Shiloh

They were all Americans. They met by the Tennessee River in early spring and butchered each other. The two-day killing was so intense that it is remembered in history as one of the greatest battles fought on the soil of the United States.

Yesterday we were touring the battleground called Shiloh . We find it interesting how the battle related to the topography, the ground, how the army was pushed up against the river and were only saved by reinforcements by water during the night.

So, during the day we spent tracing the history upon the land, we met another fellow doing the same in company with his daughter. You could tell that he was almost agitated with the excitement of day. We talked for a while. He was a southerner and traced his lineage to participants in the battle. He hailed originally from the Cumberland region of eastern Tennessee. He was a retired college professor and a wholly likable gentleman.

Our conversation touched on a subject that has stayed with me... that started me considering. The question we both wondered was this: How could men who were neighbors be pushed to the passionate savagery needed for this kind of killing. Official numbers put the total casualties --killed, wounded and missing -- at nearly 25,OOO.

Here are my reflections later in the evening, after we had retired to the woodland where our camper is now stationed: Throughout history, wars are fought between groups of people who differ in race/color, language, or religion. Both sides realize that "they are not like us" so savagery is made easier by some degree. For confirmation, simply consider our relatively recent wars: Korea, Viet Nam, and those bloody incursions into the middle east.

But, here at Shiloh there were none of those differences. Both sides were Americans; both were the same color, the same religion and spoke the same language. Perhaps this conundrum is a key reason why we Americans have been so obsessed with the civil war since the 186O's. How could neighbors, brothers and aquaintances do this to each other?

It was an invigorating day with spring in full force. Dogwood and redbud were in amazing flower. The sun shone yesterday upon the killing fields where almost at this same time of year soldiers drank from "bloody Pond" were dead men and horses had turned with water red. That happened on April 6 and 7, 1862.

I wish now that we had our southern acqaintance from yesterday for some more "considering".

Bonus question: Guess which key on my computer keyboard has stopped working? I was gonna put some neat photos with today's blog. But technology is failing us on this trip. One laptop has gone belly up and the ancient backup computer we keep as backup can't read the camera card. So, use your imagination!!

Going footloose for a while

It has been this way for many years. Since I was a kid I have appreciated the feeling one gets just before setting out on an extended journey. It is that way now. We leave today.

And, like many other trips, this time we are also a little weak on planning. We like it that way. We happen upon things and experiences without anticipating them. No schedule!

Here's how we plan: We mark off days on our calendar for travel days a full year ahead. We say, "We're gonna be gone here, on those days that have X's on them." Quite often don't know our destination until shortly before leaving. This time we knew only that we were going to take the RV (5th wheel trailer).

Then someone said, "how about we head down to the Natchez Trace?" We agreed that the direction was right, as we would be heading into the northward march of spring. We could piddle around on the Trace we figured, which is something like 440 miles long, take in some neat civil war battlefields while we were about it, and do some serious relaxing. And, since we have been on portions of the trace before, we know there are some interesting experiences to be had under spanish moss-laden trees. Oh yes, and then there are the birds, and flowers and flowering trees and gentle southern breezes.

We were arranging to meet our Canadian pal, Cathy Collins, on the Trace as she returned home from her usual winter in Mexico with her tiny Scamp trailer . But she learned at the last minute that her brother in Scotland had died and she had to beat a direct path home. We will miss her this year.

So, PeeVee (our dog) has had a bath, we are mostly packed, and before long I will hook the whole rig together and get it in traveling mode. Cell phones are wonderful as they allow us to transfer our land line to the cell and get all calls we normally woujld. A laptop with an "air card" usually gets us internet access as we move about. And with a solar (photovoltaic) system on the roof of the camper, we can stop and be quite comfortable virtually anywhere.

Gotta get going now. I'm gonna slap in a photo of some camping spot we have had in the past. We'll see!

The Hired Man, Missus, and dogpal PeeVee www.rockeddy.com

What happened to that big mushroom?

We ate it! We sliced it up, dipped it in an egg mixture then rolled it in flour. The frying pan did the rest. Now remember, the mushroom in question is a false morel, a fungus that the books say can cause some problems when eaten.


Didn't happen! The hired man and the missus at Rock Eddy Bluff Farm http://www.rockeddy.com/ ate their share. We were followed by our daughter, who was here at the time, and her two children (Ages 1 yr. and nearly 3 yrs.). There was no effect from the mushrooms.


That mushroom was delicious! As you can see from the picture, the mushroom fried up well. We actually ate it for breakfast, and, as I remember, we had little else until noon. The picture shows what was left.


