Drove in, remembering that I'd left my sunblock on the bathroom counter about halfway to Alma. It was looking pretty dour to the north, and I thought to myself, not only that I was running late to meet Ray, but also that I was NOT going back, just for the sunblock, and that it was probably going to rain most of the day anyway.
On the way, I saw where "they" had put all the windmills that I'd seen months ago, 18-wheeling down the highway nearly every day. Yes, they are up and operational in Ithaca and in Alma, all along M-46 to Merrill!
On arrival, the rain held off for a bit, until I got to the field, drove in, and dropped off my stuff at the Re-Enactor tent. Then I drove out and parked my car in the lot I usually park in, while Ray waited at the tents.
Sadly, he forgot to give me my wristband, and they wouldn't let me in without it. So I had to walk all around the grounds, tell the attendant there that I would return shortly with my wristband because my friend Ray had it in his briefcase.
I retrieved my band from Ray and returned to the attendant to prove my legitimacy and then returned to the Re-Enactor tents.
Only to be told that I couldn't stay, because I was not dressed in period clothing. Nevermind the fact that I'd stayed in their group the last two years WITHOUT period clothing, but it's not that I'm bitter....about this time, it started to rain. Not hard, just a mist that soaked you through and through with a breeze that nearly froze you.
So I tossed about most of the morning, trying to find a place to light. The rain kept me hopping about. When the Re-Enactor Group decided they didn't want me in their area, I had to travel "with wheel and other paraphernalia" to the band tent, who also kicked me out as soon as the rain stopped for a second or two.
I finally put my gear back in the car, figuring that, if it was going to rain all day, there was just no way I was going to take my $700 machine out so it could get all wet!!!
I took my stool and sat down to watch the parade. Suddenly, the parade stops...and does not start again. What's going on, everyone wants to know.
Come to find out, one of the Honorary Committee members, a lady of some advanced years, fell asleep in her chair on the float, fell out of the chair and down and under the float. Someone said she turned over a couple of times before the float stopped, and then it was a waiting game for the ambulance to get there, get under there, get her on a back board, and hustle her off to the hospital. Later, there were reports that she was doing just fine. Thank GOD!
I lost my friend Ray about 7 minutes inside the gate, so I spent some time wandering around the craft tents. Some really cool things in there, and I enjoyed myself. There was only one thing I really wanted to buy, but she was a cash only vendor. This was probably for the best, because after buying my Ipad and paying for license tabs, I was pretty broke!
After the parade was over, the sun finally made a dent in the clouds, and the rain disappeared. I got out my wheel and my wool and headed to the hill out back by the heavy athletics. It was shady over here, which was a good thing, since I'd forgotten my sunblock. You remember I forgot my sunblock, right?
Even in the shade, I burned to a crisp over 50% of my upper body, and I surely regretted forgetting my sunblock. After two days, I'm still pretty tender, putting Aloe Gel on twice a day.
The next day, we celebrated hubby's birthday with cake, brownie and ice cream. We all decided it was going to be a "no work" day. It was a GREAT day.
The next day, Hubby decided that we would plant our veggie garden. And so we did. Tomatoes, potatoes, peas, beans, zucchini and swiss chard...just enough to whet our appetites for more during the harvest. Afterward, hubby says: "We really should go over and do mother's garden." and I replied "Well, if we don't do it now, we aren't doing it."
And so we headed to hubby's mother's again, since we'd just celebrated his birthday the day before at his mother's. It's okay, because I like her. We did the garden, got a little help from a cousin and went on from there. When we got home, we checked our garden to make sure everything was still standing up--since it had been 90 degrees all day, hot and humid without much relief, even though the clouds were pretty heavy.
It was murder, trying to get up for work today, but I did come to the office, knowing that after work, I was going to Lake O for knit night. I have to stop at a friend's house to pick up some camel fiber. Never spun camel fiber. Might be a new experience for me. But I also have the blanket to finish...I might do a little on both.
I hope you all had as nice a weekend as I had (burnt skin aside). I had a great time, really, and I'm turning brown!!!
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