During the Winter Months we get ready for the busy summer and fall. The Sisters and even the Elders in the sites are busy making things for Humanitarian needs. Sister Ludwig goes to St. Louis a couple of times a year delivery our items. This trip she took 27 quilts, 209 knit hats, 6 pair gloves, 35 pair slippers, 24 baby blankets, 87 scarves, 5 bandages, 37 pair of baby booties, toys, baby sleepers etc. , in hopes that this will be of help to someone. These are all done in our spare time and donated by the missionaries.
While in the Family Living Center the Elders make about 5,000 ropes for the summer and then make a rope each demonstration during the day.
We dip candles in the winter, to hand out to each child. A good candle maker in 'Old Nauvoo' could make about 200 a day. They were made in a big pot like this one.
The Elders in the Brick Yard, use the clay from right here in Nauvoo, they form their own bricks and take them to the kiln to bake. These racks of bricks are drying before going to the kiln. Thousands of bricks are made each winter. What a souvenir to take home, a 'Nauvoo Brick'.
Down stairs in the 'Nauvoo Visitor Center' is a little kitchen, it has the most delicious smells come from it. This winter 59,613 little ginger bread boys and girls cookies were made in that little kitchen. Each one for a visitor that enters the doors of 'Scoville Bakery'. There a freezer in the kitchen, 1 in the Family Living Center and 1 in the Scoville Bakery completely filled with these cookies. The sisters thought they had made 60,000 but a few got eaten up.
The 'Webb Blacksmith Shop' makes thousands of 'horse shoe nail rings' (which is spoken of as the "Prairie Diamond")duriong the winter months, what a fun ring to wear on your finger, and then they make a small horse shoe, which they make at each demonstration.
Elder Williams organizes 13 'Wagon Rides' each day (every half hour) from 8 am to 3 pm. Each wagon carries 25 people, is that about 325 people. And then 7 carriage rides a day which takes about 175 people. There are 31 teamsters and 18 head of horses. Over 500 people go on these rides each day during the summer months.
The summer time is here now, so as well as being ready for our guests, Nauvoo is also ready with a beautiful array of colors. What a gorgeous place to be.
