60+ Mile Per Hour Winds And Pow Wows Don't Mix Well! But All Is Well!

Both my Etsy and Artfire stores are now on vacation while I untangle this unwelcome mixture. We got hit by 60+ mile per hour winds at our Pow Wow in Lincoln, NE on Saturday late afternoon.

A 30% chance of rain had been predicted for the area. However, the high winds that came up were not predicted and came with no notice.

Needless to say, our product will be needing great attention for the next couple of days and then we have to prepare for our trip to Indian Market in Santa Fe.

We predict that we will be able to save about 85% of our inventory.  Some is somewhere in Lincoln or the surrounding area (blew away), some has water damage beyond redemption.

This was our worst disaster in seven years of vending at outdoor events. If any of these thoughts might help you plan for outdoor events, then that is another upside to the experience.

Facts Learned:

1. Two people can not "man" 2 10'X10' tents.

2. Tents made 7 years ago are better than those available today. Our old tried

and true tent made it fine. The one we purchased this year is probably trash.

3. There are still wonderful people in this universe. Without the help of a young man and his wife, our losses would have been far more severe. They appeared out of no where. They got drenched to the bone as did we. They exerted great physical demands to hold the tents down. They helped chase and collect drenched product. Our gratitude is enternal for these real life Angels.

4. Patrick (son) was hit in the eye by sailing debris...his injury is not severe....thank goodness. He also has a major bruise on his leg where he was exerting pressure on a tent leg to stabilize it. One other venor was injured by flying debris but,like Patrick, her injuries were not severe. So we are very thankful.  Products can be replaced....personal injury....not so good.

5. Jewelry is forgiving. Fabric not so much. We carry a line of T Shirts, totes, wool purses, blankets, ball caps, etc. I want to continue them but will be contemplating another way of displaying them.

6. Velour covered display units are sponges! Last night I covered the dining table with the protective mats and have them lined up drying. A hair dryer has helped with this process. Most can be salvaged.

7. Straw baskets (unless totally natural)bleed very ugly water when drenched.  We will be trading straw baskets out for plastic. While not as attractive, functionality must be considered for those brave enough to do outdoor events.

8. Don't take more product to a show than you think you can reasonably sell.  It has always just been easier for me to take a lot of back up inventory than to regret not having it. However, the more you have, the more you have to deal with getting loaded into the van in pouring rain. I will be re-thinking this issue.

9. Always take plenty of towels, Sham Wows, etc. with you...We keep a container with drop cloths, plastic parkas, towels, etc. But this came up too quickly to be able to use any of it other than the towels after the storm blew over. When your product is whirling past you, there is no time to deal with drop cloths or put on  rain gear.

10. Never an ill wind blows that does not remind one of good fortune. While disappointed and saddened at our losses both in product and loss of revenue from not being able to vend on Sunday, we are thankful that no one was seriously hurt and that there are still good people who have no vested interest around to help when you are in dire straits.

It is all osda (good).

Sorting and drying call.....