Summer is Officially Over!

This is what it looks like after a fast overnight freeze in western Nebraska. All the leaves of the Sumac tree came off at once...no more picnics till 2012!

Great Grandma Gardner's Photo Timeline

This photo is a copy of the original print that our family owns and the original glass plate negative is in the Solomon D. Butcher* collection of the Nebraska State Historical Society. It was taken in Custer County, Nebraska about 1886-87. My Great Grandmother was Effie Mae Copsey (the little girl in the photo who is holding her doll.)

I also own this large tintype of Grandma Effie which was taken from the original photo above of the sod house and family, but was probably made some time after the original glass plate. Notice that the colorist chose in this picture to leave out the cute doll by painting over it entirely!

Three dimensional framed collection made as a remembrance wall display of Grandma and her family.

"GARDNER FAMILY". The family of Willis David "Dave" and Effie Mae Copsey Gardner taken about 1922. Effie was the mother of 15 children, twelve who survived. 

   

Effie Mae Copsey Gardner photo was taken at the home of her daughter in Broken Bow, Nebraska in 1956. She passed away in 1957.

You might also enjoy my posting on The You Go Genealogy Girls blog: "Doing Honor to Family" which has more information about the sod house photo and about how my sister-in-law and I have honored these relatives and their families, in particular the George Albert Copsey family in the sod house photo above.

*Many of the original photos of Solomon D. Butcher may be found here on the Library of Congress, American Memory website.

Trails Left Behind During the Last Days of Camping...2011

These are mostly pics along the shore and small inlets of Hemingford Reservoir taken during the last camp outing of the season. More signs of the summer high water can be often be seen as was the case in yesterday's photos along the tree line. All kinds of critters make their way to water during the night time hours and my Babee Girl sniffs out the trails they leave behind.

The deer and the worms all get thirsty!

Early fall rushes and willows

Deer trails in the sand

High water lines

Left behind

Badger tracks?

Coons must get thirsty too!

Moving towards dusk

Babee Girl is working the trail

Left over from summer high water

REFLECTIONS

I worked so hard following all those trails, now it's nap time with Dad...

Old man winter will soon welcome the ice-fishermen to our little lake!

Last days of camping...2011

Photos taken during our last camp out of the season. Hemingford Dam aka Box Butte Reservoir is a lake fairly close to home. We always make at least one trek there and sometimes several just to spend a few days of relaxation. The flood waters all over the country also affected our small lake as the incoming river swelled over the summer. Water levels raised to some of the highest ever and left its marks on the landscape around the lake.

High water lines on the trees in areas usually used for tent camping

 Late summer saw the water levels receding as this lake is used for irrigation of farm crops throughout western Nebraska...a practice that has drawn the levels down for years in the fall. This always draws down the lake to extremely low levels. This year the water level, although it may appear low in these photos, is actually up pretty good. Beginning next year it will no longer be used for irrigation so for the first time, the level will stay high year round. The unusual high water left some odd scars on the surrounding land features. Today and tomorrow I will share a few of these photos, today's features are mostly sights through the trees.

Thanks for viewing!

Cheri

Hannah's Snake Bite Cure

Hannah Hyndman Lee was an early pioneer to Wyoming and she wrote this little tidbit about a method of snake bite cure which was found among her papers after her death in 1918 . It appears that Hannah may have copied it from an article in The Kansas City Star in 1902. I thought it was interesting and made this scrapbook page from her handwritten document.

 Hannah also wrote a lengthy journal which is in possession of our family about one of her trips to Wyoming from Iowa by covered wagon. The family settled in an area near Jackson Hole, Wyoming and later built a log cabin and lived near Albin, Wyoming. The full transcription of her journal and  the story of Hannah can be found here on my other blog: Those Old Memories.

http://www.thoseoldmemories.blogspot.com

HANNAH HYNDMAN LEE  1838-1918

!  The snake bite cure is presented only for its historical and genealogical value... do not rely on the cure.

Last Photos Before Mother Nature Brings Mr. Frost

Today I wandered the yard, mostly lamenting the fact that our garden is still full of tomatoes and other vegetables that will never get ripened. Our late and wet Spring set the garden process back by 2-3 weeks all season long. We have had a great harvest from the garden and shared with neighbors and family but the bounty still on the vine is unbelievable this year. I am making salsa again today and took a break to walk the yard and take pictures.

Over the coming weekend we are to finally get enough of a night time temperature drop to put an end to the growing season. Actually, we have been lucky though as our area of western Nebraska usually has the first heavy frost long before now.

Anybody want bushels of green tomatoes?

Waning beauties.

How did that imposter get in there?

We will be using that old sled before too long!

Darn squirrels!

Open season on squirrels....we like to eat the WHOLE thing.

Year three nurturing the asparagus. Next year we harvest, yeah!

Hope these babies ripen quickly.

Cherry tomatoes produced buckets full and have not quit yet.

How about fried green tomatoes?

and more!

Stuffed peppers are on the menu...and in the freezer.

He watches over the backyard jungle

Grandpa Moore's old paint scaffold ladder loves the wood vine!

Turning leaves off the deck.

Where have all the babies gone?