Tag Archives: Missouri River,

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 24

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

October 15,2026- Hana has gotten more boisterous, in the house. She is also a lot more animated, and the inflections in her babbling more clearly indicate meaning and expectation. We made two more walks, up and down the stairs, and she spent more time exploring her future bedroom and the upstairs common area. She was happy just sitting quietly for a while, in the middle of her bedroom carpet. The rest of the time, she had a lot of commentary.

Hana and I went to a small bake sale that some children in the neighbourhood to the northwest of us had put together, this afternoon. It drew a small crowd, and I chose several cakes and cookies that I can share with Aram and Yunhee. Hana doesn’t pay much mind to pastries. She does, however, know what ice cream is, and is not happy about it being off limits to her, for the time being.

HANA’S NOTE- I like my upstairs room. I will be okay with sleeping there, when Mommy and Daddy say I am ready.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Missouri- The Show Me State is another of my favourites. Two of my cousins live there. They are sisters, as it happens-one living in Blue Springs, near Kansas City and the other in Avilla, a small village between Joplin and Carthage. My maternal grandfather’s family lived on the other side of the state-in St. Louis. He left the area and settled in Saugus, MA, siring nine children, including my mother. I have been in Missouri at least two dozen times, the first being 1972, being let off in Kansas City, and spending two days there. then catching a lift to Columbus, OH.

The turf- Missouri, in its southwest and mid-south, shares the Ozark Plateau with Arkansas. Southeast Missouri, the “Boot Heel”, is the northernmost part of the Mississippi Delta. West Central and Northern Missouri are areas of rolling plains, the heritage of glaciation.Missouri is drained by the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, which have their confluence near St. Charles, northwest of St. Louis. The White, Osage, Gasconade and St. Francis Rivers also drain the state.

FIRST NATIONS-Missouri is the ancestral home of the Nutachi, who are also called Missouria. This tribe was nearly wiped out by raids of the Sac and Fox, in the mid-Eighteenth Century . Their remnants joined the Otoe, in Oklahoma. No major clashes between white settlers and Native Peoples are known to have occurred in Missouri.

Where I fell most at home- Sarcoxie, Avilla, Joplin, Carthage, Wheatland, Columbia, Rolla, Kansas City

Where I feel most peace- Sarcoxie, Wilson’s Creek, New Madrid

NEXT: Kentucky

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 19

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

October 10, 2026- Hana’s walking effort got a boost today, in the form of a support harness. This will do two things. It’ll give her more arm and back support. It will also give her adult helper more back support. She walked about seventeen feet, with her father tending the harness. With my Red Cross Blood Donor Ambassador session today, her parents took her for a walk in the stroller. The three of them also went to H Mart, and to a car wash, which Hana thought was rather exciting.

Hana had plenty to say, at mealtime. She warmed up to the ground beef that her mother prepared for her, but didn’t take so much to the white cabbage, which is rather bland. All in all, though, my granddaughter is more inclined towards a vegetarian diet. We will see how that shakes out.

HANA’S NOTE- I was so glad to have both Mommy and Daddy on the walk this morning!

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Kansas-The Sunflower State is often the Poster Child for “flyover country”, which to me is an epithet. I have driven across much of Kansas about a dozen times. My first visit was in 1972, partly on a Greyhound bus and the rest of the way in a van that got me as far as Kansas City, MO. There were a few other van rides in the ’70s. We camped at Wa Keeney, in 1997. I explored parts of the state’s southern tier, on three different visits, finding much more variety and scenic beauty than is commonly recognized.

The Turf- Kansas is largely flat, but not as treeless as is commonly thought. The western Great Plains region is largely treeless, but has several small arroyos and canyons. The Flint Hills and Smoky Hills dominate the central part of the state, while eastern Kansas is home to many rugged hills, which are more forested. Kansas is drained by the Missouri, Kansas,Arkansas, Republican, Solomon, Neosho and Cimarron Rivers, along with their tributaries.

First Nations-Kansas is the ancestral home of the Kiowa, Comanche (Numunuu),Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kanza, Pawnee, Wichita, Otoe, Osage and Missouri peoples. Prior to Kansas’ statehood, clashes between Native peoples and the U.S. military took place at Solomon Fork (1857) and at Crooked Creek (1859). In 1867, Cheyenne and Sioux warriors attacked a unit of the U.S. Cavalry at Beaver Creek, killing 12 men. Numerous clashes continued until 1878, when the Cheyenne returned to their home in the Black hills of South Dakota. Today, the Kickapoo, Iowa, Potawatomi and Sac & Fox nations have reservations in Kansas.

Where I most feel at home- Dodge City, Hays, Sedan, Emporia, Wellington

Where I most feel at peace-The Hollow, at Sedan; Flint Hills

NEXT: We leave the Great Plains and look to the states that are drained by the mighty Mississippi-starting with Minnesota, where the Father of Waters begins.

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 17

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

October 8, 2026- Hana has increased her level of walking activity. She is insistent on at least three complete circuits of the first floor, in an afternoon. The playpen is satisfying to her for about an hour at a time and that’s the limit. She likes certain books, especially “Len Lion’s Wobbly Tooth”, which is ironic, because of her four lateral incisors-top and bottom, erupting in the past two weeks. She proudly showed me her bottom laterals, this afternoon.

