Grey Roots Museum Visit

Yesterday we headed out to visit Grey Roots Museum on the edge of Owen Sound, a place we really enjoy.  We maintain a family membership for the two of us.  We went for the model railroad day; I've always been intrigued with the historic railways that came to Owen Sound.  I ended up somewhat disappointed, but there was a fascinating exhibit of carving that surprised me.

This was the model railroad, two small trains moving around a large oval 'doughnut' table.   Neat little trains, but somehow I was expecting more.  Sorry, both trains were moving so a little blurry.

There was a talk about the trains coming to Owen Sound we went to as well.  Learned a lot, but there was no good map - and I'm a geographer.

There was a new exhibit of stained glass windows that was nice though.  These are the actual windows removed from the old Desboro United Church, now beautifully restored by museum staff.

I remember sitting in church as a very young child and counting the panes of glass like these in the big windows of the Kilsyth United Church.

And this is the remarkable exhibit of carving, genuine folk art done over many years by Erskine Brown who lived near Kilsyth where my dad grew up and my grandparents lived.  Sorry, these are all in plexiglass cases, so there's some reflection and glare.  This is the carving I like best, 'cause I could just picture a farmer returning from the woodlot with a load of firewood.

A stage coach of sorts.

And a team of eight horses pulling a wagon, a hearse by the looks of it.

I'm absolutely sure that my grandfather had a carving of Erskine's, and I certainly recognized the name.  He was 15 years younger than my grandfather, and 20 years older than my dad, and lived nearby.  It would not have been surprising if they knew one another.  Small world!