Land of Dulcimers and Autoharps

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Although we are sprinting now through the last week of our expedition, we are enjoying some of the great surprises of the trip. After stopping in eastern Colorado to visit the site of the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre of a peaceful Cheyenne encampment, we went to Lake Scott, Kansas, and found ourselves sneaking down the highway always a few hours ahead of the tornado and hailstone weather. Kansas and Oklahoma sweetened our way with beautiful prairie grass, lakes and plains, but we really surprised ourselves when we fell in love with Arkansas. We stopped in Mountain View at the State Park, which is one of the great secrets of the US. Like the zocalos of Mexican pueblos, there was music to greet us in the Mountain View town square. Every corner had a band of fiddlers and guitarists. The State Park itself is a center for Ozark crafts and musicians. We met John Perry and Judi Munn, wonderful potters who invited Zoya to the potter's wheel; saw a concert of terrific gospel music and found our way into some night jam sessions in the open air. People kept telling us to come back and spend more time, and ya know, we began to feel like we should. Then we hit the road for Memphis and stopped here in between Jackson and Nashville. Tomorrow we'll camp in Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Then up to Shenandoah in Virginia and finally, a little island at the southern tip of New York State called Manhattan. Part of our work now is just looking through the many hours of film footage we have of Africa, Mexico, Ireland, and the South... trying to remember where we have been. The interviews Zoya did with people along the way are the jewels we are finding. It's funny, you begin to feel that it's the most natural thing in the world to just keep travelling on. On the other hand, the kids are almost busting out of their skin to see their friends (soon!) and the hardwoods of New York State.

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Photos

Some Gal in a Creek
Speak Russian?

Sand Creek
Peace Chief Black Kettle camped here in 1864, and woke to find his village attacked by a drunken Colorado Cavalry, led by a Methodist Minister, Colonel John Chivington. The massacre of women and children here was one of the most shameful moments in US history.

Our Caravan
Pulled over to see a wolf! But couldn't get to the camera in time

Country Gospel Concert
She's playing a Banjo/Dulcimer. A Dulcijo?

Zoya and Judi
Pottery seems to be one of the threads we have followed, from Mexico, through Indian Land, in Anasazi ruins, to Van Briggles and the Ozarks

Bubba and Max
Max gets some tips on how to make his own whittled flute to toot

Soap
How to Make Suds from Scratch

Wood Worker
We bought a stool he carved. Later he told our friends "I got rid of three stools today!"

Comments

[Zoe b. Zak]

you guys and gals are having quite the journey...wonderful pics! love from back home, zoe

[Kathie]

what a trip
Hi Teirsteins - i JUST caught up with your blog and am enchanted, what an amazing trip. Love your stories and your pictures, look forward to hearing more from you in person. So sorry to hear about Jenny, we will miss her. Love Kathie

[Learning As We Go]

Zoe
Thank you for reading the blog, Zoe. We will be in your neck of the woods in no time!