Venting is needed on occasions

Sometimes I think that my being in the Rotunda is worthless. I say things and people don't listen. I would be rich if I had a penny every time any one did any of the following:

• Start any direction but from the left even after I say how the museum is laid out and that it is in chronological order (I even hand motion and point too).
• Ask me where the bathrooms are even after I pointed them out when I greeted them.
• Ask me if there is anything downstairs to look at even after I said there are things downstairs when I greeted them.
• Come back upstairs even after I say there is an exit door downstairs.
• Trip going out the front door even after I say watch your step as they leave after they came back upstairs.
• People come in at 4 or later expecting to be able to look around the museum when there is signage everywhere saying when we close with our hours. And then look at your weird you say you have to close up the building or take their sweet time walking around.
• People who walk up to the door at 4:30 asking if they can looking around.
• People who have called to talk to any of the Adminstrative staff or come by to see them. HELLO IT'S A WEEKEND PEOPLE!!!

Creek Update

We have had the trustees working on the creek now for 3 days. They have done an amazing job for just 9 of them. All the pieces of concrete have been moved from the bottom of the creek bed to the sides to reduce the washout. They were able to do it cause it has been dry now for a month or so. It was running 2 days ago but stopped since there was no more rain to feed it.

Peter is slowing trying to figure out what to do about the water situation. The damn idea is still there and in the works. It's just a matter of building it and putting the plans into action. It is going to run on a continuous cycle that peter can use to fill the duck pond and water the grounds with. Saving the museum on the water bill and utilizing the rain when it does grace us with it's presence.

Of course after they have moved all the stuff off to the banks. There has been uncovered glass so guess what I will be doing tomorrow. That's right, cleaning it out. Granted it's better than sitting in an office all day long. I will be getting some fresh air and feel good about helping out the environment. Granted don't think I'm some sort of nature freak but picking up trash is just my little thing to do. Heck if it makes the museum look nicer then why not. That and some times physical labor feels good. It won't be too hard just that it is outside in the heat. Though no booties tomorrow it is just too hot for those and no point since the creek is dry so the old running shoes will work fine.

I was also told today that I am now the proud mother/ guardian of 9 ducklings. have I named them yet? No. probably won't cause nature will take it's course. Not trying to be cruel but that is just how life is. Now to find a way to list that duties as assigned in my CV or resume; wildlife preservation and controlist maybe? LOL

At page 178 of Vol. II. :)

Edition: So this guy came in who owns/ displays/ something to the gun collection here in the Rotunda. He basically just told me I'm not doing my job in so many words. He complained about some kid marking up the display case that the guns and swords are housed in. Saying some Sunday church group or group of kids with a knife are making it up; been happening now for years- same kind of marks; and on and on and on. I was like seriously! I told him I work here and we would hear something going on and nothing has. He can't seem to get it through his brain that some times things just get normal wear and tear- it happens, deal the f with it and move on. If you don't like it being displayed here then take it out. He said that if I ever work on Sundays to keep and eye on it- hello that is my job to keep my eye on the whole place- don't tell me how to do my job and I won't tell you how to do yours; like buy some deodorant. He was basically working on the case and cleaning what was in it the WHOLE TIME I was here. That is basically about almost 8 hours. It shouldn't take you that damn long. You were blocking the restrooms with your shindig and now GET OUT! I can't help but wonder if he only said those things to me cause he thought that I was a volunteer or a student assistant. I work here buddy. This is my job. I do my job. Yeah I know that things cost and damage has been done to that place. What do you want me to do. Come up to someone who has been standing there too long with my water bottle or extra large sharpie and tell them to step back from the case. If you don't like how it is being secured- or to your impression, not being secured- take it out, install security cameras or shut up and go about your business! Rant done.

It finally rained after almost a month!

Well it finally rained after Huntsville really needed. Peter has been coming to the grounds all hours of everyday to water. They still look great!

Dress update: I have the front and back parts of my bodice sewn together just need to attach them, sew together the sleeves and then attach them to the bodice. Then work on the skirt- and then the spare shirt and sash, then a simple dress and shirt to cook in. Helen says I am doing a great job. I think I am to for only working on it a total of 2 work days. The slowest part is pinning it just right and then the hand stitching. I can't even begin to imagine how long it would have taken to make a dress all by hand. Thank God for sewing machines!

There are supposedly ducklings running around. Haven't seen them yet but will look for them tomorrow.

On Tuesday I helped Sandy mark the numbers on the furniture from Fernland. Some of it looks really great. I then learned about the various cataloging systems that the museum has implemented over the years (3 different ones so far). The most recent is called Past Perfect where you use the year the museum acquired the piece and the number it was taken into the collection. It is really a neat program. I think I have the hang of it with what little time I had with it. All self-explanatory once you know what everything means.

Through looking at that stuff I might have added another project to my list. It will be great though to add to my CV. Taking pictures of the things in the vault or collection that we don't have a picture of to put in the Past Perfect DB and in the hard copy file. Could take me ages and I might not finish it all myself but that would look sooo good.

Still no word about what we are going to do with the Library in Access other than it needs work done to it.

In looking at the Past Perfect I got to look around the vault for a little bit. A woven hair necklace made from Margaret's hair, one of Sam's letters to Margaret, the original engraving of Margaret that the copy of is hanging up in her display cabinet, original jubilee cup engraved 'Father' and some other things. You would be amazed by the amount of things in there that have no reference to Sam or Texas that was given to the museum by travelers through or what professors brought back from their travels. I was given permission to look through it anytime I want! I'm so excited. It is weird the things that Museums get but can't use or display or for lack of a better term get rid of.

Hazard pay. Some times I think I should get it. This morning I had to climb on a ladder almost to the top rung and replace a light bulb. Kind of scary, luckily Casey, the new Curator of Collections and Public Relations/Marketing Manger, was there to hold the ladder- I was doing it for her. Then while opening up the door for the A/C tech to fix the A/C, I had to get wasp spray to kill 2 nests that were hidden by the door to get on top of the Rotunda. Which by the way I have been up there and let me tell you. It's soo cool. The highest point off Sam Houston Avenue!

