Bindlestiff Family Cirkus

Bindlestiff Family Cirkus - jackalop logo
Originally uploaded by Caution Mike

Okay. It's officially a triple-header. THREE shows in a week. We know how to live.

Sunday afternoon it was the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus with their show for kiddies at the Spiegeltent. Whips, contortion, sword swallowing, balloon animals, the whole schmegeggy. All backed by a live band. How cool. Since they are practically neighbors, we plan on becoming groupies.

The Bindlestiff's next local show will be in Hudson on Saturday, August 29th at 3:00. It's free and family focused (though you must see them after dark one of these days - it's a whole different Cirkus!). The show will be at the Henry Hudson Waterfront Park. Check their website for rain location info.

Jr. Fireman

On a recent rainy day, one of twenty-five, we headed up to Hudson and the FASNY Museum of Firefighting for some indoor diversion. If you have a penchant for chrome, or hooks and ladders, this is the museum for you.

Firetrucks. Firetrucks. Firetrucks. 50,000 square feet of them.


Almost too many to digest on an initial visit.

And, you can climb up into the driver's seat on quite a few of them. In your Jr. Fireman's suit, no less.



There a few other buttons to push and bells to ring, which makes the whole visit more fun than you should have on a rainy day.


Did I mention that I really like chrome?

The Museum of Firefighting is located at 117 Harry Howard Avenue in Hudson. Admission is by donation. Open daily 10 - 5. 877-347-3687.

Goodwill Hunting

A few miles up the road from our little village, there's a thrift worth the drive to Hudson. Goodwill - in a dismal strip mall opposite a Walmart (of course), but inside treasure awaits (and it doesn't smell too bad).


Find-of-the-week, 107 diner ware saucers and 1 cup. I passed. The housewares, electronics, toys and sports gear are all sprinkled with new-from-Target merch. All a bit dinged and dented, but a little elbow grease, some glue and a few carefully applied clamps and you've got yourself... well, something from Target.

It's worth glancing over, but I go for clothes. Descent inventory of Talbots, Ann Taylor, Ralph Lauren hanger to hanger with lesser cousins from Fashion Bug, Lerner and, of course, Target. A good bit of it straight from the retailer (which accounts for the tolerable smell of the store). The cast offs of the good people of Hudson will not yield anything you'd waltz down Fifth Avenue in (for that we thrift in Tivoli), but for country life, it'll do just fine.

The seasoned Goodwill Hunter needs no orientation, but if you're headed in for the first time this primer may help. Clothing is hung by color giving the whole store a cheery rainbow effect. Men on one side. Women on the other. Kids in back. Prices on the overhead sign. Easy. But the thrill of the hunt bumps up a notch when you realize that the little plastic tags get you discounts. Today red tags three-for-one. Blue tags half off. You wander around thinking you've got about $30 draped over your forearm, and it rings up for $12. Happy hunting!

Goodwill is on Fairview Avenue in the Columbia Center strip. Open Monday to Saturday 9 to 8 and Sunday 10 to 7. And parking's no problem, because half the stores in the strip have packed up and left.