Memorial Day

 Fort McPherson National Cemetery

The day before Memorial Day, Pam and I started out across Nebraska to Sidney where she lived before going off to school and marrying a very charming gentleman, me. Sidney, Nebraska is the resting place for her family spread between two cemeteries, one in town and one in the country on the plains. 

We have driven by on I-80 hundreds of times and each time, we said next time we will stop and see the Fort McPherson National Cemetery south of Maxwell.  This was the time.

Fort McPherson was established in 1863 to ensure peace between the immigrants traveling along the Oregon Trail and Native Americans.  Troops originally provided protection from hostile Natives during construction of the railroad.

Establishment of the 20 acre cemetery in 1873 afforded space to re-inter remains from cemeteries abandoned by the Army when conflict between settlers and Native Americans decreased. A monument with a statue of a Civil War soldier marks the site of the old military post's flagstaff.  Another monument marks the site of the Cottonwood Springs Pony Express station.  The Oregon Trail passed through the cemetery in a section that became known as Section H.

Twenty-eight soldiers killed by the Sioux on August 19, 1854 in the Grattan Massacre named after Lt. John Grattan, who commanded the soldiers during the fight, are buried there also.  The soldiers originally buried at a site near Fort Laramie, Wyoming were re-interred at Fort McPherson in 1891.  Historians consider the fight to be the opening salvo in a 36 year period of intermittent hostilities between the Sioux Nation and the U.S. Army, ending with the massacre at Wounded Knee, South Dakota in 1890.

Soldiers that were buried in Boot Hill in the Sidney, Nebraska were moved and buried in the cemetery in 1922.

After this stop we headed to Paxton, Nebraska for dinner at Ole's Big Game Steakhouse and Lounge established in 1933.  Paxton is at the 145 mile exit along I-80 and it is a short drive into town.  Ole's is on the east side of the street and you cannot miss it.  

Over a period of 35 years, Ole traveled to every continent and the lounge became the showcase for his adventures. More than 200 mounted trophies from his hunting safaris are displayed at Ole's. Photographs and other memorabilia of his travels in the 30s and 40s line the walls. 

The Polar Bear greets you as you enter the front door.  

There are two large rooms and you will be having dinner under an elephant or a giant moose shot in the Yukon.  The food is outstanding too and they serve Buffalo Burgers along with great steaks.  After all this is Nebraska. 

Summer is upon us finally.  Be safe out there. 

Click on the book and buy from Amazon for an entertaining read.  Hank

The Beautiful Orioles are Back

They have appeared again and we do not know where they came from.  A neighbor who is really into birds told my wife to put out some grape jelly and we would see a beautiful bird come and feed on the grape jelly.  It is the Baltimore Oriole.  The oriole is a singer with a rich whistling song that echoes from tree tops and parks.  Now the birds are in our neighborhood.  We always thought this bird lived in the eastern states, but here it is in Iowa.  The male has brilliant orange plumage while the  female appearance is much more subdued.

Male Baltimore Oriole getting ready to have some grape jelly

Besides the Baltimore Oriole, we are also being visited by the Orchard Oriole.  A smaller bird, the male is brick red with a solid black tail. First year males have a well defined black bib. The female has a greenish yellow rather than the orange - yellow breast.  Their song is a medley of melodious whistles and flute like notes, quite different from the short phrases of the Baltimore.  They migrate in July to August, so we do not expect to see them much longer.

Male Orchard Oriole

Female Orchard Oriole

We live on a golf course and there are no great stands of trees in our neighborhood.  However, to the west of our location is a wooded area.  It is here, we assume, they have built their nests.  The female weaves a hanging nest from slender fibers.  We intend to hike over to the wooded areas and search for the nests.   

Male Baltimore Oriole at the grape jelly bowls.

The name of the bird is based on the crest of England's Baltimore family, and has the same colors of orange and black plumage.  The family also gave the name to Maryland's largest city.    

Male Baltimore Oriole at the grape jelly bowls

Their breeding grounds are considered to be in the eastern and east central United States.  Iowa is far from being considered east central, but here they are.  We continue to enjoy the singing of the birds and the brilliant colors of the male as they eat grape jelly from a feeder placed on our deck.  Besides the jelly in our feeder, they feed on insects and forage for fruits in brush and shrubbery.    We are very   interested to see how long they will be with us, as they winter in Central America and will inhabit the coffee and cocoa plantations in those regions.    

Female Baltimore Oriole

Baltimore Orioles eat insects, fruit, and nectar. Some orioles in our neighborhood have been seen eating oranges that have been set out for them.  However, they seem to prefer grape jelly. Their preference for each food varies by season: in summer, while breeding and feeding their young, much of the diet consists of insects, which are rich in the proteins needed for growth. In spring and fall, nectar and ripe fruits compose more of the diet as these sugary foods supply energy for migration. Baltimore Orioles eat a wide variety of insects, including beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, and flies, as well as spiders. They are also helpful in our neighborhoods by eating many pest species, including tent caterpillars, gypsy moth caterpillars, fall webworms, and spiny elm caterpillars.

This spring has unseasonably chilly weather and the birds are really chowing down on the grape jelly.  We put out our hummingbird feeders, but none of them have showed due to the cold weather. When it warms up, they will return. 

Click on my book and buy from Amazon for great entertainment.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank