Spring Weather in Minnesota - Time for Biking!

Reading in the Magazine, hard copy, a gift from Steve B, my disc golf mentor, about the role of blogging during the Arab Spring.  And sensing putting anything out on the web is now a part of co creating history.   I am starting to "get" how much of a shift to equality on the web is happening in real time!  Be in the present and grateful.    Peace, love, joy and beauty each day. 

My good friend Bob P, from Bloomington MN, Called me up early Sunday AM, and asked if I wanted to go for a bike ride.  We both intuitively flashed on the Dakota Trail starting on Wayzata Bay.  On Saturday, my friend Andy M and I did my first of the spring, starting from his place in Prospect Park near the U of M, and taking the Greenway to Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet.  He even had a goal to visit his friend Monica a few blocks west of the river in the Linden Hills neighborhood. 

The YOU ARE HERE, allowed Bob in me, to be really present to being here now!   On the trail. 

At the same stop, this overview map shows where we started to the east, and how the trail goes through Lake Minnetonka's Bays, and finally on the west out to St Bonifacius.

 Here is the Bistro, St Boni Bistro where Bob and I had our breakfast.  He figured this is 12.5 miles out, and the 1/2 point on our trip.

 Here is Bob at one of the stops along the way.  Notice the lack of leaves on the trees.  This is the second of two 70 degree plus spring days, April 28 and 29th..

On Saturday, Andy M and I stopped for ice cream at Sebastian Joe's in Linden Hills.  We noticed a lot of pot holes on the streets of Minneapolis, and I just had to have a scoop of the local recipe "Nicollet Ave Pot Hole".  Chocolate with sea salt and not sure what else. Refreshing and a lot of folks out enjoying the day. 

Listening to the Awakening of Nature - Sound of the Geese March 31st

In the Christian Culture, today Easter is celebrated by the resurrection of a man called Jesus who died for the sins of many on a icon, the cross, made of wood.  For me this season is at a deeper level the awareness of new life that stirs in and upon the earth each year!

Having learned about the circle of life through my Lakota and Dakota teacher here on the prairie, I am so grateful to hear the call of the geese this morning as I meditate and write over a cup of coffee.

From www.whitebison.org

Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 31
"The old Lakota was wise. He knew that man's heart away from nature becomes hard; he knew the lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to a lack of respect for humans too. So he kept his youth close to its softening influence."
-- Luther Standing Bear, OGLALA SIOUX
When we live in nature it's like constantly being in school. We are in an environment that is always teaching. We are constantly being reminded hat there are laws, Natural Laws, which are running the universe. Once we know these laws and we drift from them, we start to live our lives in a different way. Soon we become discontent, selfish, and disrespectful. Then, we get in trouble. If our lives have become this way, it can be reversed by going back to nature to be among our teachers.

Great Spirit, teach men, again, the Natural Laws. 

The Goose Stamp above is from my China Stamp Collection and I am learning it is from the period after the Last Emperor was disposed and the struggle for one China and a form of government ensued. 
I think about my friends in China now, in the 21st Century, and how the environment and nature will be cared for.   Grateful to have met Dan Zhou from Fujian here in Minnesota who occasionally calls me from Shanghai, and Tony Zhu from Nanjing and rural Jiansu provence I met in Zhongguo in 2011, who have become friends in the next generation.  

Geese are teachers of "The lead Goose when it tires will fall back within the flock and another Goose will take its place as navigator. This indicates that we too need to pay attention to when we are tired and to allow others to take the lead for a time if we are one is in need of rest and rejuvenation. If any Geese are injured or become ill during their flight and descend to the earth, their mate or another Goose, if the bird is without a mate, will follow and remain with them until the fallen bird either recovers or dies. No Goose is ever left to die on its own and this too is a reminder for us that we are never alone, Spirit and the Universe are always with us. For those that have this bird as a totem, its a strong indication that you too need to be extremely loyal to those things and people in your life that you feel a strong bond or connection with and to be sure that those you allow close to you are also loyal to you."

Read more about Goose Medicine. 
morningstar.netfirms.com/goosetotem.html





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postage_stamps_and_postal_history_of_China

The 1910s

This revolutionary overprint was made in London on a 30c imperial stamp. The postmark may read "HANGCHOW".

