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Severe storms. Net phone and power problems continue. Must get this on before things cut out.  Hope to see you again tomorrow.

Love Hate Affair with Computer Internet

My Old Saddle by M. Mapes
 Hopefully I will be able to ride tomorrow.

I have spent 2-3 hours, some days more, each day trying to get a consistent  Internet connection,  I have called charter several times each day.  Some days after I got a real person the phone would quit.  Each agent would have me do different things.  Some worked temporarily.  One agent said I needed a new Ethernet controller in my computer.  Fifty dollars later it still did not work.  Made another trip to the computer repair.  He said nothing was wrong and showed that it worked perfectly-  At home I have black screens with error messages, conflicts and even mouse errors.  I changed every cord, mouse, etc. still nothing worked.  Had only screen, mouse and keyboard.  Still I might get on one time but next try it was gone.  Agents would reload connection etc. and it would work but next time black screen and dead modem.  The tenth agent said my modem had been black listed because it couldn't handle the fast net.  So he would send me one to install.  Simple he said sarcastically.  Well first it said windows had not tested the CD. and recommended not loading, then it asked for the Ethernet driver and quickly gave an error and spit the CD out.  It got stuck loading the new net modem drivers on the middle section said it would attempt to shut and restart the modem and it would take 60-90 seconds.  Thirty minutes and it was still grinding away.  I killed the computer.  moved cords, disconnected the net wires and started the computer, then plugged in the net stuff.  It worked for a short while then both telephone and net went out.  Finally the 12th agent after I said I was going to pay the $150 penalty for breaking the contract said he'd send out a tech to fix it.  The tech repairman arrived at 1:20 and thought he was finished at 4:16.  He replaced the outdoor lines first said they looked bad and should not be so close to the electric.  The wires were over 20 years old.  Still didn't work, Next he replaced wires into the house.  No net no phone.  next he messed with the new modem,  Said the power cord was outdated, though it was new,  He said they don't use them anymore.  Things seemed to be working.  While he was contacting the home base I tried the net.  Can't get on.  I ran out and luckily stopped him. He reloaded the router and the controller drivers.  Still nothing.  Did have phone.  He hooked phone and net in one box. completely did away with the NEW box.  Then he plugged the cord into the original Ethernet controller that came with the computer.  It worked.  Said it was fine and not to use the new $50 Ethernet that was never the problem!!  The computer was fine the wires were in poor shape and caused the inconsistent phone and net connection.  So I have had no time to paint and no way to ad new pics.

Pleasant Morning

After a week of computer frustration--- still going on, I decided to go for a ride on my lovely horse instead of trying to do anything with my computer.  It was a wonderful ride.  I saw three turkeys grazing along the woods.  We got pretty close to them before they ducked into the woods.  After my rides I set up for some outdoor painting and turn my mare loose to grab some well-earned grass.  When first turned loose to graze she is a little timid and grazes almost on top of me.  Then she branches out 15-20 feet but never leaves.  I paint for up to an hour and then put her up in a lot by the old hay barn.  I have attached photos todays wildflower.
Geranium maculatum

Our beautiful native wild Geranium, with neat fresh foliage all season, and clusters of large pink to lavender colored blooms, held high above.

Roses and Kentucky Derby Winner Animal House

First Rose by M.Mapes

"First Rose " 

       In the 2011 Kentucky Derby winning jockey, John Velasquez holds up one rose- as this was his first Kentucky Derby winner.  For three years he was to be the jockey on Derby favorites but they were all three scratched.  This year he was to ride Uncle Mo who had stomach troubles a few days prior to the derby and was scratched.  Animal Kingdom a long shot had his listed jockey injured earlier in the week so Animal Kingdom’s trainer changed jockeys and took John Velasquez and so by a strange set of circumstances John won his first derby on a 24 - 1 long shot after his favorite scratched. 

The Last Laugh by M. Mapes

"24-1 Odds Animal House" 

    Here Animal House, the winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby stands in front of Churchill Downs giving a horse laugh as if to say he had the last laugh as few bet him even though in his previous five starts his worst finish was a second.  Will he repeat this Saturday?

