Before the Florida show in New Port Richey, I escaped Winter in Ohio for our annual visit to Lawrenceville, Georgia (just northeast of Atlanta). But I took a lot of Ohio Winter with me – our white truck was coated with frozen gray road slop when I left, and even after the frozen stuff melted the leftover salt and such didn’t wash off until a hard rain after the show. But I didn’t care – it was 62 degrees on setup day . . .
Peggy Gould remembered to bring along her tiara this year – the customers who visit her demo table always enjoy the bubbly Princess Peggy personality . . .
More young folks at the demo table – if all goes well, they will keep me employed for a long time.
Rick and Kelley from Our Daily Bread Designs bought a house near Phoenix a few years ago and spend their winters in the desert warmth – so they aren’t seen in these parts until late March or early April. But their bags make an appearance at every show, so I text them pictures – this nice lady is on their design team.
This is what happens when I have time to think – Saturday afternoon, I saw the sunbeam start to work its way onto the floor about 2:00. Wondered if it would make it all the way to the booth by 5:00. So I took a picture every 30-40 minutes as it traveled toward me – and one from the other angle at a few minutes before 5:00 when it finally hit the finish line.
One of the advantages of Heirloom going to Friday/Saturday shows – I got to spend 90 minutes on Sunday morning in the sanctuary of my childhood friend Alan Scott, who is the senior pastor at Cumberland Community Church in Smyrna, Georgia. I have mentioned Alan several times over the years – he is a dynamic speaker and I always leave energized. This time, that energy carried me all the way to Florida – where I checked into my hotel just minutes before the start of the Super Bowl.
Went to Disney on Monday, and came out of a behind-the-scenes tour of the Magic Kingdom just minutes before a parade featuring Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles – there were Philadelphia Eagles jerseys everywhere along Main Street.
What I did while waiting for the parade – the Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich is still the best value in all of Disney World.
I bounce from park to park – took this patriotic shot of Spaceship Earth at Epcot while I was waiting for the monorail to go back to the Magic Kingdom for the fireworks show.
I love fireworks – spent most of my time watching them, without realizing that the colors on Cinderella’s Castle were changing with every shell.
Size has its privileges – took this shot from the monorail – that’s our company truck in the back of the bus parking lot.
Worked in the mornings and evenings, and played golf in the afternoon for the next three days. Took these pics while waiting to tee off on a par three – folks in Florida probably think this moss is annoying, but for those of us from the north who never see it, it is intriguing.
This picture is important because of what isn’t there. I had just passed through the group of houses at the bottom left and came up a hill to this tee. As I passed, I saw several people standing in their backyards talking with each other and holding binoculars. Didn’t think a thing of it. Then the group behind me came up to the tee while I was waiting, and said “Did you see it?” I had no idea what they were talking about – SpaceX had just launched a rocket from Cape Canaveral – and from where I was 60-70 miles away, you could see the rocket go up and the solid rocket boosters separate and fall back to earth. And I missed it . . .
This pic arrived on my phone on Wednesday morning as I was leaving to play golf – it’s the view out by brother’s front door after 3” of white death . . . broke my heart to tell him that it was 81 and sunny in Florida.
I live in a small town, but friends from my school years are everywhere and I enjoy visiting them – on my way to New Port Richey, I stopped to see Barry Hartsock (coincidentally, Barry is Alan Scott’s cousin). We used to do basketball stats together when we were in high school.
And then I got to New Port Richey – but you already know that, since I am catching up in reverse order . . .
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