Tag Archives: developmental skills,

The Hana Chronicles: Month 10, Day 2

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Posted by on in children, Community, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 23, 2026- “Can I have that?” Hana was referring to my phone, on which I was checking her father’s whereabouts, to see when he might get home. Of course, she won’t be viewing screens, much less using phones, before she turns two. She took my “No” calmly and went back to her toy. My granddaughter’s mix of babbling and intelligible speech merits careful attention. The latter is limited by her seven teeth, with the eighth starting to erupt (late bottom left lateral incisor,) having to do the work of a full mouth.

Her receptive language, though, is not at all limited by oral development. When I noted to her mother that dangling cords needed to be placed on the counter top, Hana, watching and listening from her playpen, started laughing uproariously. She and I have had “the talk” about electrical cords, with me showing her where they are connected to heavy objects. She will look at a cord, then look up at its appliance, and decide it’s not worth the trouble. Still and all, we have moved just about all of the plug-in appliances to spots that don’t require toddler-level connections.

HANA’S NOTE– I have decided I like sleeping on my back at night. I sleep deeper that way.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Florida- I have been in the Sunshine State five times: First in 2011, to Olustee State Park, Jacksonville and St. Augustine; 2015 brought me to Panama City, Lynn Haven, Marianna, Tallahassee and Gainesville; 2017 and 2018 brought me to Spring Hill, home to my younger sister-in-law, and mother-in-law, until her passing in 2018; Spring, 2022 took me around the state, including to Spring Hill, my last stop on that jaunt. The 2022 journey took in five places I had set as “Future Fives”- Daytona International Speedway, NASA Kennedy Space Center, Miami Beach, Key West and Lake Okeechobee. Big Cypress, Naples Botanical Garden, Tampa and St. Petersburg followed. Along with Penny’s two sisters, at least five of my cousins live in Florida. I got to visit with one of them on my last journey.

The turf- Florida is almost uniformly flat. A small area of slight upland, in the northwest, and the Lake Wales Ridge, running down the center of the Florida Peninsula, are the sole exceptions to a preponderance of wetlands and cane break plains. South Florida, including the Southwest, is dominated by swamp, in areas which have not been drained and developed. Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve, as well as some reserves near Lake Okeechobee and in the area just south of Cape Canaveral. Dry Tortugas National Park is a collection of small islands, 68 miles southwest of Key West. As the name implies, D.T. is the driest place in Florida. It is best known as the place of incarceration of Samuel Mudd, who was convicted of harbouring John Wilkes Booth, after the asssassin had killed Abraham Lincoln, as well as of conspiring with Booth and several others to commit the crime.

Florida is drained by the St. Marys, St. Johns, Indian, St. Lucie, Halifax, Loxahatchee, Kissimmee, Manatee, Suwannee, Apalachicola, Ochlockonee, and Escambia Rivers, as well as their tributaries. Alachua Sink and Lake Okeechobee are also receptacles of fresh water, which drain into the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Florida and Gulf of Mexico, each of which borders Florida.

First Nations- Florida is the ancestral home of the Mikasuki people. It is the adopted home of the Seminoles, a Muscogee-speaking people who migrated from the north, in hopes of escaping forced relocation from the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama, in the 1830s. In the north, the Apalachee people had been brought into Christianity by the Spanish. Most of the Apalachee moved, along with the Creeks, to Indian Territory, in the 1830s. They left behind Mission San Luis de Apalache, an historical gem, in Tallahasseee.

The Seminole had crossed into Florida in the 1810s, to avoid enslavement and harassment in their native lands. Florida at that time was under Spanish rule. Andrew Jackson led a series of raids into Florida, attacking Seminole, Mikasuki and Black Seminole villages, in 1816-7. This was the First Seminole War. In 1819, Florida was transferred to the United States. Resistance to pressure to move to Indian Territory led to the Second Seminole War (1835-42). After their villages and storehouses were destroyed in that conflict, the majority of Seminoles relocated to Oklahoma. Those who remained continued to have difficulty with white settlers, leading to the Third Seminole War (1855-58). At the conclusion of this conflict, the Seminoles moved into areas not wanted by settlers. Today, the Mikasuki and Seminole have Federally-recognized reservations in Florida.

