Flywheelers

We had a fabulous time at Flywheelers on Tuesday.  We were blessed with wonderful weather, getting only 10 minutes of rain, which conveniently came while we were under cover!  The rumbling thunder made us worried for a bit, but everything quickly blew over. 

Students gained an appreciation for life in the past, and how difficult even the most basic of chores were.  They learned that pumping water, carrying water, and hauling firewood would have been their daily chores.  Thankfully, the fly wheel came along and started making life a bit easier. 

A highlight of the day was when we got to see Miss Nancy and her border collies.  She has trained Jenny and Kallie to herd sheep, and she can even get them to do a "slalom course" out in the pasture.  We also got to see her new puppy, Ziggy, whose exuberance and zest for life was hilarious.

Students also really enjoyed the blacksmith, who made a horse's head out of a rod of iron.  He is pretty talented, we all agreed.

Students learned about early logging and were encouraged to be stewards for Michigan forests.

Students pose in front of the threshing machine.  This machine simplified the process of removing the waste part of the wheat from the edible part.

This gentleman is branding the shingles with a red-hot iron.