2014 Family Excursion - A Monumental Vacation

Some trips are day trips, some trips are longer.  This trip to the Northern frozen prairie to find and learn about our Norwegian roots was of Mammoth proportions!  Literally.  We woke up to temperatures around ZERO and called to check road conditions.  A fresh blanket of snow on the ground had us a bit concerned about our planned itinerary for the day, but alas, snow plows were rolling and sand and salt being broadcast.  We loaded up the bus and my brother's rental vehicle and embarked upon a frozen adventure.

We drove out into the hinterlands, taking the advice of my great uncle (my grandfather, "Poppy's") advice to never let the vehicles get below half a tank.  A supplement to that admonition was that if we run off the road, stay in the vehicle. Do not get out and try to walk.  We heeded the former tip and fortunately, did not need the latter.  We saw buffalo on the side of a hill on the way to Hot Springs.

Hot Springs was where the Mammoth dig was - Check it Out!.  This site that they are currently excavating was discovered on accident when bulldozing for a home site.  Bones were unearthed and an archaeologist was summoned and lo and behold, "Thar's mammoths in them thar hills!"  Our tour guide told us that thousands of years ago a cave collapsed, creating a sinkhole at the surface level. There was a spring that bubbled up warm water and was an attraction for beasts of the day, primarily Columbian mammoths and woolly mammoths.  They would come to drink, get in the water and discover that the embankment is too steep and there's no way out.  I've felt like I was in that predicament a time or two.  Over time sediments washed into the sinkhole, covering the remains. Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

The boys on the trip especially liked this stop and I know from experience that they have embarked upon numerous archaeological digs in their back yards.  One item of interest (or snarky comment) that our tour guide shared with us is that to date they have uncovered 61 mammoths.  They did tests to see the gender of the mammoths and amazingly, they were all male.  Not a single female in the bunch.  She made some inference that the males were stupid.  I didn't like that comment.  Not one bit. Of course everyone knows the females pushed them in.

Diggin' up bones...

We drifted around the lab and exhibits and as all tours do, it ended in the gift shop. I spotted this woman, presumably from the Pleistocene era in full buffalo head regalia.  It looked dually warm and fashionable, but I could not talk cave woman into purchasing it, so we left.

Nanook of the North

Our journey was only beginning, we assembled around our transportation and did headcounts, a necessity when travelling with a roving, nomadic band of 17.  The roads became steep as we got further into the Black Hills.  You would think that they were treacherous (and they probably were) but we prayed to start each day and thought happy thoughts.  Mention of the Donner Party were strictly forbidden.

Ice Road Truckers

We came around a bend in the road, errr, ice trail and saw Mount Rushmore in all her glory, carved into the granite face of the mountain.  This was one of our two monumental outings of the day.

Here are some happy travelers - Benjamin, Laura Lee and Russ hanging with the guys.  There weren't many tourists today.  Hmmm... I wonder why.

We coerced a kind and brave soul to take a panoramic shot of the family.  Note that the heads of stone are in the background - not the foreground.  (Ba dum bum!)

Sonnier's and Fawcett's

Gutzon Borglum carved this masterpiece that took 14 years to complete for a total cost just shy of 1 million dollars and remarkably, no one lost their life in the process. The great men on the mountain are there because they each played a notable role in preserving the nation and expanding its territory.  I really liked this quote from President George Washington.  He's right.  It is an experiment entrusted to the American people and I trust we don't let him down.

Let freedom ring

One very interesting thing I learned while there is that the sculpture requires maintenance.  Cracks and fissures appear in the carvings and they must be filled with a special caulk, linseed oil and then granite dust that causes the cracks to not be noticeable from a distance.  This was a teachable moment.  All of us individually, as a group, as a family, in our marriages, may appear to have it all together.  From a distance, things look good, but we have cracks that must be repaired often to keep the cracks from deepening and ruining the 'masterpiece.'  The fissures can be repaired and healed structurally and cosmetically.  Although healed, the cracks are still there underneath, noticeable if you know what you are looking for - serving as a reminder of our weaknesses and the fact that maintenance is needed in families, friendships and marriages. 

