Another Beautiful day in Bowling Green

Here is a wasp of some sort inspecting my van.

Perfect weather (though it is suppose to thunder storm tonight)! Wonderful crowds! Fabulous shows....then we ran off and rode rides. After our shows Jim stilted up and went out for a stroll around the park...he has added a few stunts with his stilts including lifting people up...he lifted a 275lb man...cam back very tired. Miles monkeyed up and rode his tiny bike around the park a few times as me, the little ones, and Nick rode rides.

Wish I had more exciting stuff to write about....

Perhaps noting that Duncan Hines called Bowling Green his home once apon a time. He was a traveling sales man and traveled all over the US (pre interstate highways). He made a book for his family and friends listing great places to eat. It turned out to be a publishing hit and he sold tons of books. The Duncan Hines endorsement went a long way. Soon after he wrote a book listing great places to stay. It too was a hit. Later an entrepreneur came up with a great idea. What if Hines put his name on products that he liked. The Duncan Hines brand was born.

With all our travels I could probibly write a book.....

More in the News

Feeling right at home with Kent Family Circus
SPECIAL TO THE REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
You could call them a modern-day Partridge Family of sorts. But instead of singing pop tunes with musical instruments in hand, they’re mesmerizing audiences with magical illusions and other incredible feats. When Victor Kent and six of his seven children pile into the family van with a 14-foot equipment trailer in tow, it means only one thing: it’s time for the Kent Family Magic Circus to perform.
"I’ve been performing since I was 7," Victor, now 43, said of his roots in entertainment. By the time he was 11 he had established a backyard carnival to raise nickels and dimes for the annual Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Telethon.
"When I was 16, I actually produced a show for the telethon in the San Fran-cisco Bay area," he recalled.
MET IN COLLEGE
Victor became a full-time magician/clown at 19, performing in local restaurants and bars in and around his hometown of Milpitas, Calif. "During the dinner hours I was a clown with magic tricks and by the time 10 o’clock rolled around I was simply the magician in the bar," he said of his aspiring career. But the bar scene soon grew tiresome and he decided to leave show business all together to pursue a degree in Japanese culture and language at San Francisco State University. It was there that he met his future wife, Mami, an exchange student from Japan who was majoring in English.
They fell in love and went to Japan to get married while Victor was still in college.
"I worked for a company in Japan
See CIRCUS, Page 42B

Circus
Continued from 42
after we were married, but really hated it," he said of the experience overseas. "Mami told me to do what I love (entertain), so I developed a new act in Japan in the early ‘90s." The Kents had two children while living in Japan. Mami returned to California with the youngsters in September of 1995, while Victor remained abroad to honor performance contracts.
BEST GIFT FROM SANTA CLAUS
"They (family) thought I wouldn’t be back until mid-January but I was able to work things out and surprise them by coming home Christmas day," Victor said of an early arrival back to the United States. "With help from family and friends I got hold of a Santa suit and came to my parents’ house where my family was over for a surprise. Each of my kids sat on my lap but I only revealed myself once my wife sat on my lap. I asked, in a Santa voice: ‘What do you want for Christmas?’" Mami replied: "I want my husband home." Victor took off the Santa cap, beard and wig and she went speechless. "It was great," he said of that special holiday season.
Today the Kent Family Magic Circus consists of Victor and children, Jim, 19, Cynthia, 17, Miles, 15, Victor, Jr., 8, Amelia, 6 and Olivia, 3.
They call the Northern California community of Oroville home, but during the summer the troupe generally has a grueling coast-to-coast tour schedule. That means spending hours together over the road in the 15-passenger van and sharing hotel rooms between performance stops.
Mami remains home with their 11-year-old son, Titus, who is physically challenged.
YOUNG PERFORMERS
Both Jim and Cynthia became members of Victor’s magic show before they were 5 years old.
"As each of our children joined the show, it meant leaving a toddler crying at the door when we left to go perform," he said of incorporating the youngsters into the act. "It broke my heart leaving them behind, so I found ways to put our toddlers in the show. Some of them took to it like fish to water, while others were a little goofy on-stage." While performing at a summer fair, Jim, 10 at the time, met a juggler who started teaching the youngster some routines. Enthused about his newly-discovered art, Jim worked up an act of his own and began performing in the family’s show in 1999, bringing variety to what was generally a magic-only performance.
Today he is known as "Jugglin’ Jim" and wows audiences with a variety of stunts using pins, flaming wands, spinning tops and a unicycle. In 2003 the Kent Family Magic Circus was officially born, making a transition from what was formally known as the Kent Family Magic Show. "By the time the kids turn 10, they each decide which direction they want to go with the show," Victor reflects. Cynthia turned to clowning but is also an integral part of numerous illusion acts. The current production is billed as being a "magical, Vaudeville, variety, circuslike show."
MEET ‘INDIANA MILES’
Then there is "Indiana Miles," who has become a master of the bullwhip by snapping a finger trap out of Victor’s mouth with a single stroke.
"He has caught me accidentally with it (whip) on occasion," Victor said of the act. The most memorable incident was when the fall of the whip hit Victor on the head. "The cracker (long snapping tip) came around my head and face, and as the cracker made its ‘crack,’ it hit the finger trap. It was a once in a lifetime shot and quite hilarious." A startled Victor was uninjured by the miscue though the cracker of the whip — traveling 900 mph — left some "road burn" on one cheek.
Victor, Jr., Amelia and Olivia all have their place in the show as they assist with illusions and some of the circus-style acts. "Because the kids have grown up knowing we have to be on the stage, they are ready when it’s time to perform," Victor said of the children.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The Kent Family Magic Circus comes to Quassy Amusement Park’s Vacation Village Resorts Lakeside Theatre Stage Aug. 3-16. Three shows will be presented Sunday through Thursday at 1, 3 and 5 p.m., with four shows on Friday and Saturday at 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m.

