Pioneer Day

We went to Pioneer Day at a nearby nature center yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was a one day event and was very well run. All of the employees and volunteers were very nice and very professional. They directed traffic when you first came into the park and had a hayride from the parking lot back to the entrance where there were lots of booths set up.

You could make a paper bonnet, candles and indian bracelets. There was a petting zoo, pictures in front of the wagon, live music and concessions. Then you could take another hayride back to the 1830's era homestead. You first walked through a wooded area that was supposed to be an indian village (I think). There we learned how to make a fire and you could shoot arrows. There were some native americans explaining different aspects of their culture including games they play and things they make. There was a tanner there also, and a woman making chili over the fire for the volunteers.

Then this next guy showed us how he loads his gun and fires it. Poor guy went to shoot it and it wouldn't fire. So he tried two more times before he gave up, saying he was going to have to go try and fix it. We walked around for another hour probably, then went to find the bathroom, only to cross paths with him at the trunk of his car, still trying to get it to work. He said he must've done something to it last time he cleaned it and that in 30+ years of doing recreationist stuff, this was the first time it hadn't worked. We must be bad luck.





This is Clara clapping to the music of a little old lady band. The lady in the next picture is playing a dulcimer.



This guy was a hoot. He was loud and in character all the way. He called out to a little girl, "Where's your dress? Why are you wearing long underwear?", or something to that effect. The girl was probably 5.

These guys were funny, too. They said they were brothers. One guy showed us a hide, rawhide and then some leather and explained the tanning process. Then he said, "I'm going to make a candle now", and started melting some wax over the fire. He then got the wick ready and put it into a hollowed out reed, plugging one end with some mud he just made. He propped it by the fire and started pouring the wax in, and it was going everywhere and then was bubbling out the top, so his brother was like "Have you made a candle before?" And he was like, "No." Then the brother made him a little funnel thing out of half of a reed, tied between two sticks with a piece of leather. We're like "You're just making this up as you go along, aren't you?" "Pretty much", they replied.

At the homestead, they had a blacksmith, a woodworker, spinners and weavers. They had a smokehouse with fresh jerky to sample and stick bread cooking over a fire. You could churn butter, grind corn, eat some cornbread and sample some strange elixers. There was a root cellar you could walk into, someone doing laundry, and someone hoeing in the garden. We decided he must've drawn the short straw when passing out assignments.

All in all, I'd say it was a great family outing, especially being a free event. The only bad thing about the day was all of the smoke. There were smoky fires all over and it started bothering our allergies after awhile. They do a Heritage Day in February, so we'll be going back. I guess I've got to make Clara a little pioneer girl outfit before then.