Chapter 32 - "The Christmas Barrel" FINALLY Arrives

I often ask myself, "How did Laura Ingalls Wilder get through hard times?"  The Ingalls family didn't lack challenges.  There were frozen turkeys and postponed celebrations.  During this period of self-quarantine, I decided to reread The Long Winter to discover - What Would Laura Do?

Mr. Boast looks like he would have been a good influence on Pa.  

The correct train, carrying food and mail, has finally pulled into DeSmet.  Pa and beloved Mr. Boast carry a barrel, between them, back to the house.  Pa calls out to Ma, "Here's that Christmas barrel."  The family circles up and watches intently as Pa pulls out the nails.  During the pandemic, I have become interested in things I would normally take for granted or find boring. 

A Short List of Things I am Watching During the Pandemic:

• my mother putting together a 1,000 piece puzzle (via Facetime)
• Sunsets from the deck
• Hell's Kitchen (this is NOT a recommendation)
• Neighbors walking by my house (For extra fun, I knock on the window and wave if I see them commenting on my flower beds.)  
• My cat, Millie, cleaning between her toes 

A fascinator from 1881.

Pa pries off the lid, removes crumpled paper, and begins to lift items out of the barrel.  There is a dress & a glamorous silk shawl for Ma, leather shoes for Laura, a light-blue fascinator for Mary, a coat for Carrie, dresses for little Grace, and two fine white shirts for Pa.  Like the Ingalls, I love second hand clothes.  I have been rummaging through the racks at thrift stores.  Most thrift store require people to try on clothes at home. Good thing I am on summer vacation since I waste lots of time buying and returning clothes to Saint Vincent's.

Je-ru-salem crickets!  I hope I never find one of these in my house!

Pa calls out "Je-ru-salem crickets!" when he lifts a turkey out of the barrel.Pa drops the turkey on the floor and some cranberries roll out.  After Ma makes sure the stores are stocked with food goods, she invites Mr. and Mrs. Boast over "the day after tomorrow" (probably because the turkey needs to thaw) for a Christmas dinner to celebrate Spring.

What Would Laura Do?

• Find interest in watching simple tasks
• Delight in second hand clothes
• Prepare a celebratory dinner for dear friends

See all you Bonnetheads soon for Chapter 33 - "Christmas in May."  It is the last chapter of The Long Winter.  Now how will I occupy my time?

Prairie Eydie


    

Chapter 31 - The Ingalls are "Waiting for the Train"

I often ask myself, "How did Laura Ingalls Wilder get through hard times?"  The Ingalls family didn't lack challenges.  There was snow that would not melt and forgotten train cars.  During this period of self-quarantine, I decided to reread The Long Winter to discover - What Would Laura Do?

Chapter 31 finds the town of DeSmet waiting for the train.  You may be asking yourself, if all the snow miraculously melted overnight in chapter 30, why can't the train chug over a load of salt pork and white flour?  

LIW anticipated this question and answered it, "The blizzard winds had blown earth from the fields where the sod was broken, and had mixed it with snow packed so tightly in the railroad cuts that snowplows could not move it.  The icy snow could not melt because of the earth mixed with it, and men with picks were digging it out inch by inch."  Of course, intrepid Pa is part of a crew picking away at the western cut.  Ma worries he is working too hard since he returns home shaking. Pa says all he needs is a good night's sleep. 

April 1881 happenings in DeSmet:

• Blizzards have whipped the Ingalls' claim  shanty to shreds.  Pa needs tar paper to repair the shanty; yet, there is no tar paper at the lumber yard.  
• The charmed Wilder boys have shut down Royal's feed store and are at their claim shanty planting Almanzo's hoarded seed wheat.
• Melting snow has caused wide spread flooding.  Big Slough is now part of Silver Lake.

Beloved Mr. Boast pays the Ingalls a visit.  Railroad ties served as his sidewalk since all roads were flooded.  Mr. Boast doesn't bring butter or Mrs. Boast, just news that they survived the winter.  Laura's friend Mary Power also stops by for a visit.  Laura says, " . . . they felt like strangers again, beginning to get acquainted."  I wonder if I will have any social skills after the extended quarantine?  I am spending a lot of time talking to my cat and watching Fashion Runway.  (Tim Gunn is quite inspirational and I am committed to "Making it work.")  

