Last weekend, we made a flying trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to watch my eldest niece solemnize her nuptials. It was far less painful than it sounded – at least for the bride and groom. The weather front that passed through Alva on Thursday and Friday dumped copious amounts of moisture on the Gardens of the Ozarks, where the ceremony was scheduled to be held. It also dropped the temperature from a balmy 70 degrees to an afternoon high of 47.

However, no change of venue was forthcoming, so we all gathered under the large tents with our jackets and blankets and watched in wide-eyed wonder as m...