Olivia Makes Butterflies Appear

There are so many beautiful butterflies around Beech Bend Park and in particular there are a million large yellowish-green chaps that are really easy to catch...Olivia has caught two by hand. We decided to add the little guys to the show. She made four appear from an empty tube...then they flew off out past the audience and back into the wild.
The weather was spring like. The audiences were awesome and so were sales.
After chasing kids around and riding rides, playing in Splash Lagoon, and the day's warm can zap the enthusiasm out of an audience. We have to deal with "dead" audiences from time to time. I came up with a great idea today (note my modesty), in fact, I would say it was pure genius. Understand that being in Bowling Green we are very near Tennessee. So half our average audience are Tennesseans; the other half Kentuckians (with a few from other place around the country and world; Had Romanians in the audience at one show today). So I told the crowd that my sons think that Tennessee folks made a more enthusiastic crowd that Kentuckians. "But I told my sons that I think Kentucky folks make better audiences. So we have a bet. We are going to be watching and seeing who is really the better crowd. " I then take a poll of the crowd to see which ones are form Tennessee and who is from Kentucky....then the competition begins. It's hilarious because every time I sense them tiring out I just mention the "bet" and they go nuts. No dead or even slightly sickly audience since.
Laundry occupied the morning.
Victor Jr took his first ride on the Kentucky Rumbler, a very nice wooden roller coaster. It's one of the top ten wood coasters in the world. Then he and I rode the Shock Drop...you sit in a seat with your feet dangling and you slowly are lifted up a very tall tower. You can't see the tower so you have now idea when you are going to drop....then you are dropped and fall and fall and fall until you are slowed by shocks of some type when you are eased the rest of the way down. Victor loved it.
Picked up so prime grade A choice mice for the snake tonight.

Butterflies and Perfect Weather

Jim at work.
A posed picture of Victor's Strongman!

Olivia and Buttercup fell asleep together again backstage.

Pretty quiet day. Great audiences and wonderful people through out. Perfect weather...like spring.

Had time to take the three little ones butterfly hunting. We caught 6...with Victor as the leader in bug count, catching most of them.

Global Cooling & 2 Good 1 Bad

Bug of the day...he is only about 1/3 of an inch long.
New show-side toothbrushes.....with suction cups.
I lost some weight.

The weather started off to look like a fabulous spring day...sun shining, cool breeze, not a cloud in sight. The clouds rolled in and the breeze kept blowing a cool breeze all day. Global Cooling hit again. I read that many states are having record warm summers...also read that solar activity (solar flares) are at their lowest activity since 1938....imagine that! Could there be a correlation....if so then I think Congress owes us an apology and repeal their Cap and Trade vote.

OK, My political rant is over.