My granddaughter has set a limit on how much food she will eat. She generally will eat a full meal, if there has been no bottle for at least two hours. If the meal comes too soon after a bottle, then Hana will eat 2/3 to 3/4 of the solid meal and put her spoon down, in a way that says “I’m done.” Her mother accepts that and we go on with our day. There is certainly no lag in Hana’s energy!

HANA’S NOTE– I like walking around the house and seeing new things, each time. My mommy showed me a pair of slipper shoes, that she says I can wear this winter.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: South Dakota- Somehow, the Coyote State is one of my favourites, outside of the five Southwestern states. The Black Hills play a big part in that, but I also like Sioux Falls, for the hospitality shown me, on my three visits there. I’ve been across South Dakota about a dozen times.

The Turf- The Black Hills occupy the southwest of South Dakota, with the Badlands and high grasslands occupying the rest of the region west of the Missouri River. East of the Missouri is mostly short grass prairie. South Dakota is drained by the Missouri, which runs north to south, and by the Belle Fourche, Grande, White, Cheyenne, James, Big Sioux and Vermillion Rivers, with their tributaries.

First Nations- South Dakota is the ancestral home of the Sioux Nation, who are organized into eight tribes across the state and the Oyate people, of the Sisseton Reservation.The Sioux, Santee and Cheyenne, across the northern Great Plains, fought with the U.S. Army cavalry over the period 1862-1866. The Great Sioux Reservation was the temporary result of these conflicts. In 1876-77, warriors led by Chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse fought with the U.S. Army, in order to defend the sacred Black Hills. The Sioux and Cheyenne warriors were eventually defeated. In 1890, the Ghost Dance movement, started by Paiute medicine man Wevoka, reached the Sioux Reservations. Many people adopted the way of Ghost Dance, which predicted that the whites would be buried by a new layer of soil, while the grass and the bison would return, with the ghosts of Native Americans suspended in mid-air. The U.S. Government regarded this as a doctrine of terror, and moved to crush the Ghost Dance. When a Miniconju warrior at Wounded Knee Creek refused to surrender his rifle to the Cavalry, a shot rang out and the soldiers sprayed the camp with rounds from a Hotchkiss rifle, killing 300 men, women and children. Wounded Knee remains a place of sorrow. In 1973, Richard Wilson, a conservative who was Chairman of the Pine Ridge Oglala Sioux Tribe, outlasted an impeachment trial, on charges of corruption. Traditional Oglala leaders appealed to the American Indian Movement for assistance, in removing Wilson. Nearly 200 Lakota, accompanied by AIM members, occupied the town of Wounded Knee, for 71 days. Acts of violence resulted in the deaths of five activists and at least two FBI agents. After the death of activist Buddy Lamont, a truce was negotiated, and AIM withdrew. Problems stemming from Wilson’s autocratic governing style were blamed for 64 deaths, even after the end of the occupation. Wilson was defeated for re-election in 1976.

Where I most feel at home- Sioux Falls, Deadwod, Custer, Wanblee, Wall, Vermillion

Where I most feel at peace- Black Elk Peak, Badlands

NEXT- Nebraska

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 16

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

October 7, 2026- We used a new, higher-riding stroller for the first time, today. Hana sits facing me and thus can express herself more. She sings as we walk and lets me know more directly, if the sun is bothering her, so I pull the canopy down further. We took an old route through Hoblitzelle Park, that I had been avoiding for several months, as the rear-facing stroller had her heading into the sun, on that route.

Back at the house, we took a couple of walks around the first floor. She spent a fair amount of time at the bookshelf, as she was particularly interested in “Len Lion’s Wobbly Tooth”, which she thumbed through and looked at for several minutes. We then continued to the kitchen, where she managed to open the door to a cabinet. She wasn’t interested in the pots and pans that were inside. It was enough to be able to open the door.

HANA’S NOTE-Papa said I had a top knot after my shower tonight. It is something to do with how my hair looked after Mommy dried it with a towel.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: North Dakota- The Peace Garden State is the only one in which I have never driven, having made one visit, in 1987, whilst on a bus from Seattle to Chicago. It was February, there was a blizzard happening and the three stops-Dickinson, Bismarck and Fargo, were quite short. I’d gladly go back someday, for a more appropriate visit.

The Turf- Badlands cover the southwest fourth of the state. The area due north and east of the Badlands is Great Plains. In the center of the state, the Missouri Plateau, with the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills separating it from the Red River Valley, which occupies the eastern part of North Dakota. The state is drained by the Red River of the North,the Misouri and Souris Rivers, and their tributaries. As in other Great Plains and Prairie states, North Dakota has seen its share of floods, especially in Spring.

First Nations- North Dakota is the ancestral home of the Siouan(Dakota, Lakota and Nakota), Mandan, Arikara, Hidatsa, Chippewa(Ojibwe) and Oyate peoples. While there were no major skirmishes between Native peoples and settlers in North Dakota, per se, during the 19th Century, the Battles of Little Big Horn, in neighbouring Montana and Wounded Knee, in South Dakota affected the Siouan nations in the north, as large reservations were broken up across the Plains region. Conflict has taken place over an oil pipeline that passes through Standing Rock Reservation, home to many Siouan people. The demonstrations against the pipeline, in the 2010s, failed to stop its development. The events did, however, spur efforts to decrease reliance on oil and gas in First Nations communities, with several renewable energy initiatives being brought into being.

Where I most feel at home-Dickinson, Mandan

Where I most feel at peace-the Badlands

Future Five- International Peace Garden, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Bismarck, Standing Rock, Turtle Mountains

NEXT: South Dakota