Sunday, May 30, 2010
Grocery shopping - first run
Tonight we did the dry goods grocery shopping. We are going to pack the car Tuesday so wanted to know how much room we will have to play with..... packing-wise. The produce will be packed last minute.
Friday, May 28, 2010
This is just a dry run!
A couple of weeks ago we decided we had better to a practice packing. Good thing too, a couple of adjustments needed to the shelf and other things. We needed to see if the containers fit like planned in the spots planned. We were very happy we had decided to do it when we did. The real packing begins in a few days, June 1! A lot of appointments scheduled for the last few days so we have can't leave it till last day. 11 days before lift off!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
A Review of the Brickhouse Child Locator
A while back I bought a BrickHouse Child Locator. The Locator consists of tags that you attach or put in your child"s clothing or on a bracelet, then there is the locator that sends an alarm if the tag goes further than the range you set. It also shows the direction the tag is in.
I posted then that we would give a review but we haven't used it to this date. We were going to save it for the trip. But, Timmy has given us a challenge. Timmy is a special little boy. He loves life and especially loves the trampline, swings, and hiding things. Recently we found that Timmy needed glasses. He had his new glasses just a few days and he decided to hide them, they still haven't been found. Second pair of glasses...it took several days before the glasses were missing again. It took Mom a few days before she found them. This time she attached the "Child Locator" tag to the elastic band that holds the glasses on his head. Sure enough, a couple of days later the glasses were missing again. Mom got out the Locator and found them in about a minute. They were in the sandbox under the sand, the locator tag still attached. (You can see the tag in the photo hanging by his right shoulder.)
Mom is now talking about attaching tags to his shoes, he loves to hide them too!
Rave reviews so far for the Brickhouse Child Locator!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Meeting of the Grand Council of the Treehuggers
Yesterday the Grand Council met.
(The Minor Council will have to have a meeting later. They were very disappointed they couldn't miss school to attend the Grand Council meeting.)
The number of tents needed and who was going to sleep where on days 2, 3 and 4 were decided. Also, we found who is on which team and what each team's responsibilities will be. Some of the items on the packing list were discussed. The Tree Hugger car flags flopped. The paint flew off and then the flag shredded in 10 minutes...back to the drawing board! We decided to go back to our ribbons, they have always worked.
The itinerary was reviewed. Questions (including those from the Minor Council) were answered and resolved. Everyone is anxious and ready to go!
20 days to go!
(The Minor Council will have to have a meeting later. They were very disappointed they couldn't miss school to attend the Grand Council meeting.)
The number of tents needed and who was going to sleep where on days 2, 3 and 4 were decided. Also, we found who is on which team and what each team's responsibilities will be. Some of the items on the packing list were discussed. The Tree Hugger car flags flopped. The paint flew off and then the flag shredded in 10 minutes...back to the drawing board! We decided to go back to our ribbons, they have always worked.
The itinerary was reviewed. Questions (including those from the Minor Council) were answered and resolved. Everyone is anxious and ready to go!
20 days to go!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Pre-Pack!
This morning Cathy and I did a quick pre-pack exercise. So glad we decided to do it this early. The shelf needed a little adjusting, the handles on the kitchen box need to be changed, and the tent box needs another handle.
But we did a little adjusting here and there and it looks like everything will fit. It was scary there for a few moments! My hubby took pictures that would have spoken volumes but unfortunately his camera memory was full. It went like this...Cathy backs the van up to the front of the garage, I open the garage door. Our eyes went from the shelves holding all the stuff to be loaded.....to the back of the van where all the stuff had to go!!! But it is going to work out ok, thank heavens!
Cathy and George also got one of those hard torpedo-shaped luggage carriers, a big one with lots of room. That is where all the clothes will go.
The Grand Council of the Treehuggers will meet at 10:30 tomorrow morning to go over any details not worked out and questions that need to be answered.
But we did a little adjusting here and there and it looks like everything will fit. It was scary there for a few moments! My hubby took pictures that would have spoken volumes but unfortunately his camera memory was full. It went like this...Cathy backs the van up to the front of the garage, I open the garage door. Our eyes went from the shelves holding all the stuff to be loaded.....to the back of the van where all the stuff had to go!!! But it is going to work out ok, thank heavens!
Cathy and George also got one of those hard torpedo-shaped luggage carriers, a big one with lots of room. That is where all the clothes will go.
The Grand Council of the Treehuggers will meet at 10:30 tomorrow morning to go over any details not worked out and questions that need to be answered.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
30 Days!
Another milestone!
We are getting closer!! And more excited!
Little Ben thought we were starting our trip last Wednesday when we were driving up to Oakland to celebrate Uncle Robert becoming a USA citizen!
June 6th we are going to paint the map on the car!