Look at all the yummy weeds you can add to your side salad.  Did you know most yard weeds arrived with settlers and are still eaten back in "the Old Country"?

The month of April plods on - sans train.  The town's only food is the remaining wheat from Almanzo and Cap's heroic quest.  Every day the loaf of brown bread Ma makes gets smaller.  Carrie helpfully suggests they start eating grass.  Ma laments that weeds aren't big enough to eat.  On April 30, 1881 a work train passes through DeSmet.  "It seemed to wake the whole town up to hear the train whistle again and see the smoke on the sky."  

The town is geared up for the freight train to pass through on May 1st.  Ma lets Laura sleep in because she doesn't need help cooking breakfast.  Ma uses the last of the wheat to bake each family member a final, brown biscuit.  After breakfast, Pa joins the other men on the depot's platform.  Pa is gone such a long time that even Ma becomes impatient.  

Pa finally returns home with three packages.  He has bad news.  "We forgot the train that was snowed in all winter," he said.  It came through, and what do you suppose it left for DeSmet?"  

Well dear reader, if you guessed "telegraph poles" you would be correct.  (According to the book Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser - "The next train carried telegraph poles.  They were not for sale as firewood, railroad employees told them, the townsfolk carried them away nonetheless, sawed them up, and burned them for fuel.")  Fortunately there was an emigrant car full of supplies for emigrants.  The men broke into the car and divided up the supplies.  Ma is dismayed at the lawless behavior, but Pa says "I'm past caring what he (Mr. Woodworth - the depot manager) ought to do!  Let the railroad stand some damages!"

Ma got off of her high horse and, for the first time in months, the Ingalls ate salt pork, potatoes, and white biscuits for dinner.

What Would Laura Do?

• Become reacquainted with old friends
• Enjoy sleeping in
• Swear off gluten found in brown, sourdough bread

See you soon for The Long Winter's dramatic conclusion.  

Prairie Eydie

 

Chapter 30 - Pa Declares "It Can't Beat Us"

I often ask myself, "How did Laura Ingalls Wilder get through hard times?"  The Ingalls family didn't lack challenges.  There were monotonous days and stagnate menus of coarse, brown bread.  During this period of self-quarantine, I decided to reread The Long Winter to discover - What Would Laura Do?

Chapter 30 - "It Can't Beat Us"

Chapter 30 begins with Laura describing her bleak days of wheat grinding, hay twisting, and shivering.  She is giving up.  "She felt beaten by the cold and the storms.  She knew she was dull and stupid but she could not wake up."  (I easily rewrote Laura's sentence to apply to myself.  Prairie Eydie felt beaten by monotonous weeks and teenagers binge watching Hell's Kitchen.  She knew she was regressing and listless but she could not wake up and take charge of her house.)

I think Millie is judging me for wearing pajamas as clothes - again.  

Now that distance "learning" is over, my days have a predictable rhythm.  Instead of grinding wheat, my endless task is clearing off kitchen counters.  I don't twist hay, but I continuously nag my kids to close cupboard doors and get off their screens.   Collagen infused green smoothies replace coarse brown bread.  Instead of crawling into bed with Mary, I curl up with my cat, Millie.  Millie, like Mary, can be very judgmental. 

Laura reveals she is no longer studying her lessons.  She used to study with the dream of becoming a teacher to pay for Mary's college education.  Ma is no longer hosting competitions involving Bible verse or long-winded speeches.  This is no surprise since side effects of extreme malnutrition is tiredness and a lack of energy. 

When the self-quarantine first started, my daughter and I sketched together daily.  I also frequently played Scrabble with my boys and we watched bird documentaries together.  Art lessons and Scrabble stopped happening weeks ago.  I ran out of mental energy to coordinate group activities.  Now my kids and I watch reruns of Survivor on Hulu.  Not very educational unless you want to learn how to throw someone under the bus or start a fire using flint.

Once again - Pa's stubborn "Pioneer Spirit" saves the day.

The Ingalls have survived to the end of March.  Pa says, "We're outwearing it.  It hasn't got much more time.  March is nearly gone.  We can last longer than it can."  Ma remarks that the wheat is holding out.  

