Heritage Log Cabin

What a great looking log cabin! This is the Rider homestead, moved adjacent to the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT. Two stories, dormers and an ell, built in the 1870's if I remember, and full of great stuff. We went to the Museum because of its reputation for dinosaur bones, which were great, but we were really enchanted with the homestead outside.

 Look at this wonderful early kitchen. We missed them making dinner on the old iron stove, but the kids got to help iron with the cast iron irons.

Doing up the dishes from dinner. Love the drysink!

Upstairs they had a room full of prairie dress up clothes. Here's my beautiful grandaughter Nikita, the perfect prim Victorian girl.

Love the sapling pea fence in the garden.

Spring garden is coming along well, for such a late spring.

Tomato poles ready to go in.

Out back was the cabin the settlers originally used. Look at the sod roof!

Here is the inside set up for a working blacksmith.

Here is the upper level of the cabin where the diaries show the daughters slept. Don't hit your head!

Out back was a teepee set up you could walk in.

 And to top it all off, a video the kids and friends playing with Victorian toys. I've never actually seen this done, have you?

What a nice day in the summer in Montana.

Buffalo Bill Cody Museum Visit

The first museum is all about the life and times of Buffalo Bill Cody. Look at this great early poster. Those old shows must have been something else!

Look at this huge saddle he actually used, and all the solid silver. That horse must have been a powerhouse.

A stagecoach from one of the shows.

This embroidered deerskin shirt was from the special exhibition about the evolution of western wear. The embroidery was so tiny, Native American, it was just unbelievable.

Woman's elk tooth dress. Ivory elk canine teeth would survive when the body and bones of the elk withered away, so they were a symbol of long life, just right for a young woman entering her childbearing years.

Modern western wear.

These modern boots were tooled and painted to honor this museum.

 Here's the opening to the Cody Firearms Museum. Look at that great display of guns. They have 1500 guns beautifully displayed on the first floor, and another 1200 downstairs to study. Yikes.

I liked this exhibit. It was the inside of a NE gunsmith's shop from 1770.

Here is a pistol from Simeon North, 1808, Middleton CT.

Look at this great storefront and interior.

 Here's a piece of the Plains Indian exhibit. So great.

I thought you'd like this, Lakota Sioux 1890.

From a collection of headdresses, Shoshonne plains, 1890.

On our way out we had to stop for a little lesson in roping.

But have to get moving, big shootout in Cody tonight, 6 p.m. and after that the rodeo. Big doings tonight!

If you'd like to see more pics of our trip, go to our website traveloque page, where I've posted quite a few,
http://www.bluedogantiques.com/Travelogue.html

Heartland Antiques show, or how to set up your booth.

I often wonder if our customers know how we go about setting up a booth at an antiques show. So while we were getting ready to set up our booth at the famous Heartland Antiques Show in Richmond IN I took a bunch of pictures. Sort of a before and after.

So here is my space. Looks kind of scary, no? I have the back of those walls and 8' forward, so an 8' x 20' space. OK its 8 a.m and lets get going. First we check in, make sure we have the right space, get our badges, and pay any amount still due. Yes, we do have to pay to be here. Then we have to find the closest place to back in the van, so we don't have to carry all this heavy stuff too far.

Now it's about 45 minutes along. See all that heavy stuff Cy carried in? I of course was doing my assignment, shopping! No, really I helped carry. You can see we have all those orange boxes of smalls, and our folding tables set up and Cy is setting up our walls. Time for a big drink of water, a little sit down, and oh, yeah maybe I'll walk around a little and look and see who's here.

We're not the only ones working here. All the dealers are getting sweaty moving heavy things. Typically they do not have the air on while all the doors are open.

Here its 10 a.m. and we have the wall covers on, the props all set up. I have such a large space I rented an extra table and put my favorite table cover on, army blankets.Maybe a cup of coffee?

Here's a view under the table covers. Guess who? Freckles and Lucy! This is one of the nice shows that let me keep the babies under the tables. Considering the heat, its a blessing.

Here is Steve and Rita Carnine. Looks like they are almost done.Yeah!

Here's Carolyn Thompson and friend Sharon Matson. They are done too. Well, I guess I'll stop walking around and get finished up.

Well, finally done. Looks good no? I unpacked all the smalls, and then hung all the wall stuff on the walls. Then I arranged the smalls on the tables. Then I looked around and found a bunch of stuff that was not priced, so I had to look up the prices and price them. Then put out the sales book and pens, and the measuring tape and the bags and tissue, all ready for that first sale.

Here's the textile and old book nook. I wish you could see the beautiful silk embroidery on the wall better.

Here's the right side of the booth from the aisle, with our last hornbeam. In the background are the hands of tobacco, the leather bags and that barn lantern hanging from an iron chain. Almost done, had a few rearranges due to sales, but hey I'm not complaining. Good luck tomorrow we all say to each other. Now I'm off to look for that barbecue place that looked good last night.
After a full day of waiting on customers tomorrow, we get to do this all over again, but in reverse. Unhang the walls, pack all the smalls back in the orange boxes, take off the wall covers and take down the walls, fold the table covers,and fold up the tables. Then carry all the heavy stuff back out to the car and try and make it all fit back in.

I think we've got everything packed in the car. Almost, but not quite. Look who's patiently waiting! OK babies, come on lets go home! I'm beat.