The museum recently got some hens- by got I mean dropped off by some John Doe. She has been named Ginger and is currently sitting on 14 eggs. Chico finally got a lady friend and they got busy. LOL

I am almost done- 30 pages to go- on the Vol. I of the Sam Houston Correspondence letters. It has been an interesting read if you can get past the I miss you will all my heart; once reunited with you I can never bear to be separated from you ever again; and so on and so forth. It is sweet and cute but after pg 300 of it you almost get tired of it. I have just now gotten to Sam Houston Jr birth and the Houston Family about to move to Raven Hill.

1 day left of 12 days

I never know I could be so drained. I feel exhausted and am absolutely sick or working. I can't seem to concentrate on anything.

Happenings up till now:

Got my pattern all cut from the extra strips of paper. Just need to pin it to the fabric to cut out of and get ready for Helen to look at. The only draw back is that I took my measurements (or at least what I think they are) and I am not sure what size to do. I am going to go with the bigger size to be safe but I am really cautious about this.

I have read 200 pages in the Sam Houston Correspondence (the book of published private letters between Sam and Margaret) all since Saturday. I am kind of tired of reading it.

The Museum grounds have been surprisingly busy with how hot it is outside. Plus SHSU is doing the freshman orientation things this Thursday and Friday so campus is backed and some spill over comes here. The ducks don't seem to be laying. The grounds- well we are, actually Peter is doing the best he can to keep the grounds looking nice but there isn't a whole lot he can do with the lack of rain. He has had a ton of random community service kids looking for hours to help him out. I don't know that we are going to do the Gulf Coast Kid for a while yet; some internal issues have been going on there.

I have been reminded today about wind that blows around inside some of the heads here. You would truly be amazed.

Tomorrow I will be in the WEC all by myself. I am looking forward to it. I will have some form of music on, that should keep me active an awake. Can't really do that in the Rotunda because it can disturb the museum experience for our patrons.

Oh... Peter and I with Mike's assistance final looked at all the photos I took of the museum grounds for the Folk Festival. I put all of the ones that we liked in a folder and labeled all the pictures. Giving descriptions so that you would be able to know what you were looking at exactly. Just waiting to take that to the board or have someone else do something to it.

Also plumber has now fell into the duties as assigned category. For some reason starting this weekend to present the toilets at the WEC have been going nuts. Most of them either won't flush or constantly run. I can't decided if they are just all acting up at once or there is something larger wrong. There is this turn and hit trick that sometimes makes the toilets stop running or flush. I have made it work before. But yesterday no such luck. I feel like we have called the SHSU plumbers out here every day this week to address the issue. Long story short there: the whole WEC needs to be re done, the AC is whack, Plumbing awful, ventilation system weird... tons of stuff. I can't wait for tomorrow to be here so I can have a break from all of this!

Day 3 of working 12 days straight.

Day 1: Swept out the historical homes. I was supposed to help Peter mow but since it is so dry we are going to put off on mowing for a little bit cause it would just cause the water to run completely off.

Day 2: Drove out to Fernland. It was so amazing out there. But the trip down there had it's hightlights. We were supposed to leave at 8. Didn't leave until about 9:15ish. I also got doughnuts for us.

On the way down we had: Helen's truck- with me and Helen; the Silver Bullet- the museum truck driven by Mike and Sandra riding it; and renting/ borrowing a university truck with Mac and Peter. Helen and I were in the lead and right when we get to Conroe we get a call from Sandra that the clutch and transmission went out in the Silver Bullet. (Which is a Ford F150 from the 80's or earlier). So we turn around to go get them.

Well I had the Fernland Key to the gate and Mac and Peter beat us there and were waiting on us to get there after we had picked up Mike and Sandra. Finally we all arrive and go to the cabins.

It was like stepping back in time to the 1800s. The cabins looked amazing the stuff in them was amazing. Just that it was put there in the 1970s by Mr. and Mrs. Thaurp. And basically hadn't been taken care of since. I forgot how the University managed to get it but it was given to the Museum. That day was the day we went down to get some of it.

Unfortunately. We can't take it all. Sandra had a list of what we were going to take. We ended up come back with 1 blanket chest, 2 beds, 1 washstand, 1 table, and 2 pie chests. Some time later on in July or the end of June Sandra, Helen, Rebecca and I are going to go back and box up some of the smaller things to bring back to the museum. We are doing that to either use or might end up selling on ebay. We might be able to get some money for some things but not really sure about the rest.

The reason we are trying to get the stuff from Fernland- a collection of Jardine, Crane and Bearbend Cabins along with a blacksmith shop, and several storage/ work sheds- is because the Unversity is planning on selling the property and basically the cabins on the land. The museum wants the Bearbend cabin but there is just so much involved in getting it to the museum and actually putting it on the grounds.

Some of the concerns involved with the adventure are:

• Funding will be needed for it- Sandra and I were talking, we are going to need more than a grant, we will need funding from an institution or organization
• When will the move take place if we can get them here?- the sooner the better so the university can sell the land
• How will it happen?- Will we hire a company to do it? Will the museum do it? Will there be a class offered to help?- It's too far to really ask for a class or trustees to help. Will it be taken apart and re assembled?- very time consuming. Will it be just loaded onto trailers and then driving up to the museum?- Where would we get the vechicles to do?- We would have to rent. Have to cut down trees to get it done. Get permits to move it on the freeway.
• Where will it go on the grounds? - There isn't a whole lot of room unless we aren't picky about where it is placed
• Who will be in charge of this?
• If the University was to keep the property and therefore the cabins down there. How would the cabins be maintained? Would need plumbing, electrity, welcomeing center, staff to be at each cabin to watch them, demonstrate or be there to talk about like a living farm. Parking would be needed, better pathways to get to each place. The rodent and insect infastation would need to be cleared out.
• And so on and so forth.......

Anyways... it took forever to pack this all up and figure out how to load it on the trucks because we had one less truck to work with. Somehow we made it all work. Well on the way back up to Huntsville we passed two tow trucks and an 18 wheeler about in the place we had left the Silver Bullet. Since the Silver Bullet wasn't running we had to call our Secretary, JoAnn (even though she does more than just secretary stuff) to call the Unversity to have them take a truck out there to pick it up and work on it.