LIW skips ahead to April.  She realizes her readers can't take more chapters of blizzards and hay twisting. Pa is giving his monthly pep talk to his listless family.  

Pa:  It can't beat us!

Laura:  Can't it, Pa?

Pa:  No.  It's got to quit sometime and we don't.  It can't lick us.  We won't give up.

Pa's talk gives Laura a glimmer of hope and warmth.  Evening progresses as usual with Laura eating coarse bread, heading upstairs to bed, and shivering until she falls asleep.

Chinook winds feature the rapid appearance of dry, warm winds on the side of mountain ranges.

In the middle of the night, Laura notices some glorious happenings.  The wind is blowing without howls or shrieks and she hears a strange liquid sound.  The dark feels warmer.  Suddenly, everything clicks in Laura's mind.  "Pa!  Pa!  The Chinook is blowing!" Laura calls aloud.  

When the family gets out of bed they see the eaves are dripping and the snow is nearly gone.  Winter is over.  Again, LIW is speeding everything along to finish the book. The Long Winter was painful for her to write since she needed to relive her family's hardships.  I want to fast forward to the Pandemic's end.  I want to write in coffee shops, lick my fingers to open those plastic produce bags, hug my friends, and smell scented candles in the store.

Chapter 30 concludes beautifully with Laura saying nothing because she is too happy.  Pa and Ma are joking around and it is too warm to sit by the cookstove.  Finally, things are looking up for the Ingalls. 

What Would Laura Do?:

• Listen to motivational speeches
• Feel hopeful, no matter how dire the situation
• Be still and enjoy happy family moments

See you soon for Chapter 31 - "Waiting for the Train."

Prairie Eydie

        

Chapter 29 - Almanzo and Cap Travel "The Last Mile"

I often ask myself, "How did Laura Ingalls Wilder get through hard times?"  The Ingalls family didn't lack challenges.  There were painful feet and money grubbing store owners.  During this period of self-quarantine, I decided to reread The Long Winter to discover - What Would Laura Do?

Chapter 29 (Or as I call it - "At Last, Almanzo and Cap Make it Home") kicks off with Almanzo and Cap wondering if they've crossed the slough.  They are disoriented and a blizzard is on their heels.  Laura describes it best:  "Before him, the black storm climbed rapidly up the sky and in silence destroyed the stars."  Almanzo's legs feel like wood and his hands are numb.

Like the humans, the horses are exhausted, cold, and scared.  In order to keep the horses moving, Almanzo and Cap get on the sleds and beat the horses with knotted reins.  Luckily, Almanzo glimpses, out of the corner of his eye, a dim light of a door opening and closing.  Good thing - because the duo was venturing too far West.

The saying "red cent" either came from the reddish hue of copper from the Indianhead penny OR from a derogatory term for Native Americans, as Red Men.

The dim glow was from Loftus's Store!  As the boys arrive at their destination,  Almanzo tells Cap - "Unhitch and run for it!  I'll take care of the wheat."  Cap rushes home to his widowed mother and Almanzo drags himself into the store.  A dour Mr. Loftus says, "So you boys made it.  We figured you hadn't."  Mr. Loftus and Almanzo slog in the wheat.  Super annoying Mr. Loftus asks Almanzo if 1.25 a bushel is the best he could do.  Almanzo retorts, "Any time you say, I'll take it off your hands at that price."  Almanzo doesn't charge Loftus "a red cent" for hauling the wheat.     

Almanzo hurries home with Prince.  After settling long suffering Prince in the stable, Almanzo tells him "You saved the seed wheat, old boy."  Which brings up the looming question, Were Almanzo's motives to save the town or to save his seed wheat? 

Royal greets Almanzo with a "Well.  Here you are.  I was trying to see down the street, looking for you, but you can't see a foot into this blizzard."  What is it with this town and their refusal to welcome people back from heroic quests?  Royal acts like his younger brother just returned from playing a game of checkers. I love enthusiastic greetings no matter how often a see a friend or family member.   

