Saturday, July 10, 2004
AUGUST 6TH..SUNDAY AND MONDAY AM...AUGUST 7TH
I had to light the stove to warm the camper this morning as it was so cold. I think it must be our coldest morning so far. We took time to wash up and clean the camper good so we didn’t leave until about 9:30am. We passed some sheep on the highway with their herders and snapped a few pictures of them. (Cousin Chris later told us the herders were called Basques and came here from Spain to work). About half way between Stanley and Hailey we climbed up the mountains again to Galena Summit (elevation 8,701feet) then the long drive down again. The Sawtooth Mountain Range has been on our right this morning….very rugged glacier type and beautiful.
The rest of the morning the mountains kept moving further and further apart until they were in the purple shadows along the horizon mark. We drove through a barren valley for miles that was covered with lava wastes and sage brush as far as you could see in any direction. It was so hot and dry we all felt powdery. A little past noon we stopped at Shoshone, Idaho and got some things for lunch at the store. Then we drove to a pretty well shaded park and ate…rested a little. It was only about 25-miles to Twin Falls where we intended seeing the Shoshone Falls before going on to Murtaugh. The Perrin Bridge coming into Twin Falls is 476-feet above the Snake River and is 1,400-feet from rim to rim. Below in the deep canyon the river is almost emerald green.
We drove over to see the Shoshone Falls but due to damming it up for irrigation purposes for the summer crops it was just a little stream of water. However, we could see the beautiful rock formations which would normally be covered with the falls so it was still very interesting to see. We drove on to the Andersen farm at Murtaugh where dad’s cousin, Christian Andersen lived. “Cousin Chris” and his wife, Margretta, had a very comfortable home with lots of pines providing shade from the heat and a wind-break in the winter. We enjoyed their Danish hospitality and pleasant manner. Cousin Chris and Margretta came over from Denmark in 1911 and had four children.
Mary, a teacher, who lives in Portland was visiting at the time and we also met a son living in adjoining property whose name was Ovie, along with a son-in-law of his and two grand-daughters. We fixed supper at the camper and invited them to come in and eat with us….then we went into their home later for cake and coffee. We spent the evening visiting and it was so pleasant to listen to their obvious Danish “brogue” that was so reminiscent of my childhood when the family would get together at grandma and grandpa Andersen’s. That night we slept in our camper under the pines and listened to them whispering as the soft wind played music through them.
August 7th…..Monday
We slept later this morning and didn’t get up until around 8:15am due to the late hour we got to bed. The Andersen’s had us in for a lovely breakfast and after eating we pushed our chairs back from the table and cousin Chris told us the story of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perse Indian Tribe. We had seen signs everywhere and noted areas on the map named after him so the children asked about it and cousin Chris gave us great information on him. The Nez Perse Tribe was so named by the French presumably because of the ornamental shells they wore on their pierced noses. They greatly inhabited much of the Pacific Northwest.
Chief Joseph did not want to fight. He was a man of peace and only fought when the cavalry forced him into battle. He tried to move his people into Canada where they stayed some of the time and where they would be safe from the soldiers. He would send someone out at night to give water to injured soldiers after battle before they moved on. He would have trees cut in some of the gorges so the military couldn’t follow them, rather than fight. He was known all over the territory to be a man of honor and peace.
The children were fascinated with the story and if asked, I’m sure could remember it well enough to draw from it. Afterwards, cousin Chris and Margretta loaded us all up in cars and we drove over on the north part of their property where the canyon and Snake River cut through their farm. It was so unbelievably scenic and hard to believe someone could actually have direct access to such beauty on their own property. We then saw the potato fields they farmed as a family business and the house where his son lived….then we went back to help with the dishes and get ready to break camp. For dad it was good to see his favorite cousin again. Dad told us stories about when Chris was young and would come visit……some of the escapades they pulled. Chris was older than dad so he was very influenced by his cousin and admired him greatly.
We hugged our hosts and dad and Chris shook hands. It would be the last time they would see each other. The two men gave each other a look of respect and dad climbed into his pick-up. We left for Burley………………..
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
The rest of the morning the mountains kept moving further and further apart until they were in the purple shadows along the horizon mark. We drove through a barren valley for miles that was covered with lava wastes and sage brush as far as you could see in any direction. It was so hot and dry we all felt powdery. A little past noon we stopped at Shoshone, Idaho and got some things for lunch at the store. Then we drove to a pretty well shaded park and ate…rested a little. It was only about 25-miles to Twin Falls where we intended seeing the Shoshone Falls before going on to Murtaugh. The Perrin Bridge coming into Twin Falls is 476-feet above the Snake River and is 1,400-feet from rim to rim. Below in the deep canyon the river is almost emerald green.
We drove over to see the Shoshone Falls but due to damming it up for irrigation purposes for the summer crops it was just a little stream of water. However, we could see the beautiful rock formations which would normally be covered with the falls so it was still very interesting to see. We drove on to the Andersen farm at Murtaugh where dad’s cousin, Christian Andersen lived. “Cousin Chris” and his wife, Margretta, had a very comfortable home with lots of pines providing shade from the heat and a wind-break in the winter. We enjoyed their Danish hospitality and pleasant manner. Cousin Chris and Margretta came over from Denmark in 1911 and had four children.
Mary, a teacher, who lives in Portland was visiting at the time and we also met a son living in adjoining property whose name was Ovie, along with a son-in-law of his and two grand-daughters. We fixed supper at the camper and invited them to come in and eat with us….then we went into their home later for cake and coffee. We spent the evening visiting and it was so pleasant to listen to their obvious Danish “brogue” that was so reminiscent of my childhood when the family would get together at grandma and grandpa Andersen’s. That night we slept in our camper under the pines and listened to them whispering as the soft wind played music through them.
August 7th…..Monday
We slept later this morning and didn’t get up until around 8:15am due to the late hour we got to bed. The Andersen’s had us in for a lovely breakfast and after eating we pushed our chairs back from the table and cousin Chris told us the story of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perse Indian Tribe. We had seen signs everywhere and noted areas on the map named after him so the children asked about it and cousin Chris gave us great information on him. The Nez Perse Tribe was so named by the French presumably because of the ornamental shells they wore on their pierced noses. They greatly inhabited much of the Pacific Northwest.
Chief Joseph did not want to fight. He was a man of peace and only fought when the cavalry forced him into battle. He tried to move his people into Canada where they stayed some of the time and where they would be safe from the soldiers. He would send someone out at night to give water to injured soldiers after battle before they moved on. He would have trees cut in some of the gorges so the military couldn’t follow them, rather than fight. He was known all over the territory to be a man of honor and peace.
The children were fascinated with the story and if asked, I’m sure could remember it well enough to draw from it. Afterwards, cousin Chris and Margretta loaded us all up in cars and we drove over on the north part of their property where the canyon and Snake River cut through their farm. It was so unbelievably scenic and hard to believe someone could actually have direct access to such beauty on their own property. We then saw the potato fields they farmed as a family business and the house where his son lived….then we went back to help with the dishes and get ready to break camp. For dad it was good to see his favorite cousin again. Dad told us stories about when Chris was young and would come visit……some of the escapades they pulled. Chris was older than dad so he was very influenced by his cousin and admired him greatly.
We hugged our hosts and dad and Chris shook hands. It would be the last time they would see each other. The two men gave each other a look of respect and dad climbed into his pick-up. We left for Burley………………..
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
