Now it’s finally summer weather in the Pacific Northwest, but we’ve reached that sad time: the conclusion of a grand adventure. We’ve spent the last six weeks pedaling madly, painting strangers’ faces, sleeping on couches, parading on the street, and making new friends. We’ve got plenty of photos as evidence of our antics, a string of new Facebook fans, and some truly ridiculous memories (bagrobatics, anyone?).

Many thanks to our countless supporters, among them: Eve, Jack, and Ian McLeod for giving us a truly homey home base; Bryan McLellan for his basement, bicycle advice, and friendship; Islando, Della, Ariel, Isabelle, and the rest of the folks at the Bellingham Circus Guild for hosting us and having us as guests in their visionary community circus world; Margaret Hall for the attic loft and BBQ; Erica and her housemates for sharing their space and teaching us the Lady Gaga Bad Romance dance; JES Schumacker for her enthusiasm and networking; Jean, Alan, and Corvus for backyard camping and circus geeking; Alison and Marple for sharing their uphill digs; Kristian Brevik for being our circus stage mom and patient friend; Emerald City Trapeze Arts for their delicious free open brunch; Aletia and Maggie from Madrona for their organizing; Fremont Arts Council for putting on a smashing Festival and Fair; Ryan and Kelley from the Harlequin Hipsters for pulling us into the dancing; Luke, David, and the Titanium Sporkestra for banging out some awesome tunes to circus to… and then there were those lovely people who waved at us on our bicycles, watched our shows, played with us in the park, talked circus and bicycles and life, and sometimes even tossed us a few dollars. Though we don’t know all your names, we’re glad to have met you and are grateful for your support too.

Though now that the INTERROBANG tour has come to a close and troupe members are shifting their focus to other commitments (farmwork, summer-camp coaching, and European travels, to name a few), don’t worry – The Downside-Up Circus will be fermenting other projects, shows, and collaborations in the future. Stay tuned!

In the last few weeks, we’ve had the pleasure of meeting quite a few bike-handy people who helped us get road-ready.  In Port Townsend, we spent a delightful afternoon with Chauncy at The Recyclery’s weekly open community bike maintenance session, learning some very useful bike basics like lubricating cables and adjusting derailleurs. (In PT we also got the chance to meet up with Jim Rohrssen, who is organizing Bikes for Haiti, an excellent initiative to collect donated bikes and ship them to Haiti.) Then there’s our new friend Bryan (who we stayed with our first time in Seattle) who’s been our shining-knight-on-wheels time and again, when at first we thought we’d never get the tandem and then that we’d never be able to fix it! When we did get Sweet Ride fixed, she was well taken care of by the wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable Jay at Tim’s Bike Shop in Everett (instead of at an overpriced chain store).

Yesterday we had the chance to check out the Bellingham Circus  Guild’s Cirque Lab here, where we will be performing Tuesday night at their monthly Vaudevillingham show. It’s a friendly, spacious arts center in a converted industrial space, with a stage, loads of aerials rigging points and floor space for juggling and acrobatics. Lindsay and Kristian joined us in the afternoon and we ran through our acts to entertain our lovely Bellingham hosts yesterday at an informal house BBQ. Today we’re heading out to the Lookout Arts Center at The Quarry a ways outside of town for a fireshow and to spend the night with fellow circus folk!

But for now we are back at Molly’s house (after the 4-hour return ride and some monster hills), enjoying showers and home-grown kale! Lindsay and Kristian are still making their way to join us on this coast, as is our tandem bicycle. Soon we shall all be reunited and can start the tour in earnest!