STEAM CORNER & COVERED BRIDGE - PART 2

 

Barricaded by split rail fences, the first covered bridge on the road to Parke County Covered Bridge Festival is set back off the road, red, and blocked by the admission's office.

After we asked the tall bald gentleman coming from touring it, "Do you know of a good place to eat?" he answered, "Benjamin's, west, down the hill, in the bottoms" and he laughed, "I'll probably see you there."  And we did.

The hub of the festival, downtown Rockville, was where we met a woman who just wanted to talk.   "By the way, my name is Janie, and that's my husband sitting there in that red SUV sleeping."  Janie recommended the shop behind her as she was telling us about other places.  By the time we parted ways, 40 minutes later, we knew so much about her, I could fill a book! 

We knew her last name, where she lived, who they were suing, her medical history, where they worked, what they're doing in retirement, and oh, by the way, we know the deacons of your church.  You're kidding me!  At one point she did stop to take a breath to ask, "Who are you?"

Then it was, "Oh, and we know your brother, too!" 
"Yes, we know the Pruitts.  And we know Leeman's.  Nice people."

Never in my life, no matter what doctor we saw or what appointments we kept or what grief group we joined, we've NEVER met anyone with Arnold-Chiari Malformation.  But...this lady has it.  She told us so before we told her about Mitch.  At 74 years old, and because of this malformation, she has unpredictable muscle cramps, and shooting pains in her bandaged arm.  Her fingers were bound due to arthritis but she walked with alarcity and talked with gusto!  

A hundred miles from home and we found out she lives 20 miles from us!  It makes you believe, "It is a small world after all."

"Let me tell you about our daughter before you go."  I had to laugh and John had to cut it short.

 
On the corner of Virginia St. a brick building housed everything priced so high that I saw the same things 6 years ago.  First room glassware, second room Christmas, third room furniture, back exit hall a woman sitting for a spell and a cry.  

She had just disassmbled a whole house that's contents would've rivaled all the things she'd just seen.  She bemoaned her throwing money away, and was meloncholy over the memories. Said she'd had all she could take and was just waiting for "the others."

Food sheds at the festival - a plethora of choices -  pork chops, pumpkin butter, apple cider slushies, crullers, rib eye steak sandwiches, and ham and beans.  Not 1, but 4, vats of the ham and beans boiled over open fires for the women's booth.  Probably each was about 25 gallons!  Next morning a gravy bowl breakfast.  "Yum" for DH, but not me, the thought gave me "rumblies in the tumblies".

An under-the-tent booth looked like a man was wearing a fox stole?  NO!  It was a compliant dog named...STELLA!

An old crone manning a cash box at the other breakfast booth yelled, "Can we sell just one biscuit?  How do I do that?"

I could tell you of 3 cops on the corner with a golf cart, a combine going through downtown, and the woman that started up someone else's race car for us and even drove it through the tourist infested streets! 

There was so many encounters with peoples that I can tell you way more than those!

There was the table of raunchy men and women drinking beer and telling porn jokes which needs washed out of my mind!  

At the restaurant, 2 men and 1 woman, and she was so particular with the waitress I'd have been hard put to be as nice to her.  After the food came, she (predictably) sent hers back ... for a shot of heat!

The white jeaned, black cropped haired lady was parked at the end of a hall "Watch your step!"

A broken toothed middle-aged gal said, "The boss is gone.  I can do what I want now."  And she swiveled her head looking out for him!

And we can't forget the tiny toddler girl dressed as a orange pumpkin.  She was tied to mom with a blue harness.  She planted her feet, faced away from mom, "No!" 

I so wanted to take her picture!

Then there was the viking-like woman displaying 18 card tables worth of stuff who'd been going to the Tri-State Gas Engine show for 21 years, our favorite spot every August.

 "I'll see you there next year," she waved good-bye.  

"No doublt we will!"

It's like the guy said on the Oprah Show, who randomly threw a dart at a chart of attendees in the audience, "No matter what seat this lands on, she'll have a story.  Everyone does."

People watching.  They each have a story, and are so interesting!