Garden Fair Sotterley Plantation

Yesterday Sid and I took Zane, Noah and Stevie to the Sotterley Plantation.  It was built in 1703, which proceeds George Washington's Mt Vernon Plantation.  The event was the Second Annual Garden Fair. We started out by going to the corn crib.

This picture was taken in the back of the corn crib.  The fellow was showing how to make a wagon tire.Since we were the only ones with children at this spot Zane was picked to show how to form the iron into a ring.

I just couldn't resist taking a picture of this grand old tree.  I love the big trees here in Maryland.  This was on the upper slope of where we flew our kite when the wind was blowing.

We had brought our own kite but left it in the car because we didn't know whether we could fly it here.  This is a picture of Sid and the kids flying the kites that were there for the public to fly.  Then Zane and Noah went back to the car and got our kite.

This the back side of the Sotterley Plantation.

This is the backyard of the mansion and you can see some kites.  There is a path on right side of the picture that goes down to the Patuxent River.

The boys are back with the kite and Grandpa is getting it up in the air.  It flew a little but then the wind went down so we went and did other things until the wind came back up.

Stevie had to show us the necessary (outhouse).  It was quite a ways from the mansion.  They had the corn cobs inside that were used and then as we went through the mansion the woman told us when they ran out of corn cobs they used oyster shells.  Oh I'm glad I live today with indoor plumbing and soft paper.

Grandpa and Noah try to figure out the time.  They decided it was off by an hour or so.  We found out during the tour of the mansion that it was set to Boston time.

This couple was roaming the grounds and I asked if I could take their picture. Can't you just imagine back in the 1800's people walking the grounds, in the gardens and playing croquet dressed like this.

This is a picture of the Sotterley Mansion.

They had a petting zoo with Shetland ponies, mules, sheep with their babies, goats and babies, different cattle all in these little pens. One Holstein cow was so big I don't see how she could stand up much less turn around.

Then we all went and had a nurious lunch of Kettle corn and either lemonade or water.

After the tour we went and looked at the slave cabin. It was built about the 1830's. It sure wasn't very big to have 17 slaves live there.

Then Zane, Noah, Stevie and I walked down the path to the Patuxent River and on the way we saw this bald eagle in this tree next to her nest.  Zane had remembered that the nest was there and we were looking for it.  Grandpa had stayed behind.

This is the view at the end of the path.

I had to take a picture of this unique tree root.

On our way back up the path we saw Grandpa flying the big kite. and Zane and the others cut across the field to Grandpa.

The mansion coming up the trail.  Zane is already at the gate to where Grandpa was.

We all took a turn at flying the kite. The kite must have been up a 1000 feet, at least all the string was off the reel.  There was a great wind then.

Then we went and played croquet.  We had a great time.  There was a young girl sitting there, she was overseeing making sure everyone got to play so I asked her to take some pictures.  She did a great job and these are just  few pictures.

This is a one room school house that the boys went to.  We found out that the girls stayed home and learned to sew,  do needle work and learn how to run a home.

Then it was off to Lowe's, then a stop at Burger King and home.

When we got home we found Tina and McKay visiting with Trudy and Baxter.  Tina had stopped at Popeye's and bought some chicken, mashed potatoes and cole slaw.  It was just a great day enjoyed by all.