Niobrara…

Is another small Nebraska town that delivers,
at the junction of the Niobrara and Missouri Rivers,
Headquarters of the Ponca Tribe fame,
they gave "running water" it's current name.

You will find a rail and foot bridge there,
the name of it is Chief Standing Bear.
You can see a camp site of Lewis and Clark,
where they stayed when it got dark.

The camp is marked by an old US flag,
15 stripes and 15 stars, is its tag.
I didn't camp out, so I've lived to tell;
that I stayed in the Two Rivers Saloon and Hotel.

The Mormon Monument is there too,
to mark where pioneers, leaving Nauvoo;

died from disease in their log fort alone,
before they could reach their Rocky Mountain home.

Photos: (L) 15 Flag (R) Standing Bear Bridge

Ponca Nebraska

White water rafting, in Nebraska?
Sure as I'm sittin' here, she wants to go, ask her.
The Eastern end of the white water trail,
Is right here, it's a holy grail.

In this town of Ponca, a county seat,
Fourth oldest town, it's really hard to beat.
There are several cafes in which you can dine,
And one motel, it suits me just fine.

That doggone old Ford, just keeps acting up,
So I had somebody go and look at that pup,
Some minor adjustments, so the fella says,
He guesses it will still get me quite a ways.

So I'm off tomorrow, Nebraska's running out of room,
That means that I'll be in South Dakota soon.
But for tonight I'm gonna be right here,
Watching the moon rise, the sky is really clear.

Photo: Ponca State Park

Winnebago….

Nebraska, home of the Winnebago Tribe. In 500BC they lived in Western Kentucky and over time settled in Wisconsin; in the 1620's after a war with the rival Potawatomis' and epidemics of small pox and measles there were only about 150 individuals remaining.

They signed a treaty with the United States in 1816, and over the next few years lost all of their land. The Tribe was moved to Iowa, then to South Dakota and finally to here in Nebraska, many individual Winnebago traveled to the new home.

In 1975 with the advent of the Indian Claims Commission they were awarded $4.6 million to use for land acquisition, a sort of credit union and a wake and burial program.

The Tribe operates a casino near Interstate 29 and the Missouri River. The Tribe also has a mission or restoration of the Bison (American Buffalo). A healthy herd has been developed, the objective is also a return to the native diet which hopefully will result in a sharp decrease of Diabetes and other ailments related to the diet now consumed.

*Thanks to the Tribe; see www.winnebagotribe.com

Back to regular format tomorrow.

Isolated...

...says it all, about the town of Winslow,
look in any direction, and see the wind blow;
but there is a fabric to the town, it's really plain to see,
I mean after all today they've got me!

It is a county seat you know,
and even if the population is low,
there are still some differences made,
and a couple of trees offer shade.

I starting to worry some, about that old Ford,
it still runs and all, but I'm getting the word;
the old machine has just about,
runs it's course on it's way out.

Let's just hope it doesn't happen soon,
but, you know, what they say about the moon,
it'll be full tonight and offer lots of light,
but that's not what worries me, it's something not too bright.

Well, I'll just bed down, underneath the sky,
and think a lot about it, beneath the star bright high,
it's nice to be able, to camp out now and then,
but it's not as comfortable as I've always been.

Wahoo....

...Nebraska represents what is best,
and example for all the rest;
it's a place that people call home;
and resist the need to roam.

High School basketball teams,
has delivered what seems,
to be almost a record, to be seen,
straight wins are one hundred fourteen.

As we get our night of rest,
it's pointed out that the best;
of the crews of a submarine,
are enshrined for all to be seen.

The USS Wahoo, although named for a fish,
shared the name of this town, and they wish,
for the submarine to be remembered;
there's a memorial where it's past is numbered.

North tomorrow

Nebraska...

We are now in Beatrice Nebraska, home of the Homestead best,

it's a historic monument to the people who settled the west;

the spirit prevails here in Nebraska, at the junction of the trails,

a spirit that tells the rest of us that man rarely fails.

Ol' Larry hitch hiked through here twice,

and he was always treated nice.

Once out of Kansas on the way to California,

once on the way to Iowa from California.

This town was named for a judges daughter,

who I suppose had done more than she oughta';

and I don't know if that is true,

it rhymes, is that okay with you?

continue on 77 north.