Happy Easter!

 

A Beautiful Snow

At first glance, this post might seem way out of chronological order....but I promise that it is not so!  We were fortunate enough to be able to spend a few days at our cabin, Chestnut Oak Lodge, in the Shenandoah Valley this past week....and got to experience the most snow of our entire winter....in late MARCH!.  Our kids had gone fishing the day before in the local lake.... The snow was a beautiful surprise.  

 

Planning Our 2013 Demo Season

On the first official day of spring, it seems appropriate to map out our upcoming demo season.  It's actually not far away and we are so looking forward to it.  We love getting the chance to visit with you!

This is how the schedule currently looks, although it will likely change a bit.  And, if you'd like us to demo at your event, please just call or email.   We'd love to hear from you!

April 18-20 - American Horticulture Society, Alexandria, VA.  This is the AHS annual plant sale, and we demo here because we volunteer at the AHS and it's a nice way to give back to a wonderful organization.  They sell Jeff's ironwork and my photography in their gift shop, as well.  This is also a great location for a demo because it is beautiful and generally not crowded.  We will not be in colonial attire, but it is a great choice if you'd like to visit and get all your questions answered.  We won't be here all the hours of the plant sale, so we'll update the site when those hours are finalized (Jeff is likely to be there Thursday afternoon and all-day Saturday, with a morning demo on Friday for all the school kids I want to bring to see him!).  

May 4 - Wye Colonial Fair, Wye Mills, MD.  This was one of our favorite events last year!  Lovely fair and lovely people.

May 18-19 - Claude Moore Colonial Market Fair, McLean, VA.  If you peruse our site, you'll see that we are very loyal to Claude Moore.  We demo at every Market Fair and have a wonderful time!  The Market Fairs are tremendously kid-friendly and have great food.  Plus, the craftspeople are amazing.  It's truly a wonderful place to go for a fun afternoon and a chance to see some top-notch artisans   

May 24-25 - Stratford Hall Blacksmithing Weekend, Westmoreland, VA.  The home of the Lees becomes a major center of blacksmithing for a weekend.  This is a HUGE event for anyone interested in how iron ore turns into iron and then is fashioned into an ax.  Our friends will be demonstrating that aspect (which is rarely seen, hence the excitement), another friend will be demonstrating his farrier skills, and our family will be demonstrating the colonial aspect of blacksmithing.  We can't wait! 

Memorial Day weekend (probably Saturday) - Mount Vernon Park Demo, Alexandria, VA (private demo - open to members of MVPA only) 

July 21-22 - Claude Moore Colonial Market Fair, McLean, VA

August 31- September 1 - The Scottish Games.  For this event, we become McPherson's Forge in honor of our ancestor Alexander McPherson.  We have attended these games for years, and it's a special treat to be able to demo here.  What's not to love about blacksmithing next to the bag-piping competition and in view of the athletic games?  Plus, the food is amazing!

September 28 - 1812 Fair and Reenactment, Jefferson Patterson Park Museum, St. Leonard, MD.  I've got an 1812-appropriate dress just for this occasion and we are totally looking forward to the crab cakes! 

September/October Dates TBD - Historical Trades Fair, Prince William Forest Park, Woodbridge, VA.  Last year, Jeff loved this event for the bluegrass music! 

October 5  - Handsell/Nanticoke Historic Preservation Society, Dorchester County, MD.  Last year, we were blown away by the dedication of the the folks who are trying to preserve Handsell.  They were truly amazing and we were blessed to get to know them.  We can't wait to see them again! 

October 20-21 -  Claude Moore Colonial Market Fair, McLean, VA

Field Trip to the U.S. Capitol

The other day, I had the opportunity to visit the U.S. Capitol through one of my jobs as an assistant teacher for a group of 6-9 year-old children.  We have a lot of fun together, and this field trip was no exception. My focus was much more on keeping track of the children than photography opportunities, so I didn't even take my good camera equipment.  Instead, I wore sensible shoes and had my emergency contact list at the ready.

