Nebraska Outback

Hedge Trees

2012-02-14T07:16:00.002-06:00

On a road somewhere south of Paxton (I think it was Road E W-S or Road E V-S. I can't understand the road-naming system in Keith County), there is a row of Hedge trees planted along the road. It's winter, so naturally the trees weren't very pretty, but I hadn't previously known that Hedge trees could grow in Nebraska.

Hedge or Osage Orange, is a native of Texas bu can now be found across the Great Plains because it was frequently planted to provide living fences. They grow quickly, can be pruned to grow very densely, are very hardy and long-lived, plus they have sharp spines! Good qualities for any fence.

Besides the living hedgerows, posts made from Osage Orange last seemingly forever! If you're ever driving in the Sandhills and come across a pig-tight, horse-high, bull-strong barbed wire fence made of spindly, crooked posts, you're seeing Hedge posts. (for you purists, most barbed-wire fences aren't horse-high.) Some of these posts date back into the early to mid decades of the 20th century when the fences were first installed.
Hedge trees bear fruit, commonly called Hedge Balls or Hedge Apples among other names. Squirrels love the seeds they contain, and they are edible, but the fruit that surrounds them is much too difficult to remove to make eating the seeds worthwhile - unless you indeed are a squirrel. The balls in this picture are old and dried up - but when squished still ooze a sticky white liquid. Old wives tales hold that Hedge Balls placed throughout the house will repel insects, and you can often find them for sale in local grocery stores, but I haven't found it to be true.

You never know what you're going to find on a road trip through the Nebraska country side. You just have to get out there, and keep your eyes open!

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.

Sandhills Morning

2012-02-11T06:32:00.000-06:00

Sunday morning promised to be clear and cold. At 6:30 after checking all of my social media outlets, I looked to the lightening sky in the east and decided to brave the cold for a photographic road trip.Sunrise found me parked by the side of Prairie Trace Road about ten miles north of Sutherland. A small cloud bank in the east obscured the sun briefly, but it soon broke through.
Nearer to the Birdwood Creek, the hoarfrost had developed spectacularly on the fences and roadside grasses. Until I stopped and looked closely, I had no idea how beautiful each individual "leaf" of frost was.
It is amazing to me how this beauty can develop overnight.
So beautiful and so delicate. And so easily missed as we speed right on past.
Further north, I reached my original destination, the valley of the Birdwood Creek. The beauty exceeded my expectations, as a heavy mist was rising from the stream and had settled into the valley.
The early morning sun reflecting off of the mist and the newly-fallen snow and sparkling in the hoarfrost coating the grasses made it a magical sight.
I headed back to the valley, then took North River Road to Birdwood Road and back north again, this time on gravel roads. The plows hadn't been through here, but enough traffic had broken through the drifts and packed down the snow that I had no trouble. About five miles north I came to the valley of the Birdwood, this time from a different vantage point.
Along the way I passed temporary corrals used to load out the calves in the fall built in a pasture. The snow had drifted very prettily through the boards.
This winter has almost been the one that wasn't, but I'm glad we got at least one heavy snow fall so we can enjoy all of the seasons.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee's always on.

Identity Crisis

2012-02-09T05:54:00.000-06:00

I couldn't decide whether to title this post "Identity Crisis" or "Inferiority Complex". Either way, many Nebraskans suffer from it. Except possibly in the area of Cornhusker football. We've believed for so long that "there's nothing to do here" that we can't possibly imagine anything we have that people would actually want to come visit for.

The Nebraska Division of Travel and Tourism recently hosted the annual Agri/Eco Tourism workshop in North Platte (we'll be playing host again in 2013 on February 5 & 6). During Governor Heineman's welcome remarks at the opening luncheon, he mentioned the same thing. Many of us are our state's own worst enemy. Tourism is Nebraska's third largest industry (behind agriculture and manufacturing), and yet the stories we (residents and ex-pats alike) tell are about how we couldn't wait to get out of here as kids and there's nothing to do here now, and even *gasp* how much we hate it. (OK, I'll admit that I don't hear that last much in the circles I run in, but I hear stories about it being said.)
Whether you've just stumbled upon this blog or you've been a regular reader, you know that I don't suffer from an identity crisis OR an inferiority complex. I think Nebraska is the best state their is, from our well-managed government (except for the whole child-welfare fiasco, but surely our common sense will remedy that soon), to our low unemployment to the wonderful diversity in our landscape, our wide open spaces and our friendly people.

Here are a couple examples of previous blog posts:
Burwell and the Calamus Outfitters
Fort Hartsuff
Tanking in Nebraska
The beautiful Garfield Table
A visit to Omaha

I could go on and on... and on and on. No matter where you turn, there is something amazing about Nebraska, and I intend to showcase tidbits of it here until the whole world knows.

If you're an ex-pat, repeat after me: I may live in (fill in your city of residence), but I'm FROM Nebraska! (feel free to ad-lib here about being proud of it, and it being the best place on earth).

If you live here, just smile and start listing everything great about calling Nebraska home. You'll find yourself going on and on.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.

Nebraska Seasons 2012

2012-02-05T11:35:00.003-06:00

I am embarrassed that I only posted twice in January. Thank goodness it wasn't on my New Years resolution list to post more often - I would be disappointed to think that I had broken it already.

However, I do hereby resolve to post more! At least more than twice a month... which should easily be doable.

I have found a wonderful new vantage point for my "Through The Seasons" posts for 2012. Yes, I know I got sidetracked and didn't keep up with it in 2011, but with this beautiful new scene, I am very motivated to make it back there once a month.
This photo was taken at 9:00am CT on Birdwood Road looking south into the valley of the Birdwood creek.

Because of the weekend snow, it is difficult to make out the contours of the land and the variety of fauna - roadside grasses, prairie, trees, cornfield and marsh. However, as I continue with the monthly photographs, the beauty of this location should become apparent.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee's always on, and after a foray into the freezing morning to get this photograph it is absolutely essential!