We had 2 of the best audiences ever today. Especially at show 2. Every seat taken (220) and about 120 or so standing. That is the maximum that can see anything with any quality. We presented our "Strongman" act again at that show and the crowd loved it. The third child I had picked for the act was a hoot...a real ham. Nice kid too. BUT.....the third show was the dead audience from hell. It was the same third show we do every day. But, the personality mix of the crowd wasn't right. Perhaps it was the time of the show 1 hour before closing. The dimmer light (7pm and heavy cloud cover...and one of our halogens exploded earlier in the day). It was a smaller crowd...about 100 people. The cooler weather sent many home early (after all one of the biggest attractions is the Splash Lagoon). Anyway, in spite of their lack-luster response their comments afterwards were very flattering and our sales at that show were very nice. I must confess that I was hating them about half way through the show. I cut a few of the more interactive things as I knew it wouldn't be good....for me. I handed the show over to James at his regular spot and told him to go a little long...then I went back stage and changed. James did the final bow introductions but by my instructions left me out...I was back stage stewing and sulking. For whatever reasons for the first time in my career I lost composure and couldn't regain it so I felt it better to leave them wondering what happened to me rather than (in a bad state and unable to get back in character) to kill an entire audience...or worse yet....say or do something that might give the family show or the park a bad name.

Oh, yeah. Went butterfly hunting today....not one to be seen.

One more thing I forgot. We were plagued with electronic problems the last two days. One speaker petered out only to return to live. Then one of our headset mics started getting really fuzzy and diffcult to understand. Our CD player even after multiple cleanings continued to skip and jump. SOOOOOOO. I ordered a new mic from Florida. And bought a new CD player at Walm-mart. Life in show business....notice that business is a bigger word thatn "show".

Strong Man

Today was a wonderful day. The weather was mild and perfect. All three audiences were fabulous. I really can't complain about a single thing. Sales were good. The folks at the park were all great too. So...nothing to report. I think the pictures below show today's story. Oh, I just remembered.....we did introduce our newest illusion called "strongman". Victor comes out carrying a a very pretty wood box and places it on a table on a platform. Three boys of various sizes are brought on stage...I have requested boys who think they are stronger than Victor. Each one is allowed on the platform and they lift the box one at a time. They step down and Victor removes their strength with hypnotism by staring into their eyes...none of them can lift the box now. Victor returns their strength the same way and now they can lift the box...except the last boy...the tallest, strongest, oldest boy who has to leave the stage without his strength restore. Each get a prize for coming up....it played very well.

Jim found this spider up high on a post while hanging show decorations.

It may not look it but James is pretty high up finishing up some decorations for our staging.

This bug is humongous!

Jim showing off.

Some bird.

Miles in the Gorilla suit riding the Kentucky Rumbler.

On the Rumbler.

Miles' Birthday...Bumper Bender...Pink Gorilla

oops!

We made a nearly full page spread in the Daily News.

http://www.bgdailynews.com/articles/2009/07/16/features/features1.txt

Under the Magnolia shelter - one of Beech Bend Amusement Park’s original structures - Victor Kent allowed fire to dance across his tongue before swallowing it. Then using an alcohol-based agent, he blew on the fire, making a blaze extend outwards.Wide-eyed, 5-year-old Matthew Phillips turned to his father, Steve Phillips, and asked, “Can you eat fire like that, dad?”The Kent Family Magic Circus is made up of six children and one adult providing a variety of magical tricks and illusions to keep those under the shelter entertained - from fire breathing to levitating to juggling fire while on a unicycle.The Kent Family Magic Circus started performing at the park Monday and will continue through July 26 at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays; noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturdays; and 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays.The family circus was brought in as part of the park’s Kid’s Festival - something special designated for children before they have to return to school, said Beech Bend spokesperson Charlotte Gonzalez. She said while they have entertainment almost every day, the Kent family is something different.And the family is no stranger to the park; this is the second year they’ve attended.“I got an e-mail from them and it was the picture of all the kids that got me,” Gonzalez said. “We brought them in and fell in love with them. They are a very nice family. They are so entertaining and the crowd loves them.“People will see things they haven’t seen before, especially here in Bowling Green.”Originally from Oroville, Calif., the family has been traveling all over sharing their magical talents.“We got word we had a lot of people asking for us to come back,” Kent said of returning to Bowling Green. “And we came back. California has done away with the small amusement parks, and this is a nice place to come. It’s really family friendly. It’s just one of those places you don’t see anymore.”A professional magician at the age of 16, Kent has been performing magic for many years, and as the children came, they wanted to be part of the show, he said.“It’s a family thing,” he said.“We don’t know anything else,” said James Kent, 19.Each Kent child, ranging in age from 3 years old to 19 years old, has their own talent. James juggles, balances, stilt walks and rides the unicycle; Cynthia, 17, levitates and gets cut in half; Miles, 15, does the bullwhip and lasso and the bed of nails; Victor Jr., 8, is the escape artist; Amelia, 6, does mind reading; and Olivia, 3, makes animals appear, including her pet python Buttercup.Victor Kent said they try to provide “clean family fun.”“I’ve never seen another act that has this much variety,” Gonzalez said. She said having the Kent family is an added entertainment value since the show is included in the cost of park admission, she said.Adult admission to Beech Bend is $24 for adults and $21 for children.“Families get a lot of entertainment value here,” she said.That statement rang true for the Phillipses, who came to the park from Smithsfield, Tenn.“We wanted to get our son out the house for the day,” said Steve Phillips, who was with his wife, Aleta, and son, Matthew.The family found themselves under the Magnolia shelter, watching the Kent family work their magic - Matthew completely in awe, especially with the fire breathing and juggling.“He liked that part,” Steve Phillips said, with a slight chuckle. “He wanted to know if I could do that. I told him, ‘Daddy’s not going try that.’ ”Steve Phillips said he’d come see the family act again.“I enjoyed the show,” he said. “I liked the way he interacted with the crowd. I thought it was interesting, and it kept my son’s attention, which was really good.”