Where I most feel at home- Spring Hill, Tampa, Naples, Osceola Tiger, Olustee, St. Augustine, Marianna

Where I most feel at peace- Naples Botanical Garden, Osceola Tiger, Big Cypress, Olusrtee. Merritt Island

NEXT: Georgia

The Hana Chronicles: Month 10, Day 1

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Posted by on in children, Education, Family, Historical, Personal Values

October 22, 2026- Hana has now been ten months blessing our lives and keeping us on our toes. In the past month, she has mastered standing up and scooting. She is actively walking with support and has taken a few steps, independently, here and there. Babbling with intention is now accompanied by pointing to something she wants. She tries to help in little ways-picking up a clean diaper and a package of wet wipes; pulling her shirt off, at changing time; trying to put on her own straps and secure the tray, when placed in a high chair.

My grandchild loves to look at books and makes “comments’, after looking at a picture or two. She does best when given a limited number of books (2-3) to look at, at any one time. Otherwise, a whole shelf of books could end up on the floor.

She also likes our stroller walks, and is still very much interested in the Halloween and Harvest displays that alternate in several of the neighbourhoods we have covered in our meanderings. Her favourites are the skeletons, especially the tall ones.

HANA’S NOTE- I like sleeping in the stroller, on the way back home. The streets Papa chooses for each walk are sometimes the same ones; sometimes new ones. I like the neighbourhoods though.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Alabama-I have been in the Heart of Dixie seven times: First,in 1987, on a bus bound for Phoenix, by way of New Orleans and Houston; then, in 2011, with several days visiting Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Selma and Birmingham; 2015, in Daphne, near Mobile and a visit with a friend in Sylacauga; 2022, to Tuskegee, at the tail end of a road trip by rental car, that began and ended in Atlanta; then a train trip from Atlanta to New Orleans, which went through Birmingham and Tuscaloosa; and finally, in July of that year, making a brief stop in Florence and Muscle Shoals.As in other parts of the South, I have encountered only graciousness and hospitality, from anyone and everyone.

The turf- Northernmost Alabama is covered by the Cumberland Plateau, which extends south from Tennessee. To its southeast is the Appalachian Valley, the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. South of the Appalachians is the Piedmont Plateau. The rest of the state is Black Belt, a reference to the rich black soil and coastal plain, whose soil, especially in the Sawgrass Region, of southeast Alabama, is a bit sandier. Alabama is drained by the Tennessee, Alabama, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Chattahoochee, Tombigbee, Black Warrior and Mobile Rivers, along with their tributaries. The state is bounded by the Gulf of Mexico, on its southwest.

First Nations-Alabama is the ancestral home of the Alabama-Coushatta, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Yuchi peoples. Mound builders were active in Alabama, before the ascendancy of the Five Civilized Tribes, and left some decidedly civilized structures at places like Moundville. Choctaw and Creek maintain presence in Alabama in the MOWA and Porach communities, respectively. All other Indigenous people were removed form Alabama in the 1830s. As settlers encroached on Native lands, in the 1810s, a civil war broke out among the Creeks, The Red Stick faction opposed white settlement; another faction allied itself with the U.S. Government. The Red Sticks were soundly defeated in the Creek War of 1813-14, in the Battles of Tallushatchee, Talladega and Horseshoe Bend. The other tribes were included in the Trail of Tears, as indicated above.

Where I most feel at home- Daphne, Sylacauga, Tuskegee, Selma, Florence

Where I most feel at peace- Sylacauga, Tuscaloosa, Ozark

NEXT: Florida

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 28

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Posted by on in children, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Travel

October 19, 2026- Hana continues to help us, in small ways. She picks a diaper and other items, when it is changing time. She will carry a small item, while practicing walking around the house, or even going up the stairs, with assistance, of course.

We went on another long walk around Hoblitzelle Park, this time going clear to the end of the main park, which features a fountain in the middle of a small pond-at the edge of a Senior Living complex. It lies along Alma Drive, after which the Park’s main path veers west, and brings one back to the heart of the park.

We stopped at the home of a neighbour, who bakes sourdough bread and other delights. I bought a couple of items and reminded her that we were the family for whom she had baked a 100-Day (Baek-il) cake, back in late March, and it was for Hana. She was delighted to finally meet the baby. She looks forward to baking Hana’s first birthday cake, in December.

