Maple Days

Yesterday, we took the kids to Old Sturbridge Village to experience their Maple Days events. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, and it was too cold for the sap to flow. However, we did still learn a little about the sugaring process and how maple products were used in the 1830s.

The first stop once we arrived was a small house where a man showed us how they would boil down the sap and pour it into a mold for the sugar and liquid syrup to separate. While there, we got to taste some maple sugar candy. K really enjoyed it, but AJ refused a piece.

Next, we walked over to the sugaring camp, where they were boiling melted snow over an open fire since the sap was not running. The man working there had put a wooden spile into a nearby maple tree, but nothing was coming out. He explained that the tree keeps the water down in the roots when the temperature dips below freezing. Once it warms up a bit, the tree sends the water up to the crown of the tree. This is what makes the sap flow perfectly for maple syrup. Once the weather warms up, the tree doesn't need to send the water back down to the roots at night anymore. Then the sap available turns bitter and useless to anyone but the tree.

Once we left the camp, we walked to the farm where they were demonstrating how the people in the 1830s used maple sugar in their baking. Saturday is "Bake Day" so they don't have to bake on the sabbath. Maple sugar can be used with a one-to-one ratio, and it doesn't leave a maple aftertaste. The ladies in the kitchen explained how to tell if the oven is the right temperature for the various baked goods. They stick their arms in the hot oven and start to count. When the temperature gets too hot to bear, they stop counting. That is what they call their "pie count".  Everyone has his/her own pie count, and the best way to learn is by someone testing the oven right before you. Then you stick your arm in and start to count. Whatever number you stop at is your own pie count, and you know that is what to aim for when baking without a thermometer in the oven. I found that fascinating.

After leaving the warm kitchen, we headed out to the barn, where we were privileged to see two calves. One was a little more than a week old, but the other had been born the night before. Both of them were so cute, and their fur looked wonderfully silky.

People were starting to get hungry, so we ambled over to the tavern for a meal, pausing at the carding mill, grist mill, and saw mill on the way. After lunch, K wanted to make a craft. She had saved her money to pay for it herself, so she made a punch tin ornament, and Timo took the boys to the indoor kids place to play. H had been looking forward to playing there since we left the house, so I know he enjoyed himself.

K hammering a pattern in her tin ornament

Once K was finished with her ornament, she wanted to design her own decoration on a tin tray. Then, we joined the boys. I heard that they would be milking one of the cows, and I wanted to witness that. I learned a lot about cattle and milking during this event, and I have already had a chance to share some of the knowledge with others.

K's pattern

Watching the milking of the cow

After the milking, it was time to go. S had fallen asleep in Timo's arms, and we needed to get home.

Although I did not really get to witness a true sugar camp, I did learn a lot, and I hope the kids did, too. I will miss the educational opportunities of OSV after we move.

A Journey to the Past

My sister's visit prompted me to plan a field trip to Old Sturbridge Village. This living history museum is set up to bring to life an American town set in the 1830s. Most of the buildings are actual structures from that time in history that have been relocated to the museum. I was surprised at this because I thought they would all be more recently constructed to represent what the buildings might have looked like at that time, much like what we saw at Plimoth Plantation.

When we arrived, the children immediately wanted to visit the children's area, called Kidstory. This is an indoor version of the village, where kids can "farm", dress up in period clothing, cook, shop, and "wash" clothes. I finally had to drag them away from it so we could see the rest of the place.

H working on his crops

Farmer S

K serving a customer root beer

K working at the general store

AJ cooking

Once we moved on, we walked by a small house, a Quaker meetinghouse, a barn, and some sheep. Then we arrived at a place where a lady was washing wool yarn and preparing it to be dyed. There were several colors of yarn hanging up to dry that had been previously processed, and the colors were amazingly earthy and natural. A nearby building showed what they used to arrive at each color, and there was a display showing various types of yarn and how they were processed. There was also a lady at a spinning wheel spinning some of the raw wool into yarn. Upstairs was a display about quilting, and the kids enjoyed playing with plastic squares and triangles to design their own quilt squares.