Mrs. Tricia and me at Mount Rushmore

With the sun quickly going down, we motored as swiftly as our team of oxen would travel over the mountain pass to Crazy Horse.  This was truly an inspiration to me. This sculpture began back in 1948 as Chief Standing Bear asked Korczak Ziolkowski to carve a sculpture of the Native Americans' hero, Crazy Horse.  So began a dream that Korczak and his entire family have devoted their lives to. It is not near finished, and although Korczak and his wife both passed away, the family members picked up the torch and carry the dream on.  In fact, a sign emblazoned on the door reminds tourists to "Keep Your Dreams Alive!"

Although it was getting dark, I took the picture below that shows the sculpture as it now stands.  The face is complete and you can make out his outstretched arm.  He stated when asked where his lands were, that "My lands lie where our people's dead are buried."  Two nice lessons here, first on keeping the family together and striving toward a goal or a dream, whatever it might be, regardless of how long it might take to achieve it.  We tend to have short term goals that have an end in sight. Korczak's family carries on a dream that spans generations.  

A little dark, but you can make it out

Another lesson is on the importance that the Native Americans placed on family and the honor and respect that they hold on their elders, learning from them.  If we don't learn from history, we are condemned to repeat it. Even though it is an oft repeated cliche - it is true.

This undertaking is done without a penny of federal or state monies and is supported wholly by the generosity of tourists.  Here is what the sculpture will look like when it is done.  It will be the largest sculpture in the world.

I was also impressed to learn that these tough people, in addition to waking up every morning to blow rocks off a mountain, they also milked their own herd of dairy cows.

At a local Wal Mart we purchased a couple of sleds - a circular one like one on the "Christmas Vacation" movies and another long one with handles.  The boys slid down the hill that they had slid on the previous night in the shopping cart they commandeered.

Whee!

They bored quickly of the tame slope and sought out a steep one on fenced in property adjacent to the hotel.  Wow!  That blur you see on the center left is a member of our crew speeding down the course. I have no doubt that you are looking at the luge team for the next Winter Olympiad.

Tomorrow I'll bring you up to date with the travels as we see one more thing and then slide eastward across the state to visit the old family farm, home site, barn, and one room school house.

2014 Family Heritage Vacation - Because Getting There's Half the Fun

Following up from Yesterday's Post, we made great time, flying across the Mid-western prairie.  If I had a dollar for every round bale of hay we saw stacked up in fields, I'd be a very wealthy guy. Immense fields of harvested corn with center pivot irrigation systems lay barren and dormant until next Spring.  We passed beautiful old farmhouses with picturesque barns with the northern side of the property lines planted with evergreen trees serving as a windbreak from the harsh northern winds that batter the occupants of the farmhouses.  Mom told us stories about how these folks have storm cellars and preserve food and store it away.  Strong people. Survivors.  Out on the prairie it is a long way away from Wal Mart.  One must be rugged and self sufficient to live like this.

As we trekked further north, it got colder and colder.  We crossed bridges over rivers that were packed with ice and traveled through quaint little agricultural communities.  We had fun in the van, laughing and pointing out things we saw like deer and pheasant and more license plates to scratch off the list of our license plate game.

Happy Travelers

The road warriors forged ahead and vowed not to rest until we made it to South Dakota.  It wasn't long after dark before we crossed over a frozen Missouri River and into South Dakota.  We made it to our destination state, but the adventure was just beginning.

In the morning we woke up and journeyed to Mitchell, SD, home of the Corn Palace.  The Corn Palace is a community arena that has a mural on it completely made of corn.  A new decoration is put up every year.  It was first done in 1892 to encourage settlers to come to South Dakota and farm the rich soil.  South Dakota is an interesting state, still very true to its agricultural heritage.  There are some tough folk in this state.  People who tamed the prairie and still stand strong against harsh winters and weather conditions that aren't for the faint of heart.

