R.I.P. Ringling Bros.

After 146 years, the curtain is coming down on "The Greatest Show on Earth." The owner of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus told The Associated Press that the show will close forever in May. The iconic American spectacle was felled by a variety of factors, company executives say. Declining attendance combined with high operating costs, along with changing public tastes and prolonged battles with animal rights groups all contributed to its demise. 
Associated Press

Another American tradition down the drain. I was fortunate enough to see the Ringling Bros. circus, elephants included, in 1956 when they came to and set up their tents. Believe it or not the location was in Boone, Iowa at the fairgrounds.(The real circus didn't come to town but they had cotton candy, peanuts and elephants so we were gullible enough to believe they were the real deal) How sad. The next I'll hear is that Donna Reed died.