Historic St. Mary's City 2008!

Here we are at Historic St. Mary's City. First stop, a little shopping...

"Hmm... What should I buy?"

The "way cool musket"...

... or a new axe blade?

We'll take the "way cool musket" please!Other goods lay out for display.

These china plates must be packed carefully to survive the long trip from Europe.

Then, all purchases are tallied on a 17th century calculator!Next stop, the Printer!
Two students get ready to print up an indenture form.

The press is carefully set up & inked.

Aprons are donned to protect clothing.

So THAT'S where upper and lower case letters came from!!

The some MAN power is applied...... HEY! Put your muscles into it!!Here's a weary traveler who has come to stay in town... yawn!

"Ah! So comfy!"

Students look on as our guide explains about the ordinary (inn).

"Hey wait a second... no one mentioned sharing!!"

"Three?! I have to share my bed with two other STRANGERS??"
Ah! Snug as a bug in a rug! Sleep tight!Off to the Maryland Dove!Our class stopped to pose for some pictures in front of the Maryland Dove.Everyone SMILE! :)Our "artistic" photograph.Would you take the voyage across the Atlantic in the 1600s?Two sailors prepare to pull the anchor up.Wow! That anchor (made up of 6 students) is stuck in the mud... but it's no match for a pulley!

The two sailors win! No contest!

The captain took some time out to teach us a little about calculating our ship's speed.The students set up an experiment with the captain.Here's our "Atlantic Ocean"!"Remember! Navigation is the fine art of not getting lost!"

What?! According to this gentleman, splitting lumber would have been a WOMAN'S JOB? Whoa.... those colonial gals must have had some major muscles! Off to Master Spray's plantation!

Tobacco is stored in a barn until ready for transport in hogsheads.

Students are instructed in the fine art of proper greetings in the 1600s. First, the girls learn to curtsy.The the gentlemen learn to bow with a florish!

Master Spray's young indenture has quite a bit of work ahead of her. She will serve Master Spray until she turns 21! Better get to work!We'll start by planting corn.

Carefully plant them neatly in their mound.

Mrs. Spray explains about her gardens of vegetables and herbs.The livestock is penned "out" rather than "in"!

Free range chickens roam the yard.

Pigs have their ears marked and forage for food on their own.

Then it was off to the Indian village.
Students saw how Native Americans harnessed the power of fire to create their dugout canoes.

One student was transformed before our very eyes into a Native American warrior!Who wants to catch small fish with a small spear?? No! We'll set a trap.

"Okay, now YOU'VE been magically transformed into a HUGE sturgeon! Go swim into the nets!""I am one with the fish."Yikes! The warrior is going to hit me with a CLUB??!! I didn't sign up for this!

These two hides feel completely different!

"They used WHAT to soften the hides? Deer brains?!"

Rawhide is much stiffer.

Fibers are collected by scraping leaves from a yucca plant.

"This is tiring work!"

Longhouses store vegetables to dry. Drying is an excellent way to preserve food for the cold winter months. A small fire keeps rodents away from stored foods.

Students examine the insides of the longhouses.

This longhouse was big enough to house an extended family.

Animal pelts hung from the beams were a hit with many students.

This student sports the Native American's winter wear. Summer wear consisted of a loincloth.