A Photo from the AHS Gift Shop

One of our friends went to the AHS plant sale and then sent us a photo from the AHS gift shop, which sells some of Black Forest's ironwork and photography note cards. 

We haven't mentioned much about my notecards because we are still trying to come up with a business name that will encompass our ironwork, photography, gardening, etc... (if you have ideas, please pass them along!) and setting up a web site for that so far as yet un-named business. 

In this photo, though, you can see some of both things on display:

Thanks for sending us the photo!

Day 1 of the AHS Plant Sale

Our friend Steve and I had a great time at the 1st day of the AHS plant sale.  As expected, this is a low-key event that gave us plenty of time to forge & visit. 

To be honest, I do more visiting than Steve -- it's becoming a running joke with them just how many hours it's going to take me to finish the plant hangers I am still working on.  During our last interchange, we were laughing that the plant hangers should become immediate museum pieces because you just can't sell something you have 1,500 hours in!

I got a chance to visit with lots of the teachers from the boys' school & neighborhood friends, as well as meet new folks.  One person complimented my attire and said I looked like a "gentleman blacksmith".  I promptly told her that my wife would be happy to hear that since she wouldn't let me wear my normal blacksmithing clothes for the event! 

The sale continues Friday (9-6) and Saturday (9-3, although Jeff will stop forging by 1 p.m. that day). 

Preparing for the AHS Plant Sale

I am currently spending most of my free time forging plant hangers for the upcoming plant sale at the American Horticultural Society.

Our family is blessed to be volunteers at AHS and we are happy to add its annual plant sale to our list of blacksmithing events.  This week, I will forge at the plant sale on Thursday from 4-8 (members of AHS only), Friday (9-6) and Saturday (9-3).  Please note that I might not be forging during all the times listed, especially on Saturday, but he'll try to demonstrate as much as possible.  There is a fee for parking, but admission to the plant sale is free.  The garden shop sells many of my ironwork pieces, as well as my wife's nature-themed note cards. 

We'd love to see you, so please come out! 

Anderson Forge Opening at Colonial Williamsburg

We spent the first weekend of the kids' Spring Break at Colonial Williamsburg  - we drove down just to be there for the opening of the new blacksmith's shop.  

After years of research and hard work, it was a day to celebrate.  And, we weren't the only folks who had traveled just for the occasion -- it was like a convention of blacksmiths.  The kids got to meet Peter Ross, the blacksmith on one of their favorite movies & Jeff got to ask him a few questions about a pair of andirons he has been working on.  Jeff also got to say "hi" to a bunch of other folks.....and we made some wonderful new friends, as well. 

Visiting Colonial Williamsburg is a bit different for us than for most people, we've discovered.  At one point, my son mumbled something about "too many tourists."  He was conveniently forgetting his "tourist" mug for drinks -- our boys' primary goal for the visit was to consume as much root beer as possible, since they don't get such "treats" at home!

Except for the soda consumption on the boys' part, our visits are more about catching up with friends and exchanging ideas for new projects.  Caitlin even got a chance to discuss colonial crops with the head gardener and left with some salsify seeds to try out, as well as some broom corn seeds because our son would like to make a broom similar to the one he's read about in the Ox Cart Man.  

In the midst of all the visiting, the boys climbed on their favorite tree, admired the lambs, and checked out a nearby state park as part of the Trail Quest program.