Hopefully we will get a new truck. Unfortunately with our boss you tell him something that needs to be addressed or taken care of and you are lucky if it gets done. Peter, Mac and Mike had been telling Doc that the truck needs a new transmission, a new clutch or a new vehicle period for months now. Well the running joke now is that anything Mike drives for museum purposes breaks down and we should have done that a while ago; of course now we don't have anything that will work. So we are going to have to buy a vehicle to use now.

Back to the 18 wheeler. After we see the 18 wheeler- which by the way has a smashed front end- we wonder if accidentaly the 18 wheeler hit the truck and trailer and that is what caused the accident so we are waiting to get back to the museum to talk to JoAnn to make sure that the truck was picked up and not sitting in a montgomery tow lot.

Turns out the truck is sitting in the lot on SHSU West campus to get worked on. We finished unloading the trucks, brought the furniture into the back of the exhibit hall to be cleaned and repaired and then placed in the houses. I will be helping Sandy with that this summer at some point.

Day 3: I now know how to work a surger machine, the thing that makes a chain stitch on your clothes so it doesn't unravel. I had to surge the ends of my fabric. Then I washed it and in a few minutes will iron it to then start laying out the pattern to work on cutting and slowly putting my dress together.

Summer To-Do List

Here is a list of the tentative plans for the summer here at the office:

1. Make my day dress.
Have the material, pattern, thread, machine... just need to do it.
2. Make another work dress for me to use in the kitchen.
Indirectly have the pattern.
Just need to get the material and actually do it.
3. Do an inventory of the things in the historical houses with/for Sandy.
Not sure exactly how we are going to do this but we are going to do it. If anything thing it will be good to add to my CV
4. Vacuum out behind the display cases in the Rotunda.
i.e. become a Ghostbuster again. :)
5. Read some of the books that I have made a list of to read at work that in some way reference work and can get away with reading at work.
6. Work with Rebecca on updating the teacher packets.
Put it all in the same font and format; organize it better; save as one document in Word Publisher; update the information for k-3rd, 4th-6th and 7th-11th; possibly re write the confirmation letter; upload it to the website for teachers; possibly have a page up there for the teachers for them to find all the information that they need; and quite possibly more to come there...
7. Booklet of the Sam Houston Children
Sandy did a PowerPoint on the Sam Houston Children but that is it. So I got roped into doing a booklet for that indirectly by asking her if anyone had done anything on them. Most of them went on to be authors, novelist, politicians, writers, poets and stuff like that.
Need to do research for it.
8. Work on the Garden.
Maintain it; put veggies in there for the fall; learn more about growing vegetables.
9. There might also possibly if Peter has a say about it more tractor lessons.
10. Helping JoAnn with some filing.

I am sure that more will be added to this as it goes on.

Ghostbuster Vac and Red Hats

Today was another day that I can add to my list of things to put on my resume. (Or at least a CV. I really need to get that started or at least a list down.)

I helped the Collections Registrar clean the top of the display cases. In detail: Climb on top of a rickedy ladder behind the cases; swiffer dust cloth the dust on top of the plexi glass; vacuum up the pile with one of those vacuums you put on your back; climb down and go to the next case along with readjusting the angle of some of the lights. It was interesting because I got to go behind the cases and see what's back there. Nothing really just a little dust and extra lights and maintenance stuff like that.

The only cool thing from the experience is that the vacuum looks like a Ghostbuster's backpack. I even told Sandy that the vacuum might be lost during Halloween and use that as a costume. It would definitely be a classic. The one we have right now is in bad shape but the museum has no money in the budget to get a new one so we are going to have to make do with this one.

While doing it Sandy and I thought of a to-do thing to add to the summer to-do-list: vacuuming all of behind the cases- inside the mini walls-because there are little slots that are gathering dust.

Also 2 ladies from the Red Hat Society came in. That was a nice little diversion. I ended up googling it and reading how it started it is actually pretty interesting. It actually didn't start that long ago and has just completely come off the ground into something of its own. That and some of the things they were are fun to look at. I can see my aunt doing that unofficially with some of her friends. They get together every Thursday morning and have coffee at a hole in the wall cafe in Cali some days only a few show up others, everyone and they all can bring friends. I have even gone to a couple.

Heavy Machinery and Crops

AAARRGGGG I just typed out an entry and then lost it. Stupid computer!

Well Peter held his promise of teaching me how to drive the John Deer tractor. Wasn't on it more than 20 minutes and then decided to get off and try again later. It was a little intimidating I will admit. Tons of knobs and gears. I do know how to put the emergency brake on though, simple just put the scoop down.

I spent the last 3 days mowing part of the grounds. It was really easy to get the hang of. You just have to remember when to stop and start the blades rotating. Haven't figured out the patter to do it in though to get the most for your circuit. The John Deer mower is way easier to work than the Kubota one. The John Deer has a steering wheel while the Kubota has the levers on either side that you move. That takes a bit to get the hang of but is the more maneuverable one of the bunch. I was on that about 15 minutes and called it quits... way too confusing to work properly. I was doing a pretty good job mowing for my first time all things considered. And now I can put that on my resume. Not that it will help that much but at least I now know how to do it. The only thing with the John Deer is that the steering is really loose and easy to turn so when I got into my truck afterward the steering felt hard even though it is one of the easier vehicles to steer that I have driven before. I just have calluses now on my palms, but they will come off with Nivea or a least heal. They don't look like they are there but I know.

I also helped tickle the potato plants yesterday. Basically just moving the top soil around to find the potatoes that are growing on the top. It is really interesting and amazing the amount of potatoes just three rows will produce. It was a lot of fun to get out there and dirty up your hands just to see what your hard work of nurturing, weeding and watering can produce. Of course if the weather changed a bit we would be able to get some more but I don't think that that will happen anytime soon. Helen made the new potatoes with green beans and garlic and rosemary chicken for lunch.