We have found nine small common morels in our drive and will escort them to our digestive tracts soon. It occurs to me that with mushroom season coming on strong, you may like some reliable information. Here are a couple of websites: Mid-Missouri M0rels and Mushrooms and see what the Missouri Department of Conservation has to say.

We will be hunting the little morsels this spring. But we are headed to the Natchez trace in a couple of days. We'll send reports from there and also picts of any "scrooms" that we might happen upon.

Think Spring, The Hired Man and Missus

I can't help myself

Perhaps I can be forgiven for staying with a subject. It is just that the first rumblings of the new growing season seem so powerful to me. I will spare you all the talk about renewal and the flowery metaphors for spring. Better, I want to show what things look like this morning here in the Ozarks. The photos are only minutes old.

We discovered this mushroom yesterday and waited to harvest it. In the Ozark parlance, this is known as a "red one". The reason is that most native folk around here recognize only the two most common edible mushrooms. The call them red ones and white ones. The white ones are actually common morels. This "red one" is a false morel. They are larger than the white ones. Now, the experts say to be careful with eating the false morels. They say that sometimes eating them can cause serious illness in some people. However, everyone I know eats them without affect, and so do we (and so will be have this one for breakfast tomorrow).

Knowing that there was a remarkable glade of bluebell flowers under the bluffs at Clifty Creek, we ventured there to see. What we found was a treat; bluebells covering the ground beside the babbling creek, under the giant white skeletons of sycamore trees. There we also found our first view of Dutchman's Britches"

And looking up the creek we see the first hints of color arriving. Leaves the size of your pinkie fingernails are appearing, particularly in elm trees. Red bud trees are just beginning to bloom. So are dogwoods. For those who pay attention to the usual sequence of such things, this year has been odd. Every woodland early blooming tree appears to be in about the same stage: red bud, dogwood, service berry, and wild plump.

And perhaps March 31 is a little early for "red ones", but there it is. We are pumped up for spring. Hope you are too.

From the hills, The Hired Man and The Missus

Winter vs. Spring (March Madness)

The evil forces of winter are locked in battle with the gentle forces of spring. Or, at least that is the look of things at Rock Eddy Bluff Farm http://www.rockeddy.com/ right now. Actually, we love winter. It is just that, right now we are sick of it. Its kinda like a well-loved relative whose only fault is that he has overstayed his welcome. The same thing happens every March. We've come to expect it.

But, Geez, here it is the last of March and we are expecting snow this afternoon. Temps in the low thirties. We'll be covering up plants for the night.

We will sit by the fire this afternoon and reflect on the coming of spring. And, I'll consider a couple of snatches of poetry that always come to mind this time of year. I'll recall them from memory, so apologies in advance to Edna St. Vincent Millay and John Niehardt for the mistakes.

"Spring rides no horses down the hill/ But comes on foot, a goosegirl still./ And all the loveliest things there be/ Come simply, or so it seems to me" Edna St. Vincent Millay

The other slice of a long work comes from an epic poem , titled "The Upstream Men", about Ashley's Hundred, a group of explorers that went up the Missouri River in the early 1800's. They departed just as spring was moving into the countryside. (I have to admit that I went back to the book; my memory of this passage butchered it badly.)

"And so they say/ Went forth a hundred singing men that day;/ And girlish April went ahead of them. The music of her trailing garment hem/ Seemed scarce a league ahead. A little speed/ might yet almost surprise her in the deed/ Of sorcery; for, ever as they strove,/ A gray-green smudge in every poplar grove/ Proclaimed the recent kindling. Aye, it seemed/ That bird and bush and tree had only dreamed/ Of song and leaf and blossom, till they heard/ The young men's feet; when tree and bush and bird/ Unleased the whole conspiracy of awe!/ Pale green was every slough about the Kaw;/ About the Platte pale green was every slough;/ And still the pale green lingered at the Sioux,/ So close they trailed the marching of the South./ But when they reached the Niobrara's mouth/ The witchery of spring had taken flight/ And like a girl grown woman overnight,/ Young summer glowed." John G. Niehardt

So, this afternoon we will watch the fire and the snowflakes. We'll probably even watch some March Madness on the Telly.

'Til next time, The Hired Man

Hired man to sell horses - two for one.

I bought "Mr. Big" at an Amish horse sale about 10 years ago. We have used him for pulling the spring wagon and taking guests for tours on country roads hereabouts. Gradually, we have used him less and less while we have been traveling more and more. Thus, the decision: sell him to someone who will use him and appreciate him.

