And down come the tents

Canal Day was Saturday but it took me until today to get the tents down. I can't party all day and then get right up and break it all down the next day like I used to be able to do. I guess that's one of the signs of getting older. Now I just need to get a bit wiser.

All-in-all, it didn't take that long to get them down. Russell and Autumn came over to help me. The video above is of the newest tent I bought. I picked it up on sale at Lowes for $149. I like it better than the ones I bought a few years back because there are no openings along the top of the sides on the new one for rain to come in. Instead, the top has an extra piece attached which hangs over the sides by about a foot to keep water from running down the top and into part of the tent. I may order the full sides for it also.

That feature came in handy when a thunderstorm hit Friday after I had set it up and started slow-cooking some of the pork shoulders and ribs (at right). Another storm hit Saturday at the end of the festivities.