Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Lewis & Clark Days in Hermann

I was removing files from my camera's disk and realized I hadn't shared our field trip to Hermann with everyone.  This is our second year to brave the cold for a chance to learn from the St. Charles reenactors  of the Corps  of  Discovery.  This year I invited our homeschool co-op to join us.  It was practically a holiday-they cancelled violin lessons so that everyone could attend.  I've always said the best teachers are the enthusiastic ones and you can't get more enthusiastic than men and women willing to stand outside in the winter weather to teach kids about Lewis and Clark.



The day began with a flag ceremony.  You can't tell from this angle but the flag has fifteen stars AND fifteen stripes for the number of states in the union when the expedition started.  They also sang a song other than the national anthem we know, since it wasn't written until the War of 1812.

Schnickelfritz gets to examine the keel-boat used by the reenactors during their bicentennial journey to trace the route of Lewis and Clark.  (Don't tell anyone but their is a motor hidden in the boxlike structure on the deck).



An addition to this year's demonstration was a regiment of His Majesty's first artillery.  Gun control proponents would be appalled to learn the kids got to help light the cannon (not Fritz, he needed both hands to cover his ears).  It's a good thing the event is done in the winter or the repeated cannon blasts would have shaken the grapes off the arbors across the creek.

Captain Lewis and President Jefferson explain the mission of the corps and how they gathered and recorded information.  It was a very cold day and the president borrowed a coat from one of the corpsmen.

The most popular outdoor activity was learning how to start a fire with flint and steel (it may have had something to do with the proximity to the cooking fire).  They had just put the leg of lamb on the spit when Schnickelfritz blurted out "Hey, that meat is shaped like South America."  He's such a geography nut.

Finally an indoor workshop.  This man either loves to interact with kids or he's really excited about frontier medicine.  Here he is preparing to pull one of Fritz's teeth.

Here he demonstrating removing a bullet from an arm.  Unfortunately gangrene set in and he's going to have to amputate (does the boy in green look like he's getting queasy?)

3 comments:

wdworkman said...

Looks like a fun day! We're just a few miles from the L&C Museum in Hartford, IL, but hardly ever take the time to stop in. I'll have to try to make it to St. Charles this year.
Janet W
http://homeschoolblogger.com/wdworkman/

MOmama said...

A great time to visit would be the Lewis & Clark Heritage days (in 2011 they will be May 21 & 22). They will have Fife and Drum Corps, a military encampent, a fire starting competition, artillery demonstrations, a parade and period vendors. It's a grand ole time! More info is available on their website http://lewisandclarkheritagedays.com/

Mrs. Laura Lane said...

Wow! I've always wanted to visit Hermann.

Is this a yearly event?

Yes, I did hear of butterfly people.

A four year old boy was sucked up by the tornado. A couple of days later someone found him on the far side of town. "How'd you get here?" "The butterfly man brought me here." "What have you been eating?" "The butterfly man fed me."

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