"Mr B" is a beautiful horse that moves with wonderful grace, especially when trotting. The Hired Man and the Missus will hate to see him go, as he has been a fixture on this place. His best pal, "Woodrow" will also go with him we hope. I have included a photo taken only today of the two horses together.

So, if you know of a good home waiting for this pair, let us know 573-759-6081 or corey@rockeddy.com

Here is a description that we put in an on-line classified:

"This is a top quality animal that was bred and trained by Amish. He is gelded and is half Percheron and half Standardbred. He is what they call a general purpose animal because he can be used in a work team or as a buggy horse. We have had him several years and love him.
We now travel frequently and find keeping the horses complicates our lives considerably. This is the reason we have decided to sell. This horse does not have the same level of training that he had a few years ago, due to our lack of using him. However, he can be brought back quickly with a little effort. He loads and trailers well and will stand easily for shoeing. We have used him in Shafts (single horse) to pull a spring wagon, but the Amish also used him as a part of a team.
He moves beautifully as his Percheron/standardbred breeding makes him a large trotter which can cover some ground. I also ride him and he does well. He has a good disposition and is not prone to flight. He stands about 16.2 and I estimate he will weigh around 1500. Age is 13 years.
As we are getting rid of horses here, we offer him with a beautiful (unregistered) bay quarter horse (about 11 years old). This is a "Two for One" deal -- one price takes both horses. The quarter horse stands probably 14.2 and is quite gentle. Age, 11 years. He was broke to ride as a young horse but then never ridden. He has been a companion to the buggy horse.
Both horses and completely sound and in good flesh and we hate to part with them. We would be happy to answer any questions or have you come look at the horses. 573-759-6081." Oh yes, and a heck of a deal: $1,000 for both horses.

So, it will be a little different around here without our horse pals. But change is the only constant, as they say.

Best regards, H.M.

Words you need to know at Rock Eddy Bluff Farm

Today's topic: words you need to know. This word and a few others are not familiar to many of our guests.

Slough - this is a backwater part of the river. Connected to the river, but without the swifter current. In some cases the slough becomes a part of the river when water levels are high, allowing the current to overflow into the slough.

The slough at Rock Eddy Bluff Farm runs beneath limestone outcroppings and joins the Gasconade River just below our Bluffhouse which sits 200 feet above. It is home to beaver, otter, wood ducks, herons and assorted other critters. The banks of the slough are lined with sycamore, ash, soft maple and smaller trees such as Paw Paws. (Perhaps we should make that a "need-to-know" word for a later time.)

When my brothers and I were small, we spent a lot of time on the slough and the river. We fished at the mouth of the slough, camped on the long island between the slough and the river. We also skated on the slough every winter. (Recent winters have not been cold enough for that.)

From our home on the bluff a rugged little track snakes down, arriving at the bottom on the banks of the slough. There, our canoes are located. Guests can take a canoe out at any time. They can explore the upper reaches of the slough or paddle a short distance into the river proper. Across the river they will find an excellent gravel bar.

If you are willing to paddle down to the lower (downstream) end of Rock Eddy, you will find the home of our resident bald eagles. Currently, the female eagle is sitting on eggs in the huge nest. These same eagles have been in this location for roughly thirty years. Yes, the same breeding pair! And, these were one of only three nesting pairs in Missouri at the low point of eagle populations.

Our next need-to-know word: Privy. You'd be surprised.

You may have missed the photo of the yellow dog. Check the previous blog for a picture of this loveable guy.

The Yellow Dog

A yellow dog wandered in a couple of days ago. He is a stranger. We don’t know anything about him except that he is friendly and wants a home. He is a good dog.

In this country we get dogs like this one on a regular basis. We suspect that previous owners just bring them out in the country and let them out. What they think will happen to them I can’t fathom. I guess out of sight is out of mind. If I allow myself to think about someone who would do that I have to admit that I harbor some very uncharitable thoughts.

This dog appears to be a purebred yellow lab. He would be a good family dog, well mannered and loves affection. He is a male. So, the question is: what to do with him?

Some friends were here a couple of days ago. They said that they would take the dog back with them to Kansas City. Said they would either keep him or find a home for him. But they had to leave in the morning and the stray dog and our dog Ike (who wandered in a few years ago) were off on a foray out in the woods. So, the friends left and, of course, the dogs returned about an hour later.

So here the dog has been for the past couple of days, doing his best to ingratiate himself with Kathy and me. We have one more idea about how to get him to Kansas City. Hope it works out.
Meanwhile, we have treated him for ticks and for worms. And, you can rest assured that he will be taken care of. Somehow.