I have some Cauliflower and Broccoli frozen in my fridge right now at home, waiting for me to make Baked Cauliflower and Ziti with. It is amazing how good fresh produce tastes. It almost makes me want to get a house right now just so I can have a garden. I know that when I do finally get a house I will have a vegetable garden and a lemon tree at least. I love fresh lemonade, nothing can beat it!

Also on the grounds we have 2 fig trees, 2 plum trees, and Helen's Herb garden. Any time you pass by you can just smell the herbs and they taste amazing. Helen used some in lunch today. There is also a patch of jasmine growing by the steamboat house and it smells amazing. It really helps make up for having to open the house 1.5 hours earlier than you are supposed to on a Saturday for a building rental.

Overall been a good week and not a whole lot more going on.

Folk Fest Summary

Well the Museum just got done with the General Sam Houston Folk Life Festival. It could have been a better success.

1. It rained Monday and Tuesday. By rained I mean poured so that meant there was hardly a chance it would clear up and be dry for the weekend, especially since it was fore casted with 30-50% chance precipitation all week. Yet I put my foot down and it said it wasn't going to rain and it didn't rain until Sunday morning.

2. Sunday morning it poured early in the morning. Nothing could be done about it. It just affected the museum grounds. Which had already been affected by the rain earlier in the week and the people walking on the grounds. (I'll talk more about the grounds in a minute.)

3. Because of the Swine Flu or H1N1 Flu as it is more professionally known, there were NO kids on Friday. Which is set aside as the educational day for the festival. Of 39 schools that scheduled to attend, 26 cancelled within the 2 days before. (We only found that out because I was tired of waiting in the Rotunda on Friday for kids to show up that never did.) The schools were required to cancel because from higher up the ISD's all school activities outside, field trips and extra curricular had been canceled. So of the 5,000 students expected to attend, maybe 500 showed up and this is being generous with the number.

4. Webb society decided to do a bake sale again this year which I get myself into heading again. Made enough cookies to sell some 200 bags turning a $1 profit for each bag after taking out the 46 that I spent on making the cookies and such. Well there are bags sitting on my dining room table right now. Since the kids didn't come we hardly sold any of the cookies. We even resorted to 2 bags for $1. I don't know how much we even made off those.

5. There were twice the number of food vendors this year as last because the person in charge of food vending didn't put a cap on the number of entries. So there was already going to be hostilities there. Well when the kids didn't show up, not only Webb, Folk Fest, and the Museum lost out of money but so did the food and craft/ product vendors.

6. Webb also spent money on binding cook books. I think that possibly 6 were sold, out of 50. Assuming they (the ones selling the goods and books) were able to keep up with the tally sheet I gave them. Also had left over coloring books from last year that we tried to sell, I'm not even sure we sold one.

7. The grounds looked amazing before; no I'm not sure that there is a correct way to describe them. They look awful because of the rain.

8. That reminds me, the Gulf Coast Boys were supposed to be here all weekend to pick up the trash around the grounds. Well after the lack of turn out on Friday they decided not to come the rest of the weekend. At least they told Folk Fest about it but that meant that the Volunteers had to pick up the slack.

9. There weren't as many volunteers as we would have liked there to be had we had the large group. But there wasn't so it really didn't hurt us this time.

10. Haven't seen the ducklings....

The bright things about this weekend:

1. There was no rain Friday or Saturday or Sunday afternoon. We are only open in the afternoon on Sunday. The sun was out. Heck it was hot and muggy but way better than it could have been.

2. Saturday wasn't as bad as it could have been with the Swine Flu. People still showed up and the weather was nice. There were things being sold and spirits were higher all around.

3. Sunday some of the food vendors didn't bother to come back. That meant that the ones that were there were able to scrap off a profit, if hardly.

4. I now have a new duty as assigned as a photographer. Last week I went around taking pictures of the grounds as before shots. I did some during on Saturday. (Side note: got an excellent one of port-a-potties underneath the Sam Houston Memorial Museum: A National Historic Landmark Sign.) Those were more of how the damage is caused. Trackers, vans, trucks from people driving in to set up. The high traffic areas, that sort of thing. Then there are the after shots... big divots in the ground, mud everywhere. It doesn't look good at all.

5. Friday turned out to be relaxing with out the school groups there. Saturday was as well for the most part. I heard the same about Sunday.

6. Thursday all of the tours for this week called to cancel because of the ISD's being grounded. That gives us more time to work on getting the grounds and our heads back in order for tours.

7. Some sodas were liberated for the Museum.

8. The dutch oven cooking was amazing. Amazing as always. We even started a Donation tub that I heard racked in some money.


This really isn't a plus or minus just more of a thing. Got the kitchen cleaned out. Then spent some time working on getting the kitchen cleaned and the stuff in the kitchen, like the crockery and the dutch ovens. We rinsed them off, scrubbed the dirt off and then ended up rubbing them down with shortening. My hands are fairly exfoliated now.

And Palmolive works wonders. Hands covered in grease, ashes, dirt, rust, etc. I turn on the hot water obviously to help get it all off and grab the dish soaps, it has to help cuts grease right. At least a little bit. Well let me tell you that stuff does work and it works wonders! One go with a glob of it hands were spot less. Helen and I even went into the office to show Mike and Rebecca the before and after to praise Palmolive.

Ducklings

Well now there are ducklings. I come into work last Thursday and am told I should be a proud mom. Turns out the nest that I couldn't get to had fertilized eggs in it and they hatched. There are now numerous ducks running around. Two almost adult ducks that I call teenage ducks. And 8 baby Mascovy ducklings. Used to be 11 but over the weekend nature got to them. IE nature being: the hawk, turtles, other ducks, car, cat, dog or the numerous brats running around the pond not being controlled by their parents.

That reminds me of the things that get on my nerves the most. People who can't be bothered to throw their trash away even though there is a trashcan less that 10 feet from them and instead are so inclined to throw it on the ground. People who throw trash out of their cars while they are driving. And people who let their children run around unsupervised with no regard for those around them, won't discipline their kids when they are doing something they shouldn't, get upset when someone tells their kids to stop doing something they shouldn't. URGGG I HATE STUPID PEOPLE!!!!

