PHOTOGRAPHS FROM GUATEMALA

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Round Bales of Hay


Having grown up in a farming community where all bales of hay were "square bales"- not round, I was amazed when I first saw round bales of hay in a field. I have for a number of years tried to take a picture of round bales in a field that captures the Missouri way of baling hay. Here it is, finally. I would suggest that you click on the picture to make it full screen size to get a feel of the depth and horizon of the picture.
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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Fun birthday party


She is one year old and having great fun now that she has her walking license.
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Hands


This is what a one year old does at her first birthday party.
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Sunday, September 18, 2011

Water Lily Blossom


As usual, Busch Wildlife yields another interesting image- a very mature water lily.
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Saturday, September 17, 2011

Alaska


Looking up the channel in the Tracy Arm, Alaska. The glacier at the end of this arm is just around the corner.
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Saturday, September 10, 2011

James Allred Property in Monroe County Missouri

Lorrie and I have a common ancestor, James Allred. In reading one of his histories, we discovered that in October 1830 he moved his family from Tennessee to Ralls County Missouri (now Monroe County) and purchased two sections of land (1280 acres), sections 15 and 10 of Township 55 in Range 8 of that county. He and other relatives and friends (particularly the Ivie family) settled in the general vicinity. In 1831, James Allred and the other families in the area came in contact with missionaries from the Mormon Church, Hyrum Smith and John Murdock, who were traveling across the state to Western Missouri. Unfortunately, or fortunately, these missionaries fell ill in this vicinity and the Ivie family took them in and heard for the first time the message of the restoration of the church of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith. In the following year, many of the Allred Family and of the Ivie family were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. A branch of the church was organized and named the Salt River Branch. The Salt River Branch at the Allred Settlement was to figure prominently in the Zion's Camp March made by the prophet Joseph Smith and a large band of volunteers set out from their homes in Ohio and Wisconsin to give assistance to their persecuted brethren in Western Missouri. It was at the Allred Settlement that the Zion's Camp march paused for a week to receive the recruits coming from Wisconsin under the leadership of Hyrum Smith and prepare for the last leg of the march into Western Missouri. Perhaps, they camped on the James Allred property or upon the property owned by the Ivy family near Paris, Missouri. James Allred became a prominent figure in the Church as he moved from his Eastern Missouri property in 1834 to Western Missouri; was driven out of Missouri to Nauvoo, Illinois and later to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah and finally to Sanpete County in Utah.

With this knowledge of James Allred, on Labor Day, Lorrie and I were determined to drive to Monroe County from the St. Louis area to locate the James Allred property. We drove to Hannibal, Missouri and then west to Monroe City and then to the small town of Indian Creek, Missouri. Just outside of Indian Creek on highway 24 we found highway HH that we determined went right through the property once owned by James Allred. It was quite an experience to be upon the land owned by such a revered ancestor and experience a part of our heritage.

The following picture show some of the scenes of the James Allred property as it now developed - farms with farm homes and farm facilities.

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Road running from the Allred Settlement to the Shell Branch of the Salt River

This beautiful lane is on the old road running through the Allred Property (Highway HH) past the southern boundary to the Shell Branch of the Salt River.
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Shell branch of the Salt River

The James Allred history indicates that his new Missouri property was about two miles from a branch of the Salt River. This is the upper reaches of Mark Twain Lake which was formed by a dam on the Salt River. This is the Shell branch of the Salt River about two miles on the old road running through the Allred property.
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Fence line of the southern boundary


Notice the large quarter section post on the right edge of the picture. This fence line marks the southern-most boundary of the James Allred property.
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Modern farm on the property

Mr. Shortridge now owns and farms a portion of the James Allred property near its southern boundary. Mr. Shortridge was very kind to tell us what he knew about the property and the area. He gave us a copy of the township plat.
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Can you imagine a pioneer trail?

A very old and abandoned road running east and west through the Allred property.
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Part of Property


This is a well cared for part of the northern acreage of the old James Allred property.
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Deer on the Allred Property


His history also says that during their first winter in Missouri, James Allred killed his first deer. We saw two deer in the open field at northern boundary of the property.
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