Cute Animals

As an eleven-year-old child, Ms. Nichols' family bought a small farm on the edge of a lake in north Wisconsin for vacations.  Except for a few bears, wildlife of every variety existed in large numbers and the young lady tried to tame them.  She succeeded with many, not all, of the fish.  She could put her hand in the water, and they would expect bread.  "These pets were interesting, of course, but they did not quite satisfy," she writes, "so I turned naturally to the chipmunks and gophers, so numerous all over north Wisconsin.  With them I began a series of friendships that, renewed summers after summer, gave endless joy" ("Into the Land of the Chipmunk," Ruth Alexander Nichols, National Geographic Magazine, July, 1931, p. 81). 

The girl wanted to photograph some of her chipmunk friends.  They were quick and she became frustrated. "In exasperation one day, I snapped my fingers at one little scamp and shouted, 'Stand still, you rascal!'  No one had ever spoken that way to him before.  He stopped, most surprised, and I got my picture" (photo caption, p. 83).

I agree with Ms. Nichols that "Only a person with the unlimited leisure and patience of a child could ever reached the degree of comradeship that I proceeded to establish" (p. 84).  Those little fellows run like lightning!

Ms. Nichols distinguishes chipmunks from gophers and prairie dogs.  "The racial characteristics of these three groups of the squirrel family are as different as their appearance.  The little four-striped chipmunks are the sprightliest, merriest, most lovable, and most intelligent" (p. 87).

The chipmunks had different personalities. The larger ones bullied the smaller ones but the smaller ones were faster.  "The small animals stand in deadly fear of the bloodsucking weasel.  Summoned to the feeding station one morning by a violent, high-pitched squeaking, I broke up a fight between a large chipmunk and a weasel" (p. 97).

I wish I could personally thank Ms. Nichols for her delightful article.  She concludes, "It is quite, quite, hopeless to paint in words the merry twinkle of their eyes, the fascinating humanness and sauciness of their ways" (p. 99).  From now on, I'm going to enjoy the chipmunk families in my yard so much more when they scurry along the length of a horizontal fence plank, or dare to snack on a patio peach!

Killing Fields

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is "the most widely known of all the battlefields of America."  This next article is a short article with an 8-page section of color photographs of the beautiful rural setting of Gettysburg in 1931.  No author is listed for "The Most Famous Battle Field in America," National Geographic Magazine, July, 1931, p. 67).

As to the military strategy described therein, I don't understand.  It appeared that the southern forces would have clearly been victorious at one point. They unknowingly allowed the northern army to regroup and were defeated after three days.   This battle, apparently, was the beginning of a total loss of the Confederacy.

In many families, brother fought against brother.  Had I lived back in those times, I probably would have supported letting the South secede rather than go to war!  Yet again, I also would have been an Abolitionist.  Not that the opinion of a woman mattered back then!

The Civil War gave us Americans a taste of what other countries have endured for generations: wars fought on their own land.  It would be most difficult to live under those horrors!  We have got to find a way to stop all the savagery and death.

I've only visited two American Civil War battlefields, one at Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Lookout Mountain, and the other at Perryville, Kentucky, near Danville, where I lived for many years.  Every summer a group of women and our children would picnic at the Perryville Battlefield several times.  It had a great picnic area and playground for the children.  Then one year I decided to visit the museum.  I quickly regretted going there and vowed never to return.  Perryville was considered the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.  Thank goodness the photographs displayed were in black-and-white.  If they were in color, I probably would have lost my lunch!  In addition to the weapons and uniforms, there were the 'instruments' used in amputating limbs.  When a soldier was wounded in an arm or leg, he usually would die unless the limb was removed.  The 'hospital' house was shown with the notation that the pile of limbs outside reached up to the second story.  Enough said.

Another Remote Chinese Mountain

This author, Joseph F. Rock, is familiar as the explorer of a remote area in China, "the land between the Yellow River and the Amnyi Machen."  Now he undertakes a similar expedition to "another and even less-known region, the Konkaling district, northwest of the Muli Kingdom, where the existence of an enormous mountain mass. . .was not then suspected by the outside world" ("Konka Risumgongba, Holy Mountain of the Outlaws," National Geographic Magazine, July 1931, p. 3). "High Adventure in Snowy Mountains!" Thursday, October 17, 2013, this blog, is my account of Mr. Rock's first voyage.  I'm finding that I learn much more about our world and its most diverse people from these lesser known localities.

It's harder to conceive of a "blank area" on the world map, but Konka Risumgongba was an unknown mountain prior to Mr. Rock's journey, sponsored by the National Geographic Society.  "It was my friend the King of Muli who made it possible for me to explore this region of amazing scenery and pious robbers, who turn from pillage to prayer - and then back to pillage!" (p. 4).  Once again, it was the lamas, or monks, in the lamaseries who provided assistance without which the party would have undoubtedly been killed and never found.