Book Review: Nosy in Nebraska

2012-01-01T11:39:00.004-06:00

Melnik Nebraska may only have a population of 1,138, but truthfully, everyone in Nebraska outside of the metropolitan areas of Omaha and Lincoln lives in Melnik. I'm pretty sure everyone in rural America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and Canada to Mexico lives in Melnik.

"The best thing and worst thing about a small town was the same thing.

Everybody knew.

If you needed help, lost a job and needed money, had a death in the family, an illness, everybody knew and came to your aid. If you messed up, everybody knew and discussed every detail of the trouble."

Nosy in Nebraska is a trilogy written by Mary Connealy, and includes the individual titles "Of Mice... and Murder," "Pride and Pestilence," and "The Mice Man Cometh," with publication dates of 2008, 2009 and 2009, respectively.

Witty. It's a characteristic sometimes lacking in independent authors, especially independent authors who write Christian romance mysteries. Not to be prejudiced against that genre, but in my experience, titles can sometimes be sappy and trite to an alarmingly boring degree.

Not so with Mary Connealy, who has entertainingly and humorously captured life in a small town, and Nebraska is fortunate enough to have the setting for the fictional Melnik be in our great state.

Each title in the trilogy is a murder-mystery cozy, with romance and Christian overtones. Great reads for winter afternoons snuggled before a fire, or long, lazy summer days at your favorite beach or park.

If you find you like her writing, according to her website, there are a lot more titles to find:

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys. She is the author of the Lassoed in Texas series, Petticoat Ranch, the Christy Award nominated Calico Canyon and Gingham Mountain. The Montana Marriages series, Carol Award Finalist Montana Rose, The Husband Tree and Wildflower Bride. A stand alone romantic comedy with cowboys, Cowboy Christmas which won the 2010 Carol Award for Long Historical Romance. A new series with ties to both of the old ones, Doctor in Petticoats, Wrangler in Petticoats and Sharpshooter in Petticoats.

If I read the descriptions right, these are more in the historical romance genre, and never having read any of them, can't comment with any authority. But... if I had to take a guess based on the three that I have read, they will be well-written, light-hearted entertainment that'll make you feel good when you're finished.

I'm glad my sister-in-law introduced me to Mary - what an interesting character. In addition to her published writing under her own name, she has an alter-ego, Mary Nealy who has written a suspense thriller "Ten Plagues." She is also an avid blogger, so you can get to know her at numerous places on the web. One of the most interesting is "Seekerville," with a subtitle of "The Seekers, Escape from Unpubbed Island." Thirteen Christian writers who collided on the way to becoming published authors, a note on their "About Us" page announces that as of July 2011, all of the authors have left Unpubbed Island - with the sale of novel-length manuscripts.

Congratulations on all their success. If you're looking for a quick read if this winter ever decides to grace us with some snow, check out Mary Connealy.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T07:35:00.011-06:00

The house is quiet early on the morning of the first day of 2012, for the first time in about ten days. The two boys who are home are enjoying sleeping in after celebrating the coming of the new year.

Our holiday celebrations began on December 23 with the arrival of our daughter from California, marking the beginning of a gathering that would see all of us together for the first time in nine years.

The time went so fast, but we tried to make the most of it.

There was the great road trip into the Sandhills where we saw lots of scenery and wildlife.Then there was a visit to the homesteading cabin occupied by the kids' Great Grandparents.
We explored a bit of Sutherland, including Grandma Irene's First Street Fitness Center. And of course, there was the food! Our big celebration came on the 28th when all of the kids finally arrived. The meal marked the largest gathering of our kids and the Nebraska Outback side of the family in recent memory.We enjoyed our traditional holiday trip to Seifer Farms Sporting Clays to blow up some things.And we did some touristy things like visiting the Golden Spike Tower. And the Fort Cody Trading Post where we got some amazing gifts for the White Elephant exchange. It of course, was all over too quickly, but we did have time for one last drive to enjoy the beautiful Nebraska sunset.
With that foundation to build upon, 2012 is shaping up to be a wonderful year. Thank you for stopping by. Best wishes for an amazing 2012 from the Nebraska Outback. Stop by sometime... remember, the coffee is always on.

What to get Your Favorite Artist for Christmas

2011-12-20T07:09:00.005-06:00

Most of the artists who entertain our friends at the Nebraska Outback House Concert Series are independent, controlling their own music, lives and destiny. They can perform the music they want, nearly all of which they have written and arranged themselves.

Our audiences often leave a concert shaking their heads "why don't we hear them on the radio?" or "they are so much better than we hear on the radio all the time." I share our audience's frustration.

Most of the artists who perform on our living room stage are doing exactly what they want to do - connecting with people through the intimate setting of a House Concert. They wouldn't have it any other way.

However, the CD sales and the radio play (online or broadcast) is their bread and butter. Tours are so expensive, that often the donations from audiences barely cover expenses. It's connecting with new fans and selling CD's that make a tour profitable.

I personally believe that fans who have been entertained by an artist who has spent a lifetime honing their entertainment skills has a certain amount of responsibility, over and above dropping a donation in the jar and buying a CD.

If we want to consistently have the opportunity to hear great new independent music, WE have to be the PR arm of these amazing artists. They don't have the PR machine of a mega record label behind them - and this is a good thing, because they also don't have a mega record label telling them what to play and how to play it.

With the access we have on the Internet, we can be a partner in their careers and help them sell albums, and other fans discover them and start talking about them. Here are a few ideas to help you along:

First, go to the artist website at (www.MasonDouglasMusic.com, www.Neelymusic.com, www.BenBedford.com, www.jesseterrymusic.com, www.meganburtt.com, www.bethwoodmusic.com, www.kenomalley.com, www.thewaymores.net, www.marcgunn.com... there's so many more!) and sign up for their mailing list. You'll often get free music downloads, and you'll be notified of upcoming events - album releases, appearances, etc.

Go to the artist Facebook fan page and become a fan there too. You'll most likely find the information on their official website. And don't just leave it at that... don't become a stalker, but post on their walls if you see/hear something you like.

