September 1996

We started September under the dark green canopy of late summer and ended it with the red, orange, gold dappling of earlier autumn. One thing about living out-of-doors fulltime is that you notice things crowded out by the city: the various shades of the same color; far more stars in the night sky; rain is friendlier; there are no total silences, only quieter moments; and, the wind announcing its coming, and so do rain and sunrise.

We left Chippewa National Forest and returned momentarily to civilization while passing through Minneapolis. (To think at one time we lived in a similar environment. Makes our transition to full-timers all the more amazing.) There was something of a culture shock at seeing so many cars, mile after mile of shopping centers, and stop lights!!!

Iowa, less crowded and totally flat, was just what we needed. Did you know you can stand atop Pilot Knob on the north boundary of Iowa and see Missouri in the south? Well maybe not Missouri but it seemed like it. And the number of cars from our teenage years! They are called "Vintage" and not one "junker" in the crowd. There were actually showrooms and dealer-ships for "vintage" cars. It was in Iowa we experienced camping overnight in a truck stop. Trying to get a "good" night's sleep in such a place is quite a challenge. We had bathed, eaten breakfast, and were very ready to leave at sunrise (just seeing sunrise was a new experience for Fred).

The Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri was as challenging as we had anticipated. With nine separate districts scattered along the State's southern boundary, the Twain required superior logistic planning and huge amounts of patience and humor. Missouri was full of interesting features; not all were pleasant. We were very upset by the number of dogs and cats we saw along the road. We saw our first hog-herd. It is quite a sight to see GEO Prizim size pig being shepherded across a field. In many ways Missouri seemed to be a melting pot of other sights we have seen; the gold, rolling hills of southern California, the rugged hills West Virginia, lush, dark green forests of Virginia, and meandering rivers of Ohio. All this and the ever present twang of a southern drawl. The geology of southern Missouri is fascinating. It seemed each campground was located in a dell (or "holler" as they say) craved over the eons into sandstone and limestone and shade by old walnut, elm, maple, and oak trees.

The land in between the Forest's individual districts is under cultivation and, this late in the summer, brown and dry. The contrast of the two ecosystems was amazing. Southern Missouri was the site of considerable volcanic activity in ancient times. The volcanic rocks are exposed by the erosion of the sandstone and limestone. There is a great variety of rocks and minerals to find on the hillsides and in the stream beds. One spot we enjoyed very much was Greer Springs, a beautiful spot where an underground spring bubbles to the surface. Located at the bottom of a challenging hike, the Spring looks like a someone has turned a hose under the stream's surface - you know like when you fill a kid's pool. There is an interesting feature where the Spring meets the surface - it is a light shade of a blueish-green and it appears to glow. It is like the hole is so deep the sunshine from China is visible - a beautiful spot.

The Shawnee National Forest in Illinois, although less than two hundred mile away, was very different from the Twain both in topography and personality. Remember devastating floods of the Mississippi River a few years back? The damage from that flood, and another the following year, have had a definite influence on the Forest's western side. One campground lost 90% of its trees to being submerged in flood waters. That campground looked like a misplaced cemetery of tree-stump headstones. Several of the campgrounds had "Potential Flooding" signs - that feels weird.

While the western side of the Shawnee is flat and influenced by the Mississippi River and its tributaries, the east is rugged and hilly. In this eastern portion is a wilderness area called "Garden of the Gods." It made us think of our visit to Bryce Canyon several years ago, only on a much small scale and without the vivid colors.

Another favorite spot in the Shawnee was the Coalminer's Daughter's Deli. We had a light dinner and a very long conversation with Dorothy, the owner, waitress, and chef. She opened her deli/restaurant/gift shop/arcade about three years ago because she felt the town's children needed a place to go. Dorothy admitted it has not been a profit-making venture but she is enjoys having the children around and they all call her "Grandma D." She really is an interesting person but not a great cook.

The Hoosier National Forest in Indiana, the next forest to be surveyed, has possibly the most thoughtfully developed campgrounds we have yet surveyed. They may not be the most beautiful or luxurious campgrounds but they are located near major highways, well marked and have very gracious hosts and hostesses. The stonework terraces provide level tentpads, recharging table within the campground for electric motors, and public phones are some examples of what we call "thoughtful" features. We met the Forest technician responsible for the Forest's southern campgrounds. He has been with the Hoosier since 1960 and responsible for these campgrounds for most of that time. This technician has been in "the system" for a long time and appears tired until he starts talking about his work. Than his face lights up, there is a spring in his step, and he shows enthusiasm. However, he is not very hopeful about the future of the Hoosier. Budget cuts and the caliber of the "youngsters" have him concerned. It is our hope, with our work, the little known and under-budget National Forests, such as the Hoosier, will receive the recognition and use to keep them going.

Trying to keep the monthly "Wanderings" to a two page length is most challenging. There was no room to talk about the town of Ava, Missouri and the rag-rug factory run by an 84-year old woman, the Einstein Silver Mines hike, Johnson's Shut-ins, the Geo rocks we found, or so many of our adventures and discoveries. We end the month of September in a very different place than we started both geographically and mentally. We are observing the first of October in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the home of Fred's Alma Mater, Western Kentucky University. The town and the University have grown since Fred's departure. (They actually have liquor stores and bars in town now.) Most of Fred's old classroom buildings have been replaced with newer structures and it took him a couple of hours to figure out where everything was and is. It was good to see the WKU has grown and prospered.

We will spend the first week of October with Douglas, Suzi's son, in Louisville, Kentucky and than its back to work. But that's for our next "Wanderings".

Suzi and Fred