FYI: What trees do you think grow at the highest altitudes?  In this region of China "the timber line extends to 15,500 feet.  Spruces, larches, and firs are found up to 15,000 feet, which for the remaining 500 feet rhododendron forests composed of trees 25 to 30 feet in height cover the spurs and ridges" (photo caption, p. 6).

The King of Muli's "realm is surrounded by lawless bandits.  To the south and southeast is the Lolo robber tribes and to the west and northwest are the Konkaling and Hsiangching outlaws, who often make inroads into his domain" (p. 7).  However, even outlaws can be bribed if the booty is valuable enough! Mr. Rock always brought a stock of silver coins with him for 'incentive.'

FYI:  In this mountainous territory, distances were not measured in miles, but days, such as, "3 days north of Muli" (photo caption, p. 11).

The King of Muli wrote the letters to the bandit king, asking for safe passage for the Americans.  The King accompanied them for part of the distance, then the expedition set out on their own with 36 mules and horses, 21 local assistants plus the "head lama of Muli monastery. . .this lama was like a magician in fairy tales, without him we would have starved.  Of course, we paid for everything" (p. 27).

Mr. Rock observed, with pride, "Our party was the first (non-native) to set foot on the Konkaling plateau, explore the majestic peaks rising from it, follow its rivers and gorges, and climb to its glaciers. . .We found the stifling heat in the gorges. . .next to unbearable, especially as we passed from cool forest regions to a temperature of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit within a couple of hours" (p. 30).

There is a photo of our brave author in native dress with his "outlaw escort" - 5 armed men. Further on, the party had to cross a chasm over the Shou Chu River, which was several thousand feet deep. "The wind howled hot, as from a furnace.  That we lost nothing crossing that apology for a bridge was indeed a miracle, when one considers that even seasoned muleteers passed over the structure on hands and knees" (p. 34).

Several interesting points: gold was mined nearby.  While the highest peaks of the mountains were only rocks and snow, the lower reaches were covered by forest and the most unusual wildflowers. This article is the first time I've heard mention of and seen photographs of natives with costumes depicting Demons from Hell.

Many of the native guides had helped Mr. Rock on his previous trip to the Amnyi Machine Mountain.  He relates, "I owe much of the success of these expeditions to this intrepid mountain race.  I could trust them implicitly.  Not even in the greatest hour of danger, as when surrounded by 600 fierce Chinese bandits, did they show the white feather" (p. 46).

Mr. Rock found the Konka Risumgongba Mountain, and wished to circumnavigate it, and collect botanical and zoological specimens.  "We immediately met with opposition.  The Konkaling people objected strongly to our killing birds.  To me, this seemed peculiar, for they themselves do not hesitate to kill a pious pilgrim while both they and the pilgrim are devoutly circumambulating the sacred peaks! " (p. 46).  They managed to take a few specimens surreptitiously.

Around the peaks of the mountain the party encountered, Drashetsongpen, the bandit chief.  After ceremonial bowing, the author and the chief sat together.  The bandit chief "placed his hand on his chest and said: "You will have nothing to fear, for I have given orders that you shall remain unmolested."  That ended our interview" (p. 50).

The author delighted in collecting many specimens and taking many photographs of the rugged mountains, the native peoples and the monks.  There was a total of 24 pages of beautiful color photographs in this article.

Before returning to America he made a second trip into the mountains but the weather was bad and he left.  He wanted to enter the mountains for the third time but his loyal Muli friend discouraged him.  Sensibly, he cancelled the third journey.  The robber chief was unhappy because the last time Mr. Rock left, there was a hailstorm that destroyed the entire barley crop of the outlaws.  "The robber chief said he had heard of our presence in Muli, and should we again visit his territory he would not listen to the king this time, but would rob and murder us" (p. 64).  Good decision!

Getting Ready for a BIG Trip!

In April of 1931, Georges-Marie Haardt set out to prove that automobiles were suitable for crossing all terrain.  He convinced wealthy patrons and the National Geographic Society to finance a trip from Beyrouth (Beirut), Lebanon, east through Afghanistan over the Asian mountains to Peiping (Peking), China, then south to Saigon, and then back.  His account of getting ready for this journey is reported in "The Trans-asiatic Expedition Starts," (National Geographic Magazine, June, 1931).

Extensive preparations were required because "In the course of our journey we will encounter every variation of temperature, from wintry blasts in the lofty Pamir to the sultry heat of an Indo-China summer; and nearly every kind of terrain, from tropical marshes and desert of sand and rock to high mountain passes" (p. 776). We must keep in mind that most of the trip would be accomplished without roads!