Plus, our family still jokes about the time I toured the British Parliament many years ago and had a buckeye in my pocket for some odd, unknown reason -- security viewed the nut as a threat and removed it!  I've learned my lesson and am rather cautious about taking anything extraneous on these types of trips!

But, I couldn't help myself from taking a few photos with my phone.  The lines and lighting were amazing in places.....

And, the allure of history was too much to avoid like the location of Abraham Lincoln's desk or George Washington's portrait painted on the dome mural.

Next time, I just might take the better equipment!

The Postal Service Definitely Knows Jeff is a Blacksmith!

Here's a bit of humor from our week.....the Postal Service (particularly our carrier!) knows that Jeff is a blacksmith.  Sledgehammer, anyone?!  Actually, Jeff has his own sledgehammer and will deliver this one to Mount Vernon. He'll take it the rest of the way, though, and will give the mail carrier a break!

Seed Starting (and Garden Planning) Has Begun!

It's time for late-winter/early-spring gardening!  At times, I wonder what role gardening has on this blog, except that it is a huge part of our creative lives.  Long ago, it was more a matter of simply growing vegetables to can or freeze for the next year, and it certainly is still that.  But, it's also become much more creative and much more of a community-minded activity.  We live in the suburbs, after all -- a long ways away from when we gardened surrounded by 180 acres of farmland (and I had space for 54 tomato plants and could put up more than enough food!!)

Indeed, my main goals for the garden this year have more to do with dear friends who passed away this year, who always checked out the garden and watched whatever we were up to, chuckling often when we asked for their bagged leaves from their curbs, but always willing to provide.  And then, a few years ago, I noticed that one of the men had started growing red and white impatiens in flower boxes all along the front of his house.  And, he got some pin wheels.  And, I started enjoying watching his gardening adventures, just as he got a kick out of ours.

He passed away from cancer this year.  His pin wheel and flower boxes are still in front of his house.  So, this year, I might not have too many plans for the garden in terms of where I'm planting what, but I do know that I'll be planting some red and white impatiens and I need to find some pin wheels in honor of friends who we miss dearly.

And, meanwhile, we just started a flat of tomato seeds that have joined an earlier flat of leeks and flowers.  I am bound and determined to actually grow leeks one year -- so far, it hasn't happened, but that's the fun of gardening.  This year might be the year!  Last year was a good one in terms of new things -- we grew broom corn, green cabbages, and cauliflower successfully for the first time.

This year, I don't have many goals, except that I'd love to see my asparagus really provide a decent crop, I'd like to see my strawberries perform, and I need to figure out a way to get a larger tomato harvest.  I'd thought I had put up enough tomatoes, but we ran out of canned tomatoes and sauce a few weeks ago -- way too early!  I also need more basil because we ran out of frozen pesto long ago, too.   My other goal is to avoid planting things that my family just won't eat.  There's no need to plant a bunch of lettuce or pac choi because the guys will only eat so many salads and even fewer stir fries....

We were just blessed with some used wood from a house that is being remodeled, so we spent an hour or so today pulling nails from it and getting it ready for more garden boxes (not that I have any idea where to actually place them in our small yard!).  We also want/need to build another compost bin.

The fun begins!

"Autumn Reflections" - 1st Place Garden Views

Recently, we had the pleasure of attending the awards ceremony for the Washington Gardener Magazine Photo Contest and finding out that one of my photos had been awarded 1st place in the Garden Views category.  This photo was taken at Westmoreland State Park.  The photo will be on display this summer at a local gallery and will also be printed in the spring issue of the magazine.

Bountiful -- My Cookbook is Finished!

About a year ago, I suggested to my friends and family that we compile a cookbook.  I'd realized that some recipes were in danger of disappearing from our family traditions, and I didn't want that to happen.  Frankly, I had no idea of what I was really suggesting, as the time required to put together the book that I envisioned quickly became more than I initially realized.

