Summertime, and the livin' is easy

This weekend was the annual Ragtime Street Fair at Greenfield Village—good music, fun eats and drinks, and delightful entertainers—so yesterday we headed over late in the afternoon, wearing our summer fair finest, to take part in the music and festivities over dinner. The village, of course, was working as usual, so we watched them blowing glass, printing papers (where the printer took Calvin on as an apprentice for one run), and bringing in the chickens and other farm fauna for the evening. In addition to the usual stuff, though, there was a good old fashioned street fair, with homemade goodies and wholesome entertainment, like suspendered men riding crazy bicycles. We ate sausage and drank minted tea while sitting on benches, in the shade and watching the townsfolk (period actors) take part. We took in a ragtime piano contest, and a Gershwin comedy and dance review (my favorite), and we even got to see Teddy Roosevelt speak on his campaign trail ("Vote Roosevelt in '12!"). We watched the train, we ate blueberry pie. It was hot, but the evening, and the music, were delightful.

Calvin was invited to help make a print with the press.

I had no idea they had cell phones in the early twentieth century.

Teddy Roosevelt!