If you’re a twitterer, you can follow them there. Make a list of musicians you follow and check it regularly - retweet their interesting tweets, engage them in conversation. Recognize them on "#MusicMonday", "#NewMusicTuesday" and "#FollowFriday", tell your friends how much you like them.

Check out their albums available on Amazon.com. It’s best just to search for the name of the artist and/or the name of the album. Scroll down and leave your own review of their music. Don't just purchase their music and leave your enjoyment of it to yourself! Share with others how great it is and encourage them to purchase it or listen to it too. Activity here will help your artist be more easily found.

Do you have an iTunes account? You can find nearly all of the artists there as well, and it really helps their visibility if you “like” their music and leave reviews there too. Just search the store to find them, then poke around on your account until you find where you can leave reviews. It only takes a few minutes, and once you become a regular at it it'll take less time than that.

Are you hooked on YouTube? Most artists have a channel there, where they post videos of their own and favorites those others post. You can "favorite", “like” and comment on the individual videos, and you can also comment to the channel - all of this will help their be more popular and more easy to find. Of course, you can also share the videos on your Twitter feeds and Facebook walls and other places on the Internet.

Going a little further, you can go to the artist page on ReverbNation: You’ll have to register, but it’s free and gives you access to preview lots of great music. Become a fan of your favorite artists there, and you can check out their upcoming live appearance and other announcements.

Whether you listen to your local radio station, Internet radio or services like Pandora or Spotify, request their music! Create channels with their music. Share (there's almost always a "share" button) the same when you have the opportunity.

Don't let your admiration for an artists hide under a bushel! Let your light shine wherever you have an audience - readers of Amazon and iTunes reviews, your Twitter followers and Facebook friends, other fans of the artist.

Take your job as PR person seriously! We'll all thank you when we have the chance to turn on our local radio station and hear their music!

If anyone has any more suggestions on how we can help our favorite artists get the word out, be sure to post comments here.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.

North Platte Canteen Remembered

2011-12-09T07:25:00.000-06:00

On a cold winter evening, December 17, 1941, a group of friends and family members from North Platte stood on the Union Pacific Depot staring with dismay at a troop of soldiers disembarking from the train. The parents, grandparents, children, sweethearts and friends had heard through the grapevine that their own soldiers, Company D of the Nebraska National Guard would be stopping on their way to war.

Only now, there wasn't a familiar face to be seen as the confused soldiers stared back at them in confusion. It was National Guard Company D all right, only the boys were from Kansas, not Nebraska.

One courageous young woman, Rae Wilson, stepped forward, declaring that these soldiers would enjoy the gifts she had brought. The rest of the crowd followed suit, passing out the home made foods and hand made gifts to the surprised and grateful soldiers.

Seventy years this month will have passed since that act of unparalleled generosity... what makes it unparalleled is that Rae Wilson spearheaded the effort to do the same thing EVERY TIME a troop train passed through town. On Christmas Day, the Canteen opened in the Union Pacific Depot and went on to operate for 54 months, meeting every single troop train until eventually 55,000 volunteers served more than six million service men and women.

To commemorate the anniversary, artist Denis Hurst penned and performed a tribute to the North Platte Canteen:

God bless our men and women in uniform, and those volunteers who showed them so much love so long ago.

Thanks for stopping by. As with the old-time signal of an approaching troop train "Put the coffee pot on!"

Beautiful Home to Sell at Auction December 10

2011-12-06T06:56:00.003-06:00

After literally years of wrangling with her former husband, , my sister's home in North Platte will sell at a real estate auction on December 10,2011 at 10:30 a.m.

Marvelous 3+ bedroom, 3 bath home
810 E. 4th St., North Platte
16' x 30' garage/workshop
Splendid decks

Grand three or more bedroom, two story manor with three baths, 16' x 30' detached garage and off-street parking for several vehicles. The home offers 2,252 sq. ft. of living area under composition shingled gable roof. The home has been tastefully updated with contemporary and fashionable decor. The open kitchen/dining area measures 13' x 22' and has abundance of new cabinetry and top of the line appliances. It is heated by forced air gas furnace and there is also central air conditioning.

There are marvelous decks and this home is situated near Memorial Park and along the NEBRASKAland DAYS parade route. A large tent is included for entertaining during that and other celebrations.
This home is a true people pleaser. Plus it's on a huge lot with alley access.
Legal Description: Lot 1 Melissa 1st Replat of Trustee's Addition to North Platte, Lincoln County Nebraska.

Lot Dimensions: 109.25 x 132

Real Estate Taxes: 2010 - $2,848.44, parcel number 4536500

For more information contact Bruce Richman, 308-530-0990 or Nancy Faulhaber, 308-530-1254

Misguided Interference by Uncle Sam

2011-11-30T07:32:00.005-06:00

HURRY, HURRY, HURRY!
COMMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY DECEMBER 1

America's rural lifestyle has long been under attack, whether from economic downturns, the weather, the EPA or animal rights group. Now we have to fight for our very future on another front - the Department of Labor.

Children are vital to the health of the rural economy, and our farm and ranch lifestyle is vital to raising intelligent, hard-working adults. Now proposed changes in the child labor laws is threatening our heritage.

In one of Nebraska's most rural counties, the Custer County Chief broke the story. According to the details printed there,

The changes are pointedly aimed at agriculture and would severely limit opportunities for young people on the farm or ranch, and in some cases eliminate them, until they are at least 16, or in some instances 18 years of age.

There is a partial exemption for kids working for their mom or dad. That exemption does not extend, however outside that narrow definition. Uncles, aunts, grandparents are not considered. Furthermore, if the teenager is paid then the parents are considered a business and the exemptions are no longer allowed. These rules would also most likely impact youth groups like 4-H and FFA.

Other proposed changes prohibit certain occupations involving working with or around animals including handling animals with known dangerous behaviors; assisting in animal husbandry practices that inflict pain upon animal or result in unpredictable behavior (such as branding, breeding, dehorning, vaccinating, castrating and treating sick or injured animals); poultry catching or cooping in preparation for market; working in a yard, pen or stall of an intact(non-castrated male animal or with female animals with suckling offspring or umbilical cords present; herding animals in confined spaces or on horseback, or using motorized vehicles such as trucks or all-terrain vehicles.

