The End Of Our 3 Day Adventure Into The Past

Today was the final day of Heritage Days at the Mountain Home Place where my family has been volunteering. It was another fascinating day of "time travel" as we joined in with the re-enactors in an attempt to re-create an 1850s Appalachian mountain homestead. Being Saturday, there were no large school groups, which made the atmosphere much more condusive to more of an authentic "feel". The visitors today were family groups and couples and most seemed to be from out of town. Since the guests only came in trickles there was more time to enjoy the atmosphere and get to know the other re-enactors better.

Here is Matthew with Judah and the horse named Peter. Judah and Peter are from Red Bush, on the other side of Johnson County.




This is Wayne from Letcher County, which is about 2 1/2 hours away from here. He operates a hand quern gristmill, which he built by hand, and was very knowledgeable about many old time matters.





Here is Charlie. He is one of the full time workers at the Home Place and can do most anything, it seems. The fellow who did the blacksmithing Thursday and Friday was participating in a Civil War Re-enactment today, so Charlie stepped into the furnace. The other days he was working in the barn or with the sorghum (or any array of other places he may have been needed), but he really seemed to know what to do in the blacksmith shop! He was a nice fellow who had many stories to tell.







This is Mrs. Lemaster and Mrs. Vose, local volunteers whom Lisa got to know working in the old church:



Here is Christina with Abigail who is one of Judah's sisters. Abigail worked in the barn with her sister demonstrating how they milk their Jersey cow and make butter and cheese.



And here Abby is in the barn with her sister Sarah and their milk cow Berda, along with their friend Shianne (from the first day).




This is Debbie, one of the ladies from whom Christina learned so much during these 3 days. Deb lives and runs a shop in Saylersville called The Keeping Room in the next county over. (If the link to her store does not work here is the web address: http://www.picturetrail.com/thekeepingroom-ky)



Charolette, our good friend from down the road, worked with basket weaving and lye soap making.




Here is Lisa with Imogene inside the old one-room school house and also outside:




Timothy met 3 year old Susie today, and they had a good time running around the Home Place. Her family was among the troupe who were performing the drama about our Mountain Heritage at the amphitheater.




They invited us to accompany them to the play. Timothy and I watched from the seats (along with a friendly cat) at first.




When they asked for some audience participation, guess who took center stage? In this picture you might see a rising star in the world of Homestead theatrics!



There were really too many good pictures today to put up in one post, but I'm going to go ahead and try to use most of them anyway!

Simon learned how to make a really cool old fashioned toy using a corn cob and 4 chicken feathers. It twirls like a propeller when thrown through the air, which made it a lot of fun!




Matthew was Mr. Photogenic leaning against the old fence in front of the cabin while taking a break from the sorghum extracting:




A rustic cooking pit:



Lisa, getting herbs from the herb garden for the demonstration table:



Inside the cabin with a fire in the fireplace, herbs drying, and a display of baskets and toys recently created:



Timothy grinding corn:



Riding bareback on the horse was a great experience for Simon:




My beautiful Christina seemed to glow in that red dress contrasted with the browns of the mountain cabin and fence:



Timothy also got to ride the horse, thanks to Joshua. It's too bad I didn't get a good picture of Timothy on the horse, but I think this first picture is really picturesque as they rode along the old rail fence:




Lisa teaching in the one-room school house:

(Did you notice the picture of the President on the wall? It's a portrait of Jefferson Davis. Abraham Lincoln's portrait is on the other side!)

I got several good shots today of Matthew working the sorghum along with Judah and Peter:








I love the old log schoolhouse, but I love the beautiful school marm even more!



Timothy looked so natural with the log school house as a backdrop that another photographer had to capture the scene. I hope I will be able to get some of her photos of Timothy! She also took shots of most of the re-enactors, so if I do get a hold of her pictures there may be another post in the future!






But for now, I guess I have shared enough!

In a future post I may reflect on some of the lessons we learned during this 3 day experience of re-enacting the "old ways" of life around these mountains. Right now the event is too recent for me to get very poetic or philosophical (but I think I feel it coming on)!

The only lesson to speak of at this time is one that I'm always amazed at. How blessed we truly are! God has been so very good to us.