A trip back in time

We played tourist again and went to Marthasville, Missouri for Deustch Country Days. It had been 25 years or more since we had been there. 

It's about 50 acres of restored log buildings. Many people in period costume come to demonstrate days gone by. 

This little gal was so funny doing her laundry. She told us the white machine in the back ground was only for rich folks, and she wasn't one of those. Outside the cabin other girls were heating wash water over a wood fire. It sure makes you appreciate today's washing machines.

In the next cabin these young men were making sausage. We didn't dally around there as that is something we still make.

A saw mill was running up the road a ways. 

This family was making molasses. Something my blacksmith had done just the day before. 

Our friend Denny Quinn was forging away in his cabin. 

Another friend Mike Yeomans was weaving rye grass baskets. He doesn't sell his baskets. I must work on him to barter for one!!

A mountain man and his daughter were telling visitors about their furs. 

These ladies were doing some dutch oven cooking. We should have eaten there, the brisket looked delicious.

My blacksmith and Flat Creek's blacksmith posing for us. 

Dean posed for a picture for me. He was running a small general store outside his cabin. Yes he did spend the night in there too. It was evident by his empty wine bottle!  Right Mr. Liverwurst?

This is Bob Stormer, another member of the Missouri Blacksmith Association. You can see inside his cabin, which he said was a little cold the night before.

I had never seen a tee pee covered with cedar. Apparently people back then didn't have allergies!

This a Alice and Joe Dudenhoeffer. Joe and I are both retired from the same company. 
They make beautiful split oak baskets. I have quite a few of them. He likes to barter!!

I asked if I could take a picture of this bicycle basket. 

This is the basket they were demonstrating. It was big. The handle was an antler.

We had a lot of friends demonstrating there including Jeff Goris, the tin man. I have a couple of his pieces, including an anvil cookie cutter and an anvil pin.

Have you ever seen anyone walking their pet turkeys?  Guess there is a first time for everything.

We had a great conversation with Jill, the soap maker. (Since the blacksmith had just made about 200 bars of soap earlier in the week.) Jill tells us her parents started this event 34 years ago. They were somewhere around but we never ran into them. 

This is the line shaft in the wood workers building. They were making corn cob pipes. 

I found this in the shop with a few antiques. This is a plastic machine about  3 inches high. The machine actually fold into the cabinet.

So if you every get a chance mid- October check out Deustch Country Days.

Arrow Rock 2015

We hadn't been to The Heritage Festival in Arrow Rock, Missouri since 2013. We decided to spend the day there. It felt good to play tourist, and not being a vendor for a change. 

We found Josh Rhodes turning old silverware into beautiful jewelry. We first met him at our BAM conference earlier this year. Here he shows off his dental tool, it's a pedal. Now that would be some slow drilling, ouch!

We walked up to this campground. It was fun visiting with the guys. Years ago, I mean decades, the blacksmith and I did rendezvous. We didn't go as far as the primitive camp but it still brought back lots of memories. We went to the national muzzle-loading shoots in Friendship, Indiana a couple of times. 

Here is Brad who was proudly showing off his new branding iron made by one of our blacksmith members. Good work Doug Clemons!

The streets weren't so crowded on a Sunday morning. 

Later we sat on the grass and enjoyed some good music and song. 

Across the street from where we were sitting were 2 blacksmiths demonstrating, also in our organization, Colton and Don. 

We spent the day strolling the streets and had lunch with our good friends Phil (also a blacksmith) and Margie. We treated them to lunch.  After all, it was their 46th wedding anniversary and they chose to spend it with us. Love these guys.

Don, Margie, Phil, my blacksmith, and me.

It's not often that you get three blacksmiths and 2 wives sitting in the shade. What a beautiful day it was.

Visiting Central Missouri Product auction

Week before last we made a trip to the Central Missouri Produce auction near Excelsior Missouri. This is a Mennonite/Amish group that sells the most beautiful produce. 

 Chestnuts!!  

They referred to these as weed balls. The auctioneer said they are used in flower arrangements as you will see in the next picture. I'm not sure of the real name, because Google failed me here.

 Notice the bird feeders, and all the weed balls. 

Lots of gourds and mini pumpkins. The were big lots of big pumpkins but I didn't get a picture of them. 

 After we stopped at Weavers, our little Jeep wrangler was pretty full. 