We are starting to calendar all the last things we have to do:
June 8 - appointments, vote, make dinner for the 9th, get ice for cooler
June 7 - appointments, charge all electronic devises, start packing
June 6 - trip grocery shopping, cinnamon roll baking (a tradition when we go on trips), paint map on car, luggage rack on car
June 5
June 4
June 3
June 2
June 1 - Shelf goes into car and stuff that goes under it. (We will get an idea how we are doing as far as how much we can take. Easier to jettison BEFORE we take off!)
May ? - Car nets, sleeping bags, painting stuff, etc to Coletta's car
We are getting closer!! And more excited!
Little Ben thought we were starting our trip last Wednesday when we were driving up to Oakland to celebrate Uncle Robert becoming a USA citizen!
June 6th we are going to paint the map on the car!
We are starting to calendar all the last things we have to do:
June 8 - appointments, vote, make dinner for the 9th, get ice for cooler
June 7 - appointments, charge all electronic devises, start packing
June 6 - trip grocery shopping, cinnamon roll baking (a tradition when we go on trips), paint map on car, luggage rack on car
June 5
June 4
June 3
June 2
June 1 - Shelf goes into car and stuff that goes under it. (We will get an idea how we are doing as far as how much we can take. Easier to jettison BEFORE we take off!)
May ? - Car nets, sleeping bags, painting stuff, etc to Coletta's car
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Our "Blue Tent"
This is the ticket for our wonderful "Blue Tent" celebrating it's 43rd year with us on the Slice of America Trip. (Looks like one of the kids autographed it way back then!)
Do we keep everything or what!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
From 1840 to 1870, almost 250,000 courageous women undertook an unpredictable and strenuous journey that began east of the Mississippi River. They generally traveled with wagon trains on one of three routes: the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, or the Santa Fe Trail. Most traveled with husbands or other family members, but a few also traveled with children of their own.
One of the most serious events women endured on the journey was childbirth. An estimated twenty to twenty-five percent were either pregnant or gave birth to children on the trail (Schlissel, 1982). This in itself posed danger due to the unclean circumstances, complications and the lack of doctors and midwives.
In their diaries, many women reported their childbirth in a very nonchalant and stoic manner. One woman kept a diary of her trip but never once mentioned that she was pregnant until the entry where she told of the birth. "A few days later my eighth child was born. After this we picked up and ferried across the Columbia River, utilizing skiff, canoes, and flatboat to get across, taking three days to complete."
Others report more devastating incidents of childbirth. It was not uncommon to lose the mother, the child, or both during childbirth in the 19th century; this was especially true along the trail. It was common for other members of the wagon train to take on orphaned children, either adopting them or just taking them the rest of the way until they could find relatives or someone to take them.
We are NOT taking anyone pregnant!
One of the most serious events women endured on the journey was childbirth. An estimated twenty to twenty-five percent were either pregnant or gave birth to children on the trail (Schlissel, 1982). This in itself posed danger due to the unclean circumstances, complications and the lack of doctors and midwives.
In their diaries, many women reported their childbirth in a very nonchalant and stoic manner. One woman kept a diary of her trip but never once mentioned that she was pregnant until the entry where she told of the birth. "A few days later my eighth child was born. After this we picked up and ferried across the Columbia River, utilizing skiff, canoes, and flatboat to get across, taking three days to complete."
Others report more devastating incidents of childbirth. It was not uncommon to lose the mother, the child, or both during childbirth in the 19th century; this was especially true along the trail. It was common for other members of the wagon train to take on orphaned children, either adopting them or just taking them the rest of the way until they could find relatives or someone to take them.
We are NOT taking anyone pregnant!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Don't Forget the Water!!
In a lot of the areas fresh water was available along the trail. But then there were plenty of areas that only had alkaline water. Animals and people would get sick or die from drinking this water.
Would you spend $100 for a glass of water? Some 49ers on the California Trail did.
Would you spend $100 for a glass of water? Some 49ers on the California Trail did.
Because of poor planning or a bad guide, many western-bound 49ers were unprepared for the hot, dry deserts of Nevada. A few sharp businessmen in California knew this and took advantage of the situation. They traveled eastward with barrels of water. Extremely thirsty, many 49ers paid $1, $5, even $100 for a glass of precious water.
But water was not the only expensive item on the Oregon-California Trail. For example, at the start of the journey, flour could be purchased for $4.00 a barrel, but further along the price rose to a sky-high $1.00 per pint. Other staples could also be quite expensive:
·Sugar $1.50 per pint
·Coffee $1.00 per pint
·Liquor $4.00 per pint
Surprisingly, there were other staples that were amazingly cheap. For example, at Ft. Laramie, bacon could be had for a penny per pound. Those who had excess bacon often considered it worthless and dumped it by the side of the road. One emigrant reported seeing ten tons on one pile.
