FOREST CITY STOCKADE

THE FOREST CITY STOCKADE

Every year for the last 10 or so, we (Betsy and Tom) head for a weekend at the Forest City Stockade. This is a recreation of the 1860's Stockade built near Forest City, MN, during the Sioux uprising of 1862. The Stockade was rebuilt in 1976 and has been added to over the years until now it contains a main cabin and trading post inside the fort, and nearly a whole town outside.

Above is the front door of the main cabin during this years' stockade on August 16 & 17. Each year we make a commemorative piece of pottery for collectors and supporters. Below is the side porch with Tom's favorite thing...homemade ice cream in the largest hand-cranked freezer you'll ever see.

The Stockade is staffed for the two day summer and one day winter events by many volunteers serving food, giving demonstrations of 1860's crafts and skills. The key people are Bob and Betty Hermann (immediately below), Chuck and Ann Fuller (further down) and Dale and Mary Root and lots of volunteers. Paul White (of Paul and Pam fame) is shown with his bees and some visitors who get to try fresh honey from the comb.

Chuck and Dale direct and do most of the building at the stockade and, to me, one of the most amazing pieces is a handbuilt watertower and windmill that Chuck built. Clik on this one to take a closer look.

A few scenes around the stockade outside in the village show wagons, a new chapel where Greg Matthews gives a talk on the history that led to the stockade. Chuck and Dale add a building or two (or 3) each year, many of the rebuilt from log cabins that area folks donate (the unfinished one below will be the largest operating newspaper print shop in Minnesota.)

Tom does his little pottery thing on a foot powered Leach Treadle wheel throwing bowls, plates, pitchers, whickey jugs, mugs and other items that might have been used on the frontier. While this wheel itself is only about 50 years old, the treadle wheel concept goes back into the 1800's in Germany. They were brought into the US in production potteries in North Carolina.

Outside the stockade to the east is a full-blown rendezvous gathering you can also wander.

The Stockade makes a fabulous day for kids as well as adults. Plenty of food, interesting exhibits and demonstrations, history, music and family fun.

It's always the 3rd weekend of August and the first Saturday of December (the 6th in 2008).

Forest City Stockade

IT AIN'T ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE

OK, click on this picture, cover up the snow fence in the foreground and tell me where this is!

Nope....it's Lake Michigan at Evanston IL, last weekend (Aug 2-3) The water was turquoise, the weather 80 deg with a nice breeze. Couldn't have been better, and people paid us money for being there!

Tom was, of course, working (above) while Betsy helped, (below).

This one was kind of like art shows should be. Interested patrons, a beautiful setting, good music...way to go Evanston!

But, we thought you might like to have a peek at what goes into one of these shows from the artists viewpoint....

A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES

This year at Edina, our friends Don and Paul came ahead of time and helped us set up....and then, after inviting us to stay at their house and treating us like royalty, came and helped us tear down. It was an education for them....to say nothing of being way above and beyond the call. Here's a bit of what they saw....'course it was raining there.

Here's a bit of the setup at Evanston.

At Evanston we set up the tent Friday night and schlepped the boxes of pots, display and tents across about a block of rough grass. Total of over 20 trips each with two-wheelers. Starting at about 5:30, it was dark before we got the tents up, and display racks assembled. Then we crashed. Next morning at 6 am the scene we were greeted by was the above...a booth, 40 boxes of pots and all the extra stuff. An hour and a half later we looked like this....ready to start unloading pots.

Almost done! The last load of empties is about to be schlepped back to the trailer over that same block of grass.

Set up and ready to go at 3-1/2 hours (not counting the 3 hours the night before)....pretty good for us with a double booth.

After the show it typically takes us about 3-1/2 hours again to pack it all up, tear down the tents and schlepp it back to the trailer. It's much lighter if everyone who comes by buys a pot or two and helps with the schlepping.

We're not complaining, understand, and very grateful to be able to do this for a living and for you. Great customers who enjoy and use the work, and come back with their stories are what make it all worth it.

Thanks to ALL of You!

THE 6th ANNUAL SUMMER PICNIC

An annual event at Clay Coyote has become the summer picnic and Art Show. We invite 4 or 5 guest artists and our customers to a casual 'out on the lawn' good time.

This year Madam Lorna (Lorna Meyer and husband Steve) were peddling potions and lotions for your body. Jennifer Ionta had her beautiful hand made (by her) glass beads

Claire Swanson from granite Falls brought her marvelous handwoven baskets...

and Rob Glieden, who is just starting out doing large format Black and White photography. Intriguing pictures of familiar subjects seen through Rob's eyes and processed like old time pictures...quality you just don't get anymore.

Steve, who is allowed a small corner of Madam Lorna's booth, has discovered a most unique idea, mirrors and picture frames on which you can write nifty sayings which are poermanent until you wipe them off with a special stuff....Then write again. Most fun!

This time of the year, the prairie restoration is just starting to peak....yellows, blues, purples amid the waving grasses. Things change when you're out there....the hustle and bustle just evaporates. Hi Mary!

Chuck Goranowski was a first timer....with his wonderful blown glass. First time we've had a glass blower. His goblets and mugs were a big hit. Bet he brings more next time!

Claire and Steve and Lorna catch up! The picnic was a bit quiet this year with the economy, gas prices and just about every highway coming to Hutch and the Gallery torn up. If you're planning a trip to the Clay coyote, please check the 'Directions' section of the website for the latest update.

4th OF JULY WITH A BANG AND A BUMP

4th OF JULY...The Way it Used To Be!

Every 4th of July, friends Bob & Betty Hermann put on a classic traditional 4th Farm picnic. Let it be known, that no one....NO ONE...has ever left here hungry. Not only do you get lunch/dinner, but 4 hours later, you are going to have to eat lunch again! What could be prettier. This year Bob even lucked out on the weather....80 deg and sunny

And after lunch/dinner, you need dessert....even though you've had 5 kinds of chocolate and pie with lunch/dinner! So Bob and Betty team up to dish out strawberry sundaes! Amazing that such a lovely woman as Betty should have teamed up with as ornery a cuss as Bob! Betty looks especially happy as she had retired the day before this!

HERE'S THE BANG!

The big tradition every year is that Bob gets to shoot off his big........cannon. Made in Tennesee the cannon is the real thing. Instead of cannon balls, Bob just loads 'er with grass, tamps it down, adds powder and with a mighty whump....feeds the cows. Next for the tradition is the ride out into the pasture along the North Fork of the Crow River where next year's hamburger is grazing. The handmade wagon is pulled by the world's oldest working (other than Bob) Jeep. As of today, if this was taken, you wouldn't see the wagon as the corn would be 10 feet high!Now if you were a cow...isn't this where you'd want to spend your days? That's why they're called Hermann's Happy Herefords.

Blow this shot up, and you'll Chuck Roast and Ham Burger wandering out there.

Tttttthaaat;s All Fffffolkkkks!

SHOW TIME

Higland Park Art Fest

Our second show this year was Highland Park in St Paul. What was a good smaller show in past years has now had the addition of almost as many commercial booths as artist booths. One customer described this as making it feel like going to the State Fair rather than an art fair. Entertainment rather than an art fair. We're seeing this at more and more fairs and when it happens, sales for artists go down.

I finally caught Betsy loafing!
Like so many shows this year, Highland had it's shot of weather. About 5:30 on Saturday the skies opened up and scared the customers away. 15 minutes later...blue skies.

Ahhh, well.

Evanston (IL), Frankfort (IL) and Hutchinson to go. Lots of pots to make.