Friday 13 March

Today started off with some excitement and disappointment. It snowed (lightly) which caused great excitement for us sun-accustomed South Africans. Sadly, Norah-Ann's cold has developed into Bronchitis which is disappointing for her-we hope she gets better soon.

WDBJ7 is a local TV news station. We were invited to tour the TV-station, which included a pretending to be news anchors and playing around in front of the green-screen as weathermen, as well as discovering some of the more serious methods involved in producing, directing and recording the news so that it actually gets to the viewer every day.

With Norah being confined to the house, Anna decided to take a break from the boys and prepare (with Norah's help) Chicken Breyani, for our Roanoke Valley hosts as a farewell dinner. While the girls were doing a great ambassadorial job for South African cuisine, we boys headed off to meet the Sheriff.

Grant's host, Mark Henricksen had been threatening since we arrived to have Grant locked away. He organised with the local sheriff that we be given a tour of the town courthouse and holding cell facilities. An excellently managed facility, which South African judiciary officials could learn a lot from. The sheriff played along with Mark and asked one of the deputies to arrest Grant. The deputy not realising, it was all a joke, grabbed Grant by the arm and started to roughly drag him off, fortunately Sheriff Atkins intervened and so Grant was more genteely patted down, cuffed and chained before being placed in the cell. Unfortunately for us, fortunately for his family back home, he was allowed out.

The day ended with a delightful dinner party, including many of the people of Roanoke who had really had an impact on us during the week.