Maple Syrup Day 1

Wakarusa, Indiana, USA.  Maple Syrup Festival.  The town’s streets are lined with sugar maples and for years the city folks would tap the trees and make syrup.  Sadly, some years back teenagers thought it would be fun to contaminate the buckets so the town had to stop the practice. However, the local Amish continued the practice and apparently their teens were as mischievous and the town still is known for its maple syrup.   In fact, it is sold here at the festival.  

Wakarusa is an absolutely darling little town. The buildings are great to look at. The local hardware store has been in the same place for over 100 years. When you go in you see rows and rows of wood drawers lining the wall behind the counter where the hardware is kept; a sample of the piece inside the drawers decorates the front of each drawer.  The people here are awfully friendly too. There is a strong connection between the Amish, Mennonites, and regular towns folk.  

Fall is fighting to bloom here. Some flowers are beginning to bloom but the trees are still bare. This morning was cold. It rained all night but stopped by 8 and then a really cold breeze came through until almost 1pm.  But by three the clouds broke, the wind died down and the days was very nice.  It is supposed to carry on through tomorrow.

The crazy wind this morning destroyed one of our canopies which we use to change in and store equipment so I had to drive into Elkhart to pick up a new one. That's $100 down the drain. But Jim needed new work boots, especially since the lots was wet and mucky. So I had to do the trip anyway. The town provided saw dust to help fight the muck. It worked well. But the dogs had to be brushed 100 ties today because the sawdust stuck to them like velcro. That's the ins and outs I guess. 

All three of our shows went VERY well. The crowds grew and grew and grew. By the last show you would be hard pressed to find a place to watch us from.

Amelia presented her Aerial act she was supposed to do for Easter for the first time in front of a crowd. They went nuts. Even with the wind she nailed it. And doing aerial silk w/out wind is tough enough.  But wind and weather is what our lifestyle is all about. 

rush hour