Serro Scotty Enthusiasts
Don't miss out on visiting with members of the Serro Scotty Enthusiasts and members of the National Serro Scotty Association as we welcome them to their first Ramp Rally at the 18th Annual Mason-Dixon Park Ramp Festival.
Artisans of the Month- Fish's Shining Time
When you visit Mason-Dixon Park for our festivals you often walk into the past. At the far corner of our park a snap shot in time is exposed to real life for many to experience how some of our ancestors survived in the wilderness of yesteryear.
The Pre-1840 Rendezvous encampment is a testament to the Mountain Men who cut their way through the wilderness that would make way for future settlers. Here members don't just study history-they live it. This is due to the hard work and dedication of Warren "Fish" Trout and his wife Ellen.
Fish, his family and friends, and other living historians who volunteer at th park bring history alive with their craftsmanship and demonstrations. Fish has been so kind as to lend his knife making skills to the preservation of the park by donating one of his creations this year to our annual raffle.
There will be a small encampment for the Ramp Festival. Everyone within the encampment will be dressed according to Pre-1840 mountain man fashion; Buckskins, breachclouts, prairie dresses, moccasins, etc...
There will be tomahawk and knife throwing demonstrations within the encampment by 'Lil Bear'. You may see the cooking and baking skills of the ladies of the encampment.
Fish is also the Booshway of the Pre-1840 Rendezvous Encampment for the 26th Annual Frontier Festival.
So come out and enjoy some and browse FISH's SHINING TIME for a walk into history. Some of the finely crafted items you will find in the store: Wooden games for children, bracelets, hand made knives, tomahawks, tomahawk handlles, beads, sinew, wood carriers, hats, canvas bags, bracelets, blankets, some furs, and various other historical items.
TROUT STOCKINGS
Click on the state you wish to see the stocking report for in 2008. The Dunkard Creek which crosses the Mason-Dixon Line several times was stocked in the past. While the lucky angler may hook a trout the Dunkard has become near legendary for its musky locally.
April Recipe of the Month -
Easy Appalachian Mountain Wine
This simple recipe can be used with several wild fruits and ingredients.
First - don't use city water... the chlorine used in the treatment of the water will kill the WILD YEAST on your fruit. (elderberries, which kill 12 different flu viruses, sumac, autumn olives, devil's walking stick. and domestic grapes. etc...)
Place fruit in tall plastic bucket, or glass crock, Smash it.
If not enough juice - add natural water to cover fruit; cover with a cloth, agitate often. after a few days or weeks, depending on tempature.
When you notice the foamimg stops - the natural sugars have turned to alcohol.
Now squize the Pummies out of the juce ( stems, seeds, peels)
Put the juice back in original container; ADD enough sugar to
float a FRESH egg. Let this foam now.
After sevral days or weeks, Lees will drift to the bottom. Lees is the sediment on the bottom after fermenting. Siphon off the wine from the "lees"into glass gallon jugs. DO NOT USE METAL CONTAINERS.
On the neck of the gallon , put a thin layerof salad oil - this keeps
out the fruit flies, but lets te CO2 out.
Check often, to see if the gas exchange is still going through the oil.
When it's all done - pick the oil off the top with a medicine dropper. Youcan now siphon the wine from the gallons into bottles.
Pound the corks into the bottles with a rubber mallet. If the last foaming
wasn't done the corks will pop off.
ALL containers must be glass or plastic: no metal !!
by Floratrek
Editors Note: Many of these recipes come from accomplished "Mountain Cooks" who attend the Mason-Dixon Park Festivals. Be sure to look for cook books offered by our vendors for other great recipes.
In the past Mason-Dixon Historical Society has helped sponsored pow-wows that have assisted in educating the public and worked towards the remove of stereotypes many native peoples still face. If you would like to see the Mason-Dixon Park sponsor a Powwow in the future send your comments to our webmaster at Rockforge@aol.com.
Please remember that our events need volunteers and sponsors and if you are interested in assisting with any of our festivals to contact us.
Photo of the Month
The nesting Purple Martins at the Mason-Dixon Park are a real pleasure to watch. Towards the end of the month we will begin seeing the Martins start migrating back to their home here and prepare fo another summer with us.
Gary LaCorte captured this photo last year at the park. Be sure to join us June 28th for the 4th Annual Purple Martin Festival to learn more about these extraordinary migrators.
Thanks to Gary LaCorte for his submission this month. If you have an interesting photo you would like to share email us!
Winter is behind us now as the ramps have started reaching for the sun. We invite you to join us for the largest festival of its kind in the area. This is one of Appalachia's most time honored traditions and we encourage those of you new to ramps to not miss out on this great weekend of Mountain Celebration.
