The original plan for the day was to relax around the house, doing things like watching a movie, working on a puzzle, playing a game (not on the computer), and going out for ice cream. But plans changed as they tend to do. Yesterday, when we were talking with the millwright at Union Mills, he mentioned that the mill there was similar to the one they have at Mt. Vernon, George Washington's Estate. So we decided it would be interesting to compare the two and maybe reinforce some of the things we learned yesterday. The added bonus was that Ward's father lives nearby, and we could visit him.
But first, we had a French toast breakfast. Another thing that we've been meaning to get around to but haven't for a year or two. No good reason except inertia. One of the motivators for this was to use maple syrup that my father made, starting with tapping the trees. It seemed too precious to use, but he made it to be enjoyed instead of taking up shelf space. So that's what we did. Enjoyed it on French toast.
Below are a few more details of the day.
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| In addition to the French toast, we had bacon, fresh peaches, and blueberries from Aunt Martha's patch. |
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Then it was onto the grist mill at Mt. Vernon.
In the mid-1760s, George Washington changed his major cash crop from tobacco to wheat and other grains. He erected a commercial grist mill to make flour to ship to Europe. This building and the equipment inside are replicas of the original and were built on the same spot as the first one. The mill is fully operational. |
The mill setup was the same as at Union Mills, except the water wheel was inside.
Both used the very efficient Evans method.
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| Next to the mill, George Washington had a distillery-another good use for the grains he was growing. Like the mill, the distillery had been replicated on its original spot and was fully operational. |
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| Ward is examining a worm--inner, copper tubing of the still. Whiskey was the main product. BTW, a pint of whiskey made here costs $100 in the gift shop. |
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Next, we hopped over to my father-in-law's house for lunch and a visit.
I needed a piece of a tree trunk for a project at work, and Ward and his dad were able to help me. |
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| Shortly after we got home, our electricity went out. Luckily, that only lasted for a couple of hours, and it gave me a chance to try out my new LED glow bracelet. It was a giveaway at a library program, and I was surprised to learn that it had a rechargeable battery. |
Well, our staycation is winding down, and it's time to get back to the matters at hand. However, we still may find something fun to do on Sunday. Stay tuned...
