A Journey: It's About Time

It seems my  life lately is consumed with junk.  Looking for junk out and about, looking for junk in my own house, sorting junk (Booth #1, Booth #2, Junk Ranch) pricing junk (Booth#1, Booth #2, Junk Ranch), photographing junk (ebay, Instagram, Facebook page) and storing junk.  I asked for this life of junk and I love it.  But I needed a break this weekend.  (That doesn't mean I didn't go to several sales including three trips to the same sale in two days.....)  Also, I have a new Facebook page just for my vintage market sales if you are inclined to have a look: monkeybox Vintage Junk 

Yesterday there was a Razorback Game up the street to the left, so we went right and headed out to the tiny community of Canehill, Arkansas for the Cane Hill Festival.  In 1834 a college was built there.  It was burned to the ground and rebuilt in 1886 and that building remains.  This is also where the old landlocked waterwheel is located that we like to visit.  

We went to see it yesterday, but the Wildlife Officers were there, so we didn't stop.  I don't know why they were there - I've never really see a Wildlife Officer!  

The purpose of the Canehill Festival is to make Sorghum.  Sorghum is Molasses.  

They cut the cane and then it is processed somehow by donkeys that walk around and around in a circle which generates the power to process the cane.  There weren't any donkey's hooked up yesterday.  I don't understand how they do it.  They just do.

I really need this sign.

They make this huge fire and the cane goes in and they boil the beejeezus out of it and add water and I don't know what else.  It is SO hot in there and it stinks to high heaven.  (I am allergic to wood smoke).  People line up in a long line waiting for a fresh HOT jar of sorghum.  The first year we went we got in line to buy some.  They had a jar out with toothpicks so you could taste it.  The Bean and I tasted it.  Then we just slowly backed out of line.  It was terrible!  But, all those old farmers were about to slobber to death waiting for that sorghum.  They can have it! (The Breadman loves the slop).

This is cane - they make the sorghum out of this part - is it a seed?  Or a pod?  Or a berry?  I dunno.

Everyone dresses in old timey attire and there is old fashion music and food.  It's not fake like Silver Dollar City - this is how these people live for the most part.  It's authentic.  

Except for the camels.  This was new this year.  Camel rides.  

I didn't take a ride.  

I was too busy thanking the lord for not giving me teeth like a camel. 

What day is it?

Sunday.  

Oh.

Really loud hillbilly music.  I am not into this music scene at all.  I know it is time to leave when I see my toe tapping.  They got me yesterday with some fiddle music.  That's when we left.  Interesting tidbit -  the fiddle player is my Mom's mailman.  I'm kind of playing it loose with the term "interesting".  BIG CROWD, huh?

The old school bell.  Right after I took this photo they rang the bell.  They had to pause the hillbilly music while it rang.  The musicians were not pleased.  I was.

Around the dirt by the bell tower and along the edges of the property I can always find bits of old pottery and glass.  It's my landlocked seaglass.  The Bean found the piece of the milk bottle.  I was really surprised to find the cobalt blue piece.  When I washed it and it said "OFFICE" on it, I was really tickled.  The pottery is old ironstone dishware.  I could look for this kind of stuff for DAYS.  If I am ever lucky enough to go seaglass hunting, I know I will be addicted.  

Inside the old college there was a quilt show.  

Gorgeous old quilts hanging on the walls.  

This one was over the window and was so pretty.  They had just put it there for the afternoon, so don't get in a tizzy thinking it will fade.  (I did).

The ladies were working on a quilt.  The Breadman's grandmother had a quilting frame up over her bed that she could let down with a pulley.  I always thought that was neat.

This one was pretty.  Loved all the old feedsack materials.  

We trudged upstairs to the museum.  I stopped to take a photo of the old playground equipment out the window.  At least, that was my excuse.  I had to rest a minute from the steep steps, a bad knee and the 125 degree day dripping with humidity.  It was unholy.  

At the top of the stairs is the old Post Office.  

A lady watched me take a photo of this and rolled her eyes.  But, I had to do it for you people.  You get it RIGHT?  So gorgeous!

 I loved all of these names of the graduates.  That's one whole graduating class thee - Gertrude, Marguerette, Dorothy, Josephine, Geraldine, Lucille and Opal.  All such great old lady names.  (Except Dorothy - that's the name of a hip junk hunter Aunt - Hi Aunt Dorothy!)  

It was nice to get out and go on a bit of a journey.  A journey back in time, in fact!  Now today, it is back to the JUNK.  I need to get photos of this weeks finds, but today is a rainy day so it will have to wait.  I know you are SO disappointed.  :D