The expedition planned for many problems and carried "a complete repair outfit and spare parts enough practically to rebuild an automobile if necessary" (p. 777).  The journey would consist of traveling 15,000 miles and then returning.

The seven cars in the expedition appeared to be Model-T trucks with wheels in front and tank treads in back, puling two-wheeled trailers.  Included were two cars for motion picture equipment, a wireless (radio) car, a kitchen car, and a medical car.  Thirty to forty people would be in the party.  They would camp in tents along the way.

My first question is: where will they obtain all the gasoline needed for these heavy vehicles?  "Each car. . .has a six-cylinder, high compression, fifty horsepower motor, the gasoline for which is carried in two tanks of about sixty gallon capacity each, with an emergency tank in reserve which holds twenty gallons" (p. 780).

The author commented, "No greater difficulties faced Hannibal in getting his elephants over the Alps than loom before us in our attempts to maneuver automobiles across the Pamir" (p 780).  The speed of these cars ranged from one to twelve miles per hour!

I am impressed!  To cross rivers too deep to drive across, they will bring inflatable floats and rafts, "capable of supporting any one of the cars without its trailer. . .and an outboard motor" (p. 781).

The group plans on collecting birds, animals, and plant life, and studying the ethnic history of Asia. "Certain it is that nowhere else in the world can one find a greater conglomeration of races" (p. 782).

Another aspect to be studied will be economic life: products, industries, currencies, etc.  Mr. Haardt postulates, "the results of our efforts should be of real value to mankind in making the contemplative life of the Orient and the fast-moving life of the Western World better known to each other" (p. 782). And we shall also look forward to these results in a future issue of National Geographic Magazine!

More Islands to Visit: The Arans

Mr. Robert Cushman Murphy intrigues us from the start of the next article from National Geographic Magazine's June, 1931, issue.  "Find an island remote because of distance or unfashionableness and you have found a new world," ("The Timeless Arans: The Workaday World Lies Beyond the Horizon of Three Rocky Islets Off the Irish Coast," p. 747).  I love all things island, the hotter the better!  The author continues, "The islanders themselves. . . supply most of the exultation of the visitor, as well as the echoes that ever move among his heartstrings."

Our island trip today is to the three Aran Islands, not far off the middle of the west coat of Ireland.  "Although the largest of the group is less than nine miles long, the three together have, at a guess, as much stonewall as all New England.  Inishman, the middle island, boasts 2,500 miles of walls" (748).  The other two islands are Inishmore and Inisheer; total island land area: 19 square miles.  Population in 1931 was less than 2,000. Even more islanders were emigrating to America.

Ruins of a stone church beyond the stone wall, Ireland, August, 2011.  Ruins are never removed.

The distinctive native clothes were still worn in the Arans in 1931.  An unusual practice was the wearing of red skirts instead of pants by boys aged 15 and younger.  Legend reports that "The fairies or the commonplace devil have the power to lure small boys out of the everyday world, but their influence over little girls is much less (p. 760)  Thus, the evil ones are deceived.

Homes were built of cemented stone with thatch (90%), flagstone, or slate roofs.  Even the chimneys were thatched and never caught fire.  Although there were a few separate barns for the animals, most homes had an attached room for pigs and donkeys.  Chickens, ducks and turkeys could wander through the kitchens' open doors in warm weather.  Cats and dogs, of course, stayed with the family.  Some families owned sheep and a cow or two.

My brother, Don's home in County Cavan, Ireland, August, 2013.  Building code required all homes (except the historic ones with thatched ones) have slate roofs.  Although large, this house is of a design typical of most Irish homes.

The Aran islanders' chief occupation was fishing, as were of most islanders everywhere.  Their boats, resembling rowboats, were distinctively different.  Called "curraughs," they were made of canvas stretched over oak frames then soaked with hot tar.  They were extremely light weight.  Another important trade was harvesting sea kelp, from which iodine would be extracted.

As in all Ireland, there are plenty of stone ruins scattered about the land.  "Seven churches" ruins appeared that a church was abandoned when outgrown for a larger one.  There are ruins of several large forts, called "duns."

The islands had no cars in 1931 but the police were "equipped with a motorcycle or two" (771).  The chief diversion were weddings, marriages having been arranged by a young couple's parents.  The author was pleased to attend one of the weddings. After the church ceremony, the entire wedding party and guests danced their way three miles to the bride and groom's new home. "Into a kitchen of not more than twelve by fourteen feet fully 60 persons had crowded in the form of a hollow square, with space in the middle for four dancers" (773).  This would continue for 24 hours.

Mr. Murphy finishes this article with an account of the islands' fairies, called "shee."  "Their visibility to human beings is quite capricious, and the control sometimes lies with a higher power.  One person may see them frequently, another only once in a lifetime, and many not at all" (775).  We'll surely re-visit the big island of Ireland soon!

