Buck Skinners' Rendevous at Sawdust Days

Native-American-type dresses made of very soft leather.

On the weekends around the 4th of July here in Oshkosh, we have something called Sawdust Days at Menomonee Park on the shores of Lake Winnebago. They call it Sawdust Days because Oshkosh used to be a huge lumber town back in the day. In the park, there's a Carnival atmosphere on one side of the bridge, and a Buckskinner Rendevous on the other side. I usually go to the buckskinner side, but avoid the carnival side.

The BuckSkinner side is pretty interesting--It's Living History--except it smells better than days of old. People bring old-timey tents (the re-enactors get to camp right by the lake which never happens for anyone else any other time of the year!). They dress up like it's the 1700s, the fur-trapping era--a real part of history for Wisconsin. There are metal smiths smithing, and selling their wares, leather and furs for sale, all sorts of shells and beads, and other things that people would have traded in those days--all laid out on blankets, or hanging as if in a real trading post. For food, they sell kettle corn, and Doc's wild rice soup, and Indian fry bread, Indian tacos, Sasparilla (in addition to the requisite brats, beer, and burgers). There's some Native American representation there, too.


I'm not a big fan of smoking, but this man's pipe tobacco smelled really good! We stayed and talked with him for quite a while. He was doing New York Times crossword puzzles in between customers. He also had the greatest fur mittens -- they would have been GREAT for walking dogs on the coldest of winter nights. No--I didn't buy any. I did buy a scrap of leather from him though :


This year, I'm looking for some leather to make more journal covers. I found a suitable piece of cow hide at a reasonable price. I also found some skull beads for the Baba Yaga quilt I'll make some day. The shiny black beads are hematite, also destined for a quilt. And the African Porcupine quills my Mom asked me to pick up which she uses for quilting. Pretty good haul, I'd say!


Someday, I'll get a sheepskin to cover my rocking chair--but so far, I haven't wanted to spend the $85 that would cost me. I do go over and "pet" them every year.


This very gentle man was selling gemstones and beads. He looks rough, needed some dental work. A real character, but he seemed very kind and gentle-hearted. Oliver and I bought some gemstones from him. In fact, Oliver really wants the amythest I bought ...


One year I bought a beautiful knife--handmade by a real artisan, with a deer antler for a handle. It's just beautiful! I'm glad I got it because that guy has not been back since.



Note : Most of the photos in this entry were taken by Jef Decker on my Olympus digital camera. Thanks Jef for capturing the Rendevous!