Please wait

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Computer Headache So just having a Painting Post of Birds and Flowers

The whole week has been spent dealing with massive computer problems.  No time to paint or anything else, so I am posting some older ACEO paintings, most are oil miniatures.

 

 

Winter Cardinal

Barn Owl

Eagles

Owlets

Apple-blossom Wren

Barnyard Boss Rooster

Goose and gooslings

Crocus

Violets- Woods is full of these beauties.

Single Rose

wild Yellow moss rose

Poppy

yellow Rose

Sunflower

Iris

Local History thru Eyes of an Artist's Paintings

" Wildwood Mill 1848"

All that remains at the spot of this old mill is a few stones, trees and a larger flow of water exiting Turner Lake on

Wildwood Rd.

  As recent as twenty years ago there still was the remains of a dam. Building of the mill in 1848 made it possible for the pioneer and early settlers of Hillsdale County able to use cut boards instead of cumbersome logs for building.  The area really developed after mills were established.  Mills were used for lumbering and milling grains into flour. 

“Eight- Horse Hitch.”

This could be a picture from the 1860's though it is a common one around here where we are surrounded by Amish Communities.   A team of eight equines. Four in front and four in back.  Three across in each set are horses with a mule on the ends to make the 8 horse team.  These 8 horse hitches are used for heavy work like dragging and discing.  This is done after the plowing is completed.  You will see two teams of Amish horses working in the field.  One team will number 8 like this team and they will be pulling a larger tool.  A second team, smaller, often 3 horses will be following pulling a planter.  The tools that they pull are typical of the 1940-50’s. All the area farmers are feverishly trying to get out their crops.  In one area you might see multiple teams working then a little ways down the road you will see the huge tractors rolling along

Wildflowers and Paintings

Wood Phlox;  These beauties range from deep blue to pale blue depending upon the light.



This is a wildflower that I have not been able to identify.  It if found in open areas.



Another view from the side.  Anyone know what it is.  I suppose a farmer would know as it looks like it would be a weed in fields and along lanes etc.

This is one of the woodland trails.  Down at the bottom is the red tip of  my horses ear.

    While riding today I saw many wildflowers, they are now in full bloom so much so that some of the trilliums have turned pink even dark pink.  I saw two Sandhill Cranes grazing in the hay field and a turkey in the woods.  This was the first time I've seen Sandhill Cranes this spring.  Turkey sightings are almost daily.  Below are some paintings I have done they are ACEO's miniature Oil paintings sized 2.5 x 3.5 Inches.  I thought I was uploading them to be saved in an online folder for future use.  In the past I have not been able to up load pictures from my files to a post here on blogger.  I have had to first put them in an online photo storage.  Sorry about so many.  I do not know how to take them off.  Just learning this Blogger stuff.

Painting Gallery



Blue Parrot



Curiosity

Yosemite

Summer Reds

Working Guys

Lounging

Old red tractor

Autumn Barns

Lion's Look

Shadows

Local Amish Lady

Princess

Yellow Water Lily

Mama Hummer

1843 Railroad reaches Hillsdale



Reading Bank late 1800's



The "New"Reading Feed Mill 1912

    The first English-speaking white settler in what later would become the city of Hillsdale was Jeremiah Arnold, of De Peyster, New York, who arrived in 1834, pitched a tent and then built a log cabin on the site of the present day fairgrounds. In that same year, Chauncey Ferris and John Cook opened a well-stocked store in Jonesville. In 1835, the Jonesville Presbyterian Church was constructed, the first church building in the county. In 1839, the first newspaper, the Hillsdale County Gazette, was published on April 13, by James K. Kinman, an attorney and one of the early pioneers who credited Baw Beese for saving the lives of his sick family during a severe winter. The Whig-Standard, forerunner of The Hillsdale Daily News, did not appear in print until 1846. As an attorney, Kinman later gained fame as the defense council for the notorious international counterfitter, horse thief and outlaw Sile Doty, who was convicted in 1852 in the Hillsdale Circuit court and incarcerated throughout the Civil War in Jackson State Prison.

