Thursday, June 27, 2013

Grandma Bonnie Peters Goes to Nickelsville UPDATE

Over the weekend Nickelsville, Virginia, had a Town Festival. A parade, with floats and marching bands. Multiple concerts. Benefit bingo games. Outdoor craft market. Door prizes from here to Knoxville.

I said to Grandma Bonnie Peters, who is a grandma and almost but not quite old enough to be mine, "We ought to go to this and write about it...if only because I wailed last winter about how dangerous the Copper Creek Bridge was, and people out there in cyberspace need to know that the bridge has been repaired and is quite safe now. Just a little bit, well, thrilling. But at least it has two lanes, no snow, and the pavement has been resurfaced."

"That needs to be on the Internet," she agreed. "But do we really want to spend three days at a Town Festival?"

I agreed that maybe three days of a Town Festival was more for kids, or couples, or maybe tourists, than for people who had Real Jobs to do. In a write-up I drafted but did not post here, I'd noted that you could spend most of all three "Nickelsville Days" being entertained in Nickelsville, if you really wanted to. Starting, of course, with Friday Market in Gate City, you could then move on to Friday Afternoon Market in Nickelsville. Between the towns, you'd want to make a brief detour to take in the Creation Kingdom Zoo. (Fair disclosure: the web page didn't work for me just now as well as GBP said it worked for her.) Then in the evening the concerts would begin, and then on Saturday morning you'd go to the picnic breakfast, parade, and so on. But how much would you need to be paid to spend three whole days being entertained?

Well, I had a couple of jobs to wrap up on Friday, thanks just the same. However, some children GBP knows in Tennessee got hold of this itinerary, and on Friday they turned up in GBP's driveway, with their mother, demanding a local guide to the Zoo.

"So where is the write-up?" I said.

"My computer isn't working and my hand still gets tired easily and I had my Real Job to do," GBP said, "but we liked the Zoo. It was almost like visiting a farm, only with more unusual animals. The kids have been to Knoxville," which foreign readers may not know is a city known for its zoo, "and they liked the Creation Kingdom Zoo. They have a web site where you can see pictures of all the animals."

As of today I can't, but I'll take her word for it.

UPDATE: Next day, same computer center, different terminal, the web site works fine. As a sample, here are the rules for a kid-friendly zoo...

"
It is our responsibility to make sure that all of our guests and residents remain safe at all times. Creation Kingdom Zoo is known for going the extra mile to make sure you get great views and photos while not making the animals uncomfortable. We respectfully ask that you follow these rules.

 
Never, ever trust Dexter the monkey. He is a total thief with no shame.
 
Do not tell Dexter where you live.
 
Never cross over any barrier to get closer to an animal.
 
Do not throw anything at the animals and this includes food.
 
No outside food or drinks will be alllowed in the habitat areas.
 
No drink straws are permitted.
 
Do not let small children stand on fences or go under them.
 
Rope barriers are not designed to hold weight. Do not sit on these.
 
Be sure to keep an eye on your little ones at all times.
 
Our zoo is set on terrain that is sloped. Please watch your step.
 
You may feel free to give designated animals food purchased at the gift shop.
 
Some animals may come close enough to touch. Do so at your own risk.
 
No outside animals are permitted in the zoo, other than approved service dogs.
 
Do not let the birds climb on you. They may steal from you and also bite.
 
Please place trash in designated containers.
 
Report any safety issues or rude guests to the staff at the front gate.
 
Have fun at all times or we will tell Dexter where you live.
"

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