Jeff's Demo at the Baltimore Monumental Bicentennial

Jeff really enjoyed himself yesterday at Baltimore's Monumental Bicentennial.  Despite a bit of rain, the festival enjoyed very good attendance and Jeff thoroughly loved getting to teach and demo to the crowd.   We want to thank Jeff's mother for helping at the event and taking these photos, while I attended a swim meet with our boys.  Thanks, Mimi!

Repairing a Spinning Wheel at Benjamin Banneker's Historical Park

Jeff loves to demo because he loves to teach and he loves projects that challenge his engineering skills.  He is definitely NOT someone who makes 100 of something.  He doesn't make 100 of anything without a good reason!  Instead, he really enjoys the challenge to make something new, and especially when that project helps someone else.  At the Benjamin Banneker Colonial Festival  this past Sunday, a guest needed help fixing a piece on her spinning wheel and she'd even brought the wheel along for Jeff to look at!  The minute she said she had the wheel with her, I knew we'd be solving her problem.  Of course, Jeff  became totally engrossed in the project, and had a very good time helping forge a piece that solved the problem.  Better spinners than I can probably name the piece....

Blacksmithing Demo at Darnall's Chance

We spent a very, very hot, but enjoyable, Saturday afternoon at the Colonial Picnic at Darnall's Chance.  It was great fun to be set up next to friends like Tom and Dean and see other friends, as well.   The event organizers did a fabulous job in having lots of children's activities, and we really enjoyed the chance to see the house and discover its relationship to the Lees of Westmoreland County.  But, the best thing of all was the chance to connect a young man and his father with their blacksmithing heritage -- they had a great grandfather and other family members who were smiths in Kenya but had never been able to see blacksmithing in person.  That is exactly why we do what we do!

Our Teaching Demo at Burgundy Farm Country Day School

We had a fabulous time teaching at Burgundy Farm Country Day School the other day.  It's amazing how blacksmithing ties into so much of the children's curriculum!

We started out a very hot day in colonial costumes, teaching colonial history and blacksmithing to the 4th and 5th graders.  They have been focusing on colonial history this semester.  Jeff forged a rooker and a fork to take with them on their colonial camping trip (they dress in colonial-style costumes, sleep outside, and live out what they've been studying, including cooking outdoors using the tools Jeff made!).

Then, we switched to art classes, where we discussed sculpture and organic/geometric forms and Jeff forged leaves.  These students came with their own art materials and created their own art while Jeff forged.  We were amazed at what they created.

The first graders were holding their Farm Day as a culmination of their studies, so we taught them about how blacksmithing is critical to farming operations, and Jeff forged a hoof pick for them, followed by various hooks and nails.  These students got the chance to try their own "forging" with cold aluminum and a kid-friendly anvil, hammer and tongs.  Many thanks to their assistant teacher and our friend, Diane, for helping them with their forging!

And, of course, we tied science into everything!

It was a wonderful day.

Our Demo at the Chestertown Tea Party Festival

We had the most fun at the Chestertown Tea Party Festival on Saturday!  Jeff demo'd blacksmithing in the Colonial Village (complete with the family-friendly anvil, which uses aluminum that will bend while being worked cold).  The kids and I helped out there, but also enjoyed the amazing parade, the good food, talented performers, and the tea party reenactment from when "in response to British Parliament’s closing of the port of Boston, the citizens of Chestertown met in May of 1774 and set forth “Resolves” forbidding importing, selling, or consuming tea in Chestertown. According to local legend, residents then gathered at the town center, marched down High Street to the brigantine Geddes, which was anchored in the Chester River, and tossed her cargo of tea overboard" (as stated on the event's site).   Meanwhile, Jeff had a great time visiting with our guests, teaching and doing what he loves to do.   Here are some photos from the day...