"At 7AM I am loitering in my tent, thinking about how I am soaked through and through from several times of having to go out and reposition the tarp and push water off the tent. Thinking that I must go out again as soon as there is light and try to secure things rather than just gerry-rigging it as I had to get thru the night or it would never last the rest of the day. Thinking I could either go out in my current wetness and make repairs, put on something dry for the next 15 minutes or so and go get that wet fixing the tent before putting on costume, or just go ahead and put on costume and fix it since I am going to get wet in costume anyway and would at least still have something dry to put on before going home. Thinking that it will be miserable all day because there is neither hope nor help for it; it is coming down so hard I shall not be able to stay dry for five minutes. In this torrent I cannot even keep dry long enough to get in my car. And all the Scotch Guard and Camp Dry in the world cannot help. It shall not bead and roll off, it shall not stay on top, it shall not do as the commercials say. I shall be wet through all layers, to the skin, within seconds and all day. "Suddenly I hear great stirring out in the downpour. I unzip the door and look out to see what it is. It is Dane Bennett, camp warden, with the news that the faire has been canceled for the day. Farm Road 1774 to Magnolia is already underwater and everyone is supposed to pack up and get out while they can. ' The Faire is cancelled for the day. This is not a joke. Leave while you can still get out.' "
"I am stunned. This is very un-George like. Still, I am grateful to no
end. There is
mass scurrying to gather. I start to pull out the dry clothes and decide
not to bother.
I shall be wet before I get to the car and do not want to try to wrestle
into them
once I get in the car. I just want to get out of here. As does everyone
else, there shall
be a caravan for safety sake, everyone move your butts.
"I batten down as many hatches as I can knowing that there shall certainly
be a
smell of mildew pervading my tent next weekend, but hopefully there
shall not be
an in-tent pool. And we head to white-knuckle it out of there.
"I am stopped by several who want to know has this ever happened before.
They look to me for history. So you see the price of being a Grande Dame of the festival.
"To my knowledge, the faire has only cancelled one other time. On that
day, it
opened and attempts were made to carry-on rain or shine as promised
on
the no refunds advertisement line. But t'was finally called mid-day.
I don't
remember what year that happened. Do you have any recollection of this
or
anything like this. Can you add to the chronicles?
Should I start a history? We seem doomed to repeat ourselves, but that's
another thread.
"Certainly there have been other days that it should have been called
off. There was
the rainy rainy year, I was hosting the feast and Robyn Hoode came
and stole food,
that the 7th weekend was added to try to recoup the seasons losses.
"I had to tell the curious that I although it was very un-George like
to have
cancelled, he did cancel before opening the gate. If the gates don't
open, we don't
get paid. Although there should have been hazard pay for those spending
the night
in tents. And what an excellent excuse not to pay bonuses at the end
of the season
also. Am I cynical?"
- Sheryl
|