The Nine Young 'Uns with Cornelius, the Corn Palace Mascot

Like the Griswalds in "Family Vacation" pulling up to a closed Wally World, we sort of groaned to see the building boarded up with signs saying - Closed for the Season, but then the kids picked up snow and had a good snowball fight.

The Mitchell Corn Palace

We stopped at a lunch spot on the Missouri River called Al's Oasis and had lunch. Most of the crew had real Buffalo Burgers and others had Indian tacos with buffalo meat.  Afterward, the boys talked the waitress into giving them some bread to go feed the hundreds of Canada Geese that were out on a pond in back of the restaurant.  They had a lot of fun feeding those big honking birds.

Canada Geese

We pressed on to Wall Drug Store.  Wall Drug is a neat drug store in a small town that is of international acclaim.  Billboards for miles and miles and miles tell you of its existence and proves that marketing works.  In fact, the Drug Store/Mall/Souvenir emporium was made famous many years ago by offering free ice water for those hot and thirsty tourists en route to the newly opened Mount Rushmore.

Free ice water anyone?

Being that it was cold we opted instead for a cup of coffee for a nickel.  We also had an apple scone and some freshly made cake donuts.  The boys bought themselves knives and other stuff with their souvenir money.

Coffee for a Nickel

We were admiring icicles hanging on the eaves that were literally two feet long. Benjamin stood up on top of a planter and broke one off.

It looked like a tomahawk.

We drove from there on into Rapid City where the snow began falling in big, fluffy snowflakes, much to the kids' delight.

They found a shopping cart behind a restaurant and began pushing one another down an embankment.

Mom and Dad enjoyed the snowfall as well.  It was five degrees with much colder weather on the way...

The boys found the hot tub and were relaxing and enjoying themselves in the hot water...

When my brother and his wife drove up after flying in to Rapid City and renting a car, they hopped out of the hot tub and ran across the parking lot all barefooted and one with no shirt on to greet them.

Isn't that a cool thing?  Family members will run barefooted and bare-chested across a snow covered parking lot in five degree weather just to tell you hello.

2014 Family Heritage Trip

The family.  We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~ Erma Bombeck

2014 Family Heritage Trip or Our Excellent AdVANture.
My Mom's side of the family is Norwegian.  Her Dad's ancestors immigrated from Norway and settled in South Dakota.  They lived on a farm.  Life was hard.  The weather was harder.  We wanted to learn more about the history and life of our ancestors that is so different from our own.  The family name is Sneve (rhymes with gravy).  My grandfather, just prior to WWII, was sent from his home in South Dakota to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana for training in the US Army. My grandmother met him at a USO dance, they married and the rest is history.  History is interesting and by studying it, we learn from it.

My Mom figured it would be a good idea for our family to embark upon a pilgrimage back to South Dakota, to the old family farm and home place, to learn about our family heritage and perhaps to learn a bit about ourselves in the process. Mom & Dad rented a 15 passenger van for the journey and also have a chase vehicle that would serve as a 'time out' vehicle, if needed. In addition to Tricia and me and our three kids,  the pilgrims included my sister and her husband and their six boys, ranging in ages from 5 to 15,  My brother and his wife, and my Mom & Dad.  That makes 17 of us.  Lots of people and suitcases...

The Van

We prayed for traveling mercies prior to embarking on our journey and then hit the road, planning to make it somewhere in Oklahoma by nightfall.

May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back...

Bathroom breaks are hard logistically when travelling with a large group as sometimes restrooms aren't built to accommodate you and this results in long lines, but this minor inconvenience was dealt with in a patient and in orderly fashion. 

I've got to go!

