Wednesday, April 27, 2016

The Houghs' 500th Episode: An Ol' Timey Hootenanny

Alayna and her posse, pumped and ready for action.
Let me tell you this much, guys:  there's absolutely no way in Hell I would ever teach Elementary School.

I don't mind little kids, but having to wrangle a bus-load of them around for a day?  That's unbridled chaos, folks.  And there's no way I could do that on a day-in, day-out basis.

As a registered volunteer at my kids' school, I occasionally get asked to do things like chaperone class field trips and crap like that.  I try and do it at least once a year 'cause it makes my kids' day to have their dad tag along with their class somewhere (for example, last year I went with Alayna's 1st grade class trip to Green Meadows Farm in Kissimmee.)  Well, this year, Kris signed me up to accompany Alayna's 2nd grade class field trip to the Bradley House here in Midland, followed by a park outing and a trip out to the Midland Chippewa Nature Center.

As usual, I'll fill you in as we go along.  Let's do this.

Our tour guide, introducing us to the Bradley House.  This house was originally constructed by the Bradleys, who were among Midland's first settlers.  They had money.
The house originally stood downtown at the corner of Ashman and Larkin Street, but was lifted off its foundation and moved in 1970 when faced with demolition.  The Midland Historical Society bought the house for $1 (seriously), moved it to its current location (back in the woods behind the hospital, thereabouts), and restored it.
Not sure what those other buildings are:  we didn't go in them.  They did look 'ol timey,' though.
The stable, or carriage house (whatever its called) 
They ended up splitting the class into two groups, so our group hit up this place first while the other group went inside the main house first.  Here, our tour guide had each kid in the group walk up and jump off the coach step (what you would step up onto when boarding a carriage, etc.)
Alayna had initially refused wearing her jacket off the bus, but after ten minutes outside in the Spring air, she began to get cold, so I let her wear my hoodie vest.  
Checking out some old carriages (or coaches - I honestly don't know the difference)
Antique hipster bikes. 
Rolling up some beeswax candles (Alayna and I decided that this would make a cool Mother's Day gift for Kris.)
Some sleighs
The Bradley coach is the fancy blue one with all the frills (frill denotes wealth, I guess - who knows.)
After the carriage house, our guide let the kids try out some stick-and-hoop game in the courtyard while the other group made its way further through the Bradley House.  Needless to say, these kids really, really sucked at it.
The Cannonball busts out her famous Old Lady impression. 
The main receiving room of the Bradley House.  I was informed by the tour guide that none of the pieces of furniture or decor were actually owned by the Bradley family, but rather donated or acquired from antique shops, local businesses, estates, donors, etc. 
In the foyer
Through the main receiving area our guide led us back into the parlor, where all the musical instruments were found. . . 
The Parlor
Alayna tries out an Antique ViewMaster (no, I have no idea what it's actually called.)
An original phonograph, that surprisingly still works.  Our guide played some antique 'records' (more like scrolls that rotate on a spindle, though) for us.  Marches seem to have been the prominent musical choice of the day. 
(That's the Receiving Room to the left.)
Some more instruments (you can see a mandolin and a dulcimer atop the piano, there.) 
Through the Parlor, we were then led into what was definitely my personal favorite room of the house:  the Gentleman's Room (also known as Mr. Bradley's Office.)  No girls - except for the maid - were ever allowed in this room.  Which, to be honest, is just a really, really awesome rule to begin with.
That's a bad ass bookcase, right there.  Lots of antique books inside, too. 
Our tour guide introduces young children to the magical world of cigars, brandy, spittoons, and ledgers.
Speaking of ledgers:  these date from the 1870s.  Still boring to read.
I want a room like this in our next house. 
After we left the 'office,' we snaked our way back to the foyer and continued through to the Dining Room. . .
The Kitchen, or, Mrs. Bradley's Office
An Ol' Timey toaster and some irons.
The daughter's room, upstairs (I think her name was Baby Mae. . .?)
Showing the kids some little kid dresses from the 1880s. . . 
The parents' bedroom.  Straight out of a haunted house.
Women's hair accessories on a dresser.
Describing the bathing process to the class.  Pretty gross stuff.
Alayna and her classmate, Katie, got to try out the maid's bed and give the straw-and-spring mattress a comfort rating.
A floral wreath. . . made of HUMAN HAIR.
A class picture on the front steps of the Bradley House.
(This was my idea.)
We left the Bradley House around 11:30 and drove over to Emerson Park for a quick lunch.  The class had ordered Subway, and some other parents had previously agreed to meet the class there in order to drop off the food (I'm assuming so the bus didn't have to stop at Subway.)
Chowin' down (that's Alayna's teacher, Mrs. Larson, in the grey hoodie.)
Alayna and her BFF, Madison
Burning off calories after lunch
Alivia, Alayna and Madison - these three loved getting their picture taken.
I guess this is the cool thing to do on the school playground slide.  Or so I'm told. 
Arriving at the Chippewa Nature Center, overlooking the Tittabawassee River (I'm not sure how to frickin' spell that.)
Checking out some sheep before heading on to the farm. . . 
A historically-accurate, non-authentic farmer's cabin.  This was built in the 1970s or 80s, and, like the Bradley House, was filled with period-accurate antiques to give you an idea of how people of Midland lived back in the 1880s.  Unlike the wealthy Bradleys, the Sinclair Farm showed how average Middle Class Midlanders dwelled.
Lookin' out the back door. . .
The Sinclair kitchen
 
The main room of the Sinclair house. . .
Another one of those antique ViewMasters.  When you look through the lens, it works exactly the same way - it looks like the images are three-dimensional.
The Cannonball
"Let me tell you kids about the '60s. . ."
Alayna spins some wool yarn
The Midland Fire Department was doing a controlled burn not far from the farm, which, consequently, made everything smell like a campfire.
Checking out the barn and the workshop
Drillin' 
The Workshop
Charging into Battle (I really want to photoshop this pic) 
Another carriage house (you can see one of Alayna's classmates here doing a great Young Brian Hough impression.)
This was getting on everyone's nerves after awhile. . . 
Checking out the farm's one cow.  Most of the farm's animals would be arriving the following weekend, as the Historical Society receives animals on loan from local farms for the summer months.
Looking back towards the Barn
The kids were pretty pissed they couldn't hold the chickens, as they had just arrived from another farm and were too little and cold to be handled (all they wanted to do was crowd together under the heat lamp, pictured here.) 
The Sinclair Farm 
Heading off towards the Root Cellar
I wouldn't mind building something like this, but I'd turn it into a Hobbit Home instead of just a Root Cellar. . .
Right when I walked into this dark, creepy room a spider bit me on the back of the neck.  I didn't want to say anything out loud, though:  shortly afterwards, the tour guide had us shut the door and all the kids had to stand in the pitch-black cellar and try and look for the air ventilation holes.  Not the kind of environment you want to scream "SPIDER!" in.  That's like shouting "FIRE!" in a crowded movie theater. 
Hammin' it up for the camera.  As usual.
She really wanted me to take this picture.  'Cause that's what seven-year-olds think is cool.
(That's the chicken coop off to the left.)
Back on the bus, heading back towards Chestnut Hill and the 21st century.  And a beer.

- Brian

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