Wednesday, March 18, 2009

A Daytrip
I've been taking my brother, who lives in a nursing home, on short daytrips to some local historic sites and small museums. He really enjoys getting out. Just don't ask him next week about where we went last week - he'll say, "I don't remember..."
Here we are in Bancroft, Nebraska at the John G. Neihardt Center.



Neihardt was Nebraska's Poet Laureate. He wrote a lot of Epic poems, but is probably most well known for Black Elk Speaks and When the Tree Flowered, both biographies of American Indians. I've read all his stuff, but my favorite of all his works are the two volumes of his autobiography; All is But a Beginning and Patterns and Coincidences.

Here is Neihardt's Study in Bancroft, where he wrote his epic poems:



It was a nice day when we were there, but we will be going back to see the Sioux Prayer Garden in late spring, when evrything is in bloom.

Winter's Last Hurrah



Which one do you like better? The one taken through the trees, or without the trees?



These were taken two weeks ago. Yesterday, it was 70 degrees. Winter in the Husker Nation... First day of spring: March 20. WOOHOO!

14 comments:

Mary Connealy said...

I should go wander around the Neihart Center, too. I haven't been there in years.

Love the pictures. I think winter has ended three times this year...and I still don't trust that it really has.

shelbs87 said...

I am SO GLAD that winter is FINALLY over!! ...or at least I hope it is!! Gotta love Nebraska weather... =[

And I am going to have to go with the picture with the trees!! I like that one a lot!


Oh, and I need to start going on little random day trips when I am bored and go to all the historic site around. That would be fun!

Ralph said...

Janell
Do they sell the two autobiographies at the John Neihardt center? If so, I may have to go there and get them on my next visit out there. They sound interesting.
The picture through the trees gets my vote.
Ralph

Janell said...

Mary; you made me laugh, but you're right! This is about the third time winter has ended this year!

Shelbinator; I'll make you a list of my local faves.

Ralph; They do have a lot of books for sale at the Center, but I didn't look for the autobiographies. It would be odd if they didn't include them in their inventory. When I read them, I got them from the Fremont Library.
PS; Check in over at the restaurant tomorrow (Thurs).

S & R; I like the one through the trees, too. But the snowflakes show up better in the other one.

Anonymous said...

Janell, definitely with the trees.

Day trips are fun, we should all take more of them.

I'd love nothing more than to go to Dixon Illinois, about 2hr from my house to go see the birth place of President Ronald Reagan.

We did take a day trip to Milwaukee and took the Miller Brewing Company tour! That rocked!

Sue said...

Winter officially ends on Friday. I hope it doesn't come back.

I like both pictures.

I stopped at the Neihart Center one Sunday when I had some time to kill, but it wasn't open. Road trips can be fun and educational.

Don't know if the fossil beds near Royal would be too far for a day trip. Myrna & I took Mom there and then to the dam in Yankton one time. This was before Mom had to be put in the home. The dam was open letting out water from the big floods in No Dakota so it was quite a sight.

EV said...

Trees! And you're right - those road trips are the best.

Cliff said...

I'm in with the tree pic too. Good ones J.
The trips out of the home are so nice and this one in particular. You're a good sis!

Scarlet said...

I love your winter shots! What I wouldn't give to see something like that up close and personal again.

Looks like you and your brother are having some good times. Great pics!

Marla said...

I have never been to the Neihart Center. I like your pictures and I prefer the one that you took through the trees. That's a great thing that you are doing for your brother!

Paul Nichols said...

I like the picture of the barn through the trees. But the other one is great, too. Nice job.

It's the first day (night) of spring. Pleasant day; just a little cool, but nothing to get upset about.

Jim said...

Janell, I will give each picture a ten (so it's a tie) for me.

I have been to the Neihart Center and the Souix Garden. We also visited my grandmother's grave up there in Bancroft.

Grandpa was the bookkeeper at the elevator there back in 1918. My mom killed her. Mom always thought she did, she came home from school with the flu. Grandma caught it and died. A lot of people died from the flu that year (epidemic).
I didn't know that Mom felt so badly until after she died. Dad told me.
..

Janell said...

Looks like the trees win it. Thanks for voting, everyone!

Jim; Your granparents lived in Bancroft at the same time Neihardt was newspaper editor there. Meanwhile, about 5 miles to east of town, my mom was born in 1918.
That's so sad that your mom blamed herself for your grandma's death. That was a terrible epidemic back then. I've studied it a little.

LaDawn said...

the one thorugh the trees.