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Old 11-13-2024, 04:52 PM   #21
mlh
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You look the part in your blacksmith suit. The only minus is your arms aren’t muscular enough to have been swinging a heavy hammer.
As always thanks. I always enjoy your updates.
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Old 11-13-2024, 05:03 PM   #22
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I spent 7 years in Dubuque Iowa. (Speaking of revolutionary war stuff) The original shot tower used for war of 1812 is still standing. The round shot was formed by climbing the tower with hot lead and dropping a small amount into a buck of water from 50/60(?) feet. As it falls it forms into a round(ish) ball and then hardens in the water. Oh, Dubuque is on the Mississippi, so a short boat ride down to La.
p.s. You probably knew some or all of this, but if not you do now! LOL
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Old 11-13-2024, 05:12 PM   #23
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You have to change your profile picture!
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Old 12-09-2024, 12:51 PM   #24
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Friday, December 6 was the official "School Days" where over 250 kids were in the park experiencing 12 "stations" again. This time, they had a Christmas theme going on.

One station was focused on historic Christmas Traditions. Another made over-the-fire Wassail, historic children's games, 1800's Christmas dance demonstration, musket firing, and more. I did a blacksmith demonstration for the kids, and actually had 2 "volunteers" pound iron on the anvil and another working the hand-crank wind turbine (billows were replaced with the hand turbine in 1830). And of course, we had 15 minutes for each ground and there were 12 groups. What a rush. It was a lot of fun.

Saturday, November 7 was the Jane Austin Christmas event. The event started at 5:30 and ran till 8:00 pm. The entire "yard" of the plantation was lit up with bon fires, tiki lights, and torches. The Oakley house was decorated inside and out.

The events for this was historically period dated dancing in the visitor center. They also set up a Wassail station, a roasted Chestnut fire pit, and in the plantation kitchen they served quail, 1800 style mashed potatoes, an 1800 dated recipe for bread pudding, pies, roasted carrots, and bread and rolls. Everything was fixed, backed, cooked in the plantation kitchen via "open hearth cooking."

Inside the Oakley house, they allowed everyone to have a walk through of the house with all the Christmas decorations (1800 style), with candles and everything. In the grand parlor they had a Dulcimer group (6 people with Dulcimers) and they played continuous Christmas music and gave talks when questioned about the Dulcimer and it's history.

My wife and I were "guides" in the house, directing people into the right direction. They used one door for entering, had a specific path everyone was to follow, and then exit a different door. So we were one of about 6 people directing people through the house.

It was really a fun event, and they had around 300 people that came through in the 2 and 1/2 hour event. Many of the folks who visited said they do this event every year. It's part of their Christmas Tradition now. How sad, the staff only do this one day and then it's all over. But to do it more, through the month, would take a lot (a lot) of work on everyone's part. So, it's only done 1 time.

Sorry folks, you'll have to wait until December 2025 if you want to experience this event now.

Today, I pulled 2 of those old Church pews sitting in the front of the Oakley House on the bottom porch to begin refinishing them. I'm doing only 2 at a time. There are a total of 7 of them. I have 2 done now.

Main bonfire, burning of the Yule Log.
The 1800's tradition was: As long as the Yule Log burned, the slaves did not have to work. So the slaves would find the largest tree and actually soak it in a body of water to make it burn slower. Then the log was set on fire and the festivities began. The longer the log burned, the longer time off the slaves had. So, the long would sometimes burn for a couple weeks or longer. It was also this time the slaves got their annual clothing allotment as Christmas gifts from the plantation owner (planter family). It sounds really cheezy based on our standards today, but back then it was a very, very big deal.



My wife and where I'm dressed for blacksmithing:



My wife and where I'm dressed as a plantation gentleman. (My bride of 39 years and 9 months sure looks good, don't she!)



"Big House" dining room table:



Other areas of the "Big House":





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Old 12-27-2024, 08:29 AM   #25
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Another Update: December 27, 2024.

We've been at Oakley almost 3 months now (this time), completing a total of 8 months (Jan, Feb, Mar ... May, June ... Oct, Nov, Dec) and staying through Jan 2025, returning again in Apr, May, June 2025, and again Oct, Nov, Dec 2025. Dates all fixed and scheduled. We're not doing Pilot Mountain State Park in NC (Mount Airy) in 2025 as a camp host. Going to forfeit this year and go to Iowa and Nebraska in July to see the daughter and grandkids. (2025)

Time sure moves on. It's been a fantastic year.

