Photos from today's work...

Wow! Can you believe how fast this thing is going up???

Photos from today...

Howard cabin--the walls get higher...

I think we've come to a point where a picture is worth a thousand words. I could go on and on about the leveling, the measuring, the stacking, the digging (for electrical lines)...but I'd really rather just show you.

Be sure to read the captions on the photos...they narrate as well. As always, please click on any individual photo within the slideshow to enlarge the photos and control the speed.

Greenbriar Great Outdoors...

Okay...so this is not a Village event...or even a 19th century event...but it's an event that you'll be sure to enjoy! Mark your calendar for April 4, when you can help celebrate Fort Worth's Parks and Community Services' (PACS) Centennial by attending Greenbriar Great Outdoors. The flyer (in both English and Spanish) is included in this post. The Village is proud to be owned and operated by PACS and pleased to help support our colleagues and friends!


Greenbriar Great Outdoors

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Reconstruction has officially begun!

It's been an interesting week so far for the Howard cabin. Surprisingly enough (note sarcasm-- :) ), reconstruction is a much more delicate process than dismantling the cabin. Beautiful flat pieces of limestone have been placed on the corner piers, and these are what will help support the corner notches of the cabin once it is fully reconstructed.

The foundation/bottom layer of the cabin is perhaps the most important step to get "right." The logs must be carefully leveled and stacked together to ensure the structure is sound when the subsequent logs are then added. This takes patience, time, and lot of hard work to achieve.

This week we've seen stones stacked and unstacked, logs placed and replaced, sill logs notched and re-notched, floor joists assembled, and disassembled, and a meeting of the minds behind the project. Yesterday the corner stones were finally mortared to the piers, and the delicate log stacking can begin.

You won't see as many photos of this phase (at least not as frequently) since reconstruction takes so much more time, but we promise to keep you posted!

Welcome back, Timber & Stone! We're glad to see you, Yeargan!

Why I love my job...

As many of you are aware, Log Cabin Village features a monthly storytime for preschoolers called "Timber Tales." This storytime takes place from March-June and September-November, and is designed to help 3-5 year olds understand a little more about frontier history using books, activities, and crafts.

While slots in the pre-set dates are allocated for individuals and small families, I am more than happy to schedule a private storytime for organized groups with 15 or more children. Today was just such an occasion. I had the privilege of reading Texas Zeke and the Longhorn to a delightful group of PK kids from ACI Academy. These kids were great--enthusiastic, intelligent, and, of course, completely hilarious.

And so, still chuckling, I bring you the stories behind today's favorite quotes.

In a manner befitting any good story featuring a protagonist named Zeke, the kiddos decorated bandanas as today's craft. They were working away (with washable markers, of course), and I was held captive by the most amazing conversation as they colored away:

Girl: I just don't like spaghetti and meatballs. I don't like the sauce. I don't like the noodles. I don't like meatballs.

Boy: I LOVE spaghetti and meatballs. I love everything about them. I love them more than anybody else.

Another girl: More than Jesus?

Boy: (pauses to contemplate for a moment) I don't think Jesus ate spaghetti and meatballs.

Their teacher and I about lost it at this point.

Second great moment...from a sweet girl who had just completed her bandana:

Girl: I'm a cowdaughter.

Me: You're a what?

Girl: A cowdaughter.

Me: (puzzled expression)

Girl: Well...I figure that a cowgirl is a grownup lady...and I'm still a kid. So I must be a cowdaughter.

Priceless.

From the mouths of 4 & 5 year olds...

Just the flax...

Although we are not a working 19th century farm, we do try and grow appropriate plants in our one "open space" when we can. This year's experiment is flax. Although commercial production of flax in Texas did not begin until after our time period, it was a popular crop for individual use in the 1800s. Flax could be spun into the strong threads that made linen, a durable and lightweight fabric. Linen could be woven with wool to create linsey-woolsey, a heavier weight fabric with the strength of linen. One anecdote even suggests that flax was used as a sort of bandage!

Our ancestors also used the product of the flax seeds to make linseed oil, useful for oiling wood projects, wagon covers, and more. Many modern consumers, however, utilize flax for its health benefits as a valuable source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

No matter what your feelings about flax, you can see it growing right here at Log Cabin Village!

And this last photo is just here to show you how pretty the Village looks in her spring foliage...

Spring Break Is Here!

The glorious weather has brought out not only all of the spring breakers, but also beautiful, lush greenery throughout the Village. Here are a few pictures of our gorgeous site that spring breakers -and lots of them- are enjoying to the max!

