Circus Memories

One of Gail's cousins ran off and joined the circus.  Really!

Sorry Roy, the elephants always wanted to be in front

Both Gail and I have a horde of cousins, and one of her cousins, Roy, joined the circus when he was young.  He found out he was good with animals, so started training them.  He gradually worked his way up to training elephants.

Being in the circus, he was always traveling around the country, so every couple of years the circus would come to town and we would visit Roy.  And of course, when we went to the circus, Roy treated us like royalty, including the obligatory elephant ride. There's nothing like a good circus to bring out a smile in a kid.

I was reminded of this recently when Ringling Brothers retired their elephants due to pressure by animal rights activists.  I can't say I agree or disagree with them, but I do remember that Roy loved his elephants.  He treated them with respect and cared for them as best he could.  I remember he got mad at one of the handlers when he thought they were treating his elephants poorly.

He's retired now from his circus life and living happily with his family, but I'll always remember his hospitality when the circus came to town. Thanks, Roy.