Stamp "Chinese Imperial Post" (above from right to left: Chinese: 大淸國郵政;pinyin: Dàqīngguó yóuzhèng 1910, 2 cents with red overprint (from top to bottom:
simplified Chinese: 中华民国; traditional Chinese: 中華民國; pinyin:zhōnghuámínguó) "Republic of China" and stamp "Shanghai"

The revolution of 1911 resulted in overprints on the imperial stamps in 1912; at Foochow to indicate that the post office was effectively a neutral area available to both sides, and at Nanking and Shanghai reading "Republic of China" (from top to bottom: simplified Chinese: 中华民国; traditional Chinese: 中華民國; pinyin:zhōnghuámínguó). An additional set of overprints was produced by Waterlow and Sons in London, and postmasters throughout the country made their own unofficial overprints using the same characters.


Here is a special sheet commemorating the 90th anniversary of Chinese Postage Stamps that I purchased in 1958 directly from the Taiwanese Philatelic Agency.   The

700 Mile Day - Miami River Valley Ohio - Springfield ALincoln in the Snow and Back to Minne Snow Dah!

Before I left Troy Ohio on Sunday Morning March 24, I took in the warmth of Cousin Jeannette Allen Weaver's guest bedroom message.  Wonderful to connect with relatives in Ohio who are loving of the family stories and connections!  Thanks Jeannette and Fred for you kind hospitality! 

The colorful warmth of the Weaver kitchen, celebrating the coming of spring! MMM fruit and bacon.

 

On Saturday, the day before my drive back Fred and Tory, their friendly dog, took me for a walk to a scenic valley in a hardwood forest, the Charleston Falls Preserve, where we went for a 2 mile hike in the morning after breakfast.  Ice still below the falls here. 

  See http://www.miamicountyparks.com/Park.aspx?c=CFP

Before the 3 PM event at the Dayton Institute of Arts where I met my Weaver Family Tree, photographer cousin Tony Snow and his family, Fred and Jeanette took me back to West Carrollton, Evergreen Cemetery, where many of the Eichers are buried. 

Then to Ellerton where the Weavers, Pauls, Allens were laid to rest. 

As I have been posting photos of the Emma Esther Eicher and Henry Eicher 2 acre plot at the corner of  Alex-Bellbrook Road and Springboro Pike, here is a small commercial building now on the corner that replaced a Shell Gas Station I remember from a tour by Bill Eicher my cousin, back in 1984, the first time I was welcomed back to the Miami River Valley by a cousin that deepened my interest in connecting with my family tree here. 

Fred and Jeannette viewing the 1913 -2013 exhibit of the photos.  I learned in Andy Snows talk with photos in the auditorium, where Noah Elwood Weaver was acknowleged,  that the engineering done under the direction of Morgan, in flood prevention, at that time was the largest private investment project for infrastructure development in the world.  There was no government money invested in this at all.  The Miami Conservancy District was formed and the district funded the book the features Noah Elwood Weaver photos pages 72 and 128.  www.miamiconservancy.org

The outside of the DAI  Dayton Art Institute 

Like many Americans, I have had a life long interest in the life and wisdom of Abraham Lincoln.  I visited his childhood home with my youngest son, Jesse in Indiana in the summer of 1999.  That is the year we took our bike on the Lake Michigan Ferry and visited Findlay Ohio, home of the Glessner-Chase maternal branch of my family and the  Miamisburg- West Carrollton Ohio area, home of the Weaver-Eicher-Paul- Brandt roots of my paternal branch. 

I left Troy Ohio about 9:30 AM Eastern Time, drove Hwy 40 across the Englewood Dam, here described on Wiki "Englewood dam is the largest of the dams maintained by the district. It regulates the flow of theStillwater River into the Great Miami River. It consists of 3,500,000 cubic yards (2,700,000 m³) of earth, is 110 feet (34 m) high and stretches 4,716 feet (1,437 m). U.S. Route 40 crosses the top of the dam. The dam can contain 209,000 acre feet (258,000,000 m³) of flood water over 6,350 acres (26 km²). It was constructed in 1919 and consists of as much earth as the Great Pyramid of Giza."

The road were clear until I reached I 72 in Illinois around "White Heath".  Then the snow fell quickly.  This photo was taken on I 55 north of Springfield as I noticed a lot of cars in the ditch.  I later learned Springfield had a record 17" snowfall as I read the reports Monday after my return to Minnesota

I found the car park with this map of the Lincoln Museum Campus likely about 2 PM Central Time. 

