Northern Lights

     Aurora Borealis--the Northern Lights have been stunning lately. The only problem is you have to drive out into the country to really see them. Light pollution dims their effervescence. These shimmering  greenish phenoms have been astounding people through the ages.

    I think about the early pioneers and the life they lived out here on the prairie. Those hardy souls endured the elements, the critters (mosquitos, wildlife, grasshoppers etc.), and the bleakness that the land offered.

    Living 150 years ago with all the pioneers dealt with would have been horrible. Housing consisted of soddies. I can't imagine living in such miserable circumstances. Because it was made out of earth, having the dwelling consist of more than one room wasn't feasible. Having a family of five or six live in such conditions wasn't ideal.

    If the living conditions weren't abhorrent enough, there were the weather conditions with which to contend. Adverse weather could swoop in at any time, during all seasons.There was no John Wheeler alerting those sod busters of the latest weather catastrophe. Negative weather could come in, catching people unawares and defenseless. Blizzards and floods are difficult enough to deal with when we are alerted to the potential of them hitting our area; however, with no forewarning, the elements descent could be devastating.

    Then there are the swarms of mosquitos. Years ago, my boys and I visited the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum in Bismarck. There,  displays of journals and letters the early pioneers penned filled the room. I started reading the primary sources of mainly the women, who detailed the horrors of the ever-present pests. One lady couldn't handle the incessant insects and eventually they drove her med, In today's world, Mosquitos pay enough attention to me. I don't know how I would have handled the pests long ago.

    The things our predecessors endured to gain dominion over this land astounds me. They had a grit and fortitude not many people are made of today. Native Americans, in my area of the country, were nomadic tribes who put up with plenty of their own hardships.      

    Suffice it to say, I'm glad I don't live in those days. 

    Just think, this whole blog post came about as a result of musings about Northern Lights, Wonder what I would've written about if  the topic had been bike rides or something like that.

 

    

                                                Photo courtesy if https://all-free-download.com/free-photos/aurora-borealis.html