Several proposals are aimed specifically at tractor use.
Tractors operated by 14 and 15-year old youth must be equipped with approved Roll-Over Protective Structures (ROPS) and seatbelts; and that seatbelt use be mandated. This would prohibit the use of tractors of any horsepower, including small garden-tractors; whereby the training exemption will either be removed or changed to 90 hours of study.

It would prohibit the use of electronic devices, including communication devices, while operating tractors, power-driven equipment and motor vehicles and restrict use of all power-driven equipment (similar to that of non-agricultural industries). That would seem to be a very broad definition encompassing almost all equipment used on the farm.

Another proposal would restrict young people from working on elevated structures over six feet high. Most combine cabs are over six feet. There are question being asked. Are they not allowed to use ladders either? Do barn lofts fall under this ruling?

The Department of Labor seems to contrast sharply with the wishes of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack who is looking for ways for more young people to get involved in farming and ranching.

Do any of these activities sound familiar to you? If you grew up on a farm or a ranch, they were all probably part of your chores or duties from the time you could toddle around the farm yard carrying a bucket.

Here's what to do:

To submit comments:

1. Log on to www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=WHD-2011-0001-0001
2. Enter required information in section 1 including name and address
3. Type comment in section 2
4. Review your comments – the U.S. Department of Labor urges the commenter to carefully consider that their submissions are a matter of public record and will be publicly accessible on the internet
5. Submit

Comments must be submitted on or before December 1, 2011

Occupy Black Friday

2011-11-23T06:29:00.000-06:00

As a matter of fact, DON'T Occupy Black Friday - stay home, enjoy your family, watch some football, eat leftovers. Avoid the madness Black Friday brings.

But, when you do go shopping, ON SATURDAY, participate in SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY! Small business is the backbone of America and the key to economic recovery. Here are some important contributions of small business according to the SBA:

Small firms:
Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.

Employ half of all private sector employees.

Pay 44 percent of total U.S. private payroll.

Generated 65 percent of net new jobs over the past 17 years.

Create more than half of the nonfarm private GDP.

Hire 43 percent of high tech workers ( scientists, engineers, computer programmers, and others).

Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises.

Made up 97.5 percent of all identified exporters and produced 31 percent of export value in FY 2008.

Produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms.

And, when you spend locally, more of your dollars stay in your community:

Here are some great ideas to spend your money this Christmas - really, it's like giving three times or more - your spending is a gift to independent, locally owned business owners, who in turn spend your dollars in the community, AND you get to give great, thoughtful gifts to your loved ones.

Everything from soup to nuts: Grow Nebraska, online or at retail stores in Kearney, Grand Island and Lincoln.

Kearney
5019 2nd Avenue, #20
Kearney, NE 68847
(308) 338-3520
Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 10 am - 9 pm
Sunday: 12 noon - 6 pm

Grand Island
Conestoga Mall #144
3404 W 13th Street
Grand Island, NE 68803
(308) 382-1287
Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 10 am - 9 pm
Sunday: 12 noon - 6 pm

Lincoln
6100 O Street, Bay #228
Westfield Gateway Mall
Lincoln, NE 68505
402-464-3030
Store hours
Monday-Saturday: 10:00am – 9:00pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Please check Westfield Gateway Web site for specific holiday hours.
November 4 - December 24

Other ideas?

Give some locally brewed craft beers. You can find all of the Nebraska Brewers on the Nebraska Beer Blog.

Nebraska Wine - check out the Nebraska Wine and Grape Growers or your local retailers for selections.

Nebraska Music - you can find a lot of great artists at Hear Nebraska, check them out then buy their music directly from their websites, at Amazon or iTunes.

Make a REAL difference with your Christmas shopping this year! Buy local.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on (purchased from our local grocery store, Maline's Super Foods in Sutherland, Nebraska.)

There's no place like Nebraska

2011-11-18T14:33:00.002-06:00

If you're a sports fan at all, you've probably already heard the story of Nebraska coach Ron Brown leading both Penn State and the Huskers in an on-field prayer before Saturday's game.

I was traveling en route from Memphis to Sutherland on game day, so I only heard reports from The Mister about it. According to him, prior to the teams running on to the field, fans from both teams were loudly cheering their teams on. The teams enter the stadium and make their way to the center of the field, no one, including the reporters in the press box knew what was going on. Slowly everyone began to take notice, the stadium growing quieter and quieter until coach Brown's voice could clearly be heard to the sidelines and up into the first few rows of the stadium. The crowd then begins to clap slowly, gaining momentum at the end of the prayer.

There has been a lot of discussion about the happenings at Penn State, and I agree with many who have voiced the opinion that the victims are being overlooked. The focus has been on the football program, coach Paterno, and how what happened affects THEM - let's focus on how what happened affects the young men who have to live with this abuse for the rest of their lives.

The Nebraska athletes, coaches, musicians, cheerleaders, fans and everyone else who made their way to Pennsylvania on Saturday represented our state in a way that can make every Nebraskan proud.

The University of Nebraska Daily Nebraskan posted a series of letters from Penn State fans attesting to how our representatives behaved:

"... you helped the healing process for so many Penn State fans who had absolutely nothing to do with this scandal. I'll always be a Nittany Lion, but from this day forward, I'm also a huge Husker fan. Thank you..."

"... (Saturday) was a beginning step toward redemption. Thanks...."

"... Your support — both implicit and explicit, intentional and incidental — made a world of difference for our entire community this weekend and will continue to allow us to pick ourselves up, to renew our commitments to the values and ideals we seek to uphold and to remember the victims and prevent future tragedies from ever taking place..."

"...Today you came back to Penn State and, in possibly the finest display of sportsmanship I have ever seen, joined in solidarity with us in our moment of excruciating pain..."

The letters go on and on. I encourage you to go read them. Appreciate how these fellow Nebraskans represented our state, and reflect on how you can become a better person in all aspects of your life.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.