HANA’S NOTE– I spotted some new toys this afternoon, while playing up in my future bedroom. It is fun up there.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Indiana- I have been up, down and all around the Hoosier State, a couple of dozen times, since 1972. My first time there was in a van, headed for Columbus. I have also been on several Greyhounds that crossed Indiana in the middle of the night. Intentional stops, though, have been rewarding: An arts conference, in Greencastle (1983) saw Penny take the stage and sing with a professional singer. Solo stops, since 2011, have included camping at Indiana Dunes; exploration of the Lafayette area; a stop at a Ceramics School, in Muncie; watching fireworks at a cornfield, outside Logansport; a couple of visits to a refuge for exotic animals, in Goshen; checking in with friends in Indianapolis; visiting extended family in Jeffersonville and several overnight visits with two friends in Mishawaka.

The turf- Indiana has two plains regions-the northern third of the state and riparian plain in the south, along the Ohio River. The central region, and most of the south, consist of rolling plains, shaped by glaciation. Indiana is drained by the Ohio, Wabash, Maumee, St. Joseph, White and Kankakee Rivers, along with their tributaries. The state has 45 miles of shore along Lake Michigan, that are striking for the magnificent dunes that were left by glaciation.

First Nations-Indiana is the ancestral home of the Shawnee, Bodewadmi, ,Myaamia,and Lenape peoples. Mound builders were active here, as they were in Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Missouri. Angel Mounds, near Evansville, is a prominent surviving example of their work. The Pokagon Band of Bodewadmi Nation is a Federally-recognized community in South Bend.

There were several clashes between white settlers and Shawnee & Bodewadmi people, especially in western Indiana. The most famous of these was the Battle of Tippecanoe, in 1811. Shawnee leaders Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa (Tens-KWA-tawa, or “The Prophet”) led opposition to European-American settlement around Lafayette and Terre Haute. Their community, Prophetstown, was primarily agricultural and quite advanced. William Henry Harrion, then governor of Indiana Territory, organized a force of 1,000 men to attack Prophetstown. At first, Harrison wanted to parlay with Tenskwatawa. The morning of the meeting, Shawnee warriors attacked Harrison’s camp, but were defeated after two hours of fighting. Harrison then led his men to Prophetstown and burned it to the ground, destroying food stuffs and other supplies. The Shawnee had evacuated to nearby forests and did not resume fighting with the Indiana militia. Tecumseh and his most ardent followers joined the British effort in Canada, during the War of 1812. Tecumseh hiself was killed. in the Battle of the Thames (1813), in what is now Ontario. Prophetstown today has been restored and is an Indiana State Park.

Where I feel most at home- Lafayette, Indiana Dunes, Mishawaka, Goshen, Richmond, Muncie

Where I feel most at peace- Prophetstown, Mishawaka, Goshen, Indian Dunes

NEXT: Michigan

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 27

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Posted by on in children, Community, Family, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 18, 2026- Hana is starting to mimic sounds. When her mother made a mooing sound, after putting a pair of cow-print pants on her, Hana made her own mooing sound. This afternoon, on our neighbourhood walk to find Halloween displays, we passed a front yard with six witch figures. I let out a cackle and Hana made her own cackling sound. She laughs heartily, when someone mimics her babbling.

My granddaughter continues to show interest in the framed photos in my common area. She was delighted to see one of her parents at their civil wedding of November, 2018. That ceremony, in Guam, was what made it easier for Yunhee to get her Green Card, as it was performed on U.S. soil. Hana is thankfully very careful, when handling the pictures.

HANA’S NOTE- Papa takes me on some pretty long walks in the stroller. We are finding new connections between our neighbourhood and some others that seem far away. I usually fall asleep on the way back.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Mississippi- The Magnolia State shares its namesake’s final course towards the Gulf of Mexico, with Louisiana, until their border takes a sharp right-hand turn, just south of Point Breeze. Louisiana then has the Father of Waters all to itself, the rest of the way.

I have made seven visits to “the Sip”, as the home folks sometimes call it. I first passed through in 1987, on a bus between Atlanta and New Orleans. Our stops at Meridian, Jackson, Hattiesburg and Biloxi were fairly short. In 2000, Aram and I stopped for lunch in Jackson, and toured Vicksburg National Military Park. My solo road trips took me along the coast in 2015 and 2022, and to various spots in the interior on other cross country jaunts. I’ve found nothing but heartfelt hospitality here, from both Black and White folks. Paying homage to Emmitt Till, Fannie Lou Hamer and the three Civil Rights workers who were killed in Philadelphia, MS (1964) did not make me suspicious to anyone. People mostly are trying to rise above the limitations of the past.