We reinstated an old family tradition that my grandmother (Bumby) used to do for us when we were kids on family vacation to keep us from becoming too impatient on the drive.  At various intervals, Bumby would have bags for us to open with trivia, games, snacks and other things to keep us occupied.  We called them 'Bumby-bags' and at each new State we entered, we learned about the state flower, state insect, amphibian, tree, we sang the state song and then enjoyed a snack that had something to do with that state.  We also passed out papers with all the state names on it and commenced the 'license plate game' where we began marking off the names of all the states as we saw a vehicle from each state.

Opening the Bumby bag

We stopped at the Texas Welcome Center for lunch and picnicked, eating lots of leftovers from the holidays.  It was a huge spread of food, but our merry band consumes copious quantities of food.

Packing a picnic lunch

That night we drove to a hotel just south of Oklahoma City before we stopped and we unpacked the luggage and occupants of the vehicles.  It was a long trek and we weren't near there, but we were excited about the adventure that lay before us. 

Unpacking

The very next morning we were awakened to something that had the pilgrims worked up into a frenetic frenzy - SNOW!

A wintry wonderland

We wiped the windows clear and loaded up, ready to make it to northern Nebraska or South Dakota on the very next day.

Washing the windows

After the first day, we had driven 500 miles and gone from 71 degrees to 30 degrees. We were seeing landscape that was different from south Louisiana - rolling hills and wide open spaces.  We sang country music... loudly.  We ate lots of chex mix and spit lots of sunflower seed shells into cups. Aside from a few close calls, we were all still talking to one another despite very close proximity to one another and foul smells from the back of the van that I won't go into any more detail about.  After the first day we learned that while we are all different, we all share a common bond and a love for one another.  Who are we?  Where did we come from?  Is it possible to develop a craving for lutefisk?  Answers to come as we head further north.

Agricultural Greatness of the United States of America

Old School Crops Image Credit

Armour & Company put out the really cool map of the United States shown above way back in 1922. I stumbled across it on the Internet.  It states that the greatness of the United States is founded on agriculture.  I like the map.  If you focus in on Louisiana (where we live) it shows rice, swine, sugar cane, and fish being the primary crops.  I would think that most of those are the same, although probably sweet potatoes and definitely crawfish should be added.

Up in the top right hand side of the map above Michigan and New York, there is an interesting quote by L. Ogden Armour:

"Livestock represents about one third of the value of all farm products.  They play an essential part in maintaining the fertility of the soil.  Also they consume crops which humans could not consume, and by turning these crops into meat, they make them valuable.  Successful agriculture is largely dependent on livestock and the growing of livestock is in turn dependent on successful marketing of the meat animals.  Because nearly all industries depend on agriculture, the prosperity of the entire nation is inseparably linked to the marketing of meat and other animal products through the packing industry."

 Mr. Armour made an important statement when he talked about the way that animals and crops are dependent upon each other and both play an important role in agriculture.  I like the way they are inter-related and create a wonderful cycle that minimizes waste and also improves the soil instead of depleting it.

I want to talk about this a little more at a later time.  I find it very interesting in how much agriculture changed between the time that this map was printed and today.

An Old Fashioned Stump Grinder

Stump Be Gone!

We had three water oak trees that died in the side pasture a couple months ago and we chronicled how we brought them down in a couple of earlier posts.  We hauled off the branches and threw them on the burn pile that we burned in the big bonfire over Thanksgiving. All of the wood itself was cut into size perfect for firewood and we'll split that later and stack it.  It is so nice to have the dead trees out of the way.

One problem that remains, though, is the stumps.  The stumps present an obstacle that you have to drive around when putting out hay.  Time for the stumps to be removed.  You can rent a stump grinder and grind them for a hefty sum OR you can do it the old fashioned way.  I told my boys that back in the pioneer days, the settlers had to clear the land and remove the stumps before opening up tillable land to farm and survive.  There was no stump grinder to rent.

