We attended WMSTR (Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion) this past Labor Day weekend. This is the second year in a row for us. Some friends got us started last year, they have been working there for almost ten years. It is a long weekend we have started to look forward to as a family. We camped for five nights and my dad was generous enough to let us use his RV this year. Camping is half the fun of Rollag! The campgrounds fill up in the days and weeks leading up to the show, we all want to get an idea spot. It is nice to have a place to come back to when the afternoon on the show grounds gets hot or tiring. We sit around talking with friends in the evenings, and have made many new friends in the campgrounds.
The campground is some distance from the show grounds, and very far from where worker meals are served, so we travel by tractor. We are quite a sight with up to four tractors in our group carrying nine people up to dinner! Naturally, we only have Olivers.
We spend the days on the show grounds working and taking in all the sights. The entire show is run by volunteers so we do our part to make it fun for everyone. There are displays and demonstrations of many historical activities and items from working steam powered machinery to the 1930's farm to the sawmills to restored homes and shops depicting life in years past. Our friends, Paul and Sara, work primarily in the horsepower farm so we have helped there the most. The men worked on the harvesting aspects of the farm and Sara and I work in the demonstration kitchens. One day we worked in the summer kitchen, a small building traditionally near the farmhouse where cooking activities were moved in the summer to keep the main house cooler. There is a wood stove and we have fun experimenting on it throughout the day. People wander past to observe how life was many years ago. We spend the day cooking and eating. On another day we sign up to cook a traditional farm breakfast in the main farmhouse. People that work on the horsepower farm can sign up to enjoy the meal.
My dad pointed out that the volunteers seem to be enjoying themselves quite a bit. Why wouldn't we? Visitors to the grounds can view all the activities and participate in many different demonstrations but the volunteers get to go behind the ropes and actually do their favorite activities!
Eric's parents came up on Saturday and Sunday. They had never been to Rollag and we're impressed with the size of the grounds and all the activities going on as well as the amount of antique tractors. We spent some time with them Saturday then the kids went back to grandpa and grandma's hotel with them for the night to go swimming. Also Saturday, some other friends came up and camped by us for a couple nights and my dad came for the afternoon. My mom and my sister Rachel came up Friday for my birthday. It is so fun to see my family on my birthday.
The weather was pretty good this year. There was rain forecasted for Saturday through Monday but only happened Sunday night. Saturday had very high winds. Rollag didn't get the steady rain all summer we got farther south this summer so the ground was very dry and dusty. It was a nice day anyway and they reported record attendance!
I'm looking forward to next year and all the fun we will have working and walking around. There is so much to see and do I am sure it will be several years before we have spent time at every display. They encourage workers to dress in period appropriate clothing for the area they work in so I'm going to work on that over the winter. Probably making some pioneer skirts or dresses for Grace and I and getting overalls for Eric and the boys. Also, beyond working on the grounds while the show is going on, members need to complete a minimum of 8 hours of work outside the show. It can consist of anything from maintenance on the grounds to making item to be sold in the Boutique. This year Eric helped build a fence and I made plumb jam to donate to the store. I have a ton of apples from a friend so maybe I'll make something from those.
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