It was a worn out group who met this morning at 9:00 to finish displaying the last few items and then start packing, mapping and tagging the finished totes. We slowly packed each section, including our display map photos in each tote and labeled each tote according to where it was to be placed in the display in Spokane.
Since we have a limited amount of time to re-create our display up at the fairgrounds in Spokane for the Farm Chicks show, we need to be very organized and able to pass our knowledge of the set up to our favorite "Roadies" who will be helping us unload the truck and accompanying vehicles in Spokane. There isn't time to be confused and slip into our "twirling" pattern that we usually do when tired and a bit anxious.
Slowly, section by section, we gained our working rhythm together and had almost everything packed up by lunchtime at 1:30. Totes were stacked and furniture brought to the front of the shop, ready to begin the painstaking pilgrimage to the truck. With dragging and weary bodies, we took a break and went to lunch. It was a very quiet meal.
Our empty truck! Doesn't it look like a deserted cave? The space seems to be endless until the packing begins.
Eileen's husband, Randy, is the supreme truck packer. He likens it to a large game of Tetris...Look for the shapes that fit together with the least amount of empty, wasted space. Our job was to bring the pieces out so Randy could pick and choose according to what he needed to fill the empty space. Flat items against the walls of the truck, stackable surfaces together and then the all important filler. The filler completes the puzzle and makes the packing efficient. 
Look at our empty shop with the cleared floors!! Yes, it is all outside. Thank goodness it wasn't raining like it usually is this time of the year in Portland.
We wait outside for Randy and our head Roadie, Garron, to shout out what shape and weight they need to fit into the next hole. Like Eileen says, the person in the truck works really hard while the rest of us stand around and wait for instructions. It takes a lot of time and effort, but the result is very much worth it. Tight packing gives us more room to take more product and it cuts down on breakage.
Here it is, almost completely packed. There will also be 3 SUVs packed full driving up in our convoy too. Tomorrow we will have the day "off", but all of us will be running around like the proverbial headless chicken getting last minute details done, get our own homes and families prepared for our absences and prepare websites for possible internet incapability. You never know with the hotels. Sometimes being the superwomen that we all expect ourselves to be is a tall order. Having this wonderful group of friends with many of the same interests has been such an incredible blessing for me. Not a day passes that I don't receive help, support, advice and love from each of them. They have become my family, my sisters. Each of them mean the world to me, a gift straight from the hand of God. We may be exhausted now, but by Thursday we will be renewed and ready to go! Thanks for following our trek! Keep tuning in and we'll continue to give you photos and written details of our adventure!
Be happy and go with God!
Karen & Eileen too!
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