Almanzo brought a bucket of snow into the house to thaw his bloodless, white feet.  He welcomes the pain because it indicates his feet aren't dangerously frozen.  Poor Almanzo can't sleep because of the pain.  He wears Royal's boots to do his chores because his swollen feet won't fit in his own boots.  I can relate.  After giving birth to my second child, I had to leave the hospital in slipper socks because my flip flops didn't fit.  Yet another tidbit women aren't told in that "What to Expect When Expecting" book.  

Finally the four day blizzard howls its last howl and Almanzo heads over to Fuller's Hardware for the news.  Almanzo walks into an uproar!  Mr. Lotfus is selling the wheat for three dollars a bushel.  Pa, not surprisingly, is in the middle of the ruckus.  Pa is very invested because Ma just used the last of their wheat.  Laura describes Pa, "His face had shrunken to hollows and jutting cheekbones above his brown beard, and his blue eyes glittered bright." Pa convinces the men to go and reason with Mr. Loftus.  Almanzo appoints Pa as leader because Pa has nothing to eat at his house.

A volley of words bounces between Pa and Mr. Loftus.  Here is an abridged version of their conversation:

Pa:  You are charging too much for your wheat.

Mr. Loftus:  It's my wheat isn't it?  I paid good hard money for it.

Pa:  A dollar and a quarter a bushel, we understand.

Mr. Loftus:  That wheat's mine and I've got a right to charge any price I want for it.

Pa:  Don't forget every one of us is free and independent, Loftus.  This winter won't last forever and maybe you want to go on doing business after it's over.

Mr. Loftus:  Threatening me, are you?

Pa:  Your business depends on our good will.  You maybe don't notice that now, but  along next summer you'll likely notice it.

Mr. Loftus realizes he is despised and ends up charging 1.25 a bushel, which was the right thing to do.  Pa suggests the wheat be rationed by each family's need.  Almanzo doesn't buy any wheat and Pa buys two bushels.  Poor Pa struggles swinging the sack onto his back.  Almanzo wants to help, but doesn't since " . . . a man does not like to admit that he cannot carry a hundred and twenty-five pounds"  

The chapter ends with Pa bringing the wheat to his family.  Hurray.

What Would Laura Do:

• Trust Pa to always provide for the family

Join me soon for Chapter 30 - "You Can't Beat Us."

Prairie Eydie



   

Chapter 28 - The Ingalls Survive A "Four Day Blizzard"

I often ask myself, "How did Laura Ingalls Wilder get through hard times?"  The Ingalls family didn't lack challenges.  There were four day blizzards and a never ending supply of thin codfish gravy.  During this period of self-quarantine, I decided to reread The Long Winter to discover - What Would Laura Do?

Chapter 28 begins with Laura thinking about Cap and "the younger Wilder brother".  (Fun fact:  Almanzo was 10 years older than Laura, but she made him only 6 years older in The Long Winter.)  Laura and Mary go outside for fresh air and immediately start arguing.

Laura:  The air feels savage, somehow.
Mary:  The air is only air.  You mean it is cold.
Laura:  I don't either mean it's cold.  I mean it's savage!

(Fun fact:  A few years ago Middle School kids were throwing around the word savage.  In Middle School context, savage meant someone who had fiery comebacks and wasn't afraid of anything/anyone.)  

In a huff, the girls go back inside.  Showing her nerves are unraveling, Ma is disappointed they didn't stay out longer.  Seven people in the kitchen was more manageable than nine people.  Apparently moms have been wanting their kids to stay outside longer for hundreds of years.

The Ingalls sit down for their meal of the day.  The magical codfish gravy is still around, making Pa's hungry eyes glitter.  How does Ma do it?  I can't get food to last more than three days with teenage boys in the house.  I stopped buying three pound bags of tortilla chips because immediately ate them and left crunchy puddles of crumbs on the floor.

The meal's conversation surrounds Almanzo and Cap's heroic wheat journey.  Pa spotted where a horse went down in the slough.  Pa says, "The boys have a fine day for their trip."  Later, Pa returns from Fuller's Hardware with somber news.  The boys haven't returned and there is a blizzard cloud quickly approaching.
  

So powerful!  If only Pa had Twitter.

