Gerald Hickman's Blog, page 4
June 1, 2016
What's up?
Hope you all are enjoying life as it comes . We went on a great trip to the Pacific Coast and the North Cascades National Park. Had a fine trip and saw lots of sites that can be used in my future writings.
I am busy and hope to get back to my next book soon but have a great opportunity to show my book on Genesee and to visit with my people in Genesee on June 11, 2016. That is the date for Genesee Community Days for this year.
There will be a parade, a trap shoot, various activities for the kids and other exhibits for the adults. I will be there to visit, sign my book and to offer my Genesee book to the crowds.
I hope anyone who is close and reads this missit will be able to come say hello. Thanks to all my
supporters on Goodreads.
I am busy and hope to get back to my next book soon but have a great opportunity to show my book on Genesee and to visit with my people in Genesee on June 11, 2016. That is the date for Genesee Community Days for this year.
There will be a parade, a trap shoot, various activities for the kids and other exhibits for the adults. I will be there to visit, sign my book and to offer my Genesee book to the crowds.
I hope anyone who is close and reads this missit will be able to come say hello. Thanks to all my
supporters on Goodreads.
May 13, 2016
book?
When will my next book be ready to send to the printer? I have been reading a lot of research sources for the next book. The lawn also needs mowing frequently this time of year. I even had to go out and do some fly fishing for trout this spring and withal the progress on the book on the Indian Wars in the early days of the Pacific Northwest has slowed to a crawl.
If it will just rain for a week or two I can make some real progress. But it must be warm rain so that the newly hatched birds won't catch pneumonia.
In the spring and summer I monitor bluebird trail nest boxes to see how the young birds survive and if the insect food base is sufficient for this year's crop of baby blues. As I take the weekly hikes to each nest box, I enjoy watching the wild flowers bloom in sequence. On the National Wildlife Refuge where I conduct the surveys, it is a pleasure each visit to see new flowers blooming and last weeks plants going to seed.
There are lots of distractions to my writing each spring.
If it will just rain for a week or two I can make some real progress. But it must be warm rain so that the newly hatched birds won't catch pneumonia.
In the spring and summer I monitor bluebird trail nest boxes to see how the young birds survive and if the insect food base is sufficient for this year's crop of baby blues. As I take the weekly hikes to each nest box, I enjoy watching the wild flowers bloom in sequence. On the National Wildlife Refuge where I conduct the surveys, it is a pleasure each visit to see new flowers blooming and last weeks plants going to seed.
There are lots of distractions to my writing each spring.
April 5, 2016
Indian scouts
Custer's Scouts at the Little Bighorn: The Arikara Narrative of the Campaign Against the Hostile Dakotas, June 1876
by Sitting Bear, Young Hawk, Red Bear, Boy Chief, NOT A BOOK, Running Wolf, Little Sioux, Strikes Two , more…
39466000
Gerald Hickman's review Apr 04, 16 · edit
liked it
Read from March 23 to April 04, 2016
This narrative is a great research support document for the student of the Battle of Little Bighorn. I find the writing and perspective of the scouts to be unique and it seems the chief of scouts, Lt. Varnum seemed to have his hands full in directing the scouts who were members of the Crow and Ree tribes.
Basically, the scouts did not hire on to fight in the battle and it is well documented that General Custer released them when the battle began. He might have thought that the scouts could do more good for the Army by chasing and capturing horses from the huge tribal horse herd than in joining into the fight. Thus, the indian scouts that were killing in the battle were fighting as volunteers such as Bloody Knife.
This is a rare view of a part of this mysterious historically significant battle and takes the reader back in time to experience some of the conditions and attitudes of the time (June 25 and 26, 1876).
1 like ·
READING PROGRESS
03/23 marked as: currently-reading
04/04 marked as: read
by Sitting Bear, Young Hawk, Red Bear, Boy Chief, NOT A BOOK, Running Wolf, Little Sioux, Strikes Two , more…
39466000
Gerald Hickman's review Apr 04, 16 · edit
liked it
Read from March 23 to April 04, 2016
This narrative is a great research support document for the student of the Battle of Little Bighorn. I find the writing and perspective of the scouts to be unique and it seems the chief of scouts, Lt. Varnum seemed to have his hands full in directing the scouts who were members of the Crow and Ree tribes.
Basically, the scouts did not hire on to fight in the battle and it is well documented that General Custer released them when the battle began. He might have thought that the scouts could do more good for the Army by chasing and capturing horses from the huge tribal horse herd than in joining into the fight. Thus, the indian scouts that were killing in the battle were fighting as volunteers such as Bloody Knife.
This is a rare view of a part of this mysterious historically significant battle and takes the reader back in time to experience some of the conditions and attitudes of the time (June 25 and 26, 1876).
1 like ·
READING PROGRESS
03/23 marked as: currently-reading
04/04 marked as: read
March 24, 2016
Ghosts on Battlefield
Ghosts, Haunts and Gouls on The Little Bighorn Battlefield
Every so often, while working as a Park Ranger, you get to hear some great reasons why the public visits Historic Battlefield Parks. I remember one man with his two middle school aged daughters who had traveled from Nova Scotia to visit the building currently the NPS Museum in hopes of seeing some supernatural evidence of paranormal activity. I don’t know if they were successful in their quest, but on the evening of the 4th of July, 3 of us saw the upper story of that building lighted up without cause. Upon inspection by a Law Enforcement Ranger he found no reason to explain the light and casually flicked it off. The Museum was originally the Superintendents house and the basement of the same was the morgue for the National Cemetery just outside its walls.
My wife worked as a librarian in the ground floor of the Museum and often heard strange unexplainable sounds from the loft and the basement. Some persons have heard children’s voices and the creaking of bed springs as if the urchins that lived there in the past were jumping on their beds.
Visible Ghosts have been reported in the form of battle dressed Lakota Warriors usually on horseback seen on the grounds or