    After the railroad arrived to the county a line was sent to Reading and Montgomery.  Reading became a booming town with manufacturing -furniture, household necessities, buffalo tanning, folding chairs, etc.  proprietors built fancy homes as pictured in late 1800's.

    In 1843, the railroad reached Hillsdale from Adrian and the first steam engine of the Erie and Kalamazoo line rolled into the small village. For ten years thereafter, Hillsdale became the "jumping off place" for the wild west until the railroad was continued through to Coldwater and Chicago in 1853. Hillsdale was itself a little wild during that period as rogues and rascals took the trains to the last stop on the line. From that time until the 1950s Hillsdale was known as a railroad center, with as many as 26 passenger trains a day going in and out of the city.

Chief Baw Beese Potawatomies until 1840.

Chief Baw Beese

    Among the Indians reportedly never agreed to relinquish the land was Chief Baw Beese, a Huron-Potawatomi with a Scottish name for half-penny. Baw Beese, a council or peace chief, was one of the Indians of the so-called Huron-Potawatomi who had agreed to a treaty to relinquish land on the Huron and Raisin Rivers and to move west of line running straight north from the flagstaff of Fort Defiance, to a point on the Grand River-a line roughly marking the boundary between what now constitutes Hillsdale and Lenawee counties. In return for this the Baw Beese band was to receive $400 per year forever. The Moquago band at Nottawa Seepe (Near present day Athens, Michigan) was to receive a similar amount. Payments were made at Nottawa Seepe until the Baw Beese band was moved west. Thereafter, only the Moquago band received the payments, the last of which was made in 1910.

    Consequently, Chief Baw Beese considered himself a landlord and treated the early settlers as his guests, from whom he could and did demand rent. It has also been reported that he attempted to charge the settlers for the water flowing out of Baw Beese Lake.

    Historical research has revealed long-lost details about Baw Beese and his people. Those first settlers credited Baw Beese and his tribe of about 100 for helping their pioneer families by providing meat and traditional medicinal care through the long hard winters. The Potawatomies were known as successful planters and growers of maize (corn), who fished and hunted in fruitful locations. Baw Beese led his people around the county to three primary spots. The first was near the shores of Baw Beese Lake (supposedly named after the old chief by an early settler, Colonel William Fowler), where they fished; the second was near the corner of Squawfield and Waldron Roads, where they grew maize; and the third was just south of Somerset, where they hunted. The native inhabitants also made excursions into Ohio and Indiana, as well as into neighboring Michigan counties.

    Most Southern Michigan Indians had been relocted to reservations in Iowa and Kansas by 1838. However, because the majority of settlers in Hillsdale County admired and appreciated the local Indian population, Baw Beese and his people continued to co-exist with their white neighbors until the autumn of 1840. After one of the local pioneer`s wrote a letter to then President William H. Harrison requesting the removal of Baw Beese's people from the land he had rightfully purchased, federal troops were sent to roundup the "Red Men" to be escorted out of the county. It was a sad day when Baw Beese left. Schools were let out to bid the old chief and his people farewell. With Baw Beese driving a horse-drawn buggy in the lead, the federals took the Indians from the camp at Squawfield, through Jonesville and Litchfield to Marshall. From Marshall they went west, then down the Mississippi, up the Missouri River and eventually to a reservation at Council Bluffs, Iowa where Baw Beese feared his mortal enemy, the Sioux. Later, many members of the Hillsdale County band were relocated to the reservation north of Topeka, Kansas. Descendants of Baw Beese's village remained on that Kansas reservation throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. There is some historical evidence that some of the original inhabitants hid in the forests, or were hidden by settlers, and remained in the area. Other reports indicate that small groups of the Indians taken west returned to Hillsdale County and took up the ways of white men, eventually assimilating into the Euro- American culture.

    Even before the Indians departed, the first school in the county was opened in the tiny settlement of Allen by Hiram Hunt in 1831. A school was also opened in Jonesville in 1832 and was attended by the youngest son of Baw Beese. Jonesville later became the first organized school district in the state.