10/27/09

Here is another time lapse photo... this is of the Enterprise as you can see. I did this one quickly as we were about to get in line for the Ferris Wheel.

Today I was able to just be a Mom with her kids on a field trip. Although, I do find it difficult sometimes to separate between Mom and teacher.... lol

We went to Oakview Historic Park in Raleigh. I have lived here 38 years (although, I was oblivious for the first 20 years of my life, it seems) and never realized this treasure was right under our noses! It was a Cotton Gin farm so we got to see how a cotton gin worked, etc.. We first went to the old kitchen... it is the only original plank house kitchen left standing in our area. It was over 100 years old... and you know how I love old things!



The kids got to go outside and learn how people used to wash clothes with a washboard and tub of water with lye soap. (Lye soap... made out of pig fat, ashes and one other ingredient that at this moment I can't remember... YUCK. How in the world did they get things really clean????) It was funny watching all of the kids wash clothes. They thought it was fun.... but would they think that if they had to do it like that all day? Nope. All of the Mom's were saying we surely were thankful for our washing machines!!!


Next, we learned about the cotton gin and how it separated the seed out of the cotton. It was very interesting and I would have loved to have sat in the middle of those kids and been able to do what they did! ha! They also learned how hard it was to work in the fields and what types of things they would expect. It was hard, grueling work to farm.

They were able to take cotton and twirl it together with a partner to make it stronger so it wouldn't break.

Mikayla told me when we left that what she learned is that school really is not so bad... it is better than having to pick cotton! ha!

Later we went to the barn area and learned about artifacts that were OLD. It was fun watching the kids come up with what they thought an artifact could have been. They then got to see the goats in the barn. If you look at this picture carefully you will see Wesley taking a picture of the goats. Hmmm... wonder where he gets THAT from?

After the field trip we had to run a few errands. Steve was able to come to the field trip but had to go back to work so I was trying to figure out something the kids and I could do to make the day as special as possible.

We went to see some of our good friends that we haven't seen in a LONG time. Wow, it was so nice to see David and Kathryn even if it was only for a few minutes. Life just gets too busy...

After we left their house I decided to head to Yates Mill Park... the leaves were so pretty reflecting off of the pond when I drove by it this morning. I thought it would be nice to wander around and photograph. It has been so long since I've been able to do that.

I kept asking the kids if they were bored. lol They insisted that it was great. Mikayla enjoyed walking around picking up berries, leaves and acorns. Wesley enjoyed checking out the critters and trying to find salamanders under old logs. It was a nice and enjoyable bit of time.

Be looking out for more fall pics soon.... it was nice to capture some different things today. :)