Why the wide disparity in prices? The basic laws of supply and demand were at work. Most wagon trains took too much bacon and so it had little trading value. Water, on the other hand was in short supply and thus commanded a high price.More on Wagon Train Life in the 1840s
Remember that we were talking about how rough and rutted the trails were. Well. there was an unexpected break for women on that account: butter churning, the wagons bounced around so much the butter was churned by just ridding in the wagon.
What would your food shopping list look like if you were joining the "Great Migration"? The trip usually took at least 4 months, and for some unlucky travelers, as much as 1 year. You could consult the books written for those taking this adventure. The most popular of these books was Randolph B. Marcy's A Handbook for Overland Expeditions. Staples as flour, sugar, cornmeal, coffee, dried beans, rice, bacon, and salt port would be needed. Dried fruit optional. How much of each are you going to bring? While on the trip you could supplement with meat, fish, berries, roots. The total amount the Conestoga wagon could hold was 2,000 lbs. -But remember, the heavier the wagon, the slower it will be pulled and the harder on your animals. Supplies had to be compact, lightweight, and nonperishable. Don't forget, you have to also bring replacement parts for your wagon, tools, household goods, kitchen goods (a Dutch oven alone can weigh 27 lbs!) and your family members will be riding in the wagon. Also, figure in the weight of your containers, the staples were carried in wooden barrels often lashed to the outside of the wagon.
Breakfast had to be completed by 4 a.m. so that the wagon train could be on its way by daybreak. Beans, cornmeal mush, Johnnycakes or pancakes, and coffee were the usual breakfast. Fresh milk was available from the dairy cows that some families brought along.
Since the wagon trains only traveled during the day, (safety considerations and no headlights!) lunch was something quick like pieces of meat roasted straight over a campfire combined with a quick rest before resuming the trail. Longer-cooking stews were left for the evening meal. The women made bread dough while riding in the wagons and timed the rising so that it would be ready to bake when evening camp was made...
" Taste of the States: A Food History of America, Hilde Gabriel Lee [Howell Press:Charlottesville VA] 1992 (p. 241-2)
More information is at:http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpioneer.html#pioneer
What would your food shopping list look like if you were joining the "Great Migration"? The trip usually took at least 4 months, and for some unlucky travelers, as much as 1 year. You could consult the books written for those taking this adventure. The most popular of these books was Randolph B. Marcy's A Handbook for Overland Expeditions. Staples as flour, sugar, cornmeal, coffee, dried beans, rice, bacon, and salt port would be needed. Dried fruit optional. How much of each are you going to bring? While on the trip you could supplement with meat, fish, berries, roots. The total amount the Conestoga wagon could hold was 2,000 lbs. -But remember, the heavier the wagon, the slower it will be pulled and the harder on your animals. Supplies had to be compact, lightweight, and nonperishable. Don't forget, you have to also bring replacement parts for your wagon, tools, household goods, kitchen goods (a Dutch oven alone can weigh 27 lbs!) and your family members will be riding in the wagon. Also, figure in the weight of your containers, the staples were carried in wooden barrels often lashed to the outside of the wagon.
Breakfast had to be completed by 4 a.m. so that the wagon train could be on its way by daybreak. Beans, cornmeal mush, Johnnycakes or pancakes, and coffee were the usual breakfast. Fresh milk was available from the dairy cows that some families brought along.
Since the wagon trains only traveled during the day, (safety considerations and no headlights!) lunch was something quick like pieces of meat roasted straight over a campfire combined with a quick rest before resuming the trail. Longer-cooking stews were left for the evening meal. The women made bread dough while riding in the wagons and timed the rising so that it would be ready to bake when evening camp was made...
" Taste of the States: A Food History of America, Hilde Gabriel Lee [Howell Press:Charlottesville VA] 1992 (p. 241-2)
More information is at:http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpioneer.html#pioneer
Monday, May 3, 2010
Ok, in response to some on the previous post.......
In regards to the privy arrangements the pioneer women used.
1. when they would gather around and spread their skirts to afford their women friends some privacy---no, that is not why they wore long skirts they were the modest fashion of the time, but they came in handy in an instance like this. By the way, most women did not wear underwear at the time, it was invented after the civil war. It consisted of three pieces, 2 pieces were a leg with a waist (sort of like half of a pair of shorts each) , the third, a string going through the waistband to hold them on and together. That way they did not have to take them down, they were spit in two, if you know what I mean.
2. Toilet paper - we will have 2 rolls with us at all times, just in case. Toilet paper was not invented yet in the 1840s, and the sears roebucks catalogue wasn't either. It was leaves (be choosy, no poison ivy or poison oak, or nettles, for that matter. Then in the prairies where bushes were far and few between....grass or get creative!
3. Campfire fuel---of course when there were downed trees, no problem. But the prairies were pretty sparse for miles! Cow pies, though not contained to cows, buffalo or anything else could furnish fuel for the fire.....not fresh ones!
