Blacksmith Association of Missouri meeting

Saturday morning came way too early. We wanted to get up about 7:15, however the ladies upstairs with the lead weighs on their feet, thought we should be up at 5:00. They finally got gone about an hour later and we tried to go back to sleep. It had been a long night, between those ladies coming in a 10:30, talking outside on the balcony, then all taking showers and it drained behind our bed wall, then there was the lightening storm with 3 good burst, and to top it off a siren about an hour later. Little said, we missed a lot of sleep.

By 8 AM we were ready to check out and grab the complimentary breakfast. HA! that was a closet with a coffee maker and a toaster for the pop tarts. We chose to go for the donuts and coffee as promised at the BAM meeting. The morning was cloudy and cold with a bit of wind thrown in at times, later the showers came.

The statewide bi-monthly meeting of the Blacksmith’s Association of Missouri (BAM) was held at the Tom Kennon Blacksmith Shop at the Pioneer Heritage Homestead in downtown Doniphan on March 15th. Over 30 members from all over the State attended the day long session hosted by the local blacksmith user group sponsored by the Doniphan Neighborhood Assistance Program (DNAP). Local BAM members, Chris Miller and Dennis Morhmann, organized the event and prepared the shop for the meeting. Early risers started showing up around 7:30 a.m. as coffee and donuts were set up and the shop forge fired up. Ray Joe Hastings of Doniphan, Missouri, was the principal demonstrator for the meeting giving a demonstration on the forging of fishing gigs starting at 9:00 a.m.. An lifelong outdoors man and craftsman, Ray Joe has just authored a new book on the subject of fishing gigs and john boats and his expertise in the art of hand forging fishing gigs using traditional black smithing techniques was well received by the BAM members attending the meeting.*

The meeting broke for lunch and we walked one block to the The Community Center just North of the Shop . It was a catered lunch of pulled pork, baked beans, slaw and homemade chocolate cookies. A brief business meeting followed with Kirk Sullens talking in a whisper due to laryngitis. Thank goodness for a microphone and a bunch of guys that sat very quietly. After the meeting was adjourned the iron in the hat drawing was made. For those of you that don't know what that is, members donate items and you can buy tickets to win them. Bernie wanted a small vise and put the majority of his tickets in that cup. Kirk was the lucky winner and graciously handed it over to Bernie. Thanks Kirk! Then Ray Joe, drew for the winner of his hand made gig. Bernie was the lucky winner and a very happy recipient.

The group was then given the opportunity to tour the Current River Heritage Museum. Ray Joe had his large collection of gigs in a case along the back wall. The museum was very well stocked with items from the town's history. I even found a doll identical to the one I receive for Christmas when I was 5 years old.

We said our goodbyes and were on the road before 2:30.

Before leaving town we stopped for fuel at $3.09 a gallon. We drove until Salem and then we stopped at McDonald's for a break and an iced coffee. Our last stop of the afternoon was in Rolla for a burger. The town was full of GREEN. It seems we had just missed the St Patrick's Parade. All the employees at the burger shop we decked out to the 9's in green clothes, beads, stickers, even funny hats.

As we drove up Bentley was barking, someone was glad to see us.

After playing with the dog and let him out for a stretch, we unloaded the car and headed for the recliners. Bedtime came early.

*Copied from Ripley County Community Forum

The road to Doniphan Missouri

Friday morning I tipped toed out of the house and headed to work while BT snoozed away. I would only work a half day and when I came home he was ready to hit the road. After a quick PB sandwich and a green tea we were on our way.

There's not a good way to go to Doniphan, it's either very twisty and curvy roads or straight and hilly, really it's a combination of all of those.

We stopped in the National Ozark's Scenic Riverway at Round Spring for a potty break and to stretch our legs. I quickly snapped this picture.

Round Spring is located approximately 13 miles north of Eminence on Highway 19. The spring flows into an almost perfectly circular cavern that has collapsed, and from there it travels through a natural tunnel before it emerges into the spring branch. The average flow of the spring during a 16-year record is 40 cfs and 26 mgd (Vineyard and Feder 1974). The recharge area of the spring encompasses roughly 45 square miles (Aley and Aley 1987). A portion of the spring's recharge area is situated to the southwest under Spring Valley. It is also possible that part of the recharge area is situated to the northeast, which means that the groundwater would have to flow under the Current River to reach the spring.Round Spring was also one of the first parks in the Missouri state park system (1932).

Not too far down the road as we were traveling we did a bat turn to snap this picture of a dilapidated old Mill. There were signs posted every where for "No Trespassing" As we drove away the little old lady across the road was peaking out from under her blinds at us. She probably had her shot gun loaded had we stepped out of bounds.