They did it with an ax or cross cut saw and with maybe the assistance of an ox or mule.  We got the ax out and worked and worked until we had the stump cut down pretty close to ground level.  We then picked up all of the wood chips, stacked them around the stump along with sticks and made a big fire on top of the remaining stump.  It was a nice time to sit around the fire and talk and enjoy the outdoors.  As you can see in the picture above, even the pioneer woman came out and joined us. She's actually sitting on the next stump that we'll remove using the exact same process.

When the coals from the fire cooled, the stump was exactly at ground level.  No more obstacle.  You can drive right over it.  In time it will rot and will leave a hole there that I'll need to fill, but for the time being, we're pleased.  There are easier and faster ways to remove a stump that's in the way - that's for sure, but those methods don't nearly give you the sense of pride in our accomplishment or allow you to work up the appetite that we did in the process.

Emmanuel

Isaiah 9:6-7New American Standard Bible (NASB)

6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

Image Credit

700 years had passed since the prophecy had been given.  700 long years.  People had lost hope. People had given up.  In the Gospel of Luke, we are told that and angel of the Lord came to Zacharias and Elizabeth to tell them that Elizabeth would give birth to a son they were to name John who would be a forerunner before the Christ.  Specifically, "he would turn the hearts of the Fathers back to their Children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."  

John didn't have a job that would make him popular.  He would call people to repent.  He would point out their sins and tell them to turn away from them. People don't like to be judged or have their sins pointed out to them.  But he did exactly that.  Jesus was born and began His earthly ministry.  He changed the world.  His very name, Emmanuel, means "God with us" and indeed He is.  God came down and lived with us, He died, and ascended into Heaven.  Before He left us, He reaffirmed His very namesake.  He said, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  

Almost 2,000 years have passed since He left, promising to return.  Some have lost hope.  Some have given up.  2 Peter 3 tells us that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking and following their evil desires.  They'll say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again?  Since our ancestors, things remain the same." He first came as a baby, a humble, suffering servant.  When He returns, He'll return in great glory and power.

Oh He is true to His word.  He'll return.  The question is: Will He find faith on the earth when He returns?  I pray that He'll find me faithful. 

Holiday Baking and Family Time

With each year that passes, I become more and more appreciative of times when the whole family is able to get together.  I've consciously reminded myself to not take for granted the moments when everyone is under one roof.  Two kids in college means that those times are rare and fleeting.  I've tried to maximize the enjoyment of those times and realize that the dividends those family times pay in terms of memories and joy are unparalleled with any material thing.

We have very simple family times in which we'll play games and just enjoy each other's company. Nothing extravagant and certainly not expensive.  With stiff competition from electronics, phones, Internet and TV for our family's attention (that many times we lose), I treasure one on one family engagements.

One of those things is holiday baking.  We gathered in the kitchen and decided to bake some family favorites like pecan crescents (growing up we called them cocoons because we rolled them into little cocoon-shaped objects), gingerbread men, baklava, empanadas, and a few others.  Here are some pecan crescents straight from the oven that we'll let cool.

Fresh from the oven

We allowed them to cool fully and then rolled them around in some powdered sugar.

Adding a little sweetness

Then we loaded them into a container and put them in the 'snack drawer.'  Other goodies will be placed in those familiar metal tins that we've saved over the years that fruit cakes come in.  Countless times since then I've heard the familiar rumble of the snack drawer opening and the lids to the circular metal tins being popped off so that family members may enjoy some of the holiday treats. The Tupperware container that the pecan crescents are packed in lends itself quite nicely to what I call "stealth snacking."

Pecan crescents - yum!

Then we got started on gingerbread men.  We got the ingredients all mixed in a bowl.  The easiest way to mix this stiff dough is to just roll up your sleeves and work it with your hands.  Messy? You bet! Now that I think of it, that's a good analogy to family time.  Family gatherings and interactions can be quite messy at times if we're going to be honest, but if we keep working together, our labor of love will produce results we're proud of and things we enjoy and value greatly.   

Getting a little messy

We roll out the dough flat and use the gingerbread cookie cutters to fashion beautiful little people.