Back to the ducklings. Since the General Sam Houston Folk Life Festival is in 4 days, that means in 4 days there will 5,000+ students running, literally running around the grounds with their teachers/chaperons. So there basically is a small chance that the ducklings are going to make it through the weekend. Sad but true. Then today while picking up trash and cleaning around the grotto I found another nest, didn't know was there with 8 eggs. Had to pick them up because it would be better than her hatching them and having to watched them get picked off one by one. It hurts because the ducklings are so cute but you know what could and with a very significant chance hurt them.

Right now there are 9 geese eggs on the nest. Finally found a goose sitting on them. It was the one that the other geese wouldn't let hang out with them. So there is no telling if her eggs are fertile, if she is just laying them or if she was bullied into sitting on them. There really is no telling. But for right now the eggs are just going to stay where they are.

Back to the Folk Fest. Not sure how it will go this year since I will be working the other end of it. Basically all should be fine as long as I am just doing Museum stuff on the clock and as soon as I start to do Webb stuff I get off the clock. I don't mind working this weekend but some other social things have come up so I might not do it.

I received another duty as assigned last week officially. Wood to Kitchen hauler. LOL Its not that bad just got to take a bunch of trips cause I can only carry so much. But by the time you take into account picking up the wheelbarrow from the barn and taking to the Kitchen and back it is basically the same distance as just making the small trips.

I just did big trash in the creek and cleaning out the grotto instead of the big stuff. A. it was getting hot and humid outside. B. what is the point if in a few days it will be covered in trash. C. the Gulf Coast boys can do it during the weekend. D. I really didn't feel like picking up the little trash and glass today, even though it would have been a good day since the creek is low and the water isn't flowing.

Right now I am basically doing nothing. Can't really think of anything exciting that has happened. Oh wait I just remembered. But I'll save that for tomorrow.

Goings on of the past 2 weeks

Today, I saw another bride taking pictures at the Duck Pond. They were pulling up as I was walking over to unlock the building.

Duck Update: Daffy the black duck has two babies. At least she did Monday. Haven't gone to check on them. There are 4 geese eggs in the nest. Haven't seen any sitting on the nest but not too sure. Sandy said that we are just going to leave them for now unless they get to be too much. There are 6 geese total now, 3 weeks ago there were only 4. Duck eggs have slowed down quite a bit. That or they have found a new place. Just Monday I found that under a rotten tree where they were hiding them, there is a ledge in there and one duck sitting on something and she is not willing to move at all.

Monday, I finger painted with glue. LOL We are still working on making sure the new Margaret case is visually appealing and were re doing some fabric covered sticks. And we were spreading the glue with our fingers because there was nothing else. Mac then walks in to see what we are doing and Helen and I say we are finger painting with glue. It made me smile.

Since the Museum ran out of the general brochures, it is hard to direct people around the grounds without having a map to show them. So I scanned an old brochure took the map image, enlarged it and put in word document and now we have been using those. I feel accomplished because I was the one who did it.

The Tuesday we had a group of 7th graders that just didn't want to wake up. Well behaved but couldn't wake up. Wednesday we had the typical 4th graders but 150 of them. And the teachers need to realize that we can't accommodate that many students in the amount of time you want us to. They didn't get a chance to look around the grounds until about 10:30 for the tour and then weren't done until almost 12:45. 10 minutes isn't enough time to get the effective perspective of the grounds and houses.

The most annoying part is that the teachers get upset with us. Well maybe if you got here on time or earlier and already have your 8 classes split up into 6 groups instead of making us do it then it will run faster or maybe if you had even scheduled the tour to be 2 days instead of 1.

Another thing I noticed now, you have no idea how much money these kids are given by their parents that they are allowed to spend on field trips. TONS OF MONEY!!! I walked a thousand dollar deposit over to the Cashier's office. A thousand dollars spent on crap that kids will probably only use or play with for a little bit and then never see or use again. Granted I know I did that too but still. Little rocks, wooden pop gun, walking stick, stuff like that.

That reminds me... some people can be just plain rude. Tuesday night I worked late to cover for an rental. We need a staff member to be present to basically just make sure the place doesn't get burned down. It's easy and simple. Since I took the reservation and the student workers couldn't work it. I did it. While I was there a man came by and asked me if the Walker Education Center was the Museum. I said "No, this building is part of the Museum that has the gift shop and shows a 15 minute video about Sam Houston. The Main Museum is down the Wilderness Trail." "But the sign says Museum entrance." "This is one of the two but the place with Sam Houston's memorabilia is at the Main Museum." "Well then label this place right." And then storms off.

A. It was 6:30 at night. What museum do you know of in a small town is open at 6:30 at night? We have the hours posted on the Museum web page, Huntsville web page, on the multiple signs around the property. Take a chance to read those.
B. You came in through a back door. The sign that you had to obviously pass in the front to circle around the building to get to the back informed you that you were about to enter the Walker Education Center. Not the Sam Houston Memorial Museum
C. Be nice and don't walk away when someone is trying to help you buddy!

2 weeks off really take it out of you

Last Friday was the first day in the kitchen for me doing the Standard Tour with the Hearth Cooking Demonstration. It could of gone worse. I basically remember all that I needed to say and got most of it said, not in the greatest order or flow but it was said. The only fall back was the fire was ridiculous. The wood wasn't burning right or making good coals. It was also the first time I made the fire myself so I wasn't to make sure the sucker would light. It did eventually. Probably would have helped if I brought out un moist newspaper that hadn't been sitting in the humidity like the ones I used that had been sitting in the closet.

Basically what ended up happening was I didn't have enough hot coals to pop the popcorn the first time. The steam of heat didn't rise out when I moved the lid the first time and the first batch didn't pop at all. Like I had to throw it all out. And to top it all off. I grabbed the lid without a hotpad. Luckily I didn't burn my hand but still was like seriously brain what are you thinking here! So between the first and second group I ran inside and popped another bag of popcorn and the second batch worked a bit better. Giving everyone a little bit of seconds. Come to find out today that the reason the wood didn't catch as well as it should have was most likely because it was recently split firewood and hadn't had a chance to breathe. Which looking back makes sense. Let that be a learning lesson for all of you.

