Part V

So, you've seen the afternoon's activity, where I got my nifty sunburn and was afforded the kindness of strangers!

Well, of course there was a little more to it than that! This will be a short segment, just to fill in the gaps of the day, 22 August 2002.

It had been hot and sunny most of the day. Humid, as it is apt to be in Pennsylvania. I sat on the little knoll at the edge of a field for over an hour with locals who were also fans. We talked about our favorite characters, episodes, and the like.

I won the prize for 'Travelled Farthest', for having driven up from DC. A couple of them just couldn't believe I had done that...until I whipped out my prized possession. (And no! Get your minds out of the gutter!) I pulled out my 'Variety' magazine cover, autographed by nearly everyone on the cast/crew! They ohhed and ahhed appropriately as I explained I only needed AJ, RL, and AS's autographs to have it completed! *Now*, they understood why I was there.

So, we all sat there. sweltering for over an hour, waiting for filming to resume. Seems the cast/crew took a late lunch break. As we were chatting, an Amish buggy came through the covered bridge, and into the field. The horse marched slowly across the field to our location.

A large man in a cowboy hat, muscle shirt, and the beginnings of a handlebar mustache hopped off the buggy, leaving an extremely attractive woman sitting in the buggy. He introduced himself as Craig, and his lady as MaryAnn. Seems that he had been contacted a couple of days ago to show up at this location. They wanted to have a shot of his buggy crossing the covered bridge! His buggy didn't look quite like the PA buggies. It was more the style of what they use in Indiana, which was the point, I guess. Also, there was *no way* the Amish of the region were gonna let their photograph be taken.

We all talked together for quite some time, waiting for filming to begin. MaryAnn told us that Craig was the only person she knew who *wanted* to be Amish! It was like a big goal for him, and he had many Amish friends. I'm supposing that he admired their lifestyle and such.

Craig tended the horses on a man's ranch, and had saved the horse that pulled his buggy from the glue factor. The horse wasn't 'performing' as expected on circuit, so the man was gonna get rid of her. Craig rescued her for $150.00. He's very fond of her, and spent over an hour grooming her while waiting for the filming to begin.

As it turns out, the crew had an extra already dressed to be the Amish buggy driver, but Craig thought he was gonna drive! The extra had never handled a buggy before, so there was a conversation held, and Craig was dressed in Amish clothes. He willingly shaved his handlebar mustache, and was fitted with fake Amish whiskers.

Here's a couple shots of the lovely MaryAnn, and of Craig, The Wannabe Amish.

Now, the weather was getting very threatening about this time. The cast van had been moved quite close to the set, in case the cast had to dive in to stay dry. One of the local women there was putting her car and mower into the garage, because the weather looked very nasty on the radar. She extended her hospitality to me (facilities and water refill, for those who want to know!), and she also showed me the radar screen.

What a nasty looking picture! You could hear the thunder rumbling in the not too far distance, and we had already been sprinkled upon. This forecast was calling for torrential rains, and possible hail! I figured it was about time for me to call it a sunburned day. It was already 5:30pm! I snapped those shots of Craig in the buggy just before I left. He had yet to make it the set, and the way the weather was approaching, his chances weren't looking good.

I got back to my car just as the heavens opened up. I drove 10 miles back to Grove City in rain so hard I could barely see! I guess I'll have to wait until the premiere to see if Craig and his buggy actually made it on the screen!

Next installment...What I did on my rainy day, while the cast had the day off.

Traveler

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

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