Camping is available on a first come first serve basis for those true outdoor lovers. You will definately find that "home away from home atmosphere" here with us. Spend the weekend with some of the areas hottest groups as they perform live and don't forget admission is free!
Gates will be open each day from 10 am to 5 pm ~Admission is Free~
Live Music featuring Country, Bluegrass, & Gospel beginning each Day at 11 am
Antique Engine Display
Serro Scotty Enthusiasts Ramp Rally
Ramp Wine and Ramp Cheese Tasting
Fresh Mountain Picked Ramps will be for sale
Door Prizes - Full Spring Tonic Menu & much more!
Other Festival Dates - June 28 is the Purple Martin Festival and August 23 & 24 is the Frontier Festival.
Submission Deadlines
All submissions for the following articles should be submitted no later than the 25th of each month:
Living Green, Ye Olde Apothocary, Photo of the Month, Artisan of the Month, Special Announcements.
Advertising should be submitted by the 15th day of the month prior to publication.
Recipes can be submitted at anytime and will be published at random.
Submissions dealing with festivals should be submitted approximately 60 days prior to the festival or sooner if possible.
In honor of blessing of the bounty prepared for us. here are a few passages relating to God's gifts from the beginning. Let us give thanks for his great gifts.
Genesis 1: 11-13
"Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the third day."
Genesis 2:8
"Now the Lord God had planted a garden in in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed."
Genesis 2:15
"Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it."
By "Wild" Liz Harper , presenter of "Wild , Edible Plants & Herbs
Wild Leek (Allium tricoccum)
Wild Leek is also known as Ramp.
Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant, it is a perennial.
Leaves: This plant has basal leaves only. Leaves can reach 30cm in length (12inches). Two entire, wide elliptic.
Flowers: The flowers have 6 Regular Parts. They are white. Blooms first appear in late spring and continue into mid summer. In an umbel opening after the leaves wilt.
Habitat: Rich woods and mountain meadows.
Range: North Dakota to Maine as far south as Georgia in the mountains.
According to the Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants, Cherokees ate the leaves to treat colds, croup, and as a spring tonic. Warm juice of leaves was used for earaches. A strong root decoction was used as an emetic.
Spring is officially here! Cabin fever has all of us needing a good dose of a Traditional Mountain gathering and you will find it at the 18th Annual Mason-Dixon Park Ramp Festival. Meet your friends at the park for family fun and festivities as we get our "Spring Tonic" to get the blood flowing just right for Summer.
2008
Holidays and Observances
Jan 1 New Year's Day
Jan 21 Martin Luther King Day
Feb 14 Valentine's Day
Feb 18 Presidents' Day
Mar 17 St. Patrick's Day
Mar 20 Vernal equinox
Mar 23 Easter Sunday
May 5 Cinco de Mayo
May 11 Mother's Day
May 26 Memorial Day
Jun 15 Father's Day
Jun 20 June Solstice
Jul 4 Independence Day
Sep 1 Labour Day
Sep 11 Patriot Day
Sep 22 Autumnal equinox
Oct 9 Leif Erikson Day
Oct 13 Columbus Day
Oct 31 Halloween
Nov 1 All Saints
Nov 4 Election Day
Nov 11 Veterans Day
Nov 27 Thanksgiving Day
Dec 7 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Dec 21 December Solstice
Dec 25 Christmas Day
Dec 26 Kwanzaa (until Jan 1)
Dec 31 New Year's Eve
Native American Interest - How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire to the People
In the beginning there was no fire, and the world was cold, until the Thunders, who lived up in Galun lati (Gah-lun-lah- tee), sent their lightening and put fire into the bottom of a hollow sycamore tree which grew on an island. The animals knew it was there, because they could see the smoke coming out at the top, but they could not get to it on account of the water, so they held a council to decide what to do. This was in the long ago time, when the animals could talk one to the other.
Every animal that could fly or swim was anxious to go after the fire. The Raven offered, and because he was so large and strong they thought he could surely do the work, so he was sent first. He flew high and far across the water and alighted on the sycamore tree, but while he was wondering what to do next, the heat had scorched all his feathers black, and he was frightened and came back without the fire. The little Screech Owl (wa'huhu [wah-hoo-hoo] ) volunteered to go, and reached the place safely, but while he was looking down into the hollow tree a blast of hot air came up and nearly burned out his eyes. He managed to fly home as best he could, but it was a long time before he could see well, and his eyes are red to this day.
The Hooting Owl (Uguku [OO-goo-koo] ) and the Horned Owl (Tskili [Skee-lee]) went, but by the time they got to the hollow tree, the fire was burning so fiercely the the smoke nearly blinded them, and the ashes carried up by the wind made white rings about their eyes. They had come home again without the fire, but with all the rubbing they were never able to get rid of the white rings.