H in the Quaker Meetinghouse

H in a barn

K and AJ with the lady washing yarn to dye

The beautiful colors of dyed wool

Spinning

Weaving

AJ designing a quilt

One of the display quilts

The chair where the lady of the house would have done her knitting and mending

A cute little doll's bed

At this time, I took S down to sit on a bench and eat some lunch. The others soon joined us, and we ate in the shade while looking out across the common. When we finished, we started toward the schoolhouse. I pushed the stroller while everyone else rode a horse-drawn trolley. The kids told me one of the horse's names is Jim.

Upon arriving at the schoolhouse, we stepped inside where a lady was explaining the building, the school, and the requirements for the teachers at that time. One thing that stuck out was that the teachers did not have to have much training, and they usually ranged from 15 to 25 years old. The literacy rate at that time was about 90%, whereas it is now around 75%. S was getting fussy, so I stepped out with him. K and AJ wanted to experience a "lesson", so they stayed inside until the "class" started. They could choose from reading, math, or spelling, and they chose math. The questions were oral word problems, and my kids aced them. The actual math was very simple, and I wished they asked them more challenging questions. K was disappointed that she did not get to use a quill pen, but at least she could write on the slate.

S at a desk in the schoolhouse

A well-used desk top

K practicing her letters on a slate

AJ peaking out of the schoolhouse window

After their lesson was over, they came outside and played with the schoolhouse toys -- jump ropes and a pair of stilts. The stilts were a bit broken and therefore very difficult to use. My sister, Jaime, helped my kids walk on them, but no one could do it solo.

H walking on stilts with Auntie Jaime

AJ walking on stilts with Auntie Jaime

 From the schoolhouse, I stepped over to look at the pottery making building. As they only fire up the kiln twice a year, it was full of unfired pottery. After that, we hurried back to where the musket demonstration was supposed to take place.

The kiln

Pottery waiting to be fired

We arrived at the musket demonstration just in time for the guy to fire off the final round. He showed us how to load a musket and explained why the muskets of that period were so dangerous to shoot. The barrel was formed out of a sheet of metal and welded on the bottom. If that weld failed, the shooter could lose life or limb.

Musket man

The kids wanted to try out the town pump next, so we followed them over where they took turn pumping and playing in the cool, refreshing water. From there, we headed to the bake shop and store, where H convinced me to buy a Colonial soldier costume and AJ bought a hat.

Fun at the town pump

 

 

Jaime pointed out that the craft center would be a fun stop for the kids, so we strolled in that direction. When we arrived, K, AJ, and H chose to dip candles, and Jaime took S to the nearby play area to keep him happy. H grew tired of the tedious process of dipping candles, so my niece, Edith, finished for him while I took him out to join his little brother. When they finished, K asked if she could make the sconce as well. My response? "If you pay for it." She headed back to the craft shop to complete her project, and the rest of us sat in the shade and watched the boys play.

Dipping candles

A cute little sheep

K making a sconce for the candles

A familiar cow and farmer's wife

Once K finished her sconce, we realized that she was missing her bonnet. She claimed that she had it at the well, but after retracing our steps back there and inquiring at the store, it was still MIA. At this point, we split up. Jaime and Edith took the boys to the beekeeping exhibit while K and I retraced our steps even further until we found it at the schoolhouse. Praise the Lord. We then hurried to catch up with the rest of our crew. When we arrived at the beekeeping exhibit, I realized that S had kicked off his shoe somewhere along our hurried way. We turned around and had only walked about 100 feet before someone who had found the shoe returned it to us. Another praise.

At this point, I was ready to get out of there. We made our way to the exit, paused to peruse the gift shop, stopped at the bathrooms, and headed to the car.

It was a busy, day, but I think everyone enjoyed themselves. I don't know what I would have done without Edith and Jaime. They made the trip so much easier, providing two extra sets of hands (and eyes) to help with the kiddos. I am so thankful for their visit out to see us.

My little Continental Soldier