Centering By Singing - St Louis, Cahokia Mounds, and Disc Golf with Nephew Bobbi(e)

 

Whiteout conditions near exit 60, on Weds Feb 24,  where I was considering exiting to visit Carlinville, where Len C Glessner started the Macoupin Co Herald in March 1879 and lived with his wife in a boarding house on main st.   I deselected the turn and headed to Collinsville to meet up with Bobbi(e)...

 My drive to the St Louis area involved taking I 55 southwest from Chicago, and around Bloomington the light snow, started sticking to the road.  When I got below Springfield I noticed cars in the ditch and semi's were parking....to avoid the jackknife urge.

 Grateful to have gotten to Collinsville to check in with Bobbi(e) about the recording studio venue he found through his network in St Louis on Park Ave, Utopia Studio's where we arrived 15 min before our 10 AM booking.  My intention has been to record D/Lakota ceremonial songs , to share in a good way for those interested in learning the olewan, songs in a good way. 

 Bobbi(e) after he drove me over the river into St Louis on I 55 in his mom, Maureen's car, with my drum ready on the floor.

 Bobbie, with the set up using his mac book pro and microphones. Drum with tobacco, kashaka's etc

 
Sound check in the studio prior to a recording session, Thursday Feb 25, 2016 Utopia Studios. 

 
Willmore Park St Louis,  Disc Golf in the temps of 40's near pad #1, after we worked our way from #11 through 18 and finished off with 1-3 to call it an afternoon after recording on Thursday. 

Pad #1, at Willmore Park in St Louis.

 1880 Census from Carlinville listing Mary Preston 33 year old boarding house keeper at 447 Main St near bottom of page

 

1880 census Carlinville with Leonard C (27) and Emma C Glessner listed as boarders at 447 Main Street in the rooming house... his job "printer and editor"

 ON Friday I drove 60 miles north, to visit Carlinville.  Here is the Macoupin Co Courthouse, Carlinville IL on Main St North where I walked to look for a 447, and did not find one. (sandstone)   I did find microfilm of the Macoupin Co Herald, with the head line of LC Glessner edit with the first issue in March 1879 at the local Library. 

Following my vision to be present on the top of the hill at Cahokia, to listen, we choose to arrive at "Monk's Mound' the largest mound at Cahokia around 5 AM on Sat Feb 27.   Filling my chan nupa at the base, we walked to the top of the flat mound with the intention of recording "what came up for us there"  2 of the deer nation were in the shadows there, and I remember, hehaka "those with antlers, antennae" welcomed us.   The sun slowly came up from the east, and with temps below freezing, we soon found a dancing rhythm  to stay warm an in our bodies.....Bobbie set up his outdoor portable studio.   

 
Our microphone "antenna" with the first light of the sun....above Cahokia, now considered the "City of the Sun" in writings....

  
Bobbie and his computer and mic set up. 

 
Bobbie with a demo of Koko's Kashaka's warming dance with the equipment at dawn light. 

 
Looking to the south east and the visitors center at Cahokia State Park and World Heritage Center in the early morning light from the top of the mound. 

 
"Monks Mound" sign on the way back to the car.....

 
Photo of the author carrying my teaching chan nupa down from the hill, prior to smoking with Bobbie..by Bobbie D Foster 

 Before going to Maureen O'Halloran Foster's home, Bobbie got a hit to revisit the visitors center, where we both found resources to support our journey's .  Here is a sign that caught my eye around the National Road that started in Maryland and ended in E St Louis....that goes through Ohio, and the effects that road had on tourism and the mounds here.

 
And the history of tourism and defacing of the mounds and now the recovery process.   Bobbie was led to be more of a participant in the restoration here, and joined as a member of the Cahokia community, as his mom, lives in the area, in Collinsville...

After a day visiting his mom, during midday, we decided to find another disc golf venue.  This one out by rural Lebanon, 9 holes with baskets in the woods where we met a chetan relative, sharp shinned hawk. at hole #5.  

 Bobbie readying to throw at Hole #1 into the woods.

 View of first basket area of Lebanon Disc Golf Course north of town. Horner Park that was not open for the spring season.