TROLLIN'

Sorry folks, some things do supercede postings and weddings are one of those. So yesterday's posting was delayed due to one of Natureman's nephews getting married in the Twin Cities. We were thrilled to attend the joyous occasion... 

You know what they say about 'no rest for the weary.' We had put the breaks on weekend plans a bit. We did have an unplanned stop Saturday at Norskedalen for their Midsummer Fest after finding 'Dead' on Main Street instead of 'Live' on Main St in Cashton. Heat can do that to any event...


Being life members of the Norwegian Heritage farm we had no entrance fee and we could stay as long as we wanted when we faded. The green was much better than the previous pavement! 

Entertainment was provided throughout the day and we arrived in time to hear a little guitar music and vocals by  Gregg Hall in the Shelter House. (In case you're interested there's Music in the Valley every Wednesday evening throughout the summer, except for July 4th).



Royalty even helped serve up Norwegian fare like lefse and Rommegrot/ other desserts and Troll Rolls. 

How many times can you say you've  been waited on by Royalty? Wink, wink.

 We walked by the kid crafts area where kids could make seed bombs/ design their own rubber duckies to actually race in the creek. At least the rubber duckies could cool off on this 90 degree day. 


In the field behind the craft area, folks were playing Kubb (keb), a lawn game which is a mix of horseshoes and bowling with ash wood batons thrown to knock over wooden blocks (kubbs). 


Members of the Three Rivers Knitting Guild were knitting on the front porch of the Wold House and embroiderers from the Coulee Chamber Embroidery Guild were on the Engum porch, 

In the Holtze House we learned how simply settlers lived and the history of the young man who built the house, only to go off to war and not return. His parents came to live in his house. 

Next to the house was a demo of small motors that don't use electricity. 







In the homestead the blacksmith was busy forging iron into small horseshoes  for the children. 

Can you imagine how hot it was inside that barn?

Grazing by the horse barn were these gorgeous Fjord horses.        

     

In front of the barn, the Coulee Region Woodturners had a saw to demo turning wood and some of their carved household objects were for sale. 

The stunning Belgian Horses enabled visitors to have a ride to experience horse drawn carts. They also gave visitors a reprieve from walking the grounds. Those horses were working hard and were rotated with a different team to allow them time to cool down and rest.  Fortunately they even had huge fans to help them cool  down after their cart shifts.

Due to the heat we didn't stay to see everything and skipped the Arboretum Tours and the air conditioned Thrune Center but we had a wonderful time at our impromptu visit at Norskedalen's Midsummer Fest. It's too bad the weather affected attendance at all the well planned events in our area this past weekend.

In case you'd like to visit one of Norskedalen's other special upcoming events when the heat will not be so intense, here's their schedule. Who knows when you'll spot a Troll...

July 8: Art Fair on the Farm
Aug 8: Threshing Bee Dinner
Sept 9: Twilight Tour
Oct 12-14: Civil War Immersion
Oct 25:Family Friendly Trick or Treat
Oct 26-27: Ghoulees in the Coulees
Dec 1: Old Fashioned Christmas