Walking in Memphis

2011-11-13T06:57:00.001-06:00

My travels this week have taken me to Tunica, MS to learn about using Social Media to promote our destination. While it's one of the most incredible conferences I've attended - great speakers, great workshops and great new colleagues that are new friends, one of the greatest things about attending a conference like this is getting to explore the area.

You all know of my love for music, and there is no better place for music than the Mississippi Delta. We had the good fortune to have dinner Wednesday night at the Hollywood, made famous in the Mark Cohn song "Walking in Memphis."

For those of you who know me "IRL" (I told you I'm learning a lot at this social media conference - that stands for "in real life"), my name is Muriel, and while I don't play the piano, being named Muriel means I don't get my name in a lot of songs, so I was happy to have the chance to visit this historic location.

Walking in Memphis has been covered by Lonestar and Cher (although she changes the lyrics to "Gabriel").

I really recommend a trip down here for the great people, music and history, although I don't necessarily recommend our accommodations - the Harrah's casino. Nice enough, but kind of in the middle of no where, so without a car it's a challenge to explore.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.

Veterans Day 2011

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-06:00

Home Free by Mason Douglas

I’m a soldier, that’s what I am
Maybe you don’t agree with me or just don’t understand
But just like you I’ve got a home and family
And I leave it all behind when you call on me.

And I will fight for what is right
For my country for my stars and my stripes
And I’ll stand tall till the day I die
If I fall I’ll have my brothers by my side

And I may come back home to a big parade or to my name carved in stone
But either way don’t shed a tear for me
Either way I’m coming home and I’m coming home free.

Well it’s an uphill battle all the time
But it’s what I do for you to sleep safely through the night
And I’ll be on my way home when the gun smoke clears
When we all live to love another day
It’s all downhill from there

And I will fight for what is right
For my country for my stars and my stripes
And I’ll stand tall until the day I die
If I fall I’ll have my brothers by my side

And I may come back home to a big parade or to myt name carved in stone
But either way don’t shed a tear for me
Either way I’m coming home and I’m coming free.
Yeah I may come back home to a big parade or to my name carved in stone
But either way don’t shed a tear for me
Yeah, either way I’m coming home and I’m coming home free.

Thank you and Happy Veterans Day to all of our Veterans

The Soddy

2011-11-09T06:52:00.001-06:00

Late last summer, we embarked on an epic road trip that took us on asphalt, gravel and sand roads from Sutherland to Valentine. Only a few miles were spent on highways.

This is the first video from that trip. Unfortunately it has taken a long time to begin editing, but I hope to be adding more in the weeks ahead.

Growing up in rural McPherson County, talk often turned to the dances held at the "Soddy". Unfortunately, no mental images remain for me of the community center. This visit has spurred a desire to share more of the history of the early days of the Sandhills, and I have my McPherson County history book by my side today. I'll be sharing a few homesteader stories in the future.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.

Not enough time in the day, days in the week

2011-11-05T07:25:00.000-05:00

Fortunately I've got more than a week worth of comp time hours built up as a result of spending waaaaay too much tim on the job. It helps that I love my work, but spending some time away helps rejuvenate the soul and make me more productive. On a rare Friday when both The Mister and I are off work together, naturally, we take a drive.

We start along the canal that supplies cooling water to the Sutherland Reservoir and the Gerald Gentleman power station operated by NPPD. One of our area's largest employers, we've grown used to the industrial view of the power plant as a backdrop to some of our prettiest views.
From there, a few jogs in the route around the Sutherland Reservoir and we're on State Farm Road south of Hershey. Here we found the Trinity Cemetery. The historic church that once graced this site has found a new home at the Lincoln County Historical Museum.
Many of the gravestones are weathered almost beyond readability, and we didn't have pencils and paper with us, so could only guess at some of the inscriptions. Reflecting our area's German heritage, many were written in that language.

In the Kossbau (Kosbau) plot, one can read a familiar story in the stone. Early immigrant families coming through Ellis Island found themselves passing through different lines to enter the U.S. Uninterested, overworked customs officials didn't take the time to learn the correct spelling of the foreign names. Whatever they wrote down became official.
So here, as in many historic cemeteries containing the graves of our immigrant ancestors, you find family members with names spelled differently.
Further to the east, we reach our true destination, the scenic Box Elder Canyon south of North Platte. We've waited too long for the fall colors to be at their peak, but it is still well worth the drive.
Turkeys thrive in these heavily wooded canyons. This is only one group of the half dozen or so large flocks we encountered. Looking in the background, you can see the cedar trees that the ranchers have to constantly battle as they encroach on grazing lands.
Headed back north, on either Effenbeck or Cottonwood Canyon Road, we find the marker commemorating the Larsen homestead. Seems like there are probably Norwegian (or would that be Swedish? I think Norwegian.) descendants in the region as well.
Less than ten miles south of the flat expanse of the Platte River Valley, these wooded canyons offer a hint of the diversity of Nebraska topography.
As always, we finish the day wishing we had more time to explore. One day, we'll get acquainted with the area landowners and get off road on foot or horseback to do some more exploring.
Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.

Scam "Survey" for XL Pipeline

2011-11-04T08:51:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning, The Mister answered the telephone to hear about a "survey" being conducted concerning the TransCanada XL Pipeline that is scheduled to be routed through the Nebraska Sandhills.

After listening silently for a long time - during which the caller was touting all of the benefits of the pipeline, The Mister was asked if he would stay on the line while he was connected with Senator Tom Hansen's (Our state legislative representative) office so he could voice his support for the pipeline.

The Mister then asked the caller if it would be all right if he voiced his opposition for the pipeline when he was connected. After clarifying what he said to her several times (she was kind of dense... and seemed surprised that anyone would oppose the pipeline), the line went dead.

She hung up on him!

He tried recalling the number, but it constantly rang busy - guess they were on the phone a lot trying to dupe other Nebraska voters. We looked up the area code from the caller I.D. and found that the call originated in New York City.

We immediately called Senator Hansen's office in outrage of the tactics, plus to make sure he heard loud and clear our opposition to the pipeline. We were greeted with an obviously politically-trained receptionist who politely heard our complaints, then assured us that they had no idea who was making these calls.