After that was over I went on Duck duty. Not only did I find about 4 regular duck eggs and 4-5 muscovy duck eggs. I found the geese nest. 10 eggs in it. Not realizing that I probably shouldn't of picked them until after I started I went ahead and finished because I realized that I hadn't been given the policy on geese eggs. Found Peter who said that it would be nice to have little geese and asked what I was going to do. I said I was going to call Sandy. He also said he didn't know that they were laying, neither did I. Now back tracking geese eggs are larger than regular duck or chicken eggs. By about 2 times as big. I call Sandy and she says she is going to call her friend Ushi who has a farm and just had a gosling hatch the other day. (Side note: I found an old lunch bag that I now use to put the eggs in when I find them. That way people don't know what I am picking up and it keeps them safe while I am walking around looking for more.)

Sandy calls me back saying that Ushi would love to have them and her husband is going to pick them up. So I get them ready for her and drop them off upstairs and they are now going to be hatched and taken care of instead of having to worry about the college students and kids hurting the goslings or messing with the eggs. I called John for the other eggs but no luck.

Either way I felt so good about finding those eggs. Like I had made a discovery that no one else had done. It was amazing. Started my vacation off to being better than ever.

Yesterday was great just relaxed. Cleaning the creek and looked for more eggs, ran some brochures over to the Statue Visitor Center, went to Brookshire Brother's for museum groceries. And that was about it. I did get complimented by Peter about me being one of the greatest new hires in a while, and might even be passing up Mike. Jokingly of course. However, I think that the ducks/geese are now clicking on to what I do out there and I am pretty sure they are getting testy with me and were yelling at me all weekend for taking their babies.

Today during the tour I got SOOO tired and my feet are basically like rubber and hurt. And I was getting hungry and therefore got MAJORLY tongue tied. It is bad taking a 2 week break because you get out of the loop of things and get back in it.

So I was talking about the Woodland Home and describing the rooms. I move to Sam Houston and Margaret's bedroom saying " This was probably one of the busiest rooms in the house" Not realizing how it came out. You see I had done the kitchen tour on Friday and said that the Kitchen was the busiest place on the farm. And it truly was with cooking before dusk and after dawn, making candles, making soap, canning, jarring, preserving, cleaning, bathing, laundry, etc. Luckily though I played off the misspoken phrase with because there was always a baby in the cradle in the center of the room because... there always was a baby in the cradle. I'm pretty sure the kids didn't get it but you can never be too safe. The teachers got it. I explained to them why I misspoke and what I did to correct my mishap. Now to get technical if there was always a baby in the cradle, that would mean that THAT room was one of the BUSIER rooms in the house if you get my meaning... LOL

It was funny or at least I thought that it was funny after I thought about it. And so did the other Historical Interpreters when we talked about how we each thought that the tour went and what good/bad/interesting happened.

Noble and Nobility

Yesterday was an interesting day. Nothing major really happened. Spend a couple of hours roaming around the Internet. A patron had come in and after looking at the mosaic of the Houston coat of arms on the ground came up to us. He said that he had read somewhere that when there is a knight's helmet with the faceplate portrayed shown in gold. It means that the person, mainly the male, who was granted the coats of arms was not only knighted by royalty but also considered part of royalty.

Not being completely convinced by what the man said did some searching and found nothing concrete. But it would be an interesting thought.

The coat of arms story: The Houston Family chest was given to Hugh of Padivan (or Padavan) back in the 1100s in Scotland. There was a war raging in Scotland and King Malcome was pretty much in the end all win all battle of the war and he wasn't on the winning side. Hugh came to the battle with reinforcements just in time to change the tides of the battle and win. Ultimately saving the King's life.

In return for his heroic dead. Hugh was knighted to Sir Hugh of Padivan and given a deed to some land and had a castle built. Which became know as Hughstown for Hugh's Town. And then as time passed the spelling changed to Houston.

The coat of arms is flanked with two grey hounds on either side of the shield signifying the speed that Hugh reached the battles, from the phrase the fastest dogs to the fight win. The grey hounds also symbolize fidelity and loyalty to those they serve. There is a helmet to signify he was knighted placed above the shield. Above the helmet is a winged hourglass with a few sands left in them and a banner that says "In Time", the Latin translation of in tempera. Which signifies how Sir Hugh arrived just in time to win the battle. On the shield there are 3 black birds along with a checked grey and blue pattern in the shape of an upside down V. We at the museum like to think that it is more than coincidence that Sam Houston was nicknamed 'The Raven' by his Cherokee brethren.

I am pretty sure that I have all of the facts right on that. The book that has that information is at the other building and I will look at it tomorrow to double check. I'll take a picture of the coat of arms and upload it. Along with a picture of the Houston family Castle as it stands today. So that is where the Nobility came in.

Today since it was cool and not blazing hot outside I decided to work on the grotto and creek. I spent about 2 hours cleaning trash and glass out of the creek and making sure that the grotto was flowing properly. You wouldn't believe how much glass I picked out of the creek. Halfway through I started to think that I should try to recycle it instead.

Moving on the to Nobel part of the blog. While I was picking up trash an elderly woman came up to me and said "I don't know if you are volunteering or getting paid to do this but what you are doing is a really Noble thing. I think it is great what you are doing and I hate how people don't take care of the beauty that nature has provided for us." It got me beaming inside.

I technically do get paid to pick up the trash. But it wasn't necessarily in the job description. Yes, the job description said other duties as applied. But it wasn't intended for me to do it. You see after it rains a bunch stuff gets washed into the sewer pipes. Those sewer pipes then travel along the city until it reaches a plant or water center or whatever Huntsville has. A part of one pipe flows into the creek that runs through the park. And after it rains there is trash all up and down the creek. So instead of goofing off on the computer or sitting around twiddling my thumbs I go down there in my rubber boots with grocery bags and pick up the trash. Therefore yes I am getting paid to pick up trash but it is because of the time that I do it in and that is how I choose to spend my time.

