The Man on the Flying Trapeze

This is the entry I made last week that the computer  (sometimes known as puter) (or pooter)  would not publish.
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Purple Font today.  Looks black, but it is purple.  Get in close to the screen.  Closer, closer, closer - this is where I have programmed a ugly witch to appear on the screen and scream bloody murder.  Did you see her?  Well come closer....closer....closer....
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Obviously you don't know me well enough.  I don't have the slightest idea how to program a computer to do squat.  Get your nose off the screen.  Let's move on.
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About a couple weeks ago, daughter Laura came to visit.  She likes to fish off the dock and contemplate the Universe.  Daughter Christine wanted to come visit but wanted to go camping at the same time.  In the near future she is meeting Son Roger and his daughter Megan somewhere west of Austin to go camping with his church group.   Alarm going off.  Be right back.  Have to change the water - we get to water on Thursday and Sunday.  This is Thursday.  figure it out.
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We searched for a park that had septic hookups for the motorhome and one could camp in a tent.  Christine wanted to practice b4 her adventure with those church going campers.  Mission Tejas State Park is a great place to camp out.  Nobody is there because they don't have one of those exciting water features or other attraction.  For pure-D campin', this is a good place with big loblolly pines and trails to spare.  The park was built back in the 30s by the C.C.C. - Civilian Conservation Corps.  More on that later.
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We had several nice park rangers to guide our adventures.   One morning the young park ranger gave a talk on the C.C.C.  We attended along with his wife and her parents.  There were plenty of empty seats.    This park had over 200 young men working and sweating and slaving to build the park.  When they got off work, there was no place to go - 20+ miles to the next real town.  The bosses created amusements for them.  The one that got my attention - as you might expect - was singing, group singing.  They would gather under the group shelter in the evening and sing away. Times were different then.
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As a display, our guide showed a Xerox copy of their song book.   23 songs in a book.  I am leading up to giving you the words to some of the songs.  Of course the book had no printed music, just the words.   I ask the guide if I could buy one of these up in the park store.  Nah, just take the one in your hand.  They missed a bet there.  Time to eat.  I'll be back in a different color.
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And so I am.   Green.  Had a delicious hamburger and turned off the water for the hot part of the day.
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Camp members were given a printed book of song words.  They were told to take them home when they leave - an aside here - C.C.C. required you "enlist" for 6 months minimum.  You were paid $35 a month and $30 was sent home to your family.  You kept $5 for you monthly expenses.  Times were different.   You will find this to be a different blog today.      The cover of the book says:
    
                             SONGS
                       of Company 252
    
                         Published By
                    C.C.C. Company 252
                        Camp T.V.A. 16
         LaFollette,                    Tennessee

The inside front cover had a

                                              FOREWORD
     There is probably no other single agency that promotes good fellowship and good morale as effectively as group singing.  Not only when we all get together in the recreation hall for that purpose, but riding to and from work, in the barracks and the many other places where it is appropriate to start a song and have others join in.  It is hoped that the publication of this little book, "Songs Of Co. 252", will help keep the morale of this camp high and afford many hours of pleasure to the members of the Company that like to sing.  After you leave company, we also hope that you will keep this little book as a treasured souvenir of your days spent in Co. 252.
A. M. BANKS       Commanding

On to the songs.   My favorite is # 22  THE MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE.  (read to end - we live in a different time)  (I'm spelling things like they did)

Once I was happy but now I'm forlorne
Like an old coat that is tattered and torn
Left in this wide world to weep and to mourn
Betrayed by a maid in her teens.
Oh, this maid that I loved she was handsome
And I tried all I knew, her to please
But I never could please her one quarter as well
As the Man On The Flying Trapeze.   Ooooh!!

                          CHORUS
He floats through the air with the greatest of ease
the daring young man on the flying Trapeze
His actions are graceful, all girls he does please 
And my love he has stolen away.

He' play with a miss like a cat with a mouse
His eyes would undress ev'ry maid in the house
Perhaps he is better described as a louse
But still people came just the same.
He'd smile from the bar on the people below
And one night he smiled on my love
She blew him a kiss and she hollered "Bravo"
As he hung by his nose up above.  Ooooh!!

                      (Repeat Chorus)

I went and I whimpered, I simpered for weeks
While she spent her time with the circuses freaks
The tears were like hailstones that rolled down my cheeks
Alas and alak and Alaska.
I went to this fellow the blackguard and said
I'll see that you get your deserts
His thumb to his nose he put up with a sneer
He sneered once again and said "Nertz".  Ooooh!!
            (Repeat Chorus)
One night to his tent he invited her in
Filled her with compliments and with gin
That started her off on the road to ruin
she made the supreme sacrifice.
But even tho' I loved her I aid "Take my name
I'll gladly forgive and forget"
She rustled her bustle and then without shame
she said "Maybe later, not yet".  Ooooh!!

                  (Repeat Chorus)
One night I as usual went to her dear home
Found there her father and mother alone
I asked for my love and soon 'twas made known
To my horror that she'd run away.
Without any trousseau she fled in the night
With him with the greatest of ease
From two stories high he had lowered her down 
to the ground on his flying trapeze.   Ooooh !!

                       (Repeat Chorus)
Some months after that I went into a hall -
To my surprise I found there on the wall
A bill in red letters which did my heart gall
The she was appearing with him.
He' taught her gymnastics and dressed her in tights
To help him live at his ease
He'd made her assume a masculine name
And now she goes on the trapeze.  Ooooh!!

                    CHORUS
She floats through the air with the geatest of ease
You'll think her a man on the flying Trapeze
Her actions are graceful, all girls does she please
And that's what's become of my love.

later all
m