Now no more of the birds would venture, and so the little Uksuhi (Ook-soo-hee) snake, the black racer, said he would go through the water and bring back some fire. He swam across to the island and crawled through the grass to the tree, and went in by a small hole at the bottom. The smoke and heat were too much for him, too, and after dodging about blindly over the hot ashes until he was almost on fire himself he managed by good luck get out again at the same hole, but his body had been scorched black, and he has ever since had the habit of darting and doubling back on his track as if trying to escape from close quarters. He came back, and the great black snake, Gule'gi (Goo-lay-kee) , "The Climber," offered to go for fire. He swam over to the island and climbed up the tree on the outside, as the blacksnake always does, but when he put his head down into the hole the smoke choked him so that he fell into the burning stump, and before he could climb out again he was as black as the Uksu'hi.
Now they held another council, for still there was no fire, and the world was cold, but birds, snakes, and four footed animals, all had some excuse for not going, because they were all afraid to venture near the burning sycamore, until at last Kanane'ski Amai'yehi (Kah-nah- nay Ah-eye-yay-hee [the Water Spider]) said she would go. This is not the water spider that looks like a mosquito, but other one, with black downy hair and red stripes on her body. She can run on top of the water or dive to the bottom, so there would be no trouble to get over to the island, but the question was, How could she bring back the fire? "I'll manage that," said the Water Spider; so she spun a thread from her body and wove it into a tusti (toos-tee) bowl, which she fastened on her back. Then she crossed over to the island and through the grass to where the fire was still burning. She put one little coal of fire into her bowl, and came back with it, and ever since we have had fire, and the Water Spider still keeps her tusti bowl. That is how fire came to the People.
Cherokee- From a tale reported by James Mooney in the 1890s
April 2008
April showers may bring May flowers, but they also bring clear nights for skywatching. Rain showers clear the air of pollution, pollen, and other particles that can make the sky look murky. And at this time of year, the showers often are generated by cold fronts that keep the air clear and stable. With the combination of moderate temperatures, that makes April nights some of the best of the year for skywatching. Take advantage of them to look for such spring stalwarts as Leo and Virgo. The planet Saturn is in view most of the night, while Jupiter and Venus highlight the pre-dawn hours.
April 1- Jupiter, which looks like a brilliant cream-colored star, is well to the upper right of the Moon at first light, low in the southeast.
April 11- The Moon barely misses bright orange Mars tonight. Mars is just to the left or upper left of the Moon at nightfall, with the “twin” stars of Gemini above them.
April 12- The Moon lines up with the “twins” of Gemini, the stars Pollux and Castor. Mars is below them.
April 14 &15- Saturn and Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, huddle close to the Moon. On the 14th, Regulus is closer to the Moon. On the 15th, Saturn is closer, with both points of light to the upper right of the Moon.
April 21- The Lyrid meteor shower is at its best tonight, although moonlight will overpower most of the fireworks.
April 23- Antares, the brightest star of Scorpius, is just to the left or upper left of the Moon during the early morning hours. They are low in the southwest at dawn.
April 26 & 27- Jupiter and the Moon stage a spectacular encounter in the pre-dawn sky. Brilliant Jupiter is to the left of the Moon on the 26th, and just above the Moon on the 27th.
This information provided by Stardate.org. Learn more at http://stardate.org/nightsky/almanac/
Camping is available at the park throughout the year even when a festival is not being held. It is a nice family atmosphere and is convient to Interstate 79 as well as many local venues of interest. For more information on availability for your unit, family, or group please contact us for open spaces and dates. email
Keeperoftheland@aol.com .
Support the Website
The Mason-Dixon Park is funded completely by volunteers and personal donations. Our website is also counts on volunteers and community businesses through advertising. We depend on supporters like you to help meet our goals. Please take the time to donate to the website today. You can donate online securely by clicking the donate button to the left.
We are excited about our website changes as they offer even more reasons to visit us on a daily basis. Our new features like local weather updates, expanded park news section, and a features of the month on local artisans, craftsman, or businesses are a great way to keep up with your community. Be sure to bookmark our website and return often.
A Special note to Vendors, Crafters, Artisans, & Musicians
Vendors, Crafters & Artisans
Set up is FREE at all of our Festivals. It is on a first come first serve basis with preference given to those loyal participants. Space is limited so please contact us for details. We do our best not to duplicate products through vendors so the competition between participants is avoided to the best of our ability.
Musicians & Bands
Your performance at our Festivals is not a paying gig unless otherwise stated. You are however welcome to bring any related merchandise for you or your group to be sold (CD's, T-Shirts, Buttons, etc...) These items are often requested by the public.
We do reserve the right to refuse
vendors & musical groups.
Rockforge Arts Copyright (c)1998 - 2008 All Rights Reserved. Certain images and print are provided from outside sources and they must be contacted for permission regarding publication.
