Monday, August 15, 2005
interrupted
(note: for some reason, it wouldn't let me post this all as one post. So I broke it into two. Thanks!)
Next, we headed back to the petroglyphs. For those of you who do not know, I just so happen to have some Native American blood flowing through my veins. I'm not sure just how much, but enough for me to recognize the fact that it's there and be proud of it. What makes things interesting, is that these petroglyphs were visited by the buffalo-hunting plains Indians, namely the Dakota Indians. I just so happen to have Chippewa in me, who lived in the forests of the North...but I still felt connected and haunted by the past! They say some of these carvings were done 5,000 years ago! It has only been a historical site since the 1960s. Before then, it was used as farmland. When the state bought it, they also re-created the prairie that would have once grounded itself in the earth. In fact, one of the first signs we saw said: "Landscaped by Mother Nature."
BUT. Before I get into it any farther, I must draw your attention to a photo I took JUST for my friend Julie! Julie loves llamas, and, when I saw this cute little fellow, I just had to have John pull over and let me take a shot!!
A llama for Julie. There were several llamas in the sheep pasture, protecting the flock.
The visitor's center at the petroglyphs.
The prairie was full of black-eyed susans, my mom's favorite flower.
You know those deer targets people have in their backyards? Well, this place had a buffalo target, along with a shooting range. They had a weapon that you could learn to use. This weapon was around before the bow and arrow. It was called an Atlatls.
John standing on the rock, looking for some petroglyphs.
Did we find any?
We sure did!!!
carvings of weapons, namely the atlatls
a thunderbird..and a buffalo!
nothing other than a turtle!
Closer to the other end of the rock, we found the one and only carving at this site, of a head and shoulders and handprint! Oh my...
At the end of the trail, we also saw a "buffalo rub." Like bears and trees, buffalo rubbed up against rocks to help shed their fur and scratch their itches. The scary thing: where they rubbed was polished to a mirror finish! I could see my face in the rock from centuries upon centuries of buffalo rubs! We were there, outside, for about 7 hours!
We took a different way home and stopped in the town of Windom on the chance that they would have a pizza place. We decided to first look downtown. And were we glad we did! It was beautiful. Most downtowns these days have either moved to the highways or have empty buildings left and right. Not this one. Every old building was filled with businesses. A food co-op, a bakery, shoe stores, clothing stores, cell phone stores, hardware stores. It was amazing. The coolest thing? Their courthouse! It was in the center of town, and the downtown actually made a square around it, holding to tradition!
some of the neat, old buildings. This old bank, now a library!
I think this was an electronics store.
The COURTHOUSE!!!
The statue on the tippity-top of the dome!
Overall, the day was so overwhelming with days from the past...it was nice to see so many new things. ¶ 1:20 PM
Next, we headed back to the petroglyphs. For those of you who do not know, I just so happen to have some Native American blood flowing through my veins. I'm not sure just how much, but enough for me to recognize the fact that it's there and be proud of it. What makes things interesting, is that these petroglyphs were visited by the buffalo-hunting plains Indians, namely the Dakota Indians. I just so happen to have Chippewa in me, who lived in the forests of the North...but I still felt connected and haunted by the past! They say some of these carvings were done 5,000 years ago! It has only been a historical site since the 1960s. Before then, it was used as farmland. When the state bought it, they also re-created the prairie that would have once grounded itself in the earth. In fact, one of the first signs we saw said: "Landscaped by Mother Nature."
BUT. Before I get into it any farther, I must draw your attention to a photo I took JUST for my friend Julie! Julie loves llamas, and, when I saw this cute little fellow, I just had to have John pull over and let me take a shot!!
A llama for Julie. There were several llamas in the sheep pasture, protecting the flock.
The visitor's center at the petroglyphs.
The prairie was full of black-eyed susans, my mom's favorite flower.
You know those deer targets people have in their backyards? Well, this place had a buffalo target, along with a shooting range. They had a weapon that you could learn to use. This weapon was around before the bow and arrow. It was called an Atlatls.
John standing on the rock, looking for some petroglyphs.
Did we find any?
We sure did!!!
carvings of weapons, namely the atlatls
a thunderbird..and a buffalo!
nothing other than a turtle!
Closer to the other end of the rock, we found the one and only carving at this site, of a head and shoulders and handprint! Oh my...
At the end of the trail, we also saw a "buffalo rub." Like bears and trees, buffalo rubbed up against rocks to help shed their fur and scratch their itches. The scary thing: where they rubbed was polished to a mirror finish! I could see my face in the rock from centuries upon centuries of buffalo rubs! We were there, outside, for about 7 hours!
We took a different way home and stopped in the town of Windom on the chance that they would have a pizza place. We decided to first look downtown. And were we glad we did! It was beautiful. Most downtowns these days have either moved to the highways or have empty buildings left and right. Not this one. Every old building was filled with businesses. A food co-op, a bakery, shoe stores, clothing stores, cell phone stores, hardware stores. It was amazing. The coolest thing? Their courthouse! It was in the center of town, and the downtown actually made a square around it, holding to tradition!
some of the neat, old buildings. This old bank, now a library!
I think this was an electronics store.
The COURTHOUSE!!!
The statue on the tippity-top of the dome!
Overall, the day was so overwhelming with days from the past...it was nice to see so many new things. ¶ 1:20 PM