Today is Miles' 15th Bday and he awoke to streamers and balloons (the boys decorated his room while he slept) I need to find out if they took pictures. More on the birthday.

Today for me was day two of laundry. After 4 loads and finally two large empty laundry bags I was ready to drive back up to the park (from their camping area which houses the laundry room0. As I backed up my backing sensors beeped and bump...I hit a ford truck and bent it's bumper...I was only going less than 5 mph...and it bend....by bumper didn't even scratch...I mean nothing! Oh well. No one saw but I knew I had to tell the owner and I found them doing laundry. (Earlier I noticed these two ladies because as I sat reading waiting for the dryer to finish one of them spent a lot of time hacking and coughing a horrible horse cough....I was a bit worried about catching something.) Anyways, the truck belonged to the husband of one of the ladies and she shrugged it off as the license plate was the only thing that looked bent. So I gave her my card and told her to have her hubby look at it and call me. Welllllllll, after and hour there was no word and then the boss-lady of the park came up and said a sheriff deputy wanted to see me out front. I went up and he (a very nice guy who was rolling his eyes about the whole thing) said the hubby who owned the truck had tried to reach me and the park wouldn't let him in so he called them. He said he would drive me down to the guy....I asked if he would handcuff me since I would have to ride in the back...he didn't. But he did turn the lights on for me. It was cool. Down there the hubby and I exchanged insurance info and he told me that he had told an employee to contact me....none did (until about three hours later... a temp who helps with picnics...she came up after our show and told me, "some guy told me to find you but I was busy and couldn't contact you until now. " (A real winner here!)

Anyways all insurance stuff has been taken care of and I now have a great story to tell.

The shows were great....so far not a bad one...knock on wood.

Even after a crazy night of thunder and lightening and an overcast morning there was a nice turn out. Several large groups of kids were out an about. The first show was shoulder to shoulder and no sitting space. Great reactions too. By later in the day the crowds had lightened. But we still pulled them in.

We added target whipping to Miles' routine. That's where I hold a folded sheet of newspaper and Miles whips it and tears it in two. Then I take the folded piece and he whips it again. Making the target smaller and smaller. Well on the second whipping he got my arm pretty good leaving a 12 inch welt.....thankfully I was wearing a jacket.

The girls both got a toy stuffed puppy dog from the Rock and roll review show next door. They sing Elvis' Hound Dog then give an audience member a stuffed puppy. In two shows in a row each girl (Amelia and Olivia) got a dog.

For Miles' Bday we had quiet a day. After the shows Miles put his Pink gorilla suit on went to ride rides in it. It was hilarious to watch. When he returned the park boss and her kids presented Miles with a birthday cake. It was tasty. The candles were the relighting type.

The boss lady met us at one of the rides with her golf cart and the whole group of us jumped on and rode back. Then we partook in the cake. It was nice!

Then we hopped in the van and ended up at J Boys...a very tasty family diner. Miles was very pleased with his meal. He wore the vest his grandmother and grand father got for him as well as the WKU t-shirt and shorts he got form me. (Victor's bday is in a week and he wants to eat there too.)

