Field Trip to Hale Farm and Village

Today was gorgeous and the perfect day for an outing.  Good thing we had one planned.  We trekked up north to Hale Farm and Village.  It's a bit of a drive for us, but well worth the trip.  We were there about 2 years ago and I had to leave early in order to take some of the kids to an art class.  This year, there was no art class to interrupt our time and the workers there were even more amazing in their dialog.  We had a wonderful day.

Heading out to our first stop-the Maple Sugar making

Must walk through mud and hold hands.

This man was a dynamic speaking and so, so amusing.  Here, he showed us 2 different tomahawks-one from after the pioneers came through (metal head) and one from prior to the pioneers coming (all wooden).  Either way you slice it, I'd rather not have one of those bash my head.

Showing us the mold that would be used to making maple sugar  blocks.  After the sap was cooked down, it would be poured into a greased mold and cooled and stored for use over the year

Here, we got to see various taps used over the years ranging from wooden to metals.

Because of the crazy weather we've been having (super warm), the sap that is currently running is a milky white color and not much good for making syrup.  But, it was neat to see anyway.

Here, we are given a demonstration of tightening the rope bed's ropes.   This was in the left corner of the room.

Ladder to the loft where the children of the house would have slept.  In the case of this house, that would be 9 of them.

A shot of the room from the bottom of the ladder.  Imagine 11 people in this house.  All.winter.long.  

Next, a visit to the blacksmith.  Here he shows us a spatula he made and  a piece of iron like the one it came from.   Pretty impressive.

The blacksmith made this chain, as well.  He told us it was 8' long and he made it the old-fashioned way. 

A selection of items hand made.  The rose on top took roughly 30 hours to complete, he told us.

I learned a new term today: Flash Point.  For all of you not interested in science (like me), this means the temperature at which something spontaneously combusts.  (I didn't know that, but don't be too hard on me.  I'm a history girl.)  He was coating the newly made hook with wax to fill in the pores of the metal and prevent rusting.  As he worked, the wax caught fire.  Always good for entertainment.

Next, we got to learn about oxen and how they are trained and work.  That yoke was immense, too.  

Getting Starsky in position for some lovin' from the kids.

We're all lined up and ready to pet an ox.

The most fearsome statue you've ever seen

These little beauties were growing the woods along the path we were taking.  They were just beautiful.

I distinctly remember Byron clucking at the chickens at this point in an attempt, I assume, at some form of lower communication.

Hello chicken.

Scraping the mud from off his shoes before entering the  house.  Maybe I need one of those.  :/

Shooting the breeze with the general store owner.  The owner came out to ask who like to talk the most in our group.  Oddly enough, David raised his hand.

Here we get a lesson on the importance of the general store for news and town gossip.

Inside the store, the kids got to try on clothes and we talked about the different kinds of clothing used in different avenues of work.  Here, Byron attempts to put on a working man's shirt.  Just like at home, he manages to put it on backward.

David sports a canal boat captain's attire

Ruth is ready for some housework.  Grace was a blur, so you can just imagine her in a dress and sunbonnet.

The kids listen to a talk on games that pioneer children would have played-in this case, 9 Pins.

Having stenciled the kitchen, I was fascinated by the walls in this house.  I cannot imagine how long it must have taken them to do it-there were several colors and a fairly complicated pattern.

Learning about hoop racing

The kids were given some time to play with the toys and Byron immediately chose 9 Pins.

This house had belonged to a dairy farmer, so it sported 2 kitchens.  One for regular cooking and another for dealing with the milk coming in twice daily.

A real, 10 year aged wheel of cheese made in the cheese press behind Gracie.  It was very...odorous.

Our final stop-the School house.  Here the kids line up and the schoolmaster greets them.

Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.  aka Trouble.  ;)

The School Master pulled forward 4 kids to receive a small instruction.  Andrew gets first crack at an arithmetic problem.

David also receives a problem and much to my relief he passed.

Ruth was quizzed on arithmetic, too, and I held my breath on that one as she, by her own  admission, struggles a bit there.  She did fine, by the way.

Gabriel and Byron were pulled to demonstrate pioneer era school discipline.  First, they had to stand on the line and face the class.

Next, they were to bend over and face the floor.  At this point, Byron was asked, "Are you nervous yet?"  His reply, "No."

The school master made Byron put his face to the floor instead of peeking back at him and at that point, Byron admitted to being a "little bit nervous."  This is when the switch would have been applied.

Girls' discipline was different-the girls would stand with their noses to the door frame, up on tip toe and balance a book on their heads for an amount of time.

All the kids "toeing the line."  Byron just gave up immediately and bent over for his whack.

David and Byron spent every bridge crossing dropping sticks in the stream and watching for them to come through on the other side.