The turf- Most of the Magnolia State is flat riparian plain. The northeast is a region of rolling hills, and piney woods. Mississippi is drained by the Mississippi, Pearl, Tombigbee, Pascagoula, Leaf, Tallahatchee and Yazoo Rivers, as well as their tributaries.

First Nations- Mississippi is the ancestral home of the Choctaw, Quapaw, Chickasaw, Natchez, Houma, Tunica, Biloxi and Ofo peoples. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw, descended from those who refused to leave their homeland during the Trail of Tears, in 1830-32, is the only Federally-recognized Native American entity in the state. All others were relocated, in the Jacksonian Era. (Prior to Andrew Jackson’s campaign of relocation, the Choctaw sold 4.5 million acres of land to the U. S. Government, under the terms of the Treaty of Mount Dexter {1805}.) The Natchez have returned since, and have a significant community at Grand Village.

Where I most feel at home- Ocean Springs, Waveland, Tupelo, Ruleville, Vicksburg, Corinth

Where I most feel at peace- Corinth, Ruleville, Natchez Trace

NEXT: We head back up to the states of the Central Great Lakes region- starting with Indiana.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 25

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Posted by on in children, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 16, 2026- Hana decided she would help me this afternoon. When I had several items to carry upstairs, she wanted to go with me. So, I supported her, while holding two envelopes. She carried a third envelope. She was very proud of herself for not dropping the envelope-and I thanked her for being a helper.

Yunhee put a pair of pants, with a black and white cow on her, then made a mooing sound. Hana then made her own mooing sound and started giggling. Her intentional babbling has really taken off this week. She is mostly out of the playpen and walking with one of us, then playing quietly in whatever room suits her fancy.

HANA’S NOTE– I wanted to help Papa, so I took one of the envelopes and tried to hold onto a plastic bottle, but I dropped it. Papa just tossed the bottle upstairs.

EXPANDING CIRCLES:Kentucky- The Bluegrass State is one of two that stretch from the Mississippi River to the Appalachian Mountains. The other is Tennessee. Kentucky has the shortest Mississippi shoreline of any state in the valley:60 miles, including the Kentucky Bend enclave, that is surrounded by the river-and Tennessee. I have been to Kentucky three times, in 1979, 2011and 2017. My focuses were on the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, the state capital, a large cavern , some friends from my Xanga days and extended family in the Louisville area, albeit across the river in southern Indiana. Family friends have moved back to Kentucky, from southern California. It’d be nice to visit them there some day.

The turf- Western Kentucky, an area known as Jackson Purchase, is the state’s lowland, lying along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, near their confluence, which is in a nearby area of Illinois. The rest of the state is upland or rolling hills: Cumberland Plateau, including foothills of the Appalachian Mountains; the Bluegrass Region and the Mississippi Plateau occupy the northern and central parts of Kentucky, respectively. Kentucky is drained by the Mississippi, Ohio, Big Sandy, Kentucky, Tennessee, Cumberland, Green and Licking Rivers, along with their tributaries. The Tennessee River has been dammed to establish two large reservoirs: Lake Cumberland and Kentucky Lake. Land Between the Lakes is a popular National Recreation Area.

First Nations- Kentucky is the ancestral home of the Shawnee, Cherokee, Yuchi and Chickasaw people. The Cherokee maintain a homeland in the Henderson area. There was considerable conflict between the Native peoples of Kentucky and settlers who began arriving in the mid-18th Century. Battles ancillary to the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 resulted in defeat of the confederated tribes. The harshest defeats were at Fallen Timbers, in 1794 and further afield, at the Battle of the Thames, in Ontario, in 1813-which saw the death of Tecumseh, leader of the Confederated Tribes. There was a period of voluntary Native American removal, during the presidencies of James Monroe and John Quincy Adams (1821-1829). Under Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, forced removal of Cherokee people from North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky, as well as several tribes from Georgia, constituted the Trail of Tears. The expelled nations were forced into what is now Oklahoma. Some Cherokee returned to Kentucky, in time, and live in the above-mentioned community.