We will have plenty of propane fuel for our 2 stoves. Thank God!
1. when they would gather around and spread their skirts to afford their women friends some privacy---no, that is not why they wore long skirts they were the modest fashion of the time, but they came in handy in an instance like this. By the way, most women did not wear underwear at the time, it was invented after the civil war. It consisted of three pieces, 2 pieces were a leg with a waist (sort of like half of a pair of shorts each) , the third, a string going through the waistband to hold them on and together. That way they did not have to take them down, they were spit in two, if you know what I mean.
2. Toilet paper - we will have 2 rolls with us at all times, just in case. Toilet paper was not invented yet in the 1840s, and the sears roebucks catalogue wasn't either. It was leaves (be choosy, no poison ivy or poison oak, or nettles, for that matter. Then in the prairies where bushes were far and few between....grass or get creative!
3. Campfire fuel---of course when there were downed trees, no problem. But the prairies were pretty sparse for miles! Cow pies, though not contained to cows, buffalo or anything else could furnish fuel for the fire.....not fresh ones!
We will have plenty of propane fuel for our 2 stoves. Thank God!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Comparing our day with the 1840s pioneers
A pioneer in a Conestoga wagon would cover 10-15 miles on a good day. On a rainy, muddy day he may only cover 1 mile! On our road trip we will be covering 400 miles a day on the average.
We know just where we are going. We have even seen the road and exits on google maps.
Our pioneer would hope he had a good guide that knew the way to California or Oregon. Some guides got lost and it could end in disaster for the wagon train.
The pioneer's guide needed to know where good water was for the people and the animals. We will have plenty of bottled water with us and besides, we can get good water at any town or rest stop. Our transportation does not need more water throughout the day.
The loaded Conestoga wagon was a very noisy place, all the pots and pans and other things hanging from hooks inside banged against each other all day long. We will have headphones on the dvd's, ipods, etc. Yeh, Cathy will have the music turned up on the CD!
The roads will be rather comfortable. And we have nice springs on the vans. The wagon trains were traveling on "trails", rutted, rocky, dusty, hot, cold, wet, dry. We will be in air conditioned/heated bliss on nice smooth asphalt. And we have windshield wipers!
They brought some food (the kind that has to last a LONG time) or they would have to hunt for their meals. We will be bringing some food, we will have coolers, too, and we will never be too far from a grocery store if necessary. Oh, we are hitting a few subway sandwich places too.
They would have to set up camp in the middle of nowhere, putting their wagons in a circle for mutual protection. A few of the men would have to stay up all night keeping an eye on the animals. We have reservations at all the stops we are going to make. We will have water, table and RESTROOMS! Some places even have electricity!!!
Speaking of restrooms, the women on a wagon train would go off together for privacy and safety. If they were on the open flat plains they would gather around in a circle and hold their skirts out to give each some privacy.
Another Dutch Oven recipe!
Better Ever Cornbread
1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk
2 cups sugar
2 cups cornmeal
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
In a large bowl mix together butter, eggs, and milk.
In a separate bowl sift together sugar, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients 1 cup at a time until well blended.
Spoon cornbread mixture into a lightly greased 12" Dutch oven and spread evenly.
Cover the Dutch oven and bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 45 minutes or until cornbread turns golden brown.
NOTE: For even browning make sure to turn the oven lid 1/4 turn in opposite directions every 10 minutes.
Serve warm with honey butter.
Serves: 10-12
1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk
2 cups sugar
2 cups cornmeal
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
In a large bowl mix together butter, eggs, and milk.
In a separate bowl sift together sugar, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients 1 cup at a time until well blended.
Spoon cornbread mixture into a lightly greased 12" Dutch oven and spread evenly.
Cover the Dutch oven and bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 45 minutes or until cornbread turns golden brown.
NOTE: For even browning make sure to turn the oven lid 1/4 turn in opposite directions every 10 minutes.
Serve warm with honey butter.
Serves: 10-12
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Independence Rock
Along the path of the various wagontrain trails there were geologic formations that stood out. They became landmarks and some became "registers" of the great migration of pioneers. The pioneers carved their names in them to show they had been here. Following wagon trains would often check to see if they could find the names of any of their friends that had started out ahead of them and they would add their own names.
Those That Came Before Us
In the 1860s Oregon pioneers and their teams of oxen, mules and heavy draft horses drawing Conestoga wagons ventured east to west looking forward for good land and a new life. In the years following the discovery of Gold in California in 1849 another migration took much the same path. These thousands of travelers left wagon ruts in their wake that still show sign of their passage.
The photo above is from Guernsey State Park in Wyoming. This shows the best how the wagons left ruts in the landscape. The wheels not only cut through the earth but also there is a center higher rut from the grease bucket hung on the back of the wagon for greasing the wheels. They certainly embarked on a "Road Trip"!
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