This was the view with a few inches of wet snow on the ground.   I spent a couple of hours in the museum and found a nice T shirt to send to my Chinese Guide in Nanjing, Tony as I have been looking for something quality and appropriate.  Very moving exhibits and the film about Lincoln's eyes, joy and grief was quite moving.   www.alplm.org

I did take this photo in the snow at Springfield as somehow I like to visit the capital cities in our states. 

I left Springfield a suppose around 4:30 and swung by this building and then headed north on I 55.  Checked out my body to see if I was getting tired as I could have stopped to rest..>And then I went past  Iowa City, headed north through Cedar Rapids west to I 35 and then back north to the Twin Cities. All along my green pony, 1999 Dodge Caravan, did really well.  Pulled in here at 3 AM Monday morning and now I am relaxed and pretty well caught up on sleep.  Mmmmm Spring is arriving here. Birds are singing and forecast for above 50 today.  !!

Orchards and Apples - Emma Esther Eicher's Journal from 1921 and beyond

The past few weeks, prior to the centennial of the Greater Miami River Flood Centennial, I have been transcribing the journal of my great aunt, Emma Esther Eicher that she wrote from 1921 onwards. 

Meeting with Brian Wheat, a school teacher here in the Twin Cities while enjoying a cider at the Birchwood Cafe the subject of hard cider on farms came up.  He is a native of New York near Buffalo and described the heirloom apples that result in varietal ciders.   I noticed on entry from Esthers journal listing the apple trees on the farm about 1926,10-15 years after these photos were taken.  Just wonder about the varieties back then.  Here is the list Esther wrote: 

"Cedar – Apple tree an etc as they stand a row from cedar trees to road -   Delicious

Yellow transparent & dead

Johnathon

Wealthy

Rome Beauty & dead

York Imperial

Red Astrakan

Clapp favorite

Koonce

Flemish beauty

Grapes

Delaware"

Helping to set the stage for the journal writing in 1921 and there after, are the photos of the Weaver-Eicher families as captured through the lens of Noah Elwood Weaver, my grandfather. (1885 -1973) This connection kept the 100% German heritage of that side of my family tree. 

Here in the Eicher Farm Orchard,  are my grandfather Noah Elwood Weaver, Paul H Weaver as an infant in likely 1911 as he was born Dec 24, 1910, being held by his aunt Emma Esther Eicher, always called Esther as she had an Aunt Emma Eicher.  At the Eicher Farm in Miami Twp Montgomery County Ohio surrounded by the apple trees of the orchard, Esther refers to in the late 1920's. 

Mother Edna Eicher Weaver, and son Paul Henry and father Noah Elwood at the Eicher farm Apple Orchard.   I often remark how much taller the Eicher woman were, and here is Edna said to be around 6 feet with her new husband "Elwood" as Noah's dad was a Noah. 

Edna Eicher Weaver, Noah Elwood Weaver, Emma Esther Eicher, Helena "Lane" Paul Eicher, Paul Henry Weaver, and Henry Eicher Spring 1911.

Henry Eicher, looking at his grandson, Paul Henry with the stereopticon held by his father, Noah Elwood Weaver.  May 1914 on the lawn of the Eicher home Bellbrook Road Miami Twp east of Alexandersville-West Carrollton.  

Henry Eicher, Emma Esther Eicher, PH Weaver and NE Weaver. Stereopticon - billed by some as the end of the 19th Century's version of the VCR. For more background on the history of the stereopticon see

http://www.bitwise.net/~ken-bill/stereo.htm

Henry Eicher with his grandson, Paul Henry Weaver, wooden keg on wheels.  Would cider have been made in such a cask?  At the home on Bellbrook road. 

Bellbrook Road looking east at the corner of the house, around 1914, Paul Henry with Grandpa Henry Eicher, he called "dad-dad".  

Henry Eicher with Paul H Weaver ca 1917 Bellbrook Road home with chicken eggs.

PH and His mom, Edna Eicher Weaver on the Eicher Farm South of Bellbrook Road, Sect 15 Miami Twp Montgomery County Ohio. 

Looking east by Henry Eicher home on 2 acres on Bellbrook Road by Springboro Pike. PH Weaver walking in the distance ca 1919.

History Episcopal Schools Faribault - Educators and Connections to Minnesota's Pelican Lake Nature 1906 - Oct 2014!

