Raising the Big Top

Back in 2012 when I was touring with Panic Circus, one of the most exciting experiences was learning how to raise the big top. I think in the three weeks I was there, I probably helped raise and put down the tent at least five or six times, in the rain, wind and sunshine. Each time was thrilling. I got the sense that I was one of the only members of the crew that saw the task in such a glorious light… for many it had simply become a part of the job.Now after Circus Cascadia has bought a big top of her very own… I am beginning to see their point of view. 

But before I get too jaded and enveloped in the worries of a tent-owner (what if barn mice chew more holes in my tent?!), I want to relish in how wonderful my first experiences were. In my naive mind, the physical labor of raising a tent was so romantic, stirring up images of my childhood like watching Dumbo and remembering magical moments when going to the circus. The rhythm of the sledgehammers, the clanking of the chains, even working in the rain had a rose-tinted feel. And truly, it is a very fulfilling experience to be part of a team, putting up such a beautiful structure when hours before it was just a grass field. 

Looking back on it, I understand that it was fun and thrilling because my tasks were relatively simple, and all I had to worry about was listening to the team leader and doing my job well. Laying out side poles, tightening ratchet straps, helping the crew lay out the tent fabric, pulling up stakes, etc. Everyone else had already done this hundreds of times, so the technicalities were already worked out. I was a welcomed extra set of hands that made it easier for us all. As the weeks went by, they let me do some of the more skilled/dangerous parts, like lacing up the pieces of the tent ceiling or even being the one to lower the center ring when it was time for take down. All in all, it was ALWAYS fun. 

Creating a lovely space for some circus and puppet magic!

~~~

And now… a new chapter begins with Circus Cascadia. Even though we now have a tent, we still technically have no permanent space. Since joining the Circus Cascadia family, The Bus of Fun has been her central hub, and as a teaching circus that visits schools, our vehicle is really irreplaceable. I like to think that the communities of Portland have come to recognize us from our circus bus, painted beautifully with red and blue.

Now we have something special, something big, beautiful and yellow! Without the help of our crew and circus community, this tent raising would not be possible. Here are some pics from the put up… BIG THANKS to Sisyphus Farms for graciously letting us use their field… and lending a helping hand! Shout out to Charlie, Zephyr and Ike, you guys rock our socks!!

Laying out the tent… like working with the heaviest and most annoying piece of fabric…

 

I love Paul's face in this photo… it perfectly encapsulates the feeling of amazement when you finish a tent-raising. He was totally flabbergasted, once it was actually up. We did it! We've never been so sore!! Circus Cascadia has it's own tent!! (Yes, this was a long-time dream realized for our dear ringmaster). 

As it was our first tent-raising ever and we had a crew of four, progress was frustrating and slow. We quickly realized a lot of mistakes and changes we would need to make for next time. Instead of tying knots we'll definitely invest in some ratchets to tighten the side ropes, and a better measuring system for our stakes. In the photo below you can see a little bit of sag on the left… that will not be there next time! Part of tent safety is having every panel nice and tight and the stakes aligned. 

In the end, the tent was up in a mere 8 hours (eshk!), but once it was, there was much reveling and joy. We will have to practice our put up and take down a bit more before we start using it at events, and perhaps find a reliable, strong and enthusiastic tent crew (a few more hands make much more light work)… so if you live in the Portland Metro Area and you dream of running away with a circus… don't hesitate to look us up! 

Isn't she a beauty?!

Tent-Time!

I'm going to skip the part where I write "Oh my goodness, I haven't written for a year, how awful, etc etc" and come right here to the present moment.

Since I last wrote, I have started and finished graduate school, got my Masters in Elementary Education, had a fantastically busy summer (oops, where was my vacation?!) with summer camps, circus, and nonprofit work, traveled to Hong Kong and Mexico, and started my first job as a 1st grade teacher.

This happened! Whoohoo!

Every part of me wishes that I had documented this past year in some sort of organized fashion. And by that I mean a photo album, a journal with consistent entries, or even better, a scrapbook journal filled with my doodles from graduate school notebooks and all the random odds and ends that I collect, always planning to one day put them in a journal. I have even started carrying gluesticks in my purse just in case I need to glue in some ticket stub or other.

But I digress.

I have written before about how I am not very interested in sharing a whole lot of my life with "the internet" (scary!). Especially since becoming a teacher, one's personal life is in all ways essential to maintaining sanity. A lot of teachers I know (and I am certainly no exception) love nothing more then to come home and embrace a hermit lifestyle after a long day of interacting with people. Teaching is all about interaction and personal relationships (Know Yourself, Know Your Students), which makes personal time such a treasure.

And yet, despite my desire to maintain anonymity on the interwebs and not put too much out there, here I am typing away, wanting to share something, something with the world because when I sit back and look at my life, I am flabbergasted with how much magic surrounds me.

There are two aspects of my life that I want to share on this blog.

First, there is making.

Whether it is sewing, knitting, crochet, hot gluing, paper-making, mod podging (Mod Podge! I have just discovered Mod Podge and my life has changed forever!!), or whatever else strikes me, I love to create. If the materials I use are upcycled, that is even better. Knitting season is upon us and I have already dived in with glee.

Second, there is Circus. As someone who was up to recently fairly "normal", (meaning, no running away with a circus), I have fallen in love with every aspect of circus life. Wouldn't it be cool to get to read all about what goes into a circus education nonprofit?! Um, yes it would.

It turns out the crafty part of my life is overlapping more and more with Circus. Whether I am mending children's costumes, practicing face painting skillz, making costumes for myself or others, making props, taping hula hoops, there is ALWAYS something to be done. Winter is traditionally the time of year where we repair all the equipment that was so well loved over the summer, and refresh our materials for the upcoming school year. I have many fond memories of re-taping hula hoops while the snow fell silently outside. This year my Circus crafty-ness went to a whole new level. I can now call myself a tent-maker...

It started off as a small idea…. making some tent covers for our three blue pop-ups that we use. It quickly turned into an elaborate design (complete with stars because of course a circus tent needs star decals!) and a few trips to the fabric store. I spent a week of summer in full-on sewing mode, devoting my entire days to sewing, cutting. It was so exciting, and the materials divine to work with (Sunbrella fabric: resistant to all weather and mildew, aka perfect for Portland). When they are done, these covers will last us at least 10 years.

Since the school year has started, my attention has been turned elsewhere, so for now, the pieces sit in our living room, but once I get into the groove of school, I will be able to work on them in the afternoon and my goal is to have all three finished by the new year! (Eek…).

As far as the blog goes, I am not making any promises.  But at least just for me (let's call it a personal goal), I want consistent documentation. That starts here, and my goal is to share some circus magic with the world every Sunday. That seems reasonable, don't you think?