The Greatest Show on Earth?

Last week I took monkey to the Circus, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus to be exact. We had a wonderful time. We ate hot dogs and hamburgers, popcorn, and cotton candy. We were fortunate enough to have a front row seat, and so we got to see everything! However, although the show was great and we truly enjoyed ourselves. The clowns were hysterical. Monkey particularly enjoyed the acrobats and elephants. We got a silly hat and a red nose. I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. You see as a child my parents took Fathead and I to see Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus (RB&BB). It was this amazing three Ring circus with lions, tigers, bears (OH MY!), dogs, elephants, horses, clowns, presenters, acrobats, fire works, etc. My point is there were so many performers, so many acts, that it was almost hard to keep up with it all. The circus I went to was a single ring, the stands were not full, and there were maybe 20 performers, mostly same people in different acts. Again, I am not complaining.....in fact I kind of liked the intimacy of the smaller circus. But I can't help but ask, Has the bad economy hit the circus too? I must say that the circus has been around for hundreds of years in some form, and RB&BB lasted through the last major depression. I hope for the sake of our children it lasts another hundred years. Maybe one day Monkey will be able to take her own marmoset to the an RB&BB circus.

I have included pictures!!!!