 The family draws close to the cookstove waiting for the storm to hit.  The storm strikes with a roar and a howl.  Pa stands and shakes his fist at the wind.  "Howl!  blast you! howl!  We're all here safe!  You can't get at us!  You've tried all winter but we'll beat you yet!  We'll be right here when spring comes."  (Wow!  I LOVE LIW use of exclamation marks.  She would be an awesome texter.)

All of us have had hardships to shake our fists at.  Illness, divorce, addiction, job loss - but, in the spirit of Pa Ingalls, we shake our fists and continue on.  Hardship will not beat us.    

This is my favorite part of the book - Pa with his defiant, persistent spirit and shaking fist.  He overcame obstacles that would floor me.  I am clawing my way through the pandemic.  Fortunately, I can rely on grocery stores, not "the younger Wilder brother" for food.   I can read until midnight with electric lights which don't require buttons and axle grease.  I grind actual coffee in my coffee grinder.  

Trust Martha Stewart to improve on Pioneer Hay Sticks.  She suggests using newspaper instead of hay.  I can hardly see the Ingalls burning their reading material.  Hrumph.  

Pa laments not being able to play his fiddle.  In all the hard time before, Pa had made music for them all.  Now no one could make music for him.  Laura tried to cheer herself by remembering what Pa had said; they were all there, safe.  But she wanted to do something for Pa.  Laura then remembers the blizzard hasn't taken away their voices.  She begins to sing "Song of the Freed Man."  One by one the family joins in and sings, while huddled around the warmth of the hay fire.  

Before falling asleep, Mary and Laura discuss Almanzo and Cap.  They admit to praying for the boys.  Laura reminds Mary that ". . . Pa lived three days in that Christmas blizzard when we lived on Plum Creek."  

What Would Laura Do:

• Spend short bursts of time outside
• Remember no one can take away your voice & spirit
• Pray every night before bed

See you soon for Chapter 29 - "The Last Mile."  

Prairie Eydie

SPECIAL REPORT: Did Almanzo and Cap's Heroic Journey Really Happen?

Speaking of bread, the Wilder's bread plate was one of the only items saved during the tragic house fire in The First Four Years.  The original plate is on display in at Laura's home in Mansfield, MO. 

While innocently searching for a photo of Anderson for Chapter 27's blog post, I found information supporting a claim that Cap and Almanzo's "Quest for Wheat" never happened.  Truthfully, I wish I hadn't stumbled upon this well researched website since I am still grappling with the freeloading Masters.  How much can a Bonnethead take?  But once you see something, you can't un-see it.   

Without Almanzo and Cap's adventurous "Quest for Wheat", there wouldn't be action in The Long Winter.  The book would consist only of hay twisting and huddling around a cookstove.  I need Almanzo to be a hero, so I can support his marriage to dear Laura.  (SPOILER:  Almanzo and Laura's married life is peppered with hardships - often caused by Almanzo's poor decisions.)

Mr. Anderson/Niels Kopperud

I will attempt to summarize the startling information surrounding chapter 27.  If you would like more information about the topic, follow the above link.  

In the 1930's, Laura returned to DeSmet to research her books and she supposedly  went looking for Niels Kopperud (aka Mr. Anderson).  Laura went looking for Niels North of town, not South of town, as described in her book.  I won't even mention how Niels Kopperud didn't live in a sod house - It is all just too much.  We do not know if Laura found Niels or relatives of Niels.  

Lela Lane, granddaughter of a Mr. Anderson, said her grandfather was paid a visit by Laura in the 1930's.  Lela claimed Chapter 27 was written about her grandfather.  Unfortunately, neither of Lela's grandfathers lived in Kingsbury, Laura's county, during the long winter.  (NOTE:  There were 75+ claim holders named Anderson in Kingsbury County during the winter of 1882.  In Laura's original manuscript she didn't  name the settler.  She left a space with a line under it and later scribbled in the name, "Anderson".)  