We are finally getting used to the schedule...but I miss my wife.....oh hum.

It would be nice if somehow we can afford an RV so both my wife and Titus (my disabled son) could travel with us in the 2010 season.....We will see how things work out.

Striat Jacket Challenge plus...

The test.

A bug in the laundry room.

Miles arrives for the stunt
Catfish attacking hotdog buns

Olivia asleep with Peanut Butter.

The humidity was oppressive today. Probably the worst so far this year. My shirt literally stayed wet all day. But it wasn't bad...I mean it was hot and wet...but it wasn't bad...even though it was severe.
As the day started the same way for the kids (prepping the show, costuming up for the opening and fixing b-fast, I went down to the parks laundry building....there I remained for nearly 2 hours. Grant it in between the loads I walked around the wooded area around the back of the park (discovered a river there), called my wife and chatted, and read Glenn Beck's Common Sense (a must read for any American---conservative or liberal). Three loads done---the glamour of show biz!
Our first show had a great audience...kind of a captive audience. About 10 minutes before show time the clouds burst open and every person withing 200 feet of our stage shelter area found shelter at our show. And they were a lively happy bunch. The rain ended well before the show did but everyone stayed.
Today was all about promoting Miles' impending strait-jacket escape tonight at 6pm. We have decided to do it over the lake (a nice pond near the front of the park).
Stunt time approached and we set up sound and hooked up the harness to the truck. (By the way, I spent a good chunk of last night sewing and securing the special harness.....you can't just buy these at your local hardware store....you can buy the parts and then make it.)
The owner of the park did something he had never done before. Over the loud speakers he announced the escape then closed all the rides for the duration of the stunt. So we had a very nice size crowd. Miles was driven in by the park owners daughter (she manages the place)...actually Miles walked over not realizing he was supposed to be driven in so we sent him back...then he was driven in. Before he arrived I had to test the strength of the harness and the speed of the lift. The harness worked perfectly but the crane was slow so we decided to use the boom to lift him instead of the crane's pulley system. it lifted me about 20 feet up then lowered me (by my hands) then we let Nick our sound guy try it via the ankles. No worries.
We had a couple of folks inspect the strait jacket as we explained the difference between a fake and real jacket...we use a real one. Then Miles was secured and slowly lifted into the air. Then with a dramatic music change he wiggled and squirmed his way out of the jacket...in the mean time hot dog buns we had stuffed into his jacket fell to the lake below where hundreds of catfish swarmed to get them It made a dramatic scene. In the end he escaped and as he was lowered to awesome applause he tossed the jacket to the bank of the lake. The owners and the workers and the crowd loved it.

I almost forgot one more interesting situation. Anyone who has seen our show knows that during the bullwhip part when Miles is about to whip an item from my mouth I say, "but don't worry folks I have two pieces of safety gear...Elvis Presley Safety glasses (and I hold up a pair of Elvis Glasses) and a Michael Jackson Prosthetic nose (I point to my nose)". Recently I get groans when before (when he was alive the joke always got laughs. So I have added the line, "Too soon?"

Well, occasionally I ask if the audience wants to see my Michael Jackson impersonation.Then I put one hand up in the air, the other does an air grab to the crouch and I ride up onto my toes as I do an MJ "Ow" noise. Always gets laughs....well, I recently haven't been able to stop. I ask if they want to see another MJ Impersonation. Then I fold my arms on my chest and close my eyes. Groans and laughs. Well, one ride operator who loves MJ told Miles and James that she liked all my MJ jokes except the "death one"....maybe a bit too soon, huh? By the way, a man from the audience laughed so hard at that one that I thought he was going to have a heart attact. He sadi, "Don't get no better than that." No accounting for taste.

TV Newspapers and a very crazy day-Strait Jacket

Jim (still in stilts) sleeps in the van on the way to the TV station.
in the green room

Camera rolling....

Victor escapes from video cable during the interview,Miles Bull whipping in the back.

Princess Amelia Interviewd.

The shoot.

Tony Rose, Popular morning radio guy learning to eat fire.

Olivia and Buttercup sleeping back stage.

Cynthia volunteers to face paint.

Don't let the screaming face fool you Victor is loving the Sea Dragon (it was once a part ove Neverland Ranch.)

Jim gets a high five at the enterance to the Sea Dragon..a memorial for Michael Jackson sits out front.