More photos from today's event!

Here are more photos from today's event! And we want to extend a WARM Village thank you to the Lone Star Leather Crafters for being here today. We also want to thank Tandy Leather Factory for generously sponsoring today's craft. We couldn't have done it without y'all!

"Tooling Around" is happening right now!

Don't you want to come check this out?



They'll be here until 4:00 p.m.!

Event reminder...

Just a reminder...we have special events coming up this weekend! We'll be here rain or shine...

Share your Village photos on our new Flickr group!

Hey! We want to keep up with our visitors and fans! As such, we have started a new Flickr group just for Village photos. We still want to see the Village through YOUR eyes!

Please contribute your photos here...

As always, you can be our fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter as well. We'll "see" you around!

Pier drilling video...

As promised, here is the video of one of the pier holes for the Howard cabin foundation being drilled. Enjoy!


Digging the pier holes for the Howard cabin from logcabinvillage on Vimeo.

Laying the foundation...

The past few days have found our busy contractors literally "laying the foundation" for the future of the Howard cabin! Holes have been dug eight feet into the earth, rebar inserted, and concrete is currently being poured to fill the holes. The concrete will then cure for several days before the rebuilding process begins.

It's not the most glamorous part of the job, but you can't build a great cabin without a great foundation.

Thanks again to Yeargan Construction and to the foundation subcontractors, F & R Contractors, Inc., for completing this important step!

Please see photos below--video of pier drilling coming soon!

March special events...

Whew! We can finally stop and catch our breath for a minute! With all the whirlwind Howard cabin activity, it's been difficult to get a blog post in edgewise!

Today's exciting Log Cabin Village activities:

• The pier holes are being drilled for the Howard cabin's foundation
• The new post for the Foster House sign is being installed. The sign will go up tomorrow!

And we've got great treats for this month's special events, also! We hope to see you here...

March 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2009
SONGS AND STORIES WITH WICHITA BOB
1:30-3:30 p.m.
Enjoy folk tunes and cowboy music with Wichita Bob! Banjo, guitar, and mountain dulcimer music will all be featured.

March 13, 2009
TIMBER TALES STORYTIME
10:00—11:00 a.m.
Featured story: Texas Zeke and the Longhorn by David Davis. Can Zeke get his ornery longhorn home? With a little help from “friends,” this cowboy will be enjoying his chili in no time! $3 fee includes a story, fun activities, and a craft, all geared towards 3-5 year olds. Please call 817-392-5881 to make your reservation (required).

March 14, 2009
TOOLING AROUND...
1:00—4:00 p.m.
Grab your punches and your awls...it’s time to craft leather! Fort Worth’s own Lone Star Leather Crafters Guild will be here demonstrating their fine work and giving Village visitors the chance to stamp a little leather on their own! No reservations required. Cost is regular Village admission. Crafts for this event are generously provided by Tandy Leather Factory.

Very special visitors...

Yesterday we had the privilege of some kiddos celebrating our birthdays with us. Although we don't have a formal "birthday party" program, this family chose to sign up for one of our group programs and came dressed for the part! Don't they look great????

Thanks so much...and Happy birthday!

Phase 1 of the Howard cabin restoration is complete!!

If you drive down Log Cabin Village Lane, you're bound to notice something a little different about the Village: the Howard cabin is GONE! Okay...so it's not actually GONE gone...but it is fully dismantled. The only remaining vestige of the old structure is a shallow dirt pit where the slab foundation lay.

So what's next? On Monday, Yeargan Construction's foundation subcontractors will be coming in to start laying the new foundation. And what a foundation it will be!!! Piers will be drilled eight feet into the ground to ensure this massive structure has the support it so desperately needs. This will enable the cabin to withstand the test of time and remain available for many future generations!

The foundation work should take about a week to complete and another week to cure (daily photos of concrete drying available upon demand). And then we anticipate the rebuild to begin sometime the week of March 23rd. Stay tuned!

And the logs start coming down...in a good way!

Wow. Today pictures speak louder than words as the mighty Howard starts truly being dismantled. Yesterday the first log came down...and it was truly a fantastic sight! You can see it for yourself in the video below.

The photographs show the final work this past Friday and yesterday. Final pieces (like the staircase) were removed, and the whole structure was powerwashed to remove dry rot and excess dirt and debris. As we speak, the steel post "headgear" is being removed so that the lower logs can be accessed. And thankfully the posts are no longer needed!

Enjoy!


The first log comes down... from logcabinvillage on Vimeo.