WINDY (THE ASSOCIATION)







THE LONG JOURNEY HOME


CAPTAIN CLARK ON THE YELLOWSTONE
JIM CARSON
http://www.jimcarsonstudio.com/
On July 3, 1806, the Corps of Discovery left Travelers' Rest.

Captain Lewis and nine men went to pursue a direct route to the Missouri, then explore Maria's river.

Captain Clark and the rest of the party went a new route to the Jefferson River, then descended to the Three Forks and then proceeded with a detachment party to explore the Yellowstone, while Sergeant Ordway, with nine men, descended the Missouri.


Clark went south to the Yellowstone River, and while passing a large sandstone formation, he carved his name and date.

Clark named it Pompy's Tower after Sacagawea's son.


July - August: According to the plan they had formulated at Fort Clatsop, Lewis and Clark divide their command into four groups.  Captain Lewis, Sergeant Gass, Drouillard, and seven privates head northeast to explore the Marias River and hopefully meet with the Blackfeet to establish good relations with them.


Camp Disappointment

This is the northernmost camp established by the expedition. On July 17, 1806, Lewis and three members of the expedition (George Drewyer (Drouillard), Joseph Fields and Reuben Fields) split from the main group at the Great Falls to look for a water passage to the Pacific. They started out following the Missouri River for about one day and camped just above the Great Falls. On July 18, the four men continued on horseback. They crossed the Teton River and followed the Marias River to the point where the Two Medicine River and the Cut Bank Creek come together to form the Marias River.

Lewis followed the Cut Bank Creek for two days and finally reached a point on the bluff where he could see the river headed west toward the mountains. He wrote, "I thought it unnecessary to proceed further and therefore encamped resolving to rest ourselves and horses a couple of days at this place and take the necessary observations."

The party spent four days camped in a large clump of cottonwood trees under cold and rainy conditions. These conditions prevented Lewis from obtaining any astronomical observations to determine the longitude of the site. On July 25, 1806, Lewis, still not able to get the reading he wanted, broke camp with his men and set out, determined to return to the Missouri River.

Camp Cut Bank

Captain Meriwether Lewis followed the north branch of the Marias River, now known as the Cut Bank Creek and camped south and east of Cut Bank on Monday, July 21, 1806.

There wasn’t any timber to be found to build a fire so buffalo chips were used. The company was nearly out of provisions. They wounded a buffalo, but were unable to retrieve it. The following day, the group proceeded on to Camp Disappointment.


TWO MEDICINE FIGHT SITE
On July 26, 1806, Captain Meriwether Lewis with George Drewyer (Drouillard), Joseph Fields and Reuben Fields camped with a party of eight young Blackfeet Indians. At first the meeting was cordial, but the encounter turned hostile when Lewis disclosed to the Blackfeet that the United States government had plans to supply all the Plains Indians with firearms for hunting. This was not good news for the Blackfeet, who until that point had controlled firearms through trade relations with the Hudson Bay Company.

The Blackfeet decided to make off with the party’s guns and horses leaving them on foot. At this point, this was the only armed encounter with Indians during the entire expedition. Two of the young Blackfeet were killed in this fight over horses and guns.

FROM THE JOURNALS OF CAPTAIN MERIWETHER LEWIS:   "July 27th 1806 Sunday."

"This morning at day light the indians got up and crouded around the fire, J. Fields who was on post had carelessly laid his gun down. . .one of the indians. . .sliped behind him and took his gun and that of his brothers. . .at the same instant two others advanced and seized the guns of Drewyer and myself, J. Fields seing this. . called to his brother who instantly jumped up and pursued the indian. . .R Fields as he seized his gun stabed the indian to the heart with his knife the fellow ran about 15 steps and fell dead. . .Drewyer who was awake saw the indian take hold of his gun. . .his jumping up and crying damn you let go my gun awakened me. . .I reached to seize my gun but found her gone, I then drew a pistol from my holster and terning myself about saw the indian making off with my gun I ran at him with my pistol and bid him lay down my gun which he was in the act of doing when the Fieldses returned. . .as soon as they found us all in possession of our arms they ran and indeavored to drive off all the horses. . .I pursued the man who had taken my gun who with another was driving off a part of the horses. . .at the distance of three hundred paces they entered one of those steep nitches in the bluff with the horses before them being nearly out of breath I could pursue no further, I called to them as I had done serveral times before that I would shoot them if they did not give me my horse and raised my gun, one of them jumped behind a rock and spoke to the other who turned arround and stoped at the distance of 30 steps . . . I shot him through the belly, he fell to his knees and on his wright elbow from which position he partly raised himself up and fired at me, and turning himself about crawled in behind a rock. . . he overshot me, being bearheaded I felt the wind of his bullet very distinctly. not having my shotpouch I could not reload my peice and as there were two of them behind good shelters from me I did not think it prudent to rush on them with my pistol. . .I therefore returned leasurely towards camp. . .we left one of our horses and took four of the best of those of the indian's. . .we took some of their buffaloe meat and set out ascending the bluffs by the same rout we had decended last evening. . .my indian horse carried me very well in short much better than my own would have done and leaves me with but little reason to complain of the robery."