The day started with our regular showing up at the Park and setting up the show while preparing B-fast as the three big kids get ready for strolling acts at the front gate (James: Stilts, Cynthia: clown, Miles: Penguin). Nick sets up the show and the little ones and I eat and prepare what we can. About 10:30 the boss-lady comes flying down to the stage in her golf cart with a clown by her side and a giant penguin hanging off the back...she ran late in the office and we had to take off to the TV station NOW! But where is Victor (me) she got on the radio and everyone in the park was put on alert. Mean while I sat in my stall with my thoughts allowing nature to take it's course. The door pops open and Jim (the chief employee guy) and asks, "Victor? You in here? (in his Georgia accent) "Yes" ,I reply. Next thing I know he's quickly explaining as he is also announcing on the radio I was found. So a quick dash to the show and I quickly changed, we hopped into my van and we all took off to WBKO.

We were supposed to be there early to pre-record but instead we are going on live!

Out in their parking lot James is in stilts (by the way he road over in the van that way having to be shoved in the back by Miles...on the drive there he fell asleep...see the picture above).

In WBKO's parking lot we went on live, as I just said. Miles bull whipping, Cynthia as a clown (she gave the host a balloon twisted into a mermaid), Victor was tied up with a video cord (provided by the station...he escaped on air.), Amelia was just looking cute, Olivia had Buttercup around her neck and I ate fire....In fact, I taught the local radio personality, Tony Rose, how to eat fire on the air. We were all interviewed and the segment was around 5 minutes. It was a lot of fun.

The three shows went very well with good sized crowds ...everyone. The head office got a ton of great reports about us. We were visited by a newspaper reporter as well who interviewed all of us about the show and our up coming stunt...Miles will escape from a strait-jacket 60' upside down above the pond in the park tomorrow at 6PM CT.

As i said the shows went well but I did have a tiny mishap in the last show. While walking on broken glass I got cut. Not to serious but Miles will have to do it tomorrow. Skin on the foot heals fast. It gave a nice ending for the stunt as the audience could see the blood.

We had a busy post show today running around town getting supplies (bricks to break on Mile's belly while on the bed of nails), a pad of Paper we will use to make Buttercup appear, Straps for the strait jacket escape, lunch and b-fast for tomorrow, neosporin for my foot, and a sundry list of other things. While at the old Walmart ( we prefer the one across town) we got what we need then tried to check out...an ordeal that took 30 minute. First we got in the shortest line (an none of them were what you could call short). But as the other lines moved ours stayed still as a woman (not from here by birth) was using her WIC tickets to buy a lot of stuff. the cashier was perplexed and need to be trained on it so she was joined by a second cashier who did her best. Then one had to run off and scan an item or something like that and now we are 15 minutes into waiting. We jumped ship and went to another line. This family (also not native) had a full cart and in short order also pulled out their Wic and welfare coupons....Ugh. We ran off to the self check out (which we skipped before because it always took longer) and started to unload. The girl in front of us ran into trouble with her debit card so we hopped to another self check out line. The process was long and tedious with the machine complaining the item wasn't put into the back, and item was removed, etc. Meanwhile Princess Olivia is trying to help and tries to put a bottle of apple juice on the conveyor...ooops it falls, shatters it's cap and spills out...a lot!

It was still light when we went it. But there wasn't a hint of dusk when we went out.

With lots more to do before I sleep I bid you all good night.

Day 1 Beech Bend Park 09

Asleep backstage during the last show today...(Victor and Ollie)
And Amelia.
Here is a shot of our show shelter.

The girls with their heroes...the singers from the show next stage over.

James dancing in stilts to the musical going on at the stage next door,,.

The Dancers and Singer..Lance, Morgan, Emily, and Trent

Another angle of our stage area.

Inside

A visitor to our stage area.

Another Visitor to our stage area...there were a lot of these.

After that incredible rainfall yesterday and the reports on the weather websites we were expecting more thunderstorms BUT....It was a beautiful day. The good weather brought good crowds for a Monday and that meant great audiences for us. Nearly a full house at the first show and more than half full for both the 2nd and 3rd shows. With the third show audiences being particularly playful. The kids even had a little time to go on a couple of rides.

One ride here used to call "Neverland Ranch" it's home. There is even a small memorial for Michael Jackson in front of it. Olivia and I tried to ride it but she freaked out as it started and we were allowed off.

Tomorrow we will be on the local TV station promoting our visit with a 5 minute segment. Then on Wednesday Miles will do an upside down strait jacket escape. I may get to laundry sometime this week.