Spring 2010

Once we left California, we had to decide if we were willing to brave the Northwestern winter or head back to Texas and wait it out. We headed for Texas and it turned out to be a good choice because the Oregon and Washington winter stayed well into the spring. It gave us time to visit with our friends, family and to get back into the routine of our wonderful Church.
We got back on the road in May and headed to Evansville, IN (with one stop off in Vicksburg, MS for a Civil War lesson) to my sister's house to celebrate a niece and nephew graduate from high school. We spent three weeks there visiting with family and seeing a few historical sites. One being Lincoln's boyhood home and the other, a Revolution War hero, George Rogers Clark memorial site in Vincennes,IN. We were there the weekend they were doing a Revolutionary War reenactment. It was really done well and the kids also enjoyed watching the participants show how life in early America was lived.
After we tore ourselves away from my sister and her family, we drove to Cincinnati, OH where I visited with an Aunt and got reacquainted with my cousins that I rarely get to see. My wonderful aunt spoiled us with tickets to the Ken Ham Creation Museum. We loved it. It was soooo nice to go to a Christian world view museum and get a full picture of our awesome world and it's Creator. While we were in Cincinnati, we also visited the former home of our 23rd president, William Howard Taft. Another interesting place we explored outside the city is called Big Bone Lick. Sounds funny, but it is the first paleonyologist sight in the world! Apparently, prehistoric mammals like the mammoths, mastodons, bison and ground sloths migrated down to this area because of the sulfer and they would "lick" the salt marshes. However, many of the mammals where too heavy to cross the salt basins and would sink to their deaths perfectly preserving their bodies. Unfortunally, most of the excavations where not done properly and much scientific evidence has been lost. It is also the site where President Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to bring back samples of these strange animals. And, if any of you have read the book, "Follow the River", about a pioneer woman, Mary Inglis, who was captured by the Shawnee Indians and later excaped, this is the place. Very exciting! While we where on a hike serching out the bison that still roam the land, we almost witnessed the birth of a bison. I started filming with my camera, but she was soon surrounded by other bison that obstructed our view. Plus, I'm not sure I could have waited that one out.
At this moment, we are on the road and headed to Ohio Amish country. This is a long awaited destination for me and I am sure to have a wonderful time. I will give you my full report in a couple of days!