Symphony in Grey and Green:  The Ocean









1. In the first book of the bible, Guinessis, God got tired of creating the world, so he took the Sabbath off. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark. Noah built an ark, which the animals come on to in pears. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. The Jews were a proud people and throughout history they had trouble with the unsympathetic Genitals. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5. Samson was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delilah. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6. Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the Apostles. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7. Moses led the hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread which is bread without any ingredients. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8. The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert. Afterwards, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten ammendments. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9. The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10. The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11. Moses died before he ever reached Canada. Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 12. The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 13. David was a hebrew king skilled at playing the liar. He fought with the Finklesteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 14.Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 15.When Mary heard that she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 16. When the three wise guys from the east side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 17. Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18. St. John the blacksmith dumped water on his head. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 19. Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do one to others before they do one to you. He also explained, a man doth not live by sweat alone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 20. It was a miracle when Jesus rose from the dead and managed to get the tombstone off the entrance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 21. The people who followed the lord were called the 12 decibels ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
22. The epistles were the wives of the apostles. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 23. One of the oppossums was St. Matthew who was also a taximan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 24. St. Paul cavorted to Christianity. He preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 25. Christians have only one spouse. This is called monotony. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~






IS YOUR POPPING CORN NOT POPPING?  Maybe it's dried out and needs to be rehydrated.  An old rule of thumb is that adding one tablespoon of water to a quart of unpopped popcorn kernels will raise the moisture content 1%. The optimum moisture is 14%.

PROCEDURE FOR ADDING WATER:
Put unpopped kernels in a glass quart jar, add 1 tablespoon of water, make sure jar is sealed so that no moisture can escape, shake well; 1 hour later shake well again. Over the next 4 to 7 days shake vigorously 2 to 3 times a day, then try popping the popcorn.

If the corn still doesn't pop well, repeat the above procedure. If the original popcorn was not in a moisture proof container it may have dried down to around 9% to 10% moisture, so it may take awhile to get it rehydrated.

















When the pioneers crossed the Great Plains on the Santa Fe or the Oregon Trail, they often went for a long time without seeing any trees.  The prairie was frequently seen as a very foreign and hostile environment to people from the Ohio valley, the Appalachian mountains or New England since they were used to forested surroundings.  No trees meant no wood for cooking.  Dried bison dung was used for cooking fuel instead!  No trees also meant no shade, which can be very precious on a hot day in summer.  This and other factors led one early explorer to misname the area as the "Great American Desert."

There is a tree that is well-adapted to life on the prairie, however.  You can recognize it from afar during the growing season by the shiny leaves that shimmer and shake in the wind.  The pioneers were always glad to spot one of these trees in the distance, since it offered the possibility of wood and shade.  It also represented the chance of finding water, since this species likes to keep its feet wet, so to speak.  That species is the cottonwood tree.

Trees had to survive prairie fires in order to live on the Great Plains.  Cottonwoods did this by typically growing on the edges of rivers and streams and by developing a very thick, corky bark upon maturity.  As their seeds are dispersed by the wind, many end up landing on the surface of water and are then stranded along the waterline on sandbars, islands and river banks.  If the river level does not fluctuate too much, allowing the seed to establish itself, a new monarch of the plains will begin its life.  As the water level drops with late summer droughts, one can often walk along a sandbar and see a row of these newly sprouted cottonwoods at the former waterline.
Eastern Cottonwood




More than 125 miles of the eastern end of the Pony Express Route was in Kansas. The twice-a-week deliveries each way found the riders on this section carrying the mail at an average speed of ten miles an hour. The Kansas section of the route had 11 stations.




Channel Catfish
Kansas State Fish


Other Common Names:  Spotted Cat, Blue Channel Cat, Great Lakes Catfish, Lady Cat

State Record:  34 pounds 11 ounces

Identifying Features:  Channel catfish have eight barbels (whiskers), an olive-green to bluish body with dark spots, and a deeply forked tail.

Typical Adult:

       Length: Up to 24 inches
       Weight: Up to 20 pounds
       Life span: Up to 11 years

Habitat:  Channel catfish inhabit deep streams, rivers, and lakes in eastern and central U.S., especially in deep stretches of sand, gravel, or rubble bottom.  They also inhabit lakes, reservoirs, and ponds.  The preferred water temperature is 75-80°F.

Channel catfish feed on insect larvae, clams, snails, crayfish, crabs, and aquatic plants.  They locate food by probing the bottom with their barbels.

Reproductive Behavior (Spawning):

When:  Late Spring-Summer

Preferred Water Temperature:  70-75ºF

How:  The male builds the nest in dark secluded spots under logs, in the shade of boulders, holes in riverbanks, or barrels.  The female scatters the eggs in the nest.  The male guards the nest.