For the entire year, I did not take my usual photography classes, design my usual photography books, or do any of my standard creative pursuits.   Instead, I threw myself into the book that became a labor of love.  And, to be honest, I had definite ideas of what I wanted to see in the book -- lots of photographs, a focus on cooking with the seasons (and the gardening that goes along with that concept), and recipes that made people smile and remember.  All those things, plus the fact that I had to self-publish the book, pretty much made the cookbook a "collector's item" before it was published! But, after a year's work, the book is done.  I hope it brings joy wherever it goes...

If you'd like to take a look at it, here's the web address:  http://www.blurb.com/b/3998871-bountiful

Valentines Made by the Boys

Both my boys need to make homemade Valentines for their school friends.  We headed off to the local craft store but could only find materials in the usual pink or red...with lots of frills.  Those things definitely weren't going to work for my boys, despite the fact that they know that pink was considered a masculine color back in the Colonial period!

So, we revisited an idea that we've used in years past to make a more gender-neutral Valentine.  We bought coffee filters and cut them into hearts.  Then, the boys put food coloring on the filters to turn them into various shades of red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple....and sometimes brown, if the boys got a little heavy-handed squirting food coloring everywhere!  After the hearts dried, we glued them onto brightly-colored card stock.

The Valentines look great!

God's Eyes

My youngest son has become enamored with God's Eyes.  He learned how to make them at school and they have become his special art.  We have them hanging from most of our windows; it's become a good thing that we don't have any fabric "window treatments"-- his art is all the treatment these windows need!  Joy, our cat, likes to sit up as high as she can and look at them all.  

The Beaver Was Out!

The other day, I had a free hour while the rest of the family took the puppy to dog training class, so I headed out to Huntley Meadows.  We always say that there is something different to see on a nature walk...even one as short as 20 minutes as it was in this case, and it's always true, but sometimes it's easier than others!  This was one of the easy times because a beaver was out and about in the day.

As far as I understand it, beavers are nocturnal, but this one was either confused, daring...or fed up with the whole system.  He wasn't alone -- there was also a turtle out that should have been dug into the mud.  The temperatures were in the bitter degrees -- it was so cold on the boardwalk that I would have rushed home if it weren't for the fact that it was "free time" and I needed to make the most of it!.
 

 

I can't pretend to know anything more, but I did take a few photos. While they are not my usual style and I didn't have the equipment to turn the moment into anything photographically great (and it was freezing, too!), it was a special few minutes just to spend time with an animal that I'd never gotten to see up close before.   I also took a few other photos, as well....

And, then, I took the kids and Jeff back the next day, just in case the beaver was still out..... and it was!

Mount Vernon in the Snow

The other day, Jeff had the privilege of blacksmithing at Mount Vernon after a light snow.  He took these photos.  It was a quiet morning and the view from the porch would have been one George Washington would have recognized since the view has been protected.  That's pretty amazing to think about....

The article linked to above mentions that General/President Washington would pull his furniture from his parlor to the piazza, so he would not have likely had the many chairs that currently line it but would have had other furniture.  Other than that, these photos could speak to another time.

Photography with Children

One of my favorite ways to get my kids out and about in nature is to hand them a camera.  It totally cuts down on the whining factor that occurs when I say that we are going on a hike.  Granted, that sometimes means that a camera gets dropped in a swamp and then ruined....but still, I'm sold on the idea. It's always a lot of fun to get home and compare photos -- we take such different things!  My eldest son is still  figuring out the basics of the camera, but he has definite ideas on what he likes and what he does NOT like.

This past fall, we went on a photo walk to the American Horticultural Society, one of the most beautiful places around.  I ended up taking the following photograph:

My son carefully took this one:

This is a beautiful photo, but I probably never would have taken it.  In fact, in all my photos from AHS, I never have.  I simply don't see the way my son sees.  That's what makes art so special.  And, because I went on a photo walk with my son, we have photos of both perspectives.

