The Story so Far . . .

Ava and Francois kibitzed in the bone yard, unaware of the recent incident in her caravan. Tallulah panicked when Orville displayed a number of alarming symptoms resulting from the snake bite; upon hearing the news, Ava rushed in to give chest compressions to Adam her Malaysian coral snake, and inveigled the Doc into treating him before Orville.

Delores was less than happy, and just a wee bit jealous, when she interrupted Purdy and Alexei playing what she felt was an inappropriate game; Tallulah had to run from one end of the encampment to the other collecting errant doctors, missing patients and Victrola needles; Francois became reacquainted with coquettish Little Hand; Hans had absolutely no luck finding quiet contemplative time.

Tallulah decided the right and proper thing was to put a suffering Orville out of his misery, but her errant shot from the grassy knoll missed her intended target and hit a distant Alexei; Delores later believed she was responsible for creating Alexie’s minor buttock wound;  Alexie visited Ava’s cot to share his dream-like tale.

Purdy was troubled to learn that Orville had been poisoned; she tended to him tenderly while he lapsed into a comatose-like state, despite the...

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After the Carnies burned the lot in Weyburn, they tore down quick and made a hasty 300 mile jump to cross into Alberta; unfortunately, the epic drive was well underway before anybody realized they’d left Doc Brighton behind – again . Hans was still feeling the heat from his poor treatment by the Weyburn rubes and became quite inebriated and even more cantankerous than usual; Tallulah was still on a high from her gunpoint  larceny. Things began heating up between Orville and Purdy, however Francois may have something to say about any romance that includes Little Hand. When Alexei realized that Ava had also been abandoned at a rest stop, he suggested that Delores join him in doubling back and picking her up; Doc finally caught up with Ava and the two of them checked into the smallest room in a seedy hotel in Stonehenge, Saskatchewan.

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Ava enticed Doc Brighton into taking on the position of Carnival Barker by giving  him a peek at her grandma’s scanties; Purdy, against her judgement, agreed to hypnotize Tallulah to help with her nervousness about dancing the Cooch;  Hans had his quiet contemplative time interrupted by a vengeful Arlo Williams; Alexei recruited Orville to help him develop his Mind Changer act; Delores had to make an effort to keep her prior relationship with Arlo a secret;  she also rekindled her romance with Alexei  atop the highest point in Saskatchewan; Ava unwittingly hurt the feelings of the Russian Rousty when she asked him to be a body guard during the Cooch. Arlo Williams identified the Carny who had taken him for all his hard-earned dough when he discovered a banner featuring The Mesmerizing Mentalist, and immediately reclaimed his jalopy and took off in search of Clarence; Francois, perturbed to be asked to come up with an ancillary act, defaulted to Mime; Hans came up with three versions of his act, but the  Weyburn townies literally booed him off the stage; Doc Brighton, barking the Bally, grew more confident and loquacious as the show went on; Ava led Purdy and Tallulah in the...

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Ava shared the news that Clarence had left the carnies to start a new life with Orville’s sister Petunia, whom most of the Carnies had met as the boy named Sparky.  Orville: “You’re the swinging dick now! ” “I’ll follow you to the gates of hell!” Ava: “I might be going there but please don’t follow me.”

Delores discovered Hans  fondling a hat box filled with a stash of moolah –and she demanded a fistful of dollars in return for keeping the secret.

Tallulah was taken aback to learn that Clarence had departed, since she had just decided to let him court her.

Ava played a game of hide and seek with Purdy; Ava: “I only know how to play games with men.” They discovered a roll of painted banners advertising; Ava talked Purdy and Tallulah into working  up a Cooch revue; the women reluctantly rehearsed some dance  steps. Ava: "Men like it better if you don’t cry.” Purdy: “ . . .so lots of blowing . . . and on your knees?”

Alexie discovered he possessed a new skill, that of a ‘Mind Changer’; and, excited to make it into an act, shared this news...

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 Clarence found himself inexplicably attracted to Sparky during a boy’s night out of drinking with Alexie and Hans; things become more awkward when Sparky returned his affection, after accidentally ingested a Love Potion provided by Doc (which Clarence had intended to use on Tallulah). 

Alexie also told the men that he had two girlfriends, Delores and Ava.

Ava offered comfort to Orville, distressed over the Wheat Madness. Orville: “Wheat would you have me do?” “The abyss looks back.” Ava:“Pat a snake gently. Pull a little on the tip, if you like. And think of the Pork Report. ”

Tallulah asked for guidance about being a virgin, and received conflicting advice on sex, men and love from the many. Delores: “Gophers. They go up and they go down.” Ava “Men don’t like women who have opinions.” To Delores: “That’s what a cheap woman would do.”    

Francois was relieved when the Doc diagnosed his lack of balance as...

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The Carnies finally made the jump to Weyburn, Saskatchewan in three separate vehicles.  A boy named Sparky arrived on the scene and made pals with Ava, but later found Orville, revealing himself to be Orville's twin sister Petunia, travelling in disguise.  Tallulah the Trick Shot and Ava the Snake Lady were at loggerheads, when Tallulah asked Ava for advice about men, inadvertently accusing her of being a Lot Lizard.  Cookie Delores and Alexie the Roustie got amorous in the car, leading him to feel guilty around Ava. Francois was devastated when Delores broke his mere’s creamer, and Purdy was busy preparing for the upcoming Super Captain Election for the Friendship Gang.    

Some favourite scenes:

Francois, the human statue, unable to do his act due to a strange loss of balance, reflects in his Hot 30:  "How can I be the Human Statue if I'm leaning like this? They will think I'm Italian."

Doc Brighten, abandoned by the Carnies, runs after them dodging gophers and Saskatchewan vermin. Sweating and suffering mumbling of various heart conditions, the Doc stops to check his heart rate and his gain on the Carnies: "You dinks!"

A lost young lad named Sparky, stumbles into the... [More]

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