There are no newspaper accounts of the venture - including: 

• Before or after the long winter      
• When LIW was researching her book in the 1930's
• After the deaths of Almanzo, Cap, and any of the plentiful Mr. Andersons

However, there are many accounts of an Amos Whiting harvesting 500 bushels of wheat before the long winter.  He also brought in a carload of veggies and provisions. It is well documented that settlers traveled four miles NE of DeSmet to Amos's house to buy wheat.  The settlers manually pulled the sleds of wheat home since the snow wouldn't hold the horses.  Another surprising coincidence is that Almanzo's cousin set up a commercial grade coffee grinder in the DeSmet hotel.  Could it be that Carrie didn't grow pale and weak from grinding wheat? 

Laura did mention the heroic quest to her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, in letters - so the story must be somewhat true.  Maybe?  Hopefully?

What are your thoughts?  Did Almanzo and Cap save the town or was it a literary device to propel The Long Winter's plot?

Prairie Eydie     

Chapter 27 - Almanzo and Cap Search "For Daily Bread" Part 2

I often ask myself, "How did Laura Ingalls Wilder get through hard times?"  The Ingalls family didn't lack challenges.  There were chatty settlers, dangerous sloughs crossings, and blizzard clouds in the Northeast.  During this period of self-quarantine, I decided to reread The Long Winter to discover - What Would Laura Do?

Chapter 27 - "For Daily Bread" Part 2

We rejoin the action outside of Anderson's sod house.  Almanzo says they have to care for the horses, Prince and Buckskin, before accepting Anderson's profuse offers of hospitality.   Almanzo spots wheat scattered in front of a rough door, in the stable.  Yes!  The wheat rumor Mr "Scare the Antelope Herd" Fuller perpetuated was true.

Can you imagine all the creepy crawlies in the sod walls?  My daughter refused to go out the front door yesterday because she saw a spider.  

Anderson leaves the door to his soddie ajar to let in light since he hasn't shoveled out the window.  The welcomed guests are treated to a hearty meal of boiled beans, sourdough biscuits, and dried applesauce.  It seems everyone is eating better than the Ingalls.  

Almanzo slips buying Anderson's wheat into the conversation.  Anderson says he isn't selling his seed wheat.  (Hmm.  Sound like anyone we know?)  Almanzo explains the town of DeSmet is starving.  "They've got to get something to eat or they'll starve to death before Spring."  Anderson appears to be an isolationist.  He answers Almanzo's plea with, "Nobody's responsible for other folks that haven't got enough forethought to take care of themselves."

I disagree with Anderson's cranky attitude.  We all need each other.  Where would the free-loading Masters be if Ma hadn't taken them in for the Winter?  How could DeSmet survive if Almanzo and Cap didn't risk their lives to find wheat?  How could the Ingalls butter their bread without Mr. Boast's gifts of butter?

Almanzo starts the bidding, without Anderson's participation, at 1.00 a bushel - 18 cents above asking.  The offer makes Anderson dig in his heels.  "That's my seed wheat.  It's my next year's crop.  I could have sold it last fall if I was going to sell it."  Almanzo and Cap remind Anderson that he is not assured of a successful wheat crop.  Grasshoppers and hailstones could obliterate his crop.  The only thing Anderson can be assured of is money in his pocket.  Cap recites, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."  The back and forth continues until the price reaches $1.25 a bushel.  SOLD!  60 bushels of wheat.  

Anderson invites the duo to spend the night, but Almanzo and Cap are eager to leave.  Perhaps they are worried Anderson will change his mind about selling his wheat. Or perhaps they don't want to be trapped in a soddie with Anderson.  Cap and Almanzo quickly load their sleds with 
3,750 pounds of wheat.  Those poor horses.  (My van struggled with 10 bags of mulch.)

The boys began their dangerous journey home.  Crossing the slough was treacherous.  The horses and wheat kept plunging into air pockets causing more work and delay for Almanzo and Cap.  "They had hardly begun to cross the flat valley when Prince broke down into an air pocket.  Swinging out to circle the dangerous place, Cap's buckskin felt the snow give way under him so suddenly that he screamed as he went plunging down.  The horse's scream was horrible." 

The chapter concludes with Almanzo and Cap finally spotting the lone cottonwood.  They also observed a blizzard cloud in the Northwest.

What Would Almanzo Do?

• Take care of business before pleasure
• Talk people into doing things they don't want to do
• Walk willingly into dangerous situations

NOTE:  As I was searching for information on Anderson, I came across information supporting the claim that Almanzo and Cap never went on this mission.  Join me tomorrow as I explore this claim and throw a tantrum.  (I really, really want this chapter to be factual, but have serious doubts.)

