THE ART SHOW, TORNADO SIRENS..THIS WEEKEND

Well..we did our first show of the season!! It was the Fountain City Arts Festival in Prattville, AL. We got up on Friday and drove down there..and thank God that we did, because it took us over 4 hours just to set up. But,let me start at the beginning..I got up Friday morning at 3am..put coffee on, and jumped on my new ellipitical excercise machine, and did about 2 minutes really fast. I was so proud of myself (until later that night-hahaha)..then life went on as normal until 9 am when we headed out. We drove down there, swung into our hotel, and paid for our room, then went to WHATABURGER!! OMG. I SO love, love, love Whataburger hamburgers, and we don't have one where we live, so that was REALLY the only reason that I chose this show, was that there was a Whataburger nearby...hahaha. We get there, set up ...and finally get everything done (by now it's about 7:30 PM)--and we go back to hotel room..and then..that really fast 2 minutes on the hydraulic restistance excercise machine hits me..I could barely move..hahahha. I hurt from my head to my toes..so..I ate a banana and took some Aleve, and off to sleep we went..

We got back to the art show around 7 am. People started looking, and buying..I met Brenda Davis--a VERY prolific folk artist, and generally good person to laugh and talk with..and then the customers started coming..I made some sells..and my aunt came to visit me (she lives in Montgomery--which was about 15 minutes away)..and it's all going well...then at 2:15, the art show people come by, and say we are closing up early, and bad weather is on the way. We start to pack up, and these sirens start blaring. The "run to the shelter" kind of sirens..blaring continously..the sky is black and churning, and some lady is saying she sees a tornado..hahha.. Well..I looked. I didn't see a tornado, I had Nature Boy look..he didn't see a tornado..but, I am assuming since they are blasting us with these World War 2 sirens, then someone MUST have seen one..so..we are shoving things into the van...(I seriously am praying that I did not destroy half of my inventory..sigh), and shoving and shoving..and the weather gets worse, the wind is whipping..we are all frantic...We finally get the last of everything picked up..we get in the van..we shut the doors..we take a deep breath..and.....THE SUN COMES OUT. It is a beautiful day. No wind, no rain..hahahaha. But..we did well..and met a new friend, and saw a couple of old ones, and met some that we will forever avoid..so all in all-it was a good show.

So, we head home..we get to the interstate, and the exit is blocked by police. We pull into a store and find out that there is a 5 fatality car wreck and they have blocked off a section of the interstate. We head back to town and had dinner, then came back by..still blocked...so we had to detour, so for 40 miles we drove 35-45 miles an hour with 600 cars behind us, and a million ahead of us...We get through that..and all goes smoothly..until we are on the last leg of our trip..we are on this section of road that is always the darkest, bumpiest road that I have ever been on, it's a state highway..and I hate it at night under the best of conditions..well, they had these concrete barrier walls up, and we had to drive on one lane under the worse thunderstorm that I have ever been on. I couldn't see, but there was nowhere to stop either..so I just kept praying and praying, and after about 30 miles of this, we finally got to our exit. Then 40 minutes later, we were home safely! I have never been so happy to be home in my life!! Goodness!!

So..HERE WE ARE..at home..We are Pensacola, FL bound this week!! I am very excited to be going "home", and to be doing a show there! I am not frantic about getting ready for it..I am not having to paint continously..and I am already packed. I have to pick up a few things today, and we will be ready to go!

Well..that is about all..a "not boring" weekend...and an exciting one coming up..then back home to get ready for the next show!
Live Artfully!!