Really??!!

We are to believe that?

I don't think so.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.

A Lincoln Highway Drive

2011-11-02T05:29:00.000-05:00

It was with the best intentions that I drove out of my driveway... the intentions to drive down one of the beautiful canyon roads in southeastern Lincoln County Nebraska. Box Elder Canyon Road, Cottonwood Canyon Road, Brady-Moorefield Road - any one would be an adventure in itself.

However, just having returned from the Nebraska Travel Conference and the Lincoln Highway Scenic and Historic Byway annual meeting, my thoughts turned to the byway and so I decided to follow the pre-1917 alignment through Lincoln County. As you can see from the map below (which is the closest approximation I can make to the route on Google Maps), it's not necessarily a straight-forward proposition!
Armed with Gregory Franzwa's excellent book "The Lincoln Highway: Nebraska", I took Highway 83 south out of North Platte and turned east on State Farm Road.

The first stop was the historic bridge that crosses the NPPD canal near the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Fish Hatchery. According to the Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey for Lincoln County, this art-deco bridge was built in 1935, so wouldn't have been in place during the time Lincoln Highway travelers were using this route - but it is still interesting.
Despite the "closed" sign, Feather River Vineyards is very much open - on certain days of the week. As Nebraska's largest vineyard, it is a wonderful local asset, and the tasting room makes a great visit.
Around another bend or two in the road and in the distance you can see Sioux Lookout. Named for the assumption that the highest point along the Platte River Valley in this area would be used by Native Americans to spy approaching wagon trains, the hill was once the home of an iconic statue. The statue has been placed on the courthouse square in North Platte as it was nearly destroyed by vandalism while atop the hill. The deep ruts that can be seen are the results of thousands of visitor and subsequent erosion by wind and water.
In 2001, the Pony Express Association marked the locations of all of the stations along the route. Here is the Cottonwood Springs marker.
And the reverse, showing the justification for choosing the location and a little history.
Our rural cemeteries are history lessons in themselves, and there are many along this route. The first one, traveling west to east is the Plainview Cemetery.
Of course, Fort McPherson National Cemetery is a must-see. Fort McPherson was an important post along the westward migration trails, and when other frontier forts were decommissioned, their burials were moved here. It contains many historic graves, as well as being Nebraska's only National Cemetery with current burials.
A little further on is an historic statue commemorating the eastern boundary of the Fort reserve.
A forlorn historic marker of the Pony Express. I believe these types of markers were placed in the 1930's. There are many throughout Nebraska that are much better preserved.
From this close-up, the outline of the Pony Express rider is barely visible.
While I'm not big on trespassing, the signs along the main road pointing to "Conroy's Grave" seemed like an invitation not to be missed.
Down a dirt track (that might be impassable after rains) is the final resting spot (and I assume place of death) of A. Conroy, killed by Indians in September 1868 while cutting hay.
Further on, the Gaslin Cemetery dates from 1896. I didn't stop today, but wandering around historic cemeteries can be very thought-provoking.
In the middle of seemingly nowhere, a rural church stands proud. Who would have thought the Banner United Methodist Church would be active in social media? But there it was - on Facebook!
Just south of the church, again on a dirt track is the Peckham Cemetery. By this time in my journey, the day had warmed, so I did visit awhile. The earliest grave I could find dated from 1886. Interestingly, many of the names on the gravestones correlated with the names on the mailboxes along the road.
My trek ended on Highway 47 south of Gothenburg. This wooded lane is an actual remnant of the original pre-1917 Lincoln Highway and can be seen meandering off to the east from the Highway just south of the river bridge.
It was a beautiful drive, and except for the side trips, all on very well maintained paved roads. Well worth the trip!

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.

Opposing the XL Pipeline

2011-10-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

Water isn't necessarily the first thing people think of when they hear "Nebraska". Most are surprised to hear that Nebraska, a land-locked state in the middle of America, actually has more miles of shoreline than any other state.

You can see the truth of that by looking at the map below. Besides the Missouri River on our eastern edge, dozens of rivers traverse the state nearly border to border.
Many of these rivers, and dozens more creeks and streams are spring-fed from the Ogallala Aquifer.
Not only is the aquifer important for Nebraska, you can see from the map that it is important for the entire Great Plains region.

It is no secret that I love Nebraska and especially the Nebraska Sandhills. They have figured prominently in many of my blog posts like "Nebraska Beautiful".

Here is one of my favorite views of the North Birdwood Creek area just north of Sutherland.Nebraska's incredible ranching industry, which supplies beef to the world would have never been possible without the windmill allowing access to the water of the Aquifer.Even in the dry conditions of late summer, when rain is badly needed, the Sandhills have their own stark beauty.There are a lot of opinions on the XL Pipeline. There are many extremist views on both sides, with a lot of rhetoric being thrown back and forth. While I don't believe everything I read, I believe enough of it to be afraid... very afraid of the ROUTE of the pipeline. I'm not opposed to the pipeline itself. I know I'm being a hypocrite about this. A pipeline came through this area a few years ago, west to east, and I didn't give it a second thought. Until the Gulf disaster, I never thought to question what was flowing through the pipeline.

However, I am of the opinion that there are better routes for the pipeline than through the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills, directly on top of the largest body of fresh water in the world.

Here are some sources of the information I used to formulate my opinion:
Dirty Oil Sands
Save our Sandhills
The Center for Rural Affairs
And a great, even-handed guest opinion on the Nebraska.StatePaper.com.

Now Nebraska Governor Heineman has called a special session of the Nebraska Legislature. Many say it's too late, and that blocking the pipeline or rerouting it could open Nebraska up to lawsuits.

A colleague commented on a completely unrelated topic we were discussing "The best time to plant a tree is ten years ago... the next best time is today." We were working on a community redevelopment project, but the concept holds true here as well. Even if Nebraska can't do anything about the XL Pipeline (and I don't think that's a given), it shouldn't stop us from taking over the authority of the pipeline routing process in the future. It's our state... our natural resources... our Sandhills, and we are the caretakers of the Ogallala Aquifer for the entire Great Plains.

