Communing with the Past

If you saw Friday evening's Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, welcome to FWWMworld blog! If that's the reason you're checking in today, then I'm doing my job pretty well. As Fort Walla Walla Museum's Communication's Manager, it's my duty to get the word out about all that goes on at the Museum.

To be sure, this is a great deal of fun. I'm a writer by trade, so cranking out news releases is something where I get paid to do that which I love. I also get to design the ads we run in several publications, something that took a bit of training in certain softwares, but also allows me to take my photography to new levels. We feel that ads featuring people are far more interesting than those that don't. In a world crammed with messages that require reading skills, fitting the Museum into someone's view-finder is a hard-to-master trick.

My standard of reference is a trip to the grocer's. There are things in the parking lot to grab your attention; signage on the floor; a blizzard of signs hanging from shelves, racks, and bins; signs sticking out from the shelves that impede two-way traffice in the aisles; and signs with flashing lights. A narrow passageway at the check-out is crammed with eye-catching non-essentials and even in-store messaging can be heard to distract you from your errand. That's a lot of competition for your neighborhood not-for-profit corner museum and it's everywhere we go.

Fortunately, you can leave all that behind when you vist the Museum. An hour or two in our pioneer settlement is to be transported back to a more genteel age. Hurrying won't get you there any quicker, the senses aren't constantly assaulted with a commercial blitz, and a chat with a friend makes time almost stand still. This is something you can't get many places anymore and while it comes with a price tag, the price hasn't changed in several years.

Do yourself a favor ... take a break from the rat race and catch up with your roots. Finding out about the legacy the community has inherited from the past is a great bonding experience for you and the kids or grandkids, out-of-town visitors, the next door neighbor ... even your in-laws. It's an experience you'll long treasure.

Hoo-Rah and Up She Rises!

Much of the staff ... Jim, Anne, Don, and myself ... arrive before 8:00 am each weekday to get underway. Early birds, to be sure, but these days we're Johnnies-come-lateley. Every morning the construction gang is already here and hard at work.

It's a sight to see. The first thing most of us notice is the "missing" building. The view to the VA off in the east seems much closer than it did when Exhibit Hall 1 was in place. Soon, the current view will be blocked by the ever-progressing new structure, but we're cognizant of the fact that this will become the view when the Entrance building is completed. The VA, of course, is on the grounds of the old military Fort Walla Walla, the cornerstone of the commmunity's development. That connection with our heritage ... and namesake ... is an intereting and desirable thing for us.

The construction guys are pouring footings and walls and doing things with machines I can't even describe, let alone know what their called. We're just aware that progress is on the march and we couldn't be happier. We invite you to share the happiness with us ... come on out and check the construction for yourself ... my grandson in Portland, Nikos, would dearly love to see the big earth-moving equipment at work. We're still actively fundraising for the project and we'd love it if you shared that with us, too. Call the Museum at 509.525.7703 to see how you can help.

Snow, man!

Snow?!? Waking up yesterday was a bit of a shock. Having moved here from Montana nearly a dozen years ago, snow in March was hardly unusual ... nor is April or even May blizzards. In the years I lived in that state, I saw it snow on every major holiday. But a late March snow in Walla Walla seems like something our grandparents would have referred to from the 'old days.'

Snow or rain (but not gloom of night), Museum work continues. Each year we take a day to shoot new photos of our Living History participants so that they'll look fresh in newspaper articles, web site postings, and wherever else they might appear. In the past, we did the shoot in late February and it seemed that more often than not we were dodging cold rain or snow flurries under an overcast sky that was hardly repesentative of local weather during the bulk of our season. We try hard to portray the community in its best light (no pun intended), knowing that our many guests from 'the wet side' travel this far to enjoy dry, sunny weather. Shooting in the gloom largely defeats that purpose.

This year we pushed picture day back a month to try to take advantage of better weather. Saturday's day-long rain and Sunday's snow nearly doused that hope, but by Sunday afternoon the clouds parted and things had warmed up. A goodly number of the Company arrived for group and individual portraits, including Chloe, the first kid we've seen in the Company for awhile. All dressed up in 'Sunday-go-to-Meetin' pioneer garb, she was quite a lovely sight.

Today is gloriously sunny ... out my office window I can see the farthest windmills on the ridge west of town, even see the blades rotating. That means its quite clear today, so let's all get out when we can and enjoy as much of the day as possible. It's Spring Break for Washington School kids and teachers and the Museum opens April 1 for visitation. Looks like a good opportunity to have a little family fun at Fort Walla Walla Museum!

Grandparents

Grandparents and grandchildren ... is there a more wonderful bond that exists in the world? Grandparents often are beyond the angst of child-rearing and the duties of discipline that fall more heavily on parents. Children get a little more freedom, but are still under the auspices of caring adults. For kids, the concept of their parents' parents is wonderful to explore ... "these are the people who knew my mom when she was my age."

We see lots of grandparent-grandchildren visitors at Fort Walla Walla Museum and we try to do our part to encourage that. The concept of the wisdom of elders being shared with a new generation is the foundation of human progress. On Grandparents Day, Sunday, September 13, the Museum offers free admission to all children under 12 who arrive with one or more grandparent. Day in/day out, the Museum offers a senior discount at $6 for those 62 and above and charges kids 6-12 just $3; kids under 6 get in free.

It's important for kids to know that many things they take for granted requires a lot of hands-on labor. Food doesn't magically arrive at the store, nor do their toys and clothes. Being able to equate their labor with productivity is a good way to ensure that things keep rollin' along the way they ought to.

Don't wait for a special occasion. We all know that parents are frightfully busy these days, so if you have an afternoon, grab your young ones and bring 'em out to the Museum. It's educational, it's fun, and it's a wonderful way to show those special kids how much you care about them.

Heritage Day

We still have nearly five weeks before our visitation season officially begins, but the staff is working hard to get ready for the season. One of the things we're most looking forward to is a change in the schedule for September. We moved our annual Fall Harvest Festival back a week, so that this year it will happen on Sep. 26-27. We saw an unusually cold and rainy event last year, so we'll keep our fingers crossed for fair weather in 2009.

What makes things exciting thins year is the hopeful realization of a dream. We recognize the amazing diversity in our community and are also aware of that diversity over time.

We have long thought to portray a 'heritage day,' wherein all the various components that make up the patchwork quilt of our home can come together to share that which each group feels is its own distinguishing characteristics. Whether language, faith, music, dance, or food, those things that identify us as unique are also characteristics that identify as all belonging to humanity. What a wonderful thing to share our separate perspectives with our neighbors so that our understanding and appreciation of all that makes this a great area to live, work and play can flourish and grow!

Does your group have something to offer?

Call us at 509.525.7703!