Columbus Horse and Carriage Festival

In this blog:

-Where's Rod
 -my gripe with the Columbus Horse and Carriage Festival
  -a WONDERFUL meeting at the above festival makes me happy
   -Abe Lincoln and friends
    -A surprise meeting on the road  from Vermont to California
---------------------------
This Week
It's The Big Move week.  I'm moving my mom that has lived in Fort Atkinson for 60 years to Springfield IL.  My brother purchased a foreclosed house, gutted it and they will live together (he un-gutted it I should add).  So this week I'll be out of town for a while - should be back Thursday.
-----------------------------
Columbus Horse and Carriage Festival - does not want me 
Once again the people running the Columbus Horse and Carriage Festival  are SO anal about making money that I was warned four times to NOT take any photos "we have professional photographers already".   In fact I was not even allowed to be on the veranda of the Pavilion to take a shot of the park, it was for special people that paid $20 to have lunch with Lincoln (this was 2 hours before Lincoln was even at the park).  sigh.

This is the third carriage event I have been shunned - it's not like I'm going to steal all of their business. I'm sure they do just fine.  Well, last year a couple times I sold canvas prints 3 months later because attendees could not get in touch with the official photographers - calls went ignored and emails were never answered.  So I sold a couple canvas pieces.  Hey - they contact ME, I don't contact them! (this seems to be happening more and more often). 

Perhaps they should have a sign telling the public that if you might sell a photo to just turn around and walk away.

OK - I got that off my chest for another year!I'll probably whine next year also.

 BTW - The American Family Restaurant was selling some of the best tacos I have ever had in my life!!!

OH - here is a shot I took ( I was disguised as a tree holding a camera). 

-------------------------------------------------------------- 

a WONDERFUL meeting

I'm reading a wonderful book called "Men of Iron: Stories of the Civil War in their Own Words".

This is a book that was written by Ken Helgerson who grew up on a farm near Columbus.  He passed away about a year ago and his wife Marcia and her friends, May Johnson and Molly Hahn, who saw Marcia through those hard times, spent the next six months completing and publishing Kens dream.

Molly, Marcia & May or May Marcia & Molly (sorry) - now you see why I don't work at the newspaper

This is an excellent book about the Wisconsin Iron Brigade, The Black Hats,  which in my mind saved the Civil War for the North at Gettysburg.  Many interesting 1st person accounts. Who knew Columbus was trying to form a brigade called The Columbus Union Guards.  I've only read 25 pages so far but already love how the book flows so easily through my eyes.

I had such a nice conversation with these three woman and they are so so sweet.   Please, if you are at all interested in Wisconsin history and want to help Kens dream come true purchase this book and pass it on. It's self published

Men of Iron can be purchased at Amazon or at Civil War reenactments.  

 One review "Men of Iron by Ken and Marcia Helgerson is a delightful look at the common soldiers of the Upper Midwest in the Civil War, especially those serving in the famous Iron Brigade of the West. The stories are from the very soldiers themselves. First you read the words and then you start to hear the voices. This is a first-rate addition to the historical record of the Black Hats."

After being in a bad mood from the Festival these three woman put the sun back over my head and I smile thinking of them.  I wish them all the luck and will help them in their endeavors however I can.

Note1 - Molly Hahn also has a small business as a Personal Fiscal Agent - she provides financial service for the elderly, writing and mailing checks, balancing their checkbooks, filling out forms and so forth.  This is something DJ and I have been doing for our parents and is a very needed service.  Molly is located in Sun Prairie.

molly.v.hahn@gmail.com

Note2 - Marcie owns The Enchanted Valley Bed and Breakfast in Cross Plains.

 I still took a few photos!
---------------------------------------

A funny thing happened to three guys on a bike ride from Vermont to California.  They were riding down Hwy 89 and came to a small town called Columbus.  They spotted a few tents in the back of the High School and stopped to see if they could pitch their tents also.

The Union Solders said why sure they could.

Who knew that 12 hours later they would be wearing Civil War uniforms and eating breakfast with Abe Lincoln and Ulysses S Grant.  SURPRISE!!!

 
Oh - and I did manage to get some shots of Abe.

This is one with Lincoln and Grant.

I have more but I almost want them to have their own blog!

And I have not even talked about my golf outing with WISC-TV (or gotten to all THOSE photos).

Have a great next few days and I'll get back to you on the GOOD shots  :-)

Rod