Renaming a Fire Station

We live in an absolutely fantastic little mountain community, with absolutely fantastic people.

Who we never see unless we run into them for three seconds at the post office.

To help remedy that, the Fire Department decided to host a community pot luck. We provided the meat, and invited people to bring sides or desserts (or just themselves!) It's hard to get the word out in a place like this. We put flyers up at the post office, and at the only two stores in town, let the local hairdresser know, and created an event on Facebook.

According to Facebook, 16 people were coming.

But, as the time drew near, people started trickling in...

Cody (who had been there since noon) started flipping burgers...

Kids started defacing the carefully scrubbed cement...

More people started trickling in....neighbors started visiting...

And the food started piling up!

Oh my word, the food!

Never, ever, EVER pass up a chance to go to a mountain community pot luck. I did not eat a single thing that wasn't fantastic, and I tried my best to sample everything!

 And then Mike called everyone together for 'a few words'.

See the guy in the HRVFD shirt? Keep an eye on him.

Mike talked about what a great crew we have, and all the people who helped him out when he was first starting out at the FD.

 And then he called one of those people to the front - Emmett Savage.

Emmett gives Mike this look a lot. It keeps him in check. 

Mike told the crowd that Emmett has put 39 years into this fire department, serving this community in every position the department has (except female fire fighter, he was quick to point out).

So, what's your point, Mike?

Well, the point is, we want you to know how much you are appreciated, Emmett, so if you'll take a good look at this plaque...

...you'll see that you are now standing in the bay of the Emmett Savage Fire Station.

Oh, and by the way, your kids (one of whom lives way out of town) would like to congratulate you.

"What are you doing here?!"

 (He literally jumped back when he saw them! Please somebody tell me they got that on tape!)

I think the surprise was a success. And Mr. E can never say that we can't keep a secret.

Now...time to eat!

Junior firefighters first!

 And to visit! 

 Ooh, did I mention desserts?

This fabulous cake was made by Rene (the humidity was not helping things stay together, but I think it looked fabulous!)

Yes, that would be my daughter on her 16th trip to the table.

 More visiting! Tommy and Leon, there, were part of the department from early on, also.

Nobody has dropped a thing yet! What's up with that?!

 Shane wasn't feeling very good towards the end,

but he perked up for the desserts.

Mr. E is still trying to figure out how we pulled this off!

I have never seen Hunter without a smile on her face. I think Shane is slightly enamored!

Hunter's big brother, Oliver, may have something to say about that, though!

It took some time to convince Emmett that the pot luck came about because of the renaming, and not the other way around - I'm still not sure he believes us - but we do want to repeat the pot luck part! Chili cook-off in the fall, maybe? We'll be having a station work day on July 11, and an auxiliary meeting the next afternoon, so anybody interested in lending a hand is very much invited!

In the meantime, huge thanks to everyone who cleaned the station and trucks, went shopping, cooked,  set up, got the word out, and stayed to clean up. A special thank-you to the High Rolls Lions Club for the loan of the tables and chairs, and to The Spaghetti Western for donating a gift card to Sally, Emmett's wife, in appreciation for 39 years of missed meals and interrupted sleep!