Civil War Comes to Hale Farm!

The Union cavalry, decked out in official uniforms, began their march through the streets of the village on their way to prepare for the battle that was drawing near. The horses seemed anxious but the soldiers appeared calm and ready to engage the enemy.



On the opposite side of the road the Confederate foot soldiers were also making their preparations for battle. They appeared more 'ragtag,' wearing makeshift clothes put together to make somewhat of an official uniform.

While the soldiers march and prepare for battle the two Confederate officers make plans for bringing in the canon. (Our guest, Doug Taylor in the white hat and long coat is the Lt. Colonel of the Confederate regiment and is in charge of the company canon.)

The battle began with gunfire in the distant woods and soon escalated into the open field. The lines were drawn with the Confederate and Union troops standing opp     opposite each other and firing on command.



The Union cavalry soon arrived from the neighboring woods where they had been grouping and swooped down to attack the Confederate infantry, sending the foot soldiers scattering in all directions.


The battle intensified with horses and men scurrying in all directions and

more smoke began to fill the air.

                                                   But wait!!! All is not lost with the Confederates as the Lt. Colonel and his troops brought in the big canon and began blasting rounds at the Union line, forcing the foot soldiers and the cavalry to scatter. Perhaps the tide would turn and the Confederates would get the upper hand.

The Confederate canon brigade keeps firing.

And the canon smoke soon fills the field with smoke, sending some of it into the air to form smoke ring signals, as if calling out to someone to send reinforcements.

The field is now so thick with smoke from the canon that soldiers could not identify who was on what side, Union or Confederate.

                                                   But the Union cavalry soon regroups and in one final charge they are able    to overpower the Confederate canon and claim the victory.

Back in the village, the Union army celebrated its victory as the fife and drum corp played for all to hear. The battle ended and camp life got back to normal.

                                                          Our guests, Doug and Debbie, invited us to be their guests at the evening Civil War reenactors dinner which the women prepared while the men were involved in battle. And a fabulous meal it was! Jambalaya fit for a king along with fresh baked corn bread made in the authentic Hope oven and cobbler to top every thing off! We had seconds and needless to say, we did not leave hungry!  Reenactors must be authentic down to every detail so when you attend one, you will see life as it was really lived in the 1860's.

This was, by far, the best Civil War reenactment that we have attended and because, for the next 4 years, our country will be commemorating the 150th anniversary of this war, we would highly recommend that you make plans to attend a reenactment next summer or the next 3 summers. There will be a huge reenactment at Gettysburg in July of 2013. Doug and Debbie will definitely be there. And we want to thank Doug and Debbie for the great time we had in August at Hale Farm! They will be there next year so make your plans now for next August. One more great thing to do in Northeast Ohio!!!! 

                                                      

Debbie Kopnitsky at the stove!! Great meal Debbie! Thanks so much!                                                      

Fun Time in Cleveland!

Last week we took a one day 'staycation' and ventured into downtown Cleveland! We already know a lot about Cleveland but thanks to a Groupon that I purchased, we had two tickets for the Cleveland Trolley Tour. Our tour started at 2:00 at Nautica in the Flats area of Cleveland and was due to last for 2  hours. Now I know that some people make jokes and get a good laugh at Cleveland's expense and this made us wonder if there really could be any new facts to learn about our neighboring big city which, by the way, is only about a 40 minute drive from Oberlin.

So let me wet your appetite with a few new and refreshed facts that I learned  about Cleveland!

• Our Playhouse Square is the second largest performing arts center in the US after Lincoln Center in New York! We have 5 theaters all grouped together on Euclid Ave. with performances going continuous.
• In the past, Euclid Ave. was known as Millionaire Row with houses built by John D. Rochefellar, the Brush Electric family, the Murphy Oil family, and the Sherwin Williams family to name but a few.
• Of course we have the fabulous Severance Hall which is home to the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Art Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Crawford Auto Museum all grouped in the area of Case Western University.
• There is the Rockefeller Greenhouse with 27 acres of plants under glass and also the Cleveland Holden Arboretum. 
• The Cleveland Clinic is the number 1 heart hospital in the country.
• All of the 27 nationalities represented in Cleveland have constructed unique cultural gardens along Martin Luther King Blvd.
• Two great areas to explore are Ohio City and the Tremont area, home to The Christmas Story House.
• Can't miss the Great Lakes Brewery and the historical West Side Market, the best in the country!

 After the tour, you can drive back up to the 4th Street area and check out one of the fabulous restaurants. Cleveland  is now known as a great place for culinary adventure!

And that's just the beginning of the story!
For the rest of the tour you will have to plan your 'staycation' on Lolley the Trolley in Cleveland! We were surprised and impressed with all that is going on in downtown Cleveland. Things to come include the Casino, the Medical Mart, and much, much more! Come and be a part of our great northeast Ohio! We cannot be laughed at any more!

Cleveland really does rock!!!