I don't mind doing it. It gets me out of the office and on days like today out in the sun. It gets a little bit of physical labor out of me as well. And I like the finished project that I don't mind showing off in tours and don't have to worry about all of the trash taking away from the natural beauty of the creek.

Side note: While I was typing this a boy with his mother came in to the Rotunda. He was doing a school project on Sam Houston and was going taking pictures and reading things, asking questions and really getting involved. So I went around with him and told him some of the stories and things that I thought he should look at. It was great to see him get as excited about what I was telling as I was. All hope for Society is not lost just yet!

The Percks of Working on a Rainy Day

Okay so you might think that working on a rainy cold day might be a good idea because no one would show up. Well there are some crazies out there who did decide to show up. Even though it has been raining cats and dogs for the past couple of days they are still out in it. Then they track in all the wetness through their umbrellas and and shoes and makes squekky noises on the floor.

But seriously why are you out in it?!

Not only that but it is FREEZING in the Rotunda. It's like what ever the weather is like outside its the same inside, kind of like there is no insalation to the place at all. I sure as heck didn't want to be there but was soooo counting on no one else either.

I had to have a could lunch because the microwave is crappy there and then when it became time to close up. There were still people walking around the grounds outside. It has been overcast or raining all day and people are out there even though it looks like the sky is going to open up any minute and start to rain and the sun isn't even out or anything that could be considered sunlight. It's like I have to close the museum people it is 4:30, I am reguired to close up you have to leave.

So I skip around the houses locking up ones that people aren't at.

As I'm typing this I am remembering that the geese were giving me hassle about opening up the houses. At first they were in the crop garden and I try to chase them out. Not really running but shooing them. Then they stop and I turn around to open the houses. And then they turn back around and start to follow me quacking at me. Seriously geese you are in my way. We let you be here, let me do my job! After I get the Woodland home unlocked they are in front of the Kitchen and yell at me for opening that up.

All I wanted to do was go home people and geese and you guys wouldn't let me do my job so I could! LOL It wasn't that bad just couldn't feel my fingers by the end of the day.

The Smallness of the World

There have been a few instances when I am reminded of how small of a world it really is.

1. When I first started, I was wearing my Saddleback College shirt that my brother got me for my birthday one day on Sunday duty. There was a family that came in and had gone all the way around the Rotunda and was about leave when the father asked me if I went to Saddleback. Apparently they are from California and he went to school there for a little bit.

2. After winter break I happened to be wearing my Garmisch Germany shirt. In one day, again on a Sunday I meet 3 people from Germany. One man with his family and grand daughters came in he was stationed in Wiesbaden I think. Another man came in and was stationed in Frankfurt a million years ago. The Frankfurt airbase is now being bulldozed (in all actuality it probably has already been done) and construction started for Terminal 3 of the Frankfurt am Main Airport. Then another couple came in and the wife was from north eastern Germany, I could tell by her accent.

3. Recently about 3 weeks ago we were giving a tour to a Senior group tour through the YMCA of Cy-Falls area. One lady asked me a question. I swear I heard an European accent. After I answered her question, I asked her where she was from and she said Houston. I gave her this weird look and asked again. Then she said Germany. I asked her where in Germany and she said Schweinfurt. 35 minutes away from Wuerzburg on a good day. I told her my parents were in the military and we lived off the Maine River in Eiblestadt near Ochsenfurt and Sommerhausen and Winterhausen. We started talking German to each other. She came to Houston about 25 years ago for work and makes trips back when she can. I told her where my parents are in Garmisch and she knew how great of a place/resort it was. It made me home sick and excited all at once.

It is amazing when you look back and see how small the world is. Like you might know someone who was friends with this other person you might have never meet before and then suddenly you meet them or someone who knows them. It is amazing and weird how it happens. It seems like people who aren't from the same area as everyone else in a group are instantly drawn to the other. Like there is some small force out there on the cosmic level that you connect at and then strike up a conversation. It helps you realize that no matter how big of a world it is and you might get overwhelmed by what you see/ do/ experience, you might look around the corner and see someone that you know or recognize someone or something about a person and then the world doesn't seem that big after all.

Spring Break?

Well it is Spring Break for the University and Campus and Huntsville ARE DEAD!!!!

All in all it is a nice change to relax and take your mind off things. After all I am basically getting paid to type this up so in a way I am having my own spring break. I think that will be the thing I miss the most about getting a real full time, big money paying job: the Holidays and recesses that you get off because the kids have off. Because technically here the ISDs in the area are either off this week or the upcoming week so it is slow here. Next week we have a few standard tours of the just the houses and museum intro for some senior groups where we don't even really have to dress up.

Of course the most common phrase that follows Spring Break, after beach, boobs and booze is Spring Cleaning. We already took care of that here yesterday. Went out to the Kitchen, cleaned out the ashes from the fireplace, gave them to Peter to add to his compost. Peair (our Juvenile correction center worker from Gulf Coast) stacked up some more firewood. Cleared out the benches in the kitchen for the people to sit down on while we talk and swept out the dirt floor. Yes, we sweep out the dirt floor. The kids end up kicking the dirt or digging into the clay floor and dusting the dust and dirt up into the air.

Then Helen went to clean the leaves and turn the soil in the Herb Garden next to the Kitchen. I then went to the grotto and did that stuff there. Basically the grotto is a natural spring that feeds into the Duck Pond that Huntsvillians have so named even though Sam Houston calls it Lake Oolooteka after his adopted Cherokee father. It has been there easily 200+ years. I make sure there is no trash in the little pool it creates before is trickles down stream to the pond. (Of which it does look like a pond more than a lake because of the size and the ducks and geese are ALL around it and crap in it and exercise in it and the kids all throw bread and crackers in it along with trash from the teenagers and hooligans- getting back on track.) I clear the leaves/ twigs/ foliage from the path the stream takes picking up the trash that gathers along the way. I mainly do that so the stream runs clear and the decaying smell is gone and flows to the pond/lake nicely. Then go to the other side where it falls into the creek and make sure it flows nicely there. There is another part of the creek that has no water in it that runs only the top of the pond. I usually go climbing down in there in my $15 rubber boots from Walmart to pick up trash and glass. Now it is more glass that I am picking up. Mainly so I don't step on it later or cut myself on it.

