Mississippi Monsoon

Hello once again!

*disclaimer: lots of pictures coming up

We finally got our pictures to come up on the computer and here's a post celebrating our tent building and our trememdous efforts to save it during the Tornado Watch all day yesterday. I know we've already blogged about the tent, but you just have to see the pictures of how big this thing is in order to appreciate our superhuman strength!

5 guys + 21 girls + one tent = a happy day

This was our project for the day last Tuesday. Seems simple, right?













Our "Head Cheese," Connie Hoe, leading the way.

We were quite the superheroes, saving frogs.....

....and trees!

We've barely started and already breaking out a sweat.

After getting everything laid out, we had our 40x80 foot tent.

Yes, you read that right.










But we still had time to do a little jumprope while figuring out how all the pieces of the tent came together. It was quite a puzzle.











Luckily, we had two AMAZING guys from Wake Forest University that helped us set up the tent. Here they are teaching us how to tie ropes mountain-climbing style.










Stitching together the pieces.

Our cheering squad that kept us going. :)













And of course, our lovely faculty, Norma + Julie.

The cat that wouldn't get off the tent no matter how many times we picked it up.













Hammering in the first stake.


















Up it goes!













The lovely men using all their might to put up the center pole.

















We're holding things in place. Not going to let the health fair down!













Our nursing ladies gracing the tent with their beauty :)

Voila! It is up!

BUT.....

What we didn't count on was a Tornado Watch coming in Thursday afternoon. There was a torrential downpour of rain that threatened to collapse our tent. We rushed out to stop the demise of our tent from the weight of the water that was collecting on top. Grabbing our weapons of choice (shovels, rakes, brooms, and brute strength), we set to work.

Resting during a lull in the storm but continually prepared to spring into action.

Annie manning her post.

If you look closely, you can see the water pouring off the side of the tent in our attempts to save it from sinking to the ground.

Have to say that our clothing and shoes didn't fare too well during the battle.

Yipppeee! We saved our tent!

And of course, no storm is complete without some puddle jumping.

Hope you enjoyed our pictures as much as we did! As you can probably tell by now, we've worked hard for our Health Fair. We can't wait for tomorrow morning! The tent has survived the storm, the tables are up, the food is in the kitchen, the signs are made and the team is ready for action.

Ready....set.....GO!!!