Oct 5 - New Essay - The Quiet Voice

Oct 5 - New Essay

10/5/2015

Today, a new essay, "West, Revisited," under Essays in the website. FK

Cal Roeker

10/6/2015 11:42:14 pm

"Mr. Christian Horn, one of the hardy breed of men who headed west during a time when there were no concrete highways or the solace of civilization. Mr. Christian Horn, and family and party, heading west, after a brief detour to; The Twilight Zone."
from: One Hundred Years over the Rim: Teleplay by Rod Serling

In 1964 a ten year old Cal Roeker headed west with his family in a 1961 Plymouth Valiant. A three week expedition following a similar route as the Quiet Voice through Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming and Yellowstone, terminating in Oregon, followed by a return trip through Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota and home to Wisconsin.
In 2012 a 58 year old Cal Roeker made a similar trip that terminated in Colorado, followed by a return northwest through Montana, Dakotas, etc. Changes; absolutely. Much of what the ten year old remembered had been replaced by 21st century technology. Yet, the landscape, the people, the feeling, somehow seemed the same.

There was a magic that seemed almost tangible the further I traveled. One such instance involved revisiting a site where an uncle of my fathers had owned a 7 section, 11,000 acre ranch in Western Nebraska. In 1964 the ranch seemed like another world to this Wisconsin boy. Hours of driving by jeep to the cattle with the "F Anchor" brand. A swimming hole in the middle of nowhere. Cousins adept at riding horse taking great pleasure in the perils of there "dude" cousin taking his first ride. Uncle Leo's ranch. Vast, wild, magical.

Sometime in the 70's uncle Leo died and his children had other ambitions. The land was sold, divided up so my return trip to the same area in 2012 offered a vastly different view; and yet; somehow the magic of it all remained. Cal Roeker, like Christian Horn, took a step into the Twilight Zone. Uncle Leo's ranch is by no means unique. Ghosts from the past exist everywhere, not just ghosts of our ancestors but ghosts of the land itself. We need only be open to the call.

RB Rooson

10/12/2015 01:55:11 am

Am I being a "contrarian" by having my moment as a trip "East" and revisited (more on that later....)?

Had an uncle who passed away in Duluth, Minnesota in the 1970's and left (of alI things...) a cardboard box in the attic (not the attack...) - inside was literally pages upon pages of family lineage. No one knew what to do with it and were all for tossing into the nearest dustbin. But, somehow someone heard that I was interested in such things and thus the box was sent to me.

I was initially overwhelmed at what he had collected on the family over the years. What to do with it? Being an investigator in "real life" (for what that is worth....), I approached it as a puzzle/mystery! Handled every sheet of paper and put them into chronological order and VIOLA' - I had a Genealogy and Family History that could be made sense of. Next thing was to buy a Ancestral CD that would be could be viewed on the computer....I was able to research the family back to 1634 in England and this now put me on a journey to the UK to find out more.

Now, "East, Revisited"! The family originated in Devonshire, England in a place called "Creason" and supposedly close to Mary Tavy village in Devonshire. Could not find it on a map.....however, searching led me to an old map with the designation of "Creason Farm" on it. Creason is located on the Dartmoor (stuff of the Hound of the Baskervilles) and about 2 miles from Mary Tavy. Walking from the churchyard in Mary Tavy into the Dartmoor, I began getting a very "weird and tingling" feeling. Spied a farmhouse on the moor and went up to it in order to inquire directions....David and Nina Palmer answered the door and after about two minutes informed me that this was "Creason Farm"!

Ended up staying three days with them and learned a lot more about the area and its' history. Was it fate or Divine Guidance? No matter what, I ended in the home of my ancestors from 350 years prior. A cardboard box, an interest, a walk on the moors led to what is probably my ultimate "Revisit"!

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Oct 5 - New Essay

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