Today was one of those days that I wish had never happened. Not because it was a bad day, but rather because it seemed like a repeat of yesterday: Drive Eric to work, go for a hike, and wish the weather were warmer. This has gotten too routine.
And on top of all that, my camera started acting up. The Canon PowerShot's cover lens would not open all the way. I could only get vision in 1/4 of the viewing field and then only with the lens on tele.
Again the weather started out at 58F which by now didn't please me. Again it didn't warm up much, either. The trails were muddy and badly rutted in parts and it seemed as if today's walk around the Bailly homestead and farm was more of the same swamps, marsh, black walnuts and hickories.
The trail around the farm and homestead is under three miles even if all trails are walked. We walked slowly but it seemed we walked more than four miles as I backtracked on a paved road when I realized I was on the no-dogs Ly-co-ki-we trail nearby. The South Shore's constant trains rumbling nearby was my landmark, and when I could no longer hear the train I knew I had gotten disoriented.
The homestead and farm are the last remaining buildings of the French fur-trading era of Indiana's early pioneer history of the 1830s. The National Park Service often has pioneer displays here, reenactments, even maple syrup-tapping events. The spacious grounds make this ideal for family gatherings.
The Bailly Homestead, a National Historic Landmark, was the home of Honore Gratien Joseph Bailly de Messein (1774 - 1835). Bailly played a role in the development of the Calumet Region of northern Indiana. He was an independent trader in the extensive fur-trading network that spread from Montreal to Louisiana, and ultimately to Europe. Joseph Bailly was one of the earliest settlers in northern Indiana. In 1822 Bailly set up his fur trading post at the crossroads of several important trails, including the Tolleston Beach and northern branch of the Sauk Trail. He provided a meeting place for Potawanis and Euro-Americans. Except for White Pigeon, Michigan, Bailly's trading post was the only stopping place for travelers and missionaries between Chicago and Detroit.
The Bailly home is an impressive three-floor wooden structure. Swedish immigrants such as the Chellbergs came in the 1840s to operate the sawmill and work in the timber industry. Informative plaques and signs describe each building as the walker meanders through the former homestead.
The walk around the homestead was pretty, meandering first along the Little Calumet river (more like a creek) to the old Bailly cemetery, through a mile-long prairie and back to the farm. Clovers, marigolds, daiseys, trilliums and a few other flowers bloomed here. Vines creeped up mossy trees. Birds sang, squirrles flitted and Sadie walked by my side. She seemed tired too.
No one was on the trails. All the visitors stayed at the homestead. More kids came up to Sadie, more people veered away from me.
When the walk was over 2.5 hours later, I was relieved. I stopped at a bookstore, stopped at Sam's Club to look, and then stopped in at a new grocery store that opened in CP today with luring sales: $3.48 for a case of Diet Pepsi, $3.89 for a large can of Folger's Medium roast coffee, $1.48 for a gallon of milk. At a time when gasoline prices are rising again, these sale prices were the highlight of today.
I made the Amish Friendship bread that Marty gave me the dough mixture for back in Moline, KS. The flour-sugar-milk-yeast mixture was left to "mush" for ten days before I finally baked it tonight after my pierogies and cabbage meal that turned out OK. The bread, which is so heavy, moist and sweet, resembles more a coffee cake than a bread.
The nice thing about staying home is spending time with Carol. She's always been a wonderful conversation partner. We think alike on many issues. I would consider her a liberal-leaning Catholic, which is rather odd as my father was a staunch conservative Catholic. He would have gone rabid over today's talks about gay marriage.
What to do tomorrow? Tonight's weather forecast now calls for near-record LOWS for tonight with a slight warming trend not until Friday. I have one more chilly day to spend. I may just get my hair cut, finally.
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