The Southern Indiana Writers and I set up at the Harrison County Farmers’ Market this past Wednesday. It turned out to be hotter than predicted, and the directions available for getting to the venue were incorrect, so the members with the tent were late arriving. They only got there at all because they know internet information isn’t necessarily correct and called a person (my husband) and got the real directions.

Meanwhile, the dumb stupid idiot who had the books (me) stood around in the direct sunlight except when she went and helped other vendors wrestle up their tents.

So, by the time we wrestled up our tent, yours truly had heat exhaustion. Like, clammy skin, very red face, dizzy, headache…. I tried sitting in the car with the air conditioner blowing on me. SIW members gave me ice packs, electrolyte drinks, and a cloth drenched in cold water. At length, one member talked to somebody who called somebody from the nearby church, who unlocked the church basement so I could go lie down on the linoleum in air conditioning.

Obviously, I recovered, but here is an article I should have read, called– and I do hate to say this — Heat Stress In The Elderly.

The event was otherwise delightful, though. I got some fresh veg, we ate some fabulous local goat cheese, we sold some books, and we got to see that totally awesome body art.

I’ve never seen this woman before. I hope she’s local and I hope I see her again. She was fun to talk to and seemed like somebody I would enjoy knowing. Every one of these tattoos are from the chapter headings of the Harry Potter books. She doesn’t have any Snape yet, but she says she intends to.

She insisted that getting a tattoo “isn’t really so bad,” but I have no intention of finding out. Considering how much getting my ears pierced hurt after everybody told me I wouldn’t feel a thing, there’s no way. If you’re considering it, though, read this article at the wonderful blog, The Art of Manliness, about the history of tattoos and what to do if you want one. It’s good information and great advice (no, he doesn’t say to not do it — he has at least one).

Okay, now, if you’re all freaked out happy about these tattoos, not because they’re tattoos but because they’re Harry Potter, I have to ask: Do you know about Pottermore, J.K. Rowling’s own web site of all things Harry Potterish? If not, go there at once. I’ve avoided it deliberately, because I know I’d just crawl in there and live.

So one more shot of those tattoos, and I leave you for the day.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: An elderly character gets heat stressed.

MA