Some of our beautiful purchase from the auction. We have already turned the 3 boxes of turnips into turnip kraut. Yes, kraut, I've blogged about it several times before, check it out here.   

A day in the country is always good. Life is good!

A trip to Jacob's Cave and The Iron Forge Grill

Friday morning bright and early (well bright anyway) we headed for Jacob's Cave Flea Market, near Versailles, Missouri. We stopped in Eldon for a bite of breakfast.

After arriving and unloading our 4 wheeler, we paid the $5 to enter. It was a cool morning, lows in the 50's high only 64.

It is always so much fun, in the treasures you find.

This nail apron brought back memories of some of my best childhood friends, the 5 Nentwig girls. This wasn't from their Dad's business, but one of his cousins I believe.

This real estate brochure box would make a great neighborhood library. However it wouldn't fit in the 4 wheeler trunk.

This huge cardboard whiskey bottle made me think of my David, nephew-in-law. It too wouldn't fit in the trunk.

You know I'm always on the hunt for vintage sewing machines. These however, are way too far gone!

A turtle made from shovels and a post hole digger. You just never know what you will find!

This looks like a fun teeter totter. 

This brought back memories for the hubby. The tub, was like one they used when he was small. The long tube is a well bucket. 

After about 5 hours of looking we decided we had seen enough. It was time to find some dinner. After loading up the 4 wheeler we headed towards Versailles. We decided to go to Pioneer Restaurant (at least we think that it is still the name of it).

As we parked we saw this next door. We walked up to the door and it didn't open until 5. It was only 4 o'clock so we kept with the plan and went in next door. It was 4 o'clock straight up. We were the only ones in the restaurant. The buffet table was in front of us steaming away. The smells were so inviting. 

At $10.95 for all you can eat, that was our choice. The blacksmith immediately asked the waitress how the place next door got it's name. She right away called Dale over, who we would later find out was the owner of both the Pioneer and the Iron Forge Grill.

Dale Bentch told us his great grandfather was a blacksmith. The shop he once operated out of, is now under water at Lake of the Ozarks. He invited us to tour the restaurant after our meal. 

So let me tell you what was on the buffet this day. Fried fish, fried chicken, ham, smoked pulled pork (the best), beef lasagna, chicken and white sauce lasagna, cole slaw, macaroni salad, lettuce salad with all the trimming, pickled beets, mashed potatoes, peppery cheese grits, green beans, corn, homemade hot rolls, and probably some that we can't remember. Now for the desserts . . . warm apple cobbler, warm blueberry cobbler, carrot cake, brownies, three kinds of soft serve ice cream plus another cake that I'm not sure what it was. 

We stuffed ourselves but were still able to walk to the Iron Forge grill, through the back hall. After all both restaurants are served from the same kitchen. 

Dale is a wood worker, he and his brother did all the timber framing in the restaurant. We live in a timber frame home, so this appealed to us on that level too, plus the blacksmith shop part.

Bernie tells Dale a little about the anvil he has on display. It was a Hay Budden, about 100 pounds.

 The back corner displays very well.

 I'd love to take this bag home with me!

Dale proudly posed for a photo. His nephew, Kriston Bentch works with him in the restaurant business. He was busy popping in and out of our conversation. We hope to go back and have an evening meal there soon. You can find Iron Forge Grill on facebook. 

Thank you Dale for the personal tour! 

Let me show you some of our finds from the flea market. The skillet on the left has no name, but it is marked with what is known as a gate mark. These typically are about 115 years old! The square skillet is a Wagner. Wagners are my favorite brand.

The Amish from Windsor were selling beautiful baked goods. We quickly devoured the 4 snicker-doodle cookies we purchased. I bought myself a raisin pie and was not disappointed at all! Just like my mother in law's. Like she says, you have to cook the raisins first!

 Two freshly made arrowheads purchased for grandson Alex, the rock collector.

My $3 purchase of disposable rubber gloves and a magnifying mirror to put needles in my vintage Singer sewing machines.

Bernie found this vest for a quarter and told me I had to buy it because it had my name on it. I couldn't pass it up.

Even if it had this on the back. Stay tuned, I've already decided I will make a quilt block and applique it over the big patch.

Bernie found a regulator and a fuel filter for his two dollars.

This might have been the best buy of the day. It's a brand new Carhartt vest for $5.  I have been searching for one of these for over a year now for the blacksmith.

It was a great day!

Life is good.