Four hours and 200 miles later we arrived at Doniphan. We did a quick drive through the town and found the Heritage Homestead where the BAM (Blacksmith Association of Missouri) meeting will be held on Saturday. (The reason for our trip) Chris was just locking up, but offered to give us a quick tour. We asked him for a dinner recommendation and he suggested The Annex.

We checked in at the Days Inn and dropped off our luggage and went back the 2 to 3 miles to the town square where we found "The Annex". A very nice quaint little restaurant. After seeing the dessert case(s) I almost skipped the main course. BT chose the all your could eat Catfish Fillets with 6 jumbo fried shrimp. I went for the dozen skewed shrimp. While we waited for our dinner they brought us hot homemade clover wheat rolls and honey butter. They were to die for. I held back, knowing if I ate too much bread, I wouldn't have room for my shrimp.

After finishing our meal BT told the young waiter they should rename the "all you can eat" meal to "more then you can eat". There was no room for dessert. When we went to the counter to pay, we saw the dessert case which had, Key Lime pie, Apple pie, Pecan pie, Cherry pie, and homemade cookies. Darn the luck!

We drove just two block to see the Current River, at the public river access, we talked to A E Nichols, who had several poles going. While there he pulled in a nice 5-6 lbs small mouth bass, and said "oh shoot, just a small mouth" and threw it back in. He was fishing for Walleye. From his coat pocket he pulled out pictures to show us of fish he had caught on a previous trip, he also had beautiful scenic pictures of the area and even some of his wood working projects. While talking to him, he and BT discover they both knew Jake McCormick from Eminence Mo. Small world.

As the sun set across the river I took some beautiful pictures. It was then getting cool, we bid a farewell to A E and headed for our hotel.

Remembering Clara and her Treadle Sewing machine

One thing leads to another. You know how it is, you go to get something, get side tracked and before you know it, you are one the opposite track.







That is just what happened this morning. I received an email regarding the Noah's Ark quilt. A fellow blogger Jacqui told me about her and her husband restoring antique treadle sewing machines. So BT and I went an opened the one we bought from his cousin Clara Lueckenotte about 1992.




After quite a bit of dusting we could read that it was a Franklin Model. The wood had dried out and it needs a little repair before we can even attempt to sew with it. I'm thinking with the increasing cost of electricity and the need for some physical exercise for me, sewing with a treadle might just be a good thing!


Here is a quilt that Clara had sewn the blocks just before she died, I completed the quilt and my MIL hand quilted it for me. Clara was a very unique lady, very generous in her giving and was the second born of 13 children. Clara was born 1898 and died in 1994, her mother Aunt Katie lived to be 102 years old.







Here is the machine after we dusted it off today!

The sunbonnet Alphabet Quilt

Noah's Ark

I have this crazy addiction to Noah's Ark things...........I have a cabinet full of figurines, plates, clocks, books, puzzles, a watch, candle holders, water globes, salt and pepper shakers, games, and even playing cards. Of course I made this awesome quilt with 50 different animals on it.

Did you know the Ark was built by amateurs? Yet the Titanic was built by professionals?

Progress on Dear Patti Quilt

Here is what we wore up to today. SNOW. It's March 4th, and I love the stuff. Especially since I get to stay at home and work on my sewing.

I laid out the 160 blocks (or 2130 pieces of little fabric) that I have made so far. Now I am going to paper piece some alphabet blocks to spell out the title of the quilt and I will also piece a block with the year. I've been playing with a computer program I have and I think I have it worked out to paper piece a block that is 8 inches tall, 4 inches wide to make a border, unfortunately I don't have the finishing fabric to piece a block today.

Time to get busy, more later.

In like a lamb?

The last time I blogged was 6 days ago and we were sleigh riding, the temperatures were around the high 20's.

Today it was in the high 60's. Sunny and beautiful. So BT and I along with neighbor Eric burned brush piles. Here's a few pictures.

After the fire had died down enough to leave it, BT and I wash both Jeeps. Bentley played in brush piles and at one point got trapped and was howling. BT had to free his back leg to get him out. I hope the dog learned his lesson, but probably not.

By this time was was 3:30 and all our energy was zapped. We had a snack of our freshly made smoked deer sausage and cheese.

We made church by 5:15. Afterwards we had a message to call Jeremy. They were running behind to meet us for dinner, so we killed some time at the Ace Hardware Store.

Out of the mouth of babes: While eating dinner, the waitress was cleaning off a table and walked by with some dirty dishes and two happy meal boxes. Alex Perked up, his eyes got real big and he said in his deep voice, "I didn't know they had Happy Meals in here". It was so funny, us adults were laughing so hard!

We stopped at Jeremy and Lori's on the way home to see their new floor in the basement. They tore out the old carpet and put an epoxy treatment on that makes it look like tile. Looks really sharp.

Now it's tea time and a little R & R in the recliner.

9:30 60 degrees.