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.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
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!
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!
Monday, March 16, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
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.
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.
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