Tool-Making Class Starting January 27

This weekend (January 27) we are starting a 4-week tools class where we will be making different chisels, punches and drifts after we complete a detailed tapering exercise.  We hold these classes from 12-3 on Sunday afternoons, which is hopefully an easier time for people than evenings or during the week.

As the textbook for the class, we are using Mark Aspery's excellent book Skills of a Blacksmith, Vol 1, Mastering the Fundamentals of Blacksmithing which has been foundational in my own learning.  

In terms of class topics, we will start with with a deep dive into tapering, which is an essential skill for any blacksmith to master.  Following the well-known SOR (square octagon round) methodology, we will make square tapers, octagon tapers, round tapers and finally diamond tapers as well.  Making a 3" long symmetrical taper is a challenge for anyone, so it will be fun way to build these important skills.

In the second class, we will move on to the tools portion of the class, which will take the remaining 3 weeks.  We will be making a hot-cut chisel, both round and slot punches, as well as a drift and a small cold cut chisel (if we have time).  These tools will all be made with 4140 tool steel so they will form the basis for a nice tool set that will serve these students long into their blacksmithing careers.

I think this will be an excellent class for someone who wants to learn a lot of solid skills in a short time in a nice environment that focuses on retention of the information and having a good time doing it.

Please let us know if you are interested in attending!

A Mailing from the AHS -- That's MY Photo!

We lead very busy lives.  The other day, I came home from my job as an assistant teacher at my kids' school, raced into the house to let the dog out, went to a short refresher lesson on the drop spindle because I only had 1 hour before the kids were done with school, came back home and saw that I needed to work in my role as a lawyer because one of the primary laws involving my client had been amended, but I didn't have time to sit down and study the law because I needed to walk the dog and then pick the boys up from school..... It's not so easy to juggle all the various roles we play!  At least, we do enjoy all the things we do.

But, as I was involved in all the above, I also grabbed the mail and started to shuffle it into the Shred/Save piles.  As I came upon the piece of mail pictured above, I paused.  I know that child......I know that picture......I TOOK that picture!.....

The delay was hilarious.

And, yes, it was my photo.  I'd given the American Horticultural Society permission to use my photo in their mailing.  But, I'd forgotten and had never seen the final product.  It was only because I renewed my membership that I'd received their mailing....and seen my photo.

Stratford Hall in the News

Jeff might look like another dad on skis watching his young son ride up the carpet to take another run down the hill (I was at the bottom of the hill, helping our son back onto the carpet!)...but Jeff was also thinking about his upcoming blacksmithing demos. A more appropriate photo should have shown Jeff with his phone out! We have a lot of events and classes planned (Tool-making starts this Sunday afternoon, if you are interested), but the event on our mind today is a demo scheduled for May 24-25 at Stratford Hall, home of the Lees and birthplace of Robert E. Lee. 

We took the above photo in May, when we visited Stratford Hall to discuss the demo.  It takes time and energy to put together a great demo, especially one that will probably include colonial and farrier blacksmithing demonstrations as well as show how to transform iron ore into a bloom of iron that will then be worked into an ax   In the blacksmithing world, this is super cool stuff and not done by many people...it should be a very interesting event.  It is also very appropriate to do this demo at Stratford Hall since all components of the demo could have been done on the property -- as I recall, iron ore is prevalent on the beach there.  

Although Jeff already had phone calls lined up this week to discuss the demo at Stratford Hall, the New York Times just happened to run a feature article on Stratford Hall and the area.  It really is a fascinating place and the article is well-written.  We've eaten at Angelo's Pizza (it really is good!) and have hunted for shark's teeth (and not found any).....all things the article mentioned.   Too bad the article didn't know about our blacksmithing event!