A “Rest” Day!
Dear Smirkus Family,
Yesterday was a day off for the Troupers, but don’t let that fool you into thinking they lounged around. After breakfast, we piled into the Smirkus vans and headed down the winding country roads to our first stop of the day, the Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury, Vermont. Here we sampled apple goodies, tasted cider and munched on cider donuts. And of course, because yesterday was World Juggling Day, a couple of Troupers juggled apples.
Apple Juggling
After that, we headed down the road to Ben and Jerry’s for ice cream. After an “udderly” pun-filled tour, we stepped up the celebration of World Juggling Day a little more. With 30 pints of ice cream donated by Ben and Jerry’s, Troupers tossed, spun and balanced the cartons on the hillside next to the factory.
Juggling Ice Cream!!!
As a talented troupe of thirty, it’s difficult to juggle on a hillside without attracting a little attention. As they juggled in two-highs and backflipped in unison, each passerby paused for a minute to watch. A group of boys in matching soccer uniforms, the AlleyCats from Albany, NY, were particularly enamored and stood in awe for some time until Trouper Eyal went over to them and asked if they wanted to learn to juggle. Though they were hesitant at first, Eyal soon had them juggling two balls and very quickly they were catching three.
A Quick Juggling Lesson
We departed from Ben and Jerry’s with an overcast sky but the moment we arrived at the Waterbury Reservoir, the sun began to peak through the clouds. Magically, the overcast day turned bright and warm. Having already eaten our ice cream, it was now time for lunch and swimming. Post-lunch Troupers enjoyed the sun, practicing circus tricks and chatting happily. I even managed to learn diabolo and get some pointers on my handstand! As the day came to a close, we got back in the vans to make our final stop at a thrift store. Then, sun-kissed and full of ice cream, it was time to head home to the Circus Barn.
Best,
Emma
So much ice cream!
You can watch the ice cream juggling fun on our Facebook page.