The latest "project" was to refinishing 7 church pew / benches that sit outside under the galleries at the Oakley House. I have them completed and they do look great now. They were so weather beaten.

Here's a photo of the before and after shot. On this one, the "after" shot is only after I applied a new coat of stain.



Here's an "after" shot, after applying the polyurethane:



Here's an "after" shot with one of the benches back in it's original location:



I'm now currently engaged in refinishing about 20 rocking chairs that sit outside the visitor center front porch entrance (set up like a Cracker Barrel Restaurant entrance with all the rocking chairs in a row). I don't have any photos of them yet. But, I'm in the process.

I'm still doing house tours, blacksmithing demonstrations, and still chopping and splitting and shaving fire wood for the plantation kitchen hearth and kindling for the blacksmith forge. When I'm doing demonstrations for the blacksmith shop, I started trying my hand at a bit of woodburning. I figure, why not put some of that wood I split and turned into shingles to a new use. So, I'm burning with the tools only in the blacksmith shop. It's slow, but it's fun.

For Christmas dinner we had quail! That was definitely a different menu for us.

A bit of history: The original family that lived on this plantation had a pigeoneer. That's a habitat for raising pigeons. Pigeons were raised for food. As I understand the history, they ate a lot of pigeon!
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Old 12-27-2024, 08:44 AM   #26
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Forgot one more thing: I've also been working, helping, to set up the main hall way in the barn to make it accessible for visitor traffic, showing off the old farming implements. It's been a slow project, but it's beginning to take some shape. The problem is, management isn't quite sure how to set it up. So, I keep working in the space, coming up with different ideas for them. The biggest problem is safety. Some of these old implements are quite heavy and dangerous if they fall over. So that's the challenge: how to set everything up in a narrow space and keep things safe for the public.



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Old 12-27-2024, 11:06 AM   #27
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I appreciate the updates you give us. Looks like a fun retirement job for sure.
Hope you and your wife had a Merry Christmas.
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Old 12-27-2024, 11:07 AM   #28
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Some of this old stuff I’ve used to farm with. The pan, plow, corn planter, harrow the 4 foot plow. I never actually used a 4 foot plow we had 3 and 5 foot plows. My brother and I used to plow gardens with a horse and equipment just like this. Thanks for sharing.
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Old 12-27-2024, 02:19 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottnSue View Post
I appreciate the updates you give us. Looks like a fun retirement job for sure.
Hope you and your wife had a Merry Christmas.
The key word here is JOB. A lot of work, but I know Dutchman enjoys it.
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Old 12-27-2024, 05:46 PM   #30
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It might be a "job" for some, but this is strictly a volunteer position, no pay at all. It's part of the Louisiana State Park Camp Host program. Audubon State Historic Site near St. Francisville is the only "Historic Site" run by the "state" that has such a position. In exchange for 24 hours a week, the "host" gets a full hook-up campsite. Well, it's not exactly a "campsite", but it is a full hook-up site. There are 2 of them here. There is no "campground" here.

When I do tours of the Oakley House, I am often offered a tip. I decline the tip. I want no pay of any kind for my volunteer work here. It's my gigantic playground! I want to keep it that way! The only thing I'm required to do is house tours, 3 days a week. That's the agreement. But, that's been modified by a mutual agreement. I still do house tours, but sometimes not 3 days. I'll pump a bunch of hours doing all the wood working tasks and the blacksmith and woodworking demos. In addition to polishing, cleaning, and plantation house and the artifacts in it, as well as the plantation kitchen and the slave cabins. Basically, I've become that "handiman" that every home needs!

The park still has their state employee maintenance people who do the heavy maintenance work, maintaining the grounds, and sometimes assisting with special programing, like guiding traffic or setting up special displays or signage. Where as, I do more of the repairs and services on the historical artifacts and the historical aspect of the buildings and such, as well as the demonstrations and tours. They've got me truly engaged in history. It's great!
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Old 01-25-2025, 05:19 PM   #31
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Time is winding down for this 4 month trek at Oakly. It's hard to believe it's almost time to leave. My wife and I, and doggies, will be leaving January 31 to return back to Indiana (home), but we'll be returning again April 1 for another 3 month trek. I'm already looking forward to our return. I've stocked up on lots of literature (books) to continue reading and studying over the next 2 months about 1800 life, slavery, and the history of our nation during that time period. The more I study, the more avenues begin to open up in my head, asking question or leading down a new path of discovery, something out history, our nation, and the lives of the people who lived on this plantation, both freed, enslaved, and share cropper alike. It's a fascinating study that will probably keep my mind is bewilderment and discovery for the rest of my life. It has no ends to the depth of learning.

