Memorable moments

Des Moines was a great show - it was just the highest caliber show you could imagine with great attention to every detail. The customers are all so nice and appreciative. Plus I sold a lot of work. Yeesh, what more could you want!?!?!

Well, NO RAIN would have been good.

We were set up on 13th street (concrete rather than grass) on a downward sloping stretch of road. The area in back of our tent, our storage space, was a natural drainage area where water from the parking lots behind us plus the road in front of us would all drain in the event of rain. But it wouldn't rain, now would it?

But it did of course, a hellatious downpour that lasted for an unbearable period of time, wiping out the crowd for nearly 2 hours on Saturday afternoon. And for about 30-40 minutes, it was raining at such a fast speed that storm sewers could not possibly accommodate. We knew what would happen and just watched it unfold.

First we moved all our "stuff" - that would be 2 chairs, my table, the cooler, a ladder, a fan, a dolly full of more inventory (conveniently tarped) - inside the tent to the highest ground possible. Which was the 2 foot span at the opening of our tent. We had the front flap of the tent zipped tight since it was raining so hard. I had changed out of my "princess shoes" into sneakers.

Then John and I watched in horror as the water level crept up from behind our tent. I think we were both optimistic at first, thinking, oh, this won't be bad, it will stop any minute and the water will recede. But no, it just kept raining, rain that Des Moines needed badly, I just wished it would have waited till after our show.

It was absolutely amazing how the water accumulated so quickly. At first it was a trickle then a small stream running behind the tent. But as the rain continued, the level changed dramatically to a baby flood of sorts. Until we had about 6 inches of standing water at the back of the tent, tapering to perhaps an inch or two at the front.

I was perched on a dry slice near the very front of the tent. John had taken his shoes off and was wading barefoot. Truly a sight I had never envisioned.

Then suddenly it stopped as quickly as it had begun. Artists poked their heads out of their tents. The water started to recede. A group of staff/volunteers circulated with boxes of dry towels. More staff with brooms and huge oversize squeegees quickly worked to move the water toward the drains so the street rivers would dissipate faster.

It was simply unbelievable. But we were safe and the art was dry, no damage whatsoever. And the show must go on. Which it did. People came back out and I ended up with my best one day sales experience ever.