Johnston Hall the remaining Limestone building on the Seabury Seminary Campus in Faribault, served the Episcopal Church for many years.  Grateful I could donate a walnut bookcase, once housed in this buildings library, built in 1888, to the Cathedral of Our Merciful Savior.   On the national register of historic places, this building is once again (after 1986, was used to house clinics etc) threatened to be demolished by the District One Hospital Board's inaction to put on a roof.   There is a meeting of the Faribault City Council March 5th, 2013 at 6 PM to see if the mayor, John Jasinski and others can lend their support to integrate this building into the Campus of District One Health Center. 

For the history of Seabury, that left Faribault in 1933 see 

http://seabury.edu/history/history-seabury-western-theological-seminary.html

: Seabury-Western Theological Seminary was created in 1933 by the merger of Seabury Divinity School (1858, Faribault, Minnesota) and Western Theological Seminary (1883, Chicago, Illinois).

In 1858, James Lloyd Breck founded Bishop Seabury University in Faribault, Minnesota, to provide education from primary school through theological studies for both Native Americans and Euro-American settlers. He envisioned his “School of the Prophets” as the center of evangelism for the about-to-be organized Diocese of Minnesota. The Seabury Divinity School, which emerged, continued its missionary consciousness and, in the twentieth century, developed a distinctly evangelical character.

- See more at: http://seabury.edu/history/history-seabury-western-theological-seminary.html#sthash.iTd2wvSC.dpuf 

Victor Pinkham,  a graduate of Seabury,  taught at Seabury Divinity School until it moved to Chicago.  Completing his PhD at Harvard in the 30's, his only child, Winifred Elaine Pinkham Leonard, remained with her grandparents, the Jenkins, who taught at St James School, graduating in 1940. The Pinkhams moved  to Northfield where Victor taught history at  Carleton College and was the  rector of All Saints Episcopal.   FE Jenkins, first headmaster of St James, purchased land on the SE Shore of Pelican Lake in 1906, and envisioned a boys camp there that is found on the 1920's map of the area. 

District One Hospital was built in Faribault on the old Seabury Campus.  Here are Dr Burton Orr, General Surgeon on the left with my father, Paul H Weaver MD, General Practice in the surgical suite perhaps even at St Lucas Deaconess Hospital before  District One was built.  I remember that dad left early for "8 o'clock" surgery on the east side of Faribault where the hospital was. 

Keeping with the thread of Educators of the Shattuck, St James Schools and Seabury with Pelican Lake, John A Foster and Fredrick Haeberle are two key figures.  They founded a real estate company in Faribault early in the 1900's and later platted Sunset Beach along with SE shore of Pelican Lake, Crow Wing County.

This map circa 1920, was found in the cabin purchased by the three Weaver brothers from Faribault, Jim, Jack and Tom (this author) in 1967, shows area of red markings, Sunset Beach my Lake Marquis and Shattuck Camp NW of Lougee Lake. On the back of this maps was the label: 

In Dec 1913, according to the Faribault Republican, The Home and Loan Company, was incorporated by JA Foster and FL Haeberle and Frank W Ferris who entered the business of platting land, building and selling homes in Faribault. 

Fred Haeberle taught business at Shatuck School from 1904-1937.  He and John Foster were involved in platting Sunset Beach On Pelican Lake in 1920.

Having built a cabin centered around an ice house brought across the lake on ice during WWI, here are Bernice and John Foster in 1959, taken behind their cabin on Lot 14, Sunset Beach. 

The second cabin built on the SE Shore of Pelican, likely is this one, built in 1913 by FE Jenkins.  This photo was recently discovered by his great grandson, Jim Leonard, who now lives permanently in the Pelican Lake area. 

This 1914 photo labeled with the assistance of Winnie Leonard (Winifred E Pinkham Leonard) , includes Fred Haeberle,  FE Jenkins and Rev Levering, who all worked in Faribault with the Episcopal schools.  Levering was the chaplain at Shattuck.   Looks to me like some wrapped fish, ready to be smoked...What do you think?  Comments welcome.  

 In mid October of this year, Jim Leonard who lives on the property purchased through his great grandfather FE Jenkins, sent this photo to the Weaver Family. Jim Weaver, now owner of the century old Haeberle Cabin, had arranged for a new road built to allow fire fighter access with the current truck specifications to serve cabins on the shore.  Here is the Haerberle Way sign for the road intersecting with Pelican Lake Road in the woods behind the cabins.