Where I most feel at home- Hodgenville, Mammoth Cave, Paducah, Louisville

Where I most feel at peace- Falls of the Ohio, Mammoth Cave

NEXT: Tennessee

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day18

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Posted by on in children, Education, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 9, 2026- Hana showed interest in a long cord that was plugged into an outlet, by her favourite book shelf. I ran my fingers up the cord and showed her that it was attached to a very large air purifier, on top of the bookshelf. She has since stayed away from the cord, and will occasionally look up at the machine, then will focus on the books.

We have walked around the first floor, an average of 3 times per day. We went on two outside stroller walks today, which we will be able to do a few more days, until AUGtober returns next week, albeit for just a few days. Then SOGGtober will cool things off. Hana loves both kinds of walks.

HANA’S NOTE- Papa had to go out somewhere tonight. I wish he could have stayed home.

(I went to help clean up, after a Baha’i Regional Conference.)

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Nebraska- I have visited and crossed the Cornhusker State, six times. My first was in 1979, for a visit to Scotts Bluff National Monument, then across to Omaha. In 1984, we stopped at Crazy Horse’s gravesite, at Fort Robinson Historic Site, Crawford and visited the Omaha Reservation, in Macy. In 1997, we came across and stopped at Henry Doorly Zoo, to visit the rainforest, as Aram was nine and had interest in that environment.. It happened that he left his plastic Batmobile on the ledge of the rear window. It was 104 that day. So long, Batmobile. Traveling solo, I’ve stopped in North Platte, York and Lincoln, since 2011.

The Turf- The Sand Hills and the southern third of Pine Ridge cover Nebraska’s western half. Dissected Till Plains, left after the glaciers retreated, cover the eastern portion.Nebraska is drained by the Missouri, Niobrara, Platte and Republican Rivers. along with their tributaries. The Missouri separates Nebraska from Iowa.

First Nations-Nebraska is the ancestral home of the Oglala Sioux, Santee Sioux, Otoe, Winnebago, Omaha, Sac and Fox, Pawnee and Ponca peoples. The Ponca were forced to move to Oklahoma, in 1877. This was challenged by the Ponca leaders, in court, and in 1879, Standiing Bear vs. Crook was decided in favour of the Ponca. Today, they have a small reservation in Knox County. Not all relations between tribes were peaceful. The Sioux and Pawnee clashed repeatedly, in the early 1870s, over hunting rights. In 1873, a party of Sioux warriors attacked a band of Pawnees, at what is now called Massacre Canyon. As many as 150 Pawnees, mostly women and children, died in the attack. While occasional clashes took place until 1875, there were no further such massacres, though it was not until 1925 that the Pawnee and Sioux smoked the pipe of peace.

Where I feel most at home- Macy, Lincoln, Big Springs, North Platte, Big Springs, Scottsbluff

Where I feel most at peace- Scotts Bluff National Monument; Golden Spike National Monument, Nebraska National Forest (Chadron)

NEXT: Kansas

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 15

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 6, 2026- At the midpoint of her ninth month, Hana walked with me, around the first floor, three times. She had very little need for napping today, taking a 30-minute rest, this morning, and wanting to stay on the move, the rest of the day. She expressed a momentary interest in trying to go upstairs. I vetoed that one. It will, at minimum, require her ability to walk around the house unassisted, over at least a two-week period. Her parents, of course, also need to be on board with it.

My granddaughter also mimicked someone-not sure who, that she thinks yaks too much. I don’t say all that much, so I will leave that one to the Universe to decipher. She loves my prayers, and comes over to put her hand on the prayer book, while I am reciting. In the middle of the devotional, this morning, she called out “Baha’u’llah!” I have used His name in her presence, maybe twice. Something is at work in her little mind.

HANA’S NOTE- I don’t want to be held anymore, when I am drinking from a bottle. I drink it better when I am standing up.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Montana- I have been in Big Sky Country three times: 1972, between Babb and Monida, by way of Great Falls and Butte; 1982, from Monida to Cut Bank and then on up through the Blackfeet Reservation to Cardston and Stand Off, Alberta and over to Bozeman, on the return trip; 1987, crossing the state by bus, from St. Regis to Wibaux. It is one of two states that I have not re-visited since 1987 (the other being North Dakota). I would love to come up with a reason to fix that, in the next several years.