Gingerbread men are born

Then we peel the dough away from the gingerbread family.  Once you peel away all the clutter, you're left with five people fashioned from what was once a mess and then was smashed flat!  Do you ever feel like you're smashed flat?  There's five - just like our family.

From a messy bowl to 

Then we arrange them on a cookie sheet and get ready to put them in a hot oven.

Everyone working together (Tricia is taking the photo)

We continue rolling out the dough and making new gingerbread people until there's hardly any dough left.  Heck, when there's not enough dough to make another person, we'll often make goofy things, like our Jersey cow below:

If you use your imagination, it looks like a cow

The kids used their creativity to make bow ties and buttons and eyes and smiley faces on them and then we put them in the oven.  Oh, the smell of gingerbread baking!!  Out they come...

Right out of the oven

Once they've fully cooled, we'll decorate them.  The kids use their originality to personalize them. Some have our names, some with all sorts of designs on them. Every one is different, but all are good and greatly valued.

Decorating the gingerbread men and women

I have fond memories of doing this exact thing as a kid and hopefully our kids will have the same remembrances to pass along to the next generation.  People spend lots of money purchasing material goods that will be in a landfill at this time next year.  Making memories that endure over time are more meaningful to me.

I should have taken this picture and allowed my beautiful wife to be in this one

I must report at the time I'm writing this, ALL of the pecan crescents are gone and there was only 1 tin left of the gingerbread men.  I'm hoping that there will be some remaining by the time I get home from work, but I'm thinking the chances of that happening is somewhere between slim and none. Even if the sweet goodies are long gone, good memories will remain to remind us of sweet family times.  Cherish your family today!

Palpating the Cows

It was time to see of Lil' Bully had successfully bred Rosie and Daisy.  He's eighteen months old, but still a little short when compared to the cows.  We have the cows' cycles written down on the calendar and when "their time is right" we've seen some action in the pasture and know that Bully has been romancing them.

After a couple of months we decided to call our local veterinarian to come over for a farm call.  His office is only a half mile away.  I was at work and Tricia was here to watch the entire process and I wanted her to catch it on film and chronicle the ordeal.  I regret to inform you that yours truly did not have the batteries adequately charged in the camera and when she went to take pictures, the battery was dead.  But no worries, I have a spare battery in the camera case, except it was dead too.

We're just going to have to use our imagination here.  Tricia brought the cows to the barn and Dr. Fontenot put on some gloves that went clear up to his shoulders and lubricated them up real good. Then he put his entire arm into the back end of the cows and felt around.  It was not a pretty affair.  Cow poop all over the place.

After about 30 seconds of palpating Rosie, he asked Tricia how long ago she thought she had been bred.  Tricia answered two months.  He said, "Yep, that's how old it feels like the calf is."

Rosie's gonna have a baby

Then on to Daisy.  He checked her out and checked her out again.  He asked how long Tricia thought she was bred.  Tricia answered 5 months.  Dr. Fontenot said, "Nope.  I don't feel anything insider her."  Tricia let him know that she hadn't been cycling, so he checked out her ovaries and everything was fine.

Well that's not good news.  Tricia still maintains she's bred, but I don't think the doctor could miss a five month old calf inside her.  If that's true, though, that Bully hadn't bred her, we'll be out of milk from Daisy for a long time.

Daisy's test turned out negative

We know the bull is fertile since he bred Rosie.  For some reason he didn't get the job done with Daisy.  We'll likely dry her off after the first of the year.  The veterinarian told us that he didn't have much experience with dairy cows, but he said for beef cattle, he would pull the calf off for a couple of days and it would help her to go into heat. Maybe in another month or two Bully will grow a little bit and that will help.  

So Rosie will be calving in about 6 months.  As far as Daisy, well, we'll keep her exposed to the bull and we have a couple of other options to think about as well. We know another gentleman that lives nearby who has a registered Jersey bull and when Daisy is dry, he's offered his bull's services.  If at first you don't succeed, try try again...  And that's what we'll do!