And Haeberle Way at the intersection with Leonard Road at the other end of the road.
Last evening, Oct 23, 2014 I met the archvist at Shattuck School, Lonnie Schroeder, who spoke about the history and relationship of Shattuck-St Mary's with the city of Faribault.  Perhaps she has other information about the life and history of Fred Haeberle to share for future generations. I am sending her the link to this page and plan to visit Faribault this year planning for my 50th High School Reunion in mid August 2015!  :-)

Winter Season Choices in Minnesota 2012 -2013

Transformation and Travel have been some recent themes in my life.  I visited Manny's home in Waconia on Thanksgiving Day, prior to the winter season, and like me, he was doing some letting go of stuff!   I noticed this photo on the wall of his garage, and recognized the Stratocruiser Boeing created after WW II.   I remembered traveling on one of these that Northwest Airlines had, and as a young lad, I was able to go down the stairs into the drinking lounge, that is on the belly of this plane! Now it is up on my south wall of my nest! 

http://www.boeing.com/history/boeing/m377.html

Winter is a time of contemplation and reviewing my life and writing about my family and genealogy has become a passion of mine.  Thanks for your reading here and any comments are most welcome!

On the south wall of my nest, I have  this painting, made by my father, Paul H "Pete" Weaver during his time at Antioch College, Yellow Springs Ohio, when he was an undergraduate liberal arts student there from 1928 - 1931, when he transferred to Ohio State University in Columbus. 

While at Antioch, PH Weaver was influenced by a sculptor , Amos Mazzolini. 

And this image, one of my favorites of my fathers, was created through him, after one in the Biography of Mozart by Martha Davenport.  This is called a bas relief work of art.  My good friend Greg Larsen, musician and music teacher extraordinaire' always admired this as well. I treasure the tradition of music in my family and those I love and connect with. 

On Christmas Day, my good friend Gary Engler called me and wondered if I was going to the Day of Reconciliation, 150 Years after the Largest mass execution in American History in Mankato MN, where 38 Dakota men were hung the day after Christmas, Dec 26, 1862 by the river there. Knowing the history and the importance of living in the spirit of reconciliation, we drove down the Minnesota River Valley, Mne Sota Wakpala, Valley to Mankato on this cold winter morning.  Riders here are coming from the west, and then runners from Ft Snelling from the north to meet at the site.

This new scroll with the 38 listed was dedicated and speakers such as Jerry Dearly, Lakota, sang prayer songs, olawan, to honor the ancestors and those present this day. 

Some of the riders in the cold, were families who rode in from the west. 

The colorful gathering of those on horses meeting in the area when the runners came over the bridge across the Minnesota. 

 Between Christmas and New Years,  I visited Nate, Sue  and Jess in St Cloud.  Here is Jesse, with a new table top, on the floor he just had shipped to his place to provide a surface for 8 to play board games in his space.   Grateful I could support him in putting on some table legs and a couple of chairs during my short visit! 

After an hour or two of work, Jess is standing next to the table with some of the chairs with examples of some of the board games he enjoys.   Ah, the many ways of enjoying the Minnesota Winters with friends and family.  Thanks Jess for the fun time. 

Being aware of tunkashila,  the energy of the elders and warmth of the Unci, the grandmothers, I decided to contact Dixon Bond again, founder of the Carleton Singing Knights, to work on the archives of Dacie's home here at 110 Union Street in Northfield.   Here is the welcoming sign for those who joined in the brunch which has been a tradition for Carleton and the community since Dacie Moses opened her home to Dixon and the group in the 1950's.   I sang here, 3 times a week from 1965 - 1969 as a member of the Knights.  Fun to see the tradition continuing. 

Dacie's dining room table where students and community members still gather to eat and play cribbage. A snow storm was approaching this day and my green pony and I took to the road back to the Twin Cities.   

I called ahead to my friend Bob Pahl who lives in Bloomington and mentioned the disc golf course at Moir Park on Nine Mile Creek as a possible place to enjoy the energy of the day.  It was my first time playing on a course with the cone shaped targets, which on many courses have been replaced by flexible chains.   Here is #1 with my orange putter disc for scale! 

With the Nine Mile Creek bed in the background, Bob throws up to one of the goals on the 9 hole course, that we played twice as the sleet turned into snow. 

Here is the "Finish" , the place we stand to throw to the final 9th goal on the course. My disc bag, a gift of my friend Steve Wolfe recently for scale.  What a fun simple walking sport to stay grounded and have fun playing with friends and family throughout the year.