The turf- Western Montana is covered by the Rocky Mountains. The central and the eastern areas are riparian and high plains. It is the latter region that gives Montana its moniker: Big Sky Country. The state is drained by the Kootenai, Flathead, Bitterroot, Marias, Missouri, Blackfoot, Beaverhead, Musselshell, Yellowstone, and Milk Rivers, along with their tributaries.

First Nations- Montana is the ancestral home of the Assiniboine, Blackfeet (Piegan)., Little Shell Chippewa, Cree, Crow, Gros Ventre, Kootenai, Northern Cheyenne, Pend d’Oreille (Kalispel), Salish and Sioux.

Seven battles between First Nations and the U. S. Army figure strongly in Montana history. The most famous is 1. the Battle of Little Big Horn, June 25-6, 1876, between the U.S. Army 7th Cavalry and forces of the Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations. The First Nations won this battle, which was sparked by a Cavalry raid on a Lakota and Cheyenne village. This is the battle which resulted in the deaths of 268 U.S. soldiers. including General George A. Custer. 2.Baker’s Massacre (1870) was intended to “teach good manners” to the Blackfeet (Piegan), as Gen. Baker’s mission was to punish a chief who was thought to be harbouring the killers of a prominent rancher. Baker attacked the wrong village, resulting in the deaths of 90 women, 50 children and 37 men. 3. Battle of the Rosebud, occurring the week before Little Big Horn. The forces of General George Crook fought to a draw with the Cheyenne and Sioux.4. Two Medicine fight(1806) Piegan warriors fought with a unit of the Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis. Two Piegan were killed. This resulted in the Piegan closing their territory to fur traders. 5. The Hayfield Fight(1867) was one of the last skirmishes of Red Cloud’s War. Chief Red Cloud won commitments from the U.S. Government that the Powder River area would be “unceded Indian territory”. Of course, that “commitment” was soon forgotten. 6. Battle of Bearpaw (1877) was the last battle of the Nez Perce War (October 5). It was upon this defeat that Chief Joseph delivered his surrender speech: “From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.” 7. Battle of Big Hole (1877)- This battle, in July, deepened the distrust which the Nez Perce had towards the U.S. military. General John Gibbon’s forces killed between 70-90 Nez Perce, mostly women and children. 29 soldiers were killed.

Where I feel most at home: Babb (I was welcomed by a Piegan family, upon crossing the Canadian border, in 1872), Bozeman, Choteau, Butte.

Where I feel most at peace- Babb, Flathead Lake

Future Five: Glacier National Park, Bob Marshall Wilderness, Little Big Horn National Historical Site, Helena, Missouri Breaks.

NEXT: We go to the Great Plains, and North Dakota.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 14

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Posted by on in children, Hiking and Nature, Historical, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 5, 2026- Hana took her first, and second, single steps this afternoon. She dropped down, after each one, but the process has started. We will continue assisted walking and encouraging her scooting, until she builds her gait.

The other good news is about Papa. My semi-annual physical showed that I am 75 going on 55. All markers are excellent. I will next go for a check-up in nine months, instead of six. I credit the little girl keeping me busy, and the steady diet that we have here-lots of salad greens and organic meat, vegetables and fruits.

HANA’S NOTE– I’m a little scared to walk too much by myself. Papa will stay with me until I can.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Wyoming- I have been in the Cowboy State five times also- to the Cheyenne Frontier Days, in 1972; with Penny and some Baha’i friends, in 1982 and 1984; twice solo, in 2013. Each time, the visits have presented challenges and each time, I’ve come out stronger. Wyoming has a hard, but bracing beauty.

The turf- Most of western Wyoming is covered by the Rocky Mountains. There is a small arid region in the far southwest. Eastern Wyoming is mostly high plains. The state is drained by the Gallatin, Madison, Yellowstone, Wind/ Bighorn,Tongue, Powder, Little Missouri, Niobrara,North Platte, Laramie, Green, Snake, and Bear Rivers, along with their tributaries.

