Letter 01: Ice Age Territory - John to Dan Reply

Dear Dan,

Well I finally made it out of Natchez for a trip. My grandparents took me all the way to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. So we were near your neck of the woods. This was the furthest west I’ve ever been. And when we crossed into Kansas from Missouri there was a sunflower forest! There was a sign saying this area was covered by glaciers in the ice age. And at one time bison roamed those parts.

It would have been great to see you out there in the windblown plains. Something about the Great Plains with their wide open skies makes me want to sing cowboy songs under the stars. But I’ll make it out there. You and me will ride bikes in the big sky country. When I think of those men hunting Wooly Mammoths in the Arctic frost my heart is filled with wonder.

I hope you get that bike of your spiffied up like you want. I know you will. God those sand burrs sure would make me keep my shoes on. Here in the south we have black stinging caterpillars. They fall from the trees and crawl all over the yard. Stepping on them barefoot is asking for some big hurt.

Those pioneer books are a great find. Living in your little bitty town sounds good for the soul. Hey I wrote a poem about going to Kansas. Here it is:

My First Trip West

Saffron sunflower forests rose
Under turquoise vault of heaven
Welcomed me to pelagic plains
On the edge of an ice age land
Where bison once roamed free

Your Friend,
 

John  

Letter John is replying to:

Letter One - Moving To Genoa

Letter 03 - John's Reply To Dan

Dear Dan,

That Powwow sounded better than any TV show. We have one here in Natchez every year in March. They let the spectators dance with the Indians. The event is held at a historic Native American site by some Indian mounds. It may sound strange but though it’s in March it ushers in the year for me. The drumming and songs are like church but in a different way. Once I stood atop a mound and looked down on the circle of dancers. I imagined it was hundreds of years ago when the tribe lived there. But hey sometimes I let my imagination run wild. The kids don't call me space cadet for nothing. Ha ha!

But that was back in spring. This past weekend my grandparents took me to our house by the bayou in Louisiana. We took my friend Jeff along. He is part Choctaw but for some reason doesn’t talk about it. He doesn't speak the language. But Jeff and I paddled the boat across the bayou. Boy did I nearly get in trouble. I didn’t notice that I was about to step on a cottonmouth. That snake was sunning on some tree roots. Jeff yelled at me to stand still. Then he went back to the boat for a paddle. Jeff hacked that ole snake to pieces. He probably saved my life. We weren’t anywhere near a hospital. No telling what would have become of me if he'd gotten his fangs in me. I hear them cottonmouths got some powerful venom.

That evening Jeff and I camped out in the tent by the bayou. A fierce thunderstorm passed over but we weren’t afraid. We just talked while those thunderbolts crashed down. It was a great way to end the summer.

Glad you made it to the pool. That is a real chuckle about what the Indians called your little brother he sure was brave but foolhardy to take on a high school kid at his young age. Well grandma is calling me for dinner. Keep in touch.

Your friend,

John

Letter 03 that John is replying to Link