My wife is stocking up on Coffee with Chicory blend. We simply do not have anything like this in Indiana, at least not in the average grocery stores. She's developed quite a taste for it, so we have about 50 pounds of coffee were taking back "home" with us until we return.

We have a Post Office Box in town and we decided to keep it for another another year. Although we are not residents of Louisiana, we lived in this state longer this year than we did in Indiana.... for sure. But, we are residents in Indiana and that is not changing. We are "volunteering" in Louisiana. As much as I'd like to call Louisiana home, I know deep down inside, Indiana is still "home".

Did you know that John James Audubon was actually born in the country today knows as Haiti? But, his father forged a United States passport and sent to to Mill Grove, Pennsylvania in order to avoid being drafted into Napoleon's military in the later 1700's? He declared New Orleans as his place of birth. When Audubon was just a very very young boy, his father's "mistress" died and Audubon's father sent him from Haiti to France where he lived on family estate and his fathers true wife took him in as her own child. He grew up in privilege and wealth, and had the finest education possible in that day. (now you know the truth about John James Audubon)......

Meanwhile, life on the plantation. I'm still doing Plantation House Tours, and black smithing demonstrations. Here's some more things I accomplished since the last update, things done not on the "required" list, but those things simply for the love of the plantation!

Finished "re-finishing" the rocking chairs:



Re-carved, painted, and sealed the checker board:



Weather turned cold and I acquired a top coat for my period dated clothing outfit. My beard is now 7 months (long).



I had the "Ah-ha!" moment at the black smith shop. I started "hammering" out actual usable items. Here's a couple examples. The hook hanging on the post and the handle for that tin can hanging from the hanger:



Since I've been doing a lot of fiddle-farting in the black smith shop and engaged in carpentry "stuff", I tried my hand at wood burning, using ONLY items from the black smith shop .... no "electric" tools.... only heated rods and such from the black smith tools:



The Winter blast hit and the place turned into a Winter Wonderland:









And the last project I did was build this gun rack for the 1700 - 1800 time period muskets and flags:



We heading home this coming Friday.
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Old 02-02-2025, 06:40 PM   #32
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Final follow up.

Made it home (Indiana) on Feb 1. All OK.

Left Louisiana on Jan 31 and stayed in a Motel Friday night South of Memphis, Tennessee. Had some really nice down time at the motel, except the dogs were nuts in the room as they heard other people upstairs from us or in the hall way outside. They kept barking, waking us up. (We have several reasons why we did not find a campground.... namely, we knew it would be dark when we arrived and setting up in an unknown site in the dark, in cold weather, was more than I wanted to handle.

Left early Saturday morning and drove the rest of the way to Central Indiana (home). Reached the house about 9:00 pm (after dark), but simply pulled forward into our driveway, parked it, and went to bed in the house.

Sunday (Feb 2).... watched "Ground Hog Day" will Bill Murry, grocery shopping, and winterized the camper! It's going to be a few weeks before we head out and winterized for good measure. It went pretty easy, I used the "pink stuff." Started removing all the items in the camper with liquid in them so they won't freeze, but until we get everything out, we're keeping the furnace running on a low setting. But once everything is out, we'll shut it down for a while.

Getting bearings repacked on Feb 11. Getting an oil change on the Dually in a couple days. Getting income taxes does in a couple weeks. Getting the doggies Vet visit , and a couple doctor visits for myself and a couple for my wife.

Our son had the hot tub up and running! Now that was a nice treat coming home to!

We're thinking about heading back to Louisiana in early March instead of at the end of March. Thinking about going back a month earlier than planned. .... if we get everything done.
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Old 02-03-2025, 04:09 AM   #33
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Dutch, see if you can find a brand called Luzianne coffee. It has chickoree in it. I grew up on the stuff. It's definitely an acquired taste.
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Old 02-03-2025, 05:36 AM   #34
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Also, Ma chere (DW) likes French Market (coffee and chicory), Community Coffee(several varieties) and Seaport Coffee. Technically, Seaport is from Beaumont TX, but lots of Cajun influence slips over da Ret Rivah.
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