ALHFAM TEXAS: Museum Snapshots

It is midnight on the Farmer's Branch Horizon. The buses have pulled in from Grapeville where we had the annual auction that was mercilessly interrupted by severe weather warnings and an amazing light show in the form of lightening strikes. The thunder has rippled across the prairie sky, but back in Farmer's Branch, the rain has yet to sweep in.

The best way to describe to day is Museum Snapshots. As a group, we toured the Dallas and Fort Worth highways to find as many museums as possible. I think you can say we succeeded. Since I am incredibly tired, but didn't want to delay the blog, I am going to revert to my list and brief comment style.

1. Texas Civil War Museum - This museum has some of the most incredible artifacts. There was a silver sword that belonged to Ulysses Grant, medical kits, and some amazing period dresses. It is a very complete Civil War collection.
2. Fort Worth Stockyards - This place had several points of interest.
a) The Herd Cattle Drive (slow and sultry)
b) The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum - some of the most amazing wagons and highlights the careers of significant rodeo specialists.
c) The World Class Rodeo exhibit and cattle show - features more rodeo history.
d) The Stockyard Museum - seems to be thin on rodeo stuff but had the most incredible chair.
3.The Cowgirl Hall of Fame and Museum - this one was my favorite for the photography and the interactives. You too could be part of your own poster.
4. Museum of Science and History - very child friendly and covered QR codes with the freedom riders, grossology, oil development and dinosaurs.
5. Cattle Raisers Museum - long horn cows and their relationship with the cowboy
6. Nash Farm - beautiful building and working farm.
7. The Cotton Gin Museum - stories of the cotton industry
8. The School House Museum in Grapevine - talks about schools in the region and Texas
9. The Grapevine City History Museum - The history of the city.
10. The Grapevine Railway Station exhibit. - An eccletic mixture of very interesting stuff.

Fort Worth on Dwellable

TEXAS ALHFAM: Flight of the Frontier...and sessions

Ahhh...my feet are very happy to be shoeless and free. My day started at 6 am (thank you crazy morning ALHFAM people) and is just ending now. It has been an awesome day!

After breakfast and getting to the conference, we were blessed with watching a keynote that depicted scenes of Texas skies and landscapes by Wyman Meinzer. They were breathtaking and then, it was time for school. I attended a huge number of presentations and got so many new ideas that my brain was bubbling over. I just don't know that all of them are feasible. Budgets. But I do really want to explore QR codes in terms of an added interpretation link to our marketing. It sounds like we could have some fun with that and send an interpretive interactive message.

This evening, we had the banquet. It was at the Frontiers of Flight Museum and I really loved the aircraft on display. They had movies, images, a huge playground for children, an original Southwest airlines air craft, veterans that could speak to various topics and so much more. It was a wonderful exploration of museum exhibitry. We also had the annual ALHFAM fashion show for the costume people and of course, a delightful sing song. I am so tired, but have had an amazing day.

Texas on Dwellable

ALHFAM Texas: Log Cabins, Blacksmithing and Hay Rides

As you might have realized, I am now at a conference and having the best learning time ever! I know I say that about the Association of Living History and Farming Museums Conferences every time I go, but honestly, nothing beats the quality of learning that I experience from the staff, volunteers and presenters that work with this organization.

Today, I was signed up for a log cabin building workshop. I arrived at Farmers Branch in borrowed clothes and borrowed shoes, ready for action. However, Bill Marquis decided to break us in gently as he reveled in telling us the stories of the area as they pertained to history found within log cabins. Did you know that many people actually built houses around the original log cabins? I didn't. Did you know that sometimes people built vertical log cabins? I didn't. I know that they have stick and mud chimneys that were leaning away from the house on purpose so that they can be kicked away when the chimney catches on fire. There is nothing like listening to the expert in the field tell stories.

Then, we went over to the wheel barrow. Red clay was mixed with water and straw and we were handed palettes and chinking tools. To work we went. we almost finished a side of a building today with that mudding mixture. He told us about the links to the old nursury rhymes as we worked. Like Jack Jumping Over A Candle Stick. He showed us the candle stick.

Sadly, we ran out of materials but since I was there to learn. I incorporated myself into the blacksmithing school lesson being taught. Fred and Kelly were fabulous. Fred explained how to make nails and work the fire. As he was the one who built the "smithie" with Kelly, they knew about getting the fire to draw, "having too many irons in the fire" and how to functionally make useful items the old fashioned way. I was fascinated but then the heat....that Texas sun....started to be felt.

Bill Marquis

Chinking the log cabin

Cutting the straw

Mixing the mud

Pulling the bellows

Too many irons in the fire

Strike while the iron is hot

The Candle Stick that would be hung between two chairs

Baseball!

Back to the hotel I went and was able to make myself useful setting up for the conference sessions. Once done that, I enjoyed a hay ride to the park for the opening reception. There, we wandered the buildings, ate great food, and watched the baseball rilvary continue to blossom. They played until dark and then the wagon returned. All in all, a busy and successful day.