Medieval Times

We like to dress up and play like we live in a different time. That's why the neighbors often see us heading off in our pioneer clothes, but the experience we had the other night was different even for us. Alas...we did not have medieval clothing, though that would have been fun. We DID get festive crowns to wear though.



We roamed around the castle for a goodly amount of time, looking at all the medieval bling to be had for mere money.



Some of the king's horses were also on display to be viewed by guests at the castle. Most of them were Andalusians, raised on a special ranch in Texas. They are the king's horses, but also the horses of kings.





Before the feast began, the heralds called everyone to witness a knighting ceremony.







At last it was time for all to be admitted to the great hall for the feast. Groups were called to their seats by the color of their hats. Blue, yellow, green, yellow and red, and black and white were all called...leaving red for last. We had been given our table assignment when we entered the castle, so when red was at last called, we found our way to our table where we met the serving wench who was to bring us our dinner. Each place was set with a pewter plate, a pewter mug and a pewter handled soup bowl. (Hot soup in a pewter bowl is difficult to drink, as not only is the soup hot, but it heats the metal of the bowl, which is NOT a happy thing for the lips!)
Eating utensils were nowhere to be found. Once the soup was poured into the bowls, the festivities began.







As we watched, the meal was served and we ate...with our fingers since nothing else was available. Our serving wench told us that one delicacy we were given was half of a baby dragon!

A story of perfidy quickly unfolded before our eyes as a 6 of the king's knights took part in contests of skill and daring. Each knight represented one of the colors of the hats. So for our part, we cheered madly whenever the brave red knight performed.







At the very end, when all seemed lost, our brave red knight saved the day!

Santa Barbara

The wind howled. We got out our parkas to wear...in California! Who would have thought it?

As we drove down the coast recently we decided to stop in at Santa Barbara. We were actually looking for the old Santa Barbara mission. Ahead I saw a large yellow stucco building that I thought might be the right one, but we were a block too soon, so instead of the old mission church, we got this:



A block later we came upon our intended destination:



Some of the plants that grow in southern California are so different than what we are accustomed to, so I just had to take pictures of them. Most of these were either in the courtyard area of the mission or in the cemetery just outside the doors of the church.


This is an interesting old fig tree that originally came from Australia.














The interior of the church was beautiful, though rather drafty!



There was an interesting video about the founding of the mission and some of its history. There was also a museum area with some artifacts. The ones I found most interesting were these two.

This is a wool carder made out of teasel plants.


If you remember the story 'Island of the Blue Dolphins', it is the story of a girl who is left alone on an island off the California coast for 18 years before she is rescued. In real life, her name was Juana Maria. She was buried in the cemetery at the Santa Barbara mission.





It is interesting...after living so long in Alaska, the two places I remember feeling the most cold were standing on the dock in the summer in San Francisco, and walking around outside the mission of Santa Barbara in southern California.

Alaska Beach, California Beach

Quite a few years ago, when I was subbing at an elementary school in Alaska, they had 'Beach Day' where all the students and teachers were invited to wear beach attire to school. When the day arrived, students arrived clad in shorts, flip-flops and other such beach clothing. They were surprised when one of the teachers showed up in a long sleeved shirt, rain gear and waders up to her armpits. She explained that she was dressed for an Alaskan beach.

Recently we drove partway up the California coast on a beautiful sunny day. The sky and ocean were blue. The ocean was still. We even saw some surfers practicing. Definitely a California beach.


The very next day, it looked more like an Alaskan beach with gray skies, rain, gray ocean, whistling wind, etc. Even though it was in the 50s, I had to get my winter parka out and wear it. When we went past the surfing area the 2nd day, the intrepid surfers were still there wearing wet suits to keep warm.

Solvang

For a day of fun and relaxing on our recent vacation, we decided to stop in at the little town of Solvang. Solvang was settled by Danish folks and is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. At some point the townsfolk decided to insist that every building in the main part of town should look like their idea of old Denmark.

This one has a thatched roof.



The windmill has a glass shop in the bottom.



The local museum is fitted out like an old Danish home. You can even see the aebleskivers on the old stove there.



All the kitchen cupboards were painted with pictures of flowers.



We ate smorgasbord at the Red Viking.



In a museum about Hans Christian Andersen they had this information about making wooden shoes as well as specialized tools for making them which of course was important to the woodworker.





A most relaxing day!

From mid-winter to early Spring

On a recent trip, we almost felt like we were traveling through time as we went from Winter to early Spring, all in one day and within less than 100 miles. We awoke to freezing temperatures and snow along the roadside. Within an hour of driving, the vegetation changed as well as the temperature. Although many trees were without their leaves, clearly we were in a different climate area....one where palm trees seem to thrive. While at home, people are still concerned with shoveling snow, here in this place, they were busy trimming shrubbery and fertilizing lawns! The building in the picture is very white, but underneath that surface is a foundation of some sort of lava rock and the upper areas made of sandstone, all covered with stucco and then painted.



It is apparently a place where even cotton grows!



Though the trees were bare of leaves at that time, we were amazed at the varieties of trees...pomegranates, figs, and pecans. We enjoyed looking at some of the woodwork. We noticed especially one chair for which the legs had been hand turned. They were not quite the same size and the whole thing was just slightly off-center. It is nice to know that woodwrights have these problems with misbehaving wood no matter what the century.



Spinning and weaving rugs were some of the old skills we learned more about.




As you see with the vegetation, this place is a desert...and yet we were shown a photo of this stone house, which sits up a little hill from the road, with water lapping at the entrance to the driveway! The day we saw it, we could hardly see any water in the river at all.



Just down the road from this house, a man was out working in his garden, where the plants seemed to be up and about 4 inches tall. Amazing!

Woodwright Shop Potluck

The renovations to the woodwright shop are complete, and not any too soon! The annual Baby Animal Day celebration is right around the corner. Today almost all our woodwrights gathered to become acquainted with the 'new' shop and prepare for the coming season. Of course, any decent gathering includes food, right?




Next time the woodwrights gather, they will all look like they just stepped out of the 1880s.



If you are around northern Utah, be sure to stop in and visit. Baby Animal Days will be April 7-9. We'd love to see you there!

We're rich!

Well...we are NOT rich in the normal sense of the word I guess, but money isn't everything.

Over the years, I've gotten a variety of messages from my children, telling me of riches to come...by phone, by mail, by email and in person.

One came in the form of a birthday card, explaining that my birthday present was not finished yet but that I would get it in September. I was too dense. I didn't get it. Sure enough, come that September a new little granddaughter arrived. Her mother told me that I was so dense that next time she'd throw a brick at me! Since then, I've received several bricks in the mail...each one good for announcing a new grandchild.



Once it came as a scrapbook page...



Most recently I went in to spend some time with my morning exercise routine......that is Mii on the left there. Next to me is woodworker. On the right is a guest Mii. Then the little Mii sitting on the floor suddenly appeared, with the label 'Baby H'! I don't know how they got it there...but clearly they managed to do it without my knowing it. A happy surprise!



By the end of summer, we should have 14 grandchildren. We are truly rich. For a related post, see this