July 01st, 2019

Saturday was Minock Day!  Woohoo!  The best day of every month!

To catch up anyone who isn't familiar with the situation, the Minocks were our best friends back in Colorado.  Then Tim and I moved here three years ago and the Minocks were still our best friends so we visited back and forth and emailed and texted and made long distance phone calls.  Then this year, they moved to Florida also but about 2 1/2 hours north of us.  Which is still much closer than Colorado  but too far for daily or even weekly visits really. So we all decided that once a month we would all get together!  Generally we find something to do that is somewhere in between where we both live.

This time Marsha chose.  And she chose very well.  We all met at the "International Independent Showman's Museum".  Whoa, that's a big name!   I'm still not absolutely certain where this place is. It is either in Riverview or Gibsonton Florida.  We honestly thought we were in Riverview but I noticed that on the tee-shirts in the gift shop it said Gibsonton.  The name Gibsonton, by the way, does not flow easily off my tongue.  I always sound as if I have only a marginal familiarity with the English language when I say it out loud.

Tim told us that  Gibsonton was originally a wintering and retirement place for carnivals the same way that first Sarasota and then Venice  were the wintering place for circus's.  Interesting history that.  No, really, I mean it.  It is a fascinating history that I knew nothing about prior to this.  Check out this link if you are curious:

http://weirdus.com/states/florida/fabled_people_and_places/gibsonton/index.php

At any rate, neither Tim not I had ever heard of this place and what a shame  because it is a little hidden treasure!  The gentleman at the front desk explained that it wasn't just Circus memorabilia and history, it was, and I quote, "Anything under a tent".  So Circus's absolutely, but also Carnivals, Sideshows, Country Fairs and Wild West Shows.  It was awesome.

I was particularly amused by the fun house mirrors as you can see.  Not sure why it tickles me so, but it does.  We spent a couple of hours reading everything, watching all the mini-video's, admiring the displays of entertainment both old and new.  We saw old costumes complete with fancy headdresses, antique cotton candy machines, a full sized Ferris Wheel and a Carousel.  There were wonderful old event posters, quite a number of actual mid-way games and prizes from long ago, a mock up of a burlesque stage show and one of my favourites, a calliope!  

When we finally finished up our visit at the museum, we were all starved so we set out to find food!  And somehow we ended up at a Jamaican BBQ place called, 'Trust Me'.  So we trusted them and it was not trust misplaced. It was excellent!    And it was quite busy, so many people came and went while we were there!  Great choice!

So we talked and laughed and ate.   Then we talked and laughed and ate some more. And I learned the meaning of the word 'Inverness'!  All this time I thought it was just the name of a city in Scotland.  Turns out it's also a garment!    "A sleeveless cloak with a removable cape"  Who knew?  Well certainly not me. I LOVE learning something new :)

Afterward, reluctant to end the day yet, we found some model homes in the general area to look at.  There were at least 6 models, perhaps more. After awhile I lost count.  And at the end we all said which one was our favourite.  Oddly enough, we all had the same favourite!  So we went and looked at that one once more.

But it was getting late and we both had to head back to our respective homes. Awwww :(   BUT, today it's July which is a whole new month and now we can look forward to and plan the next Minock Day!  Woohoo!

Thanks for another wonderful day together guys!
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