Bottom line for me is:
Big Business (and especially Big Oil) can't be trusted. Can you say BP? Or ExxonMobile?

Big Government can't be trusted (meaning no disrespect to the colleagues I have been working with over the past few days). Think of "cash for clunkers", TARP, auto industry bailouts, and the fallacy of "shovel ready" construction projects. All of these were to be the "magic bullet" that rocketed the U.S. out of the economic downturn. Do we really trust the geniuses behind these programs with something as basic as the water supply for millions of people?

There I've said it. Agree or disagree, it's my opinion.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on (being from a small town, I believe most issues can be settled over coffee at the local cafe).

Platte River Valley Autumn Drive

2011-10-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

After a cool and drizzly start, Saturday turned into a beautiful autumn day in the Outback. What an autumn it's been too - we hosted a backyard bbq before a House Concert in late September, had one final kayak/tanking trip and attended an outdoor wedding in early October. Unfortunately, this being Nebraska, winter could appear with a vengeance at any time.Now is not the time to waste beautiful days sitting indoors, so a quick road trip before the Nebraska Cornhuskers game was definitely in order. On our trip north, we surprised a flock of turkeys crossing the historic bridge across the North Platte River.
This one straggler is wondering why his friends left him behind to face the oncoming traffic alone.
After a summer of record high water and lots of flooding of the low lying areas near the river, the water has finally receded. A picture taken from this vantage point earlier in the summer would have been one solid water-scape of flowing water. Now the river is nearly back to its trademark braided-channel appearance.
Further on, there is evidence that the wet meadows bordering the river dried out enough that farmers could get in and harvest the abundant hay.
Due to the severe drought south of us in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, the price of hay is ranging from $185 a ton to $330 a ton, which is astronomical. It's all about supply and demand, but I feel sorry for the ranchers who have to buy hay at those prices to keep their cattle alive.

A couple of weeks ago there was a huge prairie fire north of us in the Sandhills near Stapleton, Nebraska that burned several thousand acres. It destroyed at least one home, lots of outbuildings and equipment, crops and many stack yards where the ranchers had stockpiled hay for winter use. It is going to be hard to replace it at today's prices.
All the plants propagated by seeds are in full distribution mode, counting on the wind and critters to distribute seed to fertile ground, including the Milk Weed above and the Cattails below.
You know how often The Mister and I take road trips exploring the local area, but there are still countless roads we have yet to make our way down. Today was a new one for us, and we came across something we just don't see every day - didn't even know was here, as a matter of fact.
At first I estimated that there must be 50 or so buffalo on this ranch, but on closer inspection of the picture, it's obvious that there are less than 20 - they just take up a LOT of room. You just never know what you're going to find when you take the time to explore.
Until the weather turns, I encourage you to get out and explore!

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.

O! Omaha

2011-10-22T08:37:00.003-05:00

I just returned from the Nebraska Travel Conference, hosted by the Nebraska Division of Travel and Tourism. I conducted a workshop on Social Media 101, and one of the things I emphasized was that people need to start blogging, and they need to do it consistently! Seeing as how I haven't blogged since September 22, and only had one post in September, I think I had better follow my own advice and get to posting!

The Travel Conference was held in Omaha, and the community did a FANTASTIC job of hosting! I got to town early on Tuesday, with intentions of walking across the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, but wimped out because of the chilly breeze. So I opted to have lunch in the Old Market, at Trini's in the passageway. it was FANTASTIC!

My colleagues from North Platte joined me later that evening, and we drove out to Village Pointe to meet up with the director from Gering and enjoyed a delicious meal at the Kona Grill. Judging from the shopping bags that filled our SUV on the way back to the hotel, Omaha enjoyed quite an economic boost from hosting the conference.

After a full day of meetings, we were treated to Blazing Pianos at DJ's Dugout. What a fantastic choice of entertainment to get us all in the spirit to engage in some quality networking. Knowing tourism peeps like to par-tay, Omaha arranged for buses to pick up the last guests exploring the Old Market at 11:00pm.

Thursday night is the big awards banquet, and due to a slightly under-the-weather Governor Heineman, we were out of there early, which was fine with me because we were headed downtown to the Slowdown to catch the Take Cover benefit for Hear Nebraska.

An early morning Friday meeting and a long drive back to North Platte ensured that we didn't stay late, but we really enjoyed the music while we were there.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on!

The Rural Post Office Dilemma

2011-09-22T07:43:00.001-05:00

Throughout the history of the U.S., the first thing that happened in a small town was that someone made themselves postmaster and established a post office. It might be in a one-room dugout, log cabin or sod house, or in a corner of the dry-goods store or saloon, but a post office was what put the town on the map.

Historic maps are dotted with towns that no longer exist on modern maps because they don't have a post office. Some of the towns themselves remain, others are still hanging on but without a name and no real identity, possibly not even a dot on a map, because they have no post office.

We all know the United States Post Office is the poster child for mismanagement and inefficiency. Now in their infinite wisdom, the powers-that-be have decided that to save money and streamline the operation, what is needed is to close rural post offices and mail sorting centers, and reduce mail delivery from six days a week to five or less. This last isn't anything new... there are many remote rural locations which only receive mail a couple of days a week or fewer.

Recent news told of the possibility of both the North Platte and Grand Island mail sorting centers being closed. What this means for residents of central, west central and western Nebraska is that our mail would go from our mail boxes to either Cheyenne or Omaha to be sorted before returning to it's destination - even if that destination is across town.

Already, when we put in a change-of-address order, all of our mail must be collected and sent to Omaha to have those little yellow stickers put on it before being forwarded to us. It is the only post office in the area with that capability.

Rural postmasters are BREAKING THE RULES if they receive a letter addressed to another recipient in their same small town and they simply walk over and put it into the correct box. Why? Because a 44 cent stamp doesn't pay for OVERNIGHT DELIVERY! The P.O. has decreed that these letters must be sent away and sorted before being delivered simply because if they are put in the right box it will get there TOO SOON!