See I was given grotto duty by Peter the Grounds Keeper at the Museum. Mainly because I am motivated and there are days when I do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and I feel like at least that way I am helping out with something.

After I did grotto duty, I went hunting for Eggs. No, its not Easter pre-hunting but for duck eggs. There are TONS of ducks at the pond and we need to have a way to control their population because they don't run on the natural schedule and mate when they are supposed to. They do it whenever the heck they want, not caring if a school group is nearby and they cause us to tell the kids they are wrestling or fighting over a piece of bread. Sandy (Collections Registrar- part time here and part time at the Texas Prison Museum) has given me duck duty as well. Well to help her when I can or do it when I can't but basically it is permission to do. We go around to the nesting hot spots and pick up the eggs that then go to the incubation farm after we call our person to come get them. Some days you are lucky and others you aren't, some you have to crawl for, some you have to watch out because you almost stepped on it on the path.

Recently about 2 weeks ago now, I was supposed to go hunting for them... couldn't find any at all. I wasn't looking in the right spot. In ONE NEST we found 30 eggs. We figure they do the thing where it takes a whole tribe to raise a child and they have community nests and take turns sitting on them or some lay that can and others sit that want to. Anyways moving on. Obviously it was a nest we hadn't found yet but wow!!! Sandy found 15 in other place and I found 12 on Friday in a known nest but couldn't get the hen off of it. The eggs look the same as regular eggs but slightly larger and the shell is a bit tougher.

I will help Sandy with that again tomorrow. It is rather fun and if anything it helps keep your mind active looking for new places and still coming back to the old ones because you know some either didn't read the memo or was never given it. It sadly is a hunt that exhilarates you and keeps dragging you back to it even though you just did it the other day.

2nd part of the job summary

Very typical in this office, something came up and I had to leave my entry. I’ll pick up where I left off.

The other option is to get a standard tour of the houses, Woodland Home and Steamboat House, along with the school’s choice of demonstrations should they so choose when scheduling the tour. The demonstrations that are offered are: Kitchen- where we make popcorn for them and describe the kitchen uses during the 1850’s; Black Powder- tools homesteaders back then would have used along with an explanation and shooting of the black powder rifle; Historic Toys- show the toys the children would have played with and explain how toys where made from what materials they had available to them on the homestead and only given 1 toy a year on their birthdays; Blacksmithing- explain how the shop/ area was run, tools involved, what was made, how it was made, and a few things examples made; Social Customs- give the students an idea of the customs and dress, table manners, social manners, fan talk, morning information; One Room Schoolhouse- what subject children learned (the 3 R’s- reading, writing and arithmetic), all ages taught at the same time; and Medicine- surgical tools used, leeches, how to remove a bullet, cures of sickness and how sicknesses would have been dealt with, etc.

The classes or groups of students rotate through the stations or rotations. The most students that we are able to accommodate here at one time is 150 only because that is the number of seats we have in the Auditorium. Plus saying the same thing over again 6 or 5 times can get pretty tiring and you can get yourself tongue tied. I have found that at times I’ll leave something out of the spiel for one group, remember it for the next and leave it out for the next group. If you don’t have a bottle of water or cough drops with you, you will regret it later. I am actually going to start looking for something to use as a water canteen that might have been used back then so I won’t have to worry about not being period accurate with a water bottle.

Now to jump start to today…

I did toys again. Last time for a while, at least till next year. I love it because it is so much fun. Once you get tired of talking then you can just let them go play. I have gotten really good at some of the ball and cups and the pawawangas. It was the last work and play of the year so we are going to give everything a good wash and then store it till the next season for them. Where the storing will be, not sure but I am guessing somewhere in the costume closet.

First Post might as well be a job summary...

I was hired in mid October as a part time Historical Interpreter. I was really cautious about whether I was going to get it or not. But thanks to Dr. Crimm, sponsor of the Walter P. Webb Historical Society on the campus of Sam Houston State University, and all the work I did for Webb and my substituting I was able to get the job.

The first few days were trying. Memorizing the spiels to give at each of the houses, learning to make cornbread using hearth cooking, stuff like that. Basically I dress up in pioneer costume from the 1850s and give a 3rd person spiel about the houses, how to make cornbread. Haven't done the Exhibit Hall or popcorn yet, but that will come with time. I have also done the toy demonstartion.

There is an option for the schools who come here for the tour and they can do a work and play option or a standard tour with a variety of demonstations. Each option gets a chance to watch the 15 minute video about Sam Houston and then after that it varies.

Work and Play: The students grades 2nd, 4th or 7th. Even though the 2nd graders almost don't have a long enough attention span and are small for some of the chores. 4th graders are ideal. And 7th graders can sometimes think that they are 'da bomb' and don't have to do the chores or they lose their attention as well. The children are given a tour of both the houses. At the Woodland Home they are separated boys from girls and given clothes so they don't their street clothes dirty; boys vests and girls aprons. Boy's chores consist of gathering kindling, chopping wood, moving wood, stacking wook, planting seeds, harvesting crops, watering gardens/ crops, things like that depending on the grade level and what needs to be done. Girl's chores is more smiple and structured: they prepare and bake some cornbread, grind some corn, churn butter in a balls jar and wash and hang some laundry. Then the boys and girls get together at the end of the rotation and they all get a chance to try the cornbread with the home churned butter that the girls made. Normally this is done with no more than 60 students because with more it could just become to hard and time consuming to get it all done. After they are done with their chores they go to hear the spiel about the Steamboat House and then they go to the New Army Cabin of the Republic of Texas. There they learn about the toys children their age at that time would have played with. Learn how there was only one present given to them on their Birthday and they would have to take care of it year around. Toys would have been made from wood, string, leather, fabric, cornhusks and what ever else was handy to them on a farm. The toys consisted of: climbing teddy, sliding sarry, ball n cup, chickens on a platter, pamowangas, jacob's ladder, tops, buzz saw, bull roar, dolls, cornhusk dolls, hoop and stick, yo yo's and graces.