Floods, Fires, and the Farm Show

The four of us got back from break on Jan 4, and boy howdy, we've had some adventures since then!


First, there was the farm show. Oh boy, can I just say I (Jacki) was pretty darn excited about my first PA Farm Show?! (For those of you non-Pennsylvanians- the Farm Show is kinda like a big county/state fair shoved indoors. Delicious deep-fried things, tractor pulls, square dancing, chickens that look like Tina Turner, rodeos, free samples, and loads and loads of people.)

We went on the opening day for the High School rodeo. YEEHAW! I sure did wear my cowboy boots and stellar hat.

Ben and Audrey riding the shuttle bus. Don't they look excited?



Erica and Jacki, just across the aisle.





It's rodeo time! I think right about when we were taking this picture, this girl was playing her guitar and singing something to the effect of "Agriculture is a big word. Agriculture is hard to say. Agriculture is a big word." Now that's what I call a song.

Umm... I think they were just about to open the chute for bull riding. From our vantage point, we not only could see all the action in the arena, but we could also see the people doing their warm-ups for bull riding and bronc busting. That was... shall we say, a cultural experience. :)

Ben, Audrey, and I also took Abby to the Farm Show one evening for her birthday present from the staff. She (and I) rode the carousel, stuffed a large amount of blue cotton candy in her mouth in a very short time frame, and got a milkshake before we handed her off to her family. Her mouth, hands, and Audrey were very blue by the time all was said and done.

Farm Show completed, we thought we were settling in for a slightly less exciting week. Come to find out....

Thursday evening, there was an explosion in a house across the street, between Chris and Katie and Becky and Cheryl. (Erica's blog has a picture). The house burnt, and Chris and Katie's house and Cheryl and Becky's house suffered smoke and water damage. So, from Thursday evening until Sunday afternoon, the Epps stayed with us. They are now staying with a family a few blocks away, and aren't quite sure when they will be moving back into their own house (which still is "the stinky house" to quote Abby).

Cheryl and Becky were going to be moving into the Carriage House for the next 1-2 months (while their house is being re-carpeted and re-painted), but decided on Saturday to move in across the street with the Bishops. Good thing they did, because...

...Sunday evening around 6:30, Audrey and I went over to the Carriage House to make sure everything was ready for the GO! training participants to move in (at 8:00). Instead, we found a flood. Room 20 (Menya/China), Room 16 (Kipes), the New Hope office, and the basement all had water flowing through them (well, more like sopping into the carpet, and dripping from the ceiling, except in the basement). Andy sacrificially left his Steelers to come help us for a bit. It's looking like a pipe burst. There's some major damage and the Carriage House could look quite a bit different in the months to come.

Now, to end with an Audrey moment. I'm in the process of making really big maps. Audrey was telling me that I'm talented, to which I responded, "Yeah... He's sure given me a lot of talents... including the talent to tape two large pink pieces of paper together. Everyone can do that." Audrey says, "Not... a quadriplegic."