Decorated Clay Houses

I could easily spend my eternity going through every house/home/dwelling ever built!  I love architecture, the older, the better.  Particularly interesting are those home that have additions or different levels.  There are some gems in which stairways have actually been moved!  (Mind you, I couldn't live in one of these old homes - way too expensive!)

Wonderfully delicious are old homes decorated for Christmas!  This December, daughter #7, Marie and I toured two local estates, White Hall, the home of Cassius Marcellus Clay, near Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A., and Ashland, the home of Henry Clay here in Lexington, Kentucky.

White Hall is a four-story house, including basement, and even more tall and imposing in the pitch black dark of a December evening, on the top of a hill in the country.  Even though the long sidewalk from the parking area was lit, it was hard to find our way.  Marie's husband, Charles, accompanied us on the tour.  General Green Clay built this house, first called Clermont, in 1798-1799, passing it on after to his death to his oldest son, Cassius Marcellus Clay.  Cassius added on to the house in 1863.  The total number of rooms, counting closets and hallways, were forty-four (!), on nine different levels with ten thousand square feet of space.  The stairways were very unusual and at least one had been moved.

Cassius Clay was U.S. Minister to Russia; there are quite a few paintings and objects d'art brought back from his travels there or presented to him. Of course, in every room was a beautiful, unique fireplace, with lovely Christmas decorations.  There were Christmas trees of every height with different themes.  My favorite was a very small one in the children's nursery, decorated with small toys.

When we first entered the massive foyer, were were entertained by dulcimer music in the main 'drawing room' (living room).  The chandelier in this room was large and quite sparkling.  The entire house was grand in every way.  Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and showed such pride in this historic home.  After the tour, we were served a tempting array of cookies and hot apple cider.

Even though I've now lived in Lexington for more than thirteen years, I've never toured Ashland.  I've been saving it for a special time during Christmas.  Marie also loves these old homes; together we've toured quite a few.  The original Ashland was built by Henry Clay in 1806 on an estate originally 672 acres.  Henry Clay was a U.S. Congressman and three-time Presidential Candidate.

The ceiling lights fascinated me.  Some of them were originally candle lights, then gas lights, finally electrified.  Ashland had its own Gas Works since it was too far from the city of Lexington.

After Henry Clay's death in 1852, his son James demolished the house due to its poor construction and rebuilt in the present grand, solid style.  Again, the Christmas decorations were magnificent.  Marie and I could have sat down and talked with the guide for several days, I'm sure.

Ashland, Lexington, Kentucky, December, 2013.

 Photographs were not permitted in either of the two houses.  The Clays were cousins and shared many common practices.  Both family patriarchs were extremely good businessmen and traveled extensively.  I was touched that in both families were several who died of Tb. Both families owned slaves but gave them freedom before it was required.

FYI:  All these years when I heard these old homes had 'gas lights,' I assumed they found a way to pipe in natural gas.  Oh, no!  They had large tanks of gasoline and captured the vapors the piped that into the lights.  The Ashland guide said they had to be extremely careful of sparks!!

If you like history, architecture, and/or Christmas decorations, give yourself a treat and visit these homes!

Where It All Started

Bethlehem, Israel, October, 2013.

Entrance to the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Israel, October, 2013.  This portal was purposely short and narrow so men on horses could not enter.

Part of the church's original floor tiles are exposed with glass built into the present floor.

The Middle Eastern influence can be seen in the many gold lanterns, crystals, chains, and glass globes.  The entire church was undergoing extensive renovation.  This leads to the main altar.

This photo was taken in near darkness.  My camera was set for low light.  We couldn't even see what the paintings depicted until we were nearly on top of them.  Directly beneath the paintings is a door leading to a side altar.

Magnificent icon of the Birth of Jesus on the wall of the side altar.

The exact place where Jesus was born.  We were permitted to briefly touch or kiss this space on the floor.

The Church of the Nativity was built by Emperor Constantine's mother, St. Helen, in the fourth century over the place revered by the early Christians where Jesus was born.  Here, the original rafters, which are hand-hewn,  are being braced.

Before I left on my Pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Israel, friends who had been there told me, "This will change your life.  You will see."  They were right!  The person of Jesus is much more real to me now.  To be able to see the land where He lived, feel the heat, experience the narrow passages of the Old City of Jerusalem, to stroll through the beautiful Garden of Gethsemane - it was all wonderful!  I was fearful that I would experience "Art Overload," seeing so many beautiful paintings, sculptures, and buildings, that I wouldn't appreciate them.  I was wrong.  I seemed to relish each and every one.  It was a deeply spiritual experience.  If you haven't been to Israel, make every effort to get there someday. You will never regret it.

I have a song in my heart today:

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday, dear Jesus,
Happy Birthday to you!

May this song stay in my heart and yours all day!