Nebraska – Eskildoodle Photos and Feelings

Shadows of the Past

The setting sun cast shadows of objects in our window onto the wall and brought back memories, some recent, some distant. More recently, the enchantment of Bora Bora was captured in the photos and the shadowy silhouette of a wooden dolphin on the lower right. The carving was given to us by friends in BoraContinue reading “Shadows of the Past”

Plum Creek Railroad Attack 1867

This memorial is about four miles from my childhood home near Lexington, Nebraska, which had been a homestead of Michael Delahunty, a railroad section boss at the time of the raid. Cheyenne Chief Turkey Leg (or Turkey Legs, depending on the source) had fought at the Little Bighorn in defeat of General Custer, and hadContinue reading “Plum Creek Railroad Attack 1867”

Secrets Locked

In the mid 1960’s, my dad was digging in a field that lay along the north banks of the Platte River in Nebraska. He felt the shovel hit something solid, so he reached into the hole and pulled out this rusty old padlock. It has a crown and “VR,” in honor of Queen Victoria, stampedContinue reading “Secrets Locked”

Sore Sower

Rising 400 feet above the plains of Nebraska, the state capitol building displays a statue of the Sower broadcasting seeds by hand. It represents the agricultural foundation of Nebraska. When I was young, a story circulated about a grade schooler having visited the capitol with his class. Afterwards the teacher asked the students to drawContinue reading “Sore Sower”

Half Dime

Believe it or not, before the nickel, there was a half dime. Tiny and made of silver, the ones above were minted 1838 and 1853. The top image was taken of a half dime from the Fort King historical center in Ocala, Florida, while the bottom two images are the front and back views ofContinue reading “Half Dime”

Gypsy Dancers

I grew up along the Platte River in central Nebraska and lived in a house nearly 100 years old. While it had indoor plumbing and electricity by the time I came along, it lacked TV and central heating. In the winter, corn cobs left over from the fall harvest were burned in a potbellied stoveContinue reading “Gypsy Dancers”

Pleased to Meet You, Guess My Name

In the autumn of 1970, a young lady and her friends were bantering about good-naturedly in this building. They were part of a college weekend retreat, and I happened to be in the area visiting my parents who lived near there. I had seen her around school, but did not know her name. When theContinue reading “Pleased to Meet You, Guess My Name”

Milling About

As a child I recall the sound of the whirling windmill on our farm, driving the pump shaft up and down to draw water from the ground into a large round metal tank for the dairy cattle. But it was more than just an essential farm fixture, it was a place of imagination and adventure.Continue reading “Milling About”

Back to Earth

It’s a strange feeling to exit an airplane 3000 feet above the ground. The 80 mph slipstream tries to push you back into the aircraft as you get into position on the wheel and wing strut. Perhaps the wind is trying to tell you something. When you let go and step off the wheel, thereContinue reading “Back to Earth”

Once Upon a Camper

As a kid I loved to go camping with family and friends, especially to Colorado and the mountains. We also camped along various local parks and rivers in Nebraska where I grew up. It started off in a tent, and later, dad designed and built this camp trailer that served us very well. We hadContinue reading “Once Upon a Camper”