Prairie Eydie


      

Chapter 27 - Almanzo and Cap Search "For Daily Bread" Part One

I often ask myself, "How did Laura Ingalls Wilder get through hard times?"  The Ingalls family didn't lack challenges.  There were limited landmarks, early mornings, and the constant threat of blizzards.  During this period of self-quarantine, I decided to reread The Long Winter to discover - What Would Laura Do?

Chapter 27 - "For Daily Bread"

This adorable illustration of Laura can be purchased at the Etsy shop - Carrot Top Paper Shop.

Full disclosure:  Chapter 27 yet another Laura-less chapter I skipped as a child.  This is a darn shame since it is full of action, heroics, and cliff hangers - very different from the previous chapters filled with wheat grinding and hay twisting.  

A three day blizzard has ended.  Almanzo wakes up to the stillness at 3:00 AM.  "Three o'clock on winter mornings was the only time that he was not glad to be free and independent.  Once out of  bed and into his clothes, though, he liked early morning better than any other part of the day."  

Fact Check:  According to local oral history and Wilder biographers, Almanzo and Cap only traveled 12 miles to find wheat - not 20 miles.

Today is the day Almanzo and Cap Garland are going to find wheat to save DeSmet, SD from starvation.  Remember - "There was only a rumor that someone had told somebody that a man living somewhere in that region had raised wheat."  (Sounds like an iffy game of Pioneer Telephone to me.) 

Almanzo hitches Prince up to the hay sled and rides down Main Street to pick up Cap.  Cap, and his trusty steed - Buckskin, were outside waiting.  (How did this happen without cell phones?  Did Cap psychically know Almanzo was going to wake up at 3 AM and head on over?)  The fearless duo sees no animal tracks and no road.  It is difficult to judge directions and distance because there is only wind blown snow.  Almanzo thinks, "Well, we'll have to make it by guess and by golly."  The only land marker is one lone cottonwood tree.   They immediately turn West at the tree. 

Being directionally challenged, I would have made a lousy pioneer.  For years I thought North was up and down was South.  I blame my Elementary teachers for their thorough teaching of the compass rose.  Thank goodness for Google Maps.       

There is no fear in duo's interactions.  Their dialogue is breezy and chit-chatty.  
     "Fine day for a trip," Cap remarked.
     "Yep, it's a fine, large morning!" Almanzo agreed.
Soon, half the day is gone and they have seen no shanty.  The friends discuss cutting their losses and returning to DeSmet.
     "Think we better go back?"  Almanzo asked.
     "Never give up till you're licked!"  Cap said cheerfully.  

Replica of the sod house the Ingalls inhabited in the book, On the Bank of Plum Creek.  Can you imagine spending an entire winter in a sod house?  Ugh.

Almanzo stands on his sled and finally sees a smear of gray brown smoke.  Almanzo and Cap cross a slough to reach the smoke.  Once there, Almanzo and Cap start shouting.  The door to the sod house is thrown open by a shocked man.  

Anderson, the man's name, is overjoyed to see people.  He hasn't seen a soul since October (it is now February or March) and has much to say - "Hello!  Hello!  Come in!  Come in!  Where did you come from?  Where are you going?  Come in!  How long can you stay?  Come right in!"

Prairie Lulu cuddles our Prairie Cat - Millie.  Feel free to stop by our homestead for an in-depth conversation about Millie.  We can discuss napping habits and portion control.

I understand Anderson's desperation since I am also desperate for in-person conversations.  I pounce on people strolling by my house.  As a conversation starter, I compliment babies, dogs, and masks.  Surprisingly, people don't cross the street to avoid me.  They want to talk too.  One neighbor wanted a tour of my perennials.  Some guy wanted to discuss cat ownership after seeing my overweight cat in the window.  I hope these small interactions can lead to longer conversations. 

What Would Almanzo Do?

• Get an early start to the day
• Keep conversations light-hearted
• Never - Ever give up

We are going to leave it here for today.  Join me tomorrow for Part Two of "For Daily Bread".

Prairie Eydie