Water for Elephants

So... this post has nothing to do with what we did today (though we did have a great day, if you are interested!). I was excited this morning to find the DVD of pictures my Aunt Dana worked so hard to collect and scan and share with the family. I wasn't sure where it had ended up after the move, and I've been reading the book Water for Elephants, finally! So I was really excited to find it again, hooray! And I wanted to share this really cool part of my family's history.

It seems like everyone in the universe managed to read this book before me, which is semi-ironic. I mean, they've already made a movie out of it, that has long since left the theaters. But if you haven't read it, it's about a traveling show (circus) in the early part of the Great Depression. Yes, there's a love story, and yes, it's fiction. But my very own great-grandfather was the manager of just such a "traveling show" at around the same time (featuring him and his six brothers). I am finding it so interesting to read this book and imagine what life would have been like for them. And really, it's fun to tell people you come from a "circus family," hehe!

Anyway, I just felt like sharing a few of the pictures from the DVD Dana gave us. It's too cool not to!

First, this is my great-grandfather and his wife, my great-grandmother. It's crazy how much my grandpa looked like his dad!

From my understanding, they would come into a new town and play baseball against the local team as a way of drumming up business. Here they are in their jerseys (the brothers are all in the back row).

And there were animals...



The company and their train car!

I am no expert (that would be my aunt!), but I am definitely a fan! Now, back to my book, haha!