the 14th the 24 Hour Man picked me up at a bus stop in Corsicana, TX and drive me the thirty miles to the green lot in Fairview. The sun was shining and the temperature was in the 80’s. I was just in time to work the front door for the first show.
On Saturday the show jumped forty miles in the morning for two early shows. The lot was soft and the first truck through the gate buried the tractor to the axles. Two hours later the truck was free, the tent carried with a bobcat, and the midway spotted on the closed street. It was cooler, with a breeze. After teardown the show made a night jump 125 north across Dallas and to the north to Celina. The ground was hard with frost in the morning as the circus set up on an asphalt lot at the high school. A new working man joined the show on Saturday, off to see a piece of the world, or a piece of Texas, while another man blew the show in the wee hours on Sunday, not even sticking around for his pay. He chronic labor problems on every circus and carnival this year may define the seasson.
Monday March 17th. 40 mile jump to Pottsboro, TX. Asphalt and packed earth lot. We’re under a severe storm warning with heavy rains a possibility. In storm weather it’s all about the presale, because you can’t count on long lines at the box office if it’s raining. Another short jump tomorrow.
On Friday the 14th the 24 Hour Man picked me up at a bus stop in Corsicana, TX and drive me the thirty miles to the green lot in Fairview. The sun was shining and the temperature was in the 80’s. I was just in time to work the front door for the first show.
On Saturday the show jumped forty miles in the morning for two early shows. The lot was soft and the first truck through the gate buried the tractor to the axles. Two hours later the truck was free, the tent carried with a bobcat, and the midway spotted on the closed street. It was cooler, with a breeze. After teardown the show made a night jump 125 north across Dallas and to the north to Celina. The ground was hard with frost in the morning as the circus set up on an asphalt lot at the high school. A new working man joined the show on Saturday, off to see a piece of the world, or a piece of Texas, while another man blew the show in the wee hours on Sunday, not even sticking around for his pay. He chronic labor problems on every circus and carnival this year may define the seasson.
Monday March 17th. 40 mile jump to Pottsboro, TX. Asphalt and packed earth lot. We’re under a severe storm warning with heavy rains a possibility. In storm weather it’s all about the presale, because you can’t count on long lines at the box office if it’s raining. Another short jump tomorrow.