Just how much extra expense is entailed in shipping our local letters hundreds of miles round-trip before delivering them? Is that efficient?

Post Office employees aren't exempt from this stupidity either. Employees at sorting facilities file grievances through their union if a "casual" worker (seasonal, someone borrowed for busy times) gets overtime - even though they don't want to work overtime and didn't work overtime, union workers will get additional money added to their check if someone else works overtime! Make sense? I didn't think so. And if a supervisor happens to touch a piece of mail - a grievance is filed because it isn't in the supervisor's job description to touch mail.

The answer from my point of view is to close post offices and mail sorting centers in urban areas and reduce the frequency of their mail delivery. Urban neighborhoods identities aren't tied to their post office. The towns and neighborhoods will still exist if the mail is sorted a few blocks further away.

Rural areas are also much more highly likely to have poor Internet service. Urban areas can do their banking, purchasing and lots of other activities on the Internet that rural residents rely on the postal service for. Reduce mail delivery to urban areas where they are in much closer contact with the needed services from other sources.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on... have a cup while we check my mail.

Making Music

2011-08-30T06:53:00.003-05:00

I have a confession to make... I have no musical talent whatsoever. Many years ago, when I was a regular churchgoer, I organized a praise choir at our church... recruiting, scheduling, promoting... the things I AM good at. Because the church was grateful for my efforts, they allowed me to participate in the choir, even giving me a little egg to shake in the rhythm section. Then one day, I got to practice and both my microphone and eggie were gone... I could still participate, but just so no one would hear me! Since I was well aware of my shortcomings, even though I did enjoy the experience, I wasn't sad not to be making a spectacle of myself on the Sundays when we performed.

Now, I don't sing out loud, unless of course, the Guinness is flowing and there are Irish Drinking Songs being played... then I'll belt them out along with the rest of the bar crowd. Pitch and key don't count there.

However, I am a strong believer in being part of the music industry. AND I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN ME! I host regular House Concerts, bringing nationally touring bands and singer/songwriters into my home for the enjoyment of my friends and neighbors and hopefully to the financial benefit of the artists. I've been working with an organization called NRoute Entertainment to do the same in listening room environments in North Platte. Everyone can participate by attending these live music shows and supporting the artists and the venues.

However, we all can take it one step further. In this day and age of independent musicians and grass-roots social media, we fans are the major record labels. We are the public relations arms promoting our artists - posting about their upcoming shows, links to their websites, pushing mp3 downloads and album sales. Now on the backside, we can actually help them produce the music.

I have two artist friends, whom I've hosted in my home and I highly recommend who are asking their fans to help them get their next album projects off the ground.

First is NEELY, made up of the husband and wife duo Jeremy and Kaci Neely. You can find their project on Kickstarter. At $2,155 pledged, they are at 61% of their goal with six days left! It would be a shame if a fabulous project like this didn't get off the ground because of funding. It takes a lot of money to make an album, and the artists invest a large part themselves, in addition to the blood, sweat and tears it takes to make the music.

Second is Jesse Terry. This incredible singer/songwriter is using Pledge Music to finance his project. He's only just begun and is 11% toward his goal.

The music industry is a cut-throat business. The mega record labels and the big radio conglomerates have it sewn up neatly, with little room for independent music to make its way to our ears. We can find it on live shows and streaming on independent internet radio stations, neither of which are very lucrative for the artists. If we want to continue to have great independent music available to us, we have to get in on the ground floor and actually have a financial stake in making it happen.

Oh, and I should tell you, the artists have offered great swag if you pledge! So check out their music, then check out their projects, then pledge. It only takes a few clicks of the mouse button!

Thanks for stopping by. For the price of a few cups of coffee, you can help finance these great music projects!

Third Places in North Platte

2011-08-28T08:26:00.004-05:00

The community in which I work, North Platte, Nebraska is embarking on a "Community Branding" process. As part of the development of our brand, we were encouraged to cultivate "Third Places." We all have our homes, which are our first places. Our place of work is our second place. Our third place is where we go to hang out with our friends. Strong, growing, vibrant communities are all characterized by the variety of activity at their third places.

I am fortunate enough to be a part of the committee working on developing those third places. We have many other projects, but one highly visible and nominally successful one is the NRoute Entertainment Fort Cody Music Series.

NRoute Entertainment has three goals:

Provide Third Places for residents of North Platte - and help going to those third places become a habit.

Provide quality "listening room" type venues for traveling artists "nroute" between more major gigs.

Provide quality entertainment for travelers "nroute" to their homes or final destinations.

We chose the iconic Fort Cody Trading Post for our series which began in June and finished up in August. As you can see from the credits that roll at the end of the second video, we had amazing artists grace our stage.

We are looking to build on this series next year. All of these artists deserve to have packed houses enjoying their music, and it will be our goal to provide it for them.

Thanks for stopping by. Make plans to join us next year for this series... the coffee will be on.

Nebraska Cowboy Poetry

2011-08-24T07:57:00.004-05:00

I love Cowboy Poetry! You may recall that I have posted in 2009 about our trip up to the annual Nebraska Cowboy Poetry Festival held annually in October. You can find those posts here - "So Many Wranglers, so Little Time" (I also appreciate men in wranglers...) and "You Call These Guys Amateurs?

You'll notice that Nebraska Cowboy Poet RP Smith features prominently in those blog posts. I recently had the opportunity to enjoy his poetry again, this time at the 2011 Heritage Day celebration at the Lincoln County Historical Museum.

When I first moved back to Nebraska in 1993, I hoped to do some freelance writing, but with my kids in 5th, 3rd and kindergarten, it just didn't happen. My aspirations did, however, give me the opportunity to spend the day on R.P.'s Custer County ranch, when his kids were just a little younger than described in the video below.

R.P., his wife Beth and their children are truly Nebraska icons - wonderful examples of the men and women who make this state great. I hope there's a lot more "Dinosaur Eggs" like them in the works.

Keep checking out my YouTube Channel as I'll be posting more of his Heritage Day performances there.

Thanks for stopping by. The coffee is always on.