The day started out good. Sales were strong, the crowd was thick, everyone seemed happy. We ere watching the weather the best we could with what smart phones and I-pads we had. Mostly it seemed that it was going to start after the show closed at 11 om and that Sunday would be a wash out.
In the afternoon we were told the "escape plan": give us your cell phone, get your friends and family on speed dial, and gather all the dollies and roll carts you can. We may be calling you in the middle of the night. Take out your valuables, and have everything else ready for a quick exit.
I guess the early, hard rain surprised everyone. We started packing about 9:30 and started to take out what we could. Getting a dolly through three inches of slick mud is an impossible task. Getting it over the stone bridge, and down Conestoga street the three blocks to where you are parked even more impossible. It was at least a half hour before we were allowed to bring in any vehicles, we couldn't park closer or we would block the street for everyone, we couldn't park on the other side of the stone bridge because it was full of fire trucks and fire police.
We got packed. We got the inventory out. C went to drive home and switch cars so we could get the rest. The heavens opened up and the deluge came. Dad and I waited in the tent for it to calm down and we were going to start taking apart the tent. We never had the chance. We were evacuated out.
We ran up the hill to the Moravian Book Store and stood shivering under it's awning. We were soaked to the skin. By the time C got back to us it was 11:11. The show has only been officially closed for just a few minutes. I wanted to stand ion the ramp and watch the water, see what happened, but we went home instead. Only because I wasn't alone and C was driving.
We got home and showered, I was dryer after getting out than when I went in. A glass of hot tea, a few more hours awake at the computer and just a few scant hours of sleep later, we went back to see the carnage. My phone never rang during the night.
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