First Nations-Wyoming is the ancestral home of the Shoshoni, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Crow and Ute peoples. In addition,. Bannock, Comanche(Numunuu), Dakota, Kiowa, Kiowa Apache and Pawnee passed through the state, in the course of hunting. Only the Arapaho and Shoshoni remain in Wyoming, residing on and around Wind River Reservation. Wyoming’s people largely escaped the conflicts that raged between Native Americans and settlers in Idaho and Montana, There was a brief skirmish Jackson’s Hole, in 1895, sparked by a decline in the elk population. Elk were a major food source for the Bannock people who lived there. They were also lucrative for big game hunters from elsewhere, whose visits were a source of income for settlers. Rumour mongers claimed that the Bannocks had killed all the white settlers in Jackson, which was false. In fact, a blind Bannock elder was the only person known to have been killed. One white infant was separated from mother , and never found. The U.S. Army restored order in the area. The Bannocks returned to their reservation, with only one of their members being arrested for poaching. He was posthumously exonerated by the Supreme Court in 2019.

Where I most feel at home: Afton, Jackson, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Ranchester, Spirit (“Devils”) Tower, Medicine Wheel.

Where I most feel at peace: Snake River, Spirit Tower, Medicine Wheel

NEXT: Montana

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 12

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Posted by on in children, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 3, 2026- My granddaughter noticed my thumb resting on the wall of the changing table, just above her head. She reached up and moved it away from its rest. Hana is establishing her boundaries. She does not want her space to be crowded by any of us, at certain times of day. It seems to be both an early morning, “Give me space to wake up” and a late in the day, “Leave me alone; I’ve had it.” We three will honour those feelings and will teach her how to deal with those who won’t.

We all went back to Fairview Farmers, for another breakfast. This time, we took a table in the shaded outdoor section, and were the first ones there. In short order, seven more parties arrived, giving Hana much to look around and watch. She was for a time, however, very much interested in studying the menu, opening it up and examining the inside pages. Printed pages, with graphics, are her delight.

I have heard the term, “Big Personality”, used to describe outgoing, expressive people. Penny was certainly in that category, as was her father-and mine, for that matter. Hana also is coming to fit the bill, as well.

HANA’S NOTE- I like to see how letters are put together. My grownups can make sounds with them. I want to do the same.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Oregon- I’ve made six trips to the series of delights that is this land of four terrains. Portland is often criticized for being a wild, semi-civilized place, but I have had only pleasant experiences there. The Coast, the Willamette Valley, Cascades and high desert likewise have their unique gems.

The turf:The Beaver State, like its northern and southern neighbours, Washington and California, has a moist, rocky and forested coast, bordered to the east by the Cascade Mountains, which then give way to the arid Columbia Plateau and Great Basin. Oregon is drained by the Columbia, Klaskanine, Youngs, Wallooskee, John Day, Clatskanie, Willamette, Clackamas, Collawash, Tualitin, Molalla, Yamhill, Luckiamute, Santiam, Calapooia, Marys, Roaring, McKenzie, Blue, Sandy, Hood, Deschutes, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Klamath, Coquille, Umpqua, Chetco, Rogue, Applegate, New, Smith, Sixes, Coos, Siltcoos, Suislaw,Yachats, Alsea, Yaquina,Silets, Salmon, Tillamook, Trask,Nehalem, Necanicum Owyhee,Powder, Malheur, Imnaha and Snake Rivers, along with hundreds of tributary creeks and streams.

First Nations- Oregon is the ancestral home of 25 Nations, the largest of which are the Upper Umpqua, Chinook, Umatilla, Siletz, Klamath, and Shasta peoples. The racism and ignorance of some settlers, and their leaders, in the period 1845-1860, led to the Linn Massacre of 1849 and the Rogue River Wars of 1844-56. Jingoistic “Indian agents” and a demagogic governor, George Law Curry, whipped up fear among the settlers, exacerbating the Rogue River conflict. Curry also raised an Oregon militia to fight alongside Federal troops, during the Yakima War, in neighboring Washington Territory. By the time the Rogue River conflict ended, in June, 1856, 100 First Nations people and 94 Whites lay dead. Reservations were established, across Oregon. Several have been “terminated”, by an Act of Congress, but First Nations people retain water and fishing rights.

Where I feel most at home- Bandon, Astoria, Brookings, Portland, Salem. Culver, Jordan Valley, Rogue River Gorge, Crater Lake.

Where I fell most at peace- Portland Chinatown, Smith Rock, Azalea Park (Brookings), Oregon Dunes, Sea Lion Caves, Pillars of Rome

NEXT: We leave the Pacific states and look to the Northwest Interior, and Idaho