KANSAS STATE REPTILE
Ornate Box Turtle
Terrapene ornata ornata

The upper shell is dark brown or reddish-brown and covered with yellow or yellow-orange radiating lines. The dark lower shell is hinged and also has radiating yellow lines. The tail is short and each hind foot has four claws. Adult males have red eyes and females yellowish-brown eyes.
The adult turtle average 4 to 5 inches in length.  They have an approximate life span of 30 years.  They live on treeless plains, prairies and rolling country covered with grass and scattered low brush in southwestern, central and south-central United States and western Mexico.





In September the fields and roadsides of the Great Plains erupt in a blaze of yellow as the sunflowers and goldenrods (also members of the sunflower family) make their presence known to the local pollinating insects.  There are eleven species of sunflower recorded from Kansas.  Most of them are perennials.  Only the common sunflower and H. petiolaris, the Prairie Sunflower, are annuals.  Identification of sunflowers can be very complicated because they frequently hybridize and even within species there is a high degree of variability.

Nearly 3,000 years ago the common sunflower was domesticated for food production by the Native Americans.  The seeds of the wild type of sunflower are only about 5 mm long.  It was only through careful selection for the largest size seeds over hundreds of years that the cultivated sunflower was produced.  Lewis and Clark made mention in their journals of its usage by the plains Indians.  It was taken to the Old World by the early European explorers and widely cultivated there also.  Today it is a common alternative crop in the Great Plains and elsewhere for food and oil production.







The Western Meadowlark is a medium-sized bird with bright yellow underparts emblazoned with a black V across its upper breast. It is stocky, robin-sized, with a short tail, a strong pointed bill, and a grayish brown back. The male and female are similar in appearance, although the females are less brightly colored.

The Meadowlark is common and widespread in fields, pastures, and native grasslands throughout the prairies and prefers open areas and rarely enters woodland. It inhabits grassy plains and river valleys, pasture land, and uncultivated fields. It breeds wherever there is a thick growth of weeds and grasses. In the fall, flocks of meadowlarks will be seen on stubble fields, roadsides and cultivated fields.       


The Western Meadowlark feeds mainly on the ground and spends much of its time in the grass foraging for insects, other small invertebrates and seeds. It will probe the soil with its wedge-shaped bill for fly larvae, beetles, and cutworms, crickets and dung beetles; also eats grain, weed seeds and fruit and occasionally preys on the eggs and young of other ground-nesting songbirds.


This bird has a delightful flute-like song, which they deliver from fences and telephone poles, and can be heard more than half a mile away. They nest on the ground in a natural or scraped depression, well-concealed in thick grass, always in open grassy areas. The nest is a well-concealed dome canopy of grass, bark and plant stems woven into the surrounding vegetation. The nest entrance is on the side and a tunneled grass runway often leads to it with the female doing most of the nest building. They lay 3-7 white eggs, speckled with brown. The female incubates 13-15 days; the young are tended by both parents.


The Western Meadowlark is the state bird for SIX states. Can you name all SIX states?  

???

PASS YOUR MOUSE OVER THE QUESTION MARKS FOR THE ANSWER!






  


There are two types of Kookaburras--the Laughing Kookaburra and the Blue-winged Kookaburra.  When the Kookaburra laughs, it's telling the other birds to keep away, because it is his/her territory.  Kookaburras are the world's largest kingfishers but very seldom catch fish.  They are also known as Laughing Jackasses.      

According to aboriginal legend, when the Kookaburras laugh, they are calling to the sky people to light the great fire that warms and illuminates the earth by day.

The Blue-winged Kookaburra has a large, cream-white head that is streaked brown.  It has a brown back and its wings are mostly blue.  The rump and tail are also blue on the male, but the female has a reddish-brown barred tail.

In Australia the Blue-winged Kookaburra is distributed widely in tropical and subtropical eucalypt woodlands.  It feeds mainly on insects and reptiles or frogs when they are abundant.










Late at night in the cafés of Paris, van Gogh's education continued, blooming under the influence of other artists, and of absinthe, the potent, hallucinogenic alcohol popular in the city. In the cafés, van Gogh met with painters who became his friends including Paul Gauguin, who was known for vivid, innovative uses of color, and Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, who left a great body of work that includes a pastel of van Gogh sitting in a café, sketching intensely.

Irises

Van Gogh lived in Paris for two years with his brother, but didn't sell a single painting.  Van Gogh hoped that Theo, an art dealer, would be able to sell his canvases, but Theo had no luck.  He told van Gogh that the muddy palette he'd chosen was out of step with the bright and vivid colors of Impressionism that were the rage in the city.  During that time, van Gogh experimented endlessly with style, color, and subject matter, putting to feverish use the skills he had developed on his own.  All his Paris work, whether copies of images by the Japanese artist Hiroshige or pointillist efforts in the style of the Impressionist Seurat, is brimming with color.

Van Gogh also began to paint self-portraits--nearly two dozen while he was in the city.  His choice to paint himself was a practical one:  the model cost him nothing and was always around when he needed him.






Violas (Johnny Jump-ups) in my rock garden
ATelling Photo






LAST YEAR'S ROBINS






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