Two Saturdays, Two Bail-Outs (and a Dog Who Ate My Inventory)

I had outdoor vendor markets scheduled the last two Saturdays. I bailed on both of them.

Weather in Arkansas is a crap shoot. Every state jokes that if you don't like the weather, wait a minute — it'll change. That's true everywhere, I think. But I still wasn't ready for what we've had lately. I've gotten spoiled by our Ozark summers. Compared to 20 years in North Texas, this has been easy — the occasional storm, a hot pocket here and there, nothing like what we just got.

The first Saturday, the forecast was 101 with a heat index of 113. I don't regret cancelling that one. Just disappointing — a lot of prep goes into these markets but I think it was the right call for me.

The second Saturday was worse, in a different way. JB and I loaded up, set everything up, got it looking just right — and the sky turned black. Within 20 minutes we had it all back in the vehicles. The market was only ever a 4-hour window. We ate lunch, had an adult beverage, and watched the radar. It cleared after about an hour, but with only 2.5 hours left and more weather possibly still moving through, it didn't feel worth setting back up. I never did find out how the rest of the day went for everyone else. My guess is the on-again-off-again weather kept customers away too.

I'll be honest — cancelling twice in a row makes me feel a little dumb. But when I think through why I made those calls, they hold up. I have a full-time job that isn't Lake Quilt Co. Markets are fun — I love talking to people and meeting other vendors — but I've learned my time is best spent on the online shop. That's what gives me the flexibility I need right now. And I still don't fully know what I'm doing. But I'm learning. I've had good online sales this summer and started collecting reviews, and it's been genuinely nice to hear that customers notice the attention to detail.

One funny postscript from all the rain-chaos. I had a mini Christmas tree decorated with Glory Haus and Galison Mini Puzzle ornaments for the booth. In the rush to get everything packed before the rain hit, JB left it decorated, and it came home with us like that. I set it down and forgot all about it.

My youngest Mini Schnauzer, Gus, did not forget about it. I caught him with one ornament before any damage was done. An hour later I found him with a second one — no such luck that time. He chose the 130 piece Christmas Car.

Silver lining: I put the puzzle together this evening. It was more of a challenge than I expected, which was a little humbling. All the foreground pieces came together fast, but the background took 40 minutes flat — I know because I snapped a photo before I started and another when I finished. And in the puzzle, there's a black dog in a car that I swear looks just like Gus — not sure if it's meant to be a Schnauzer or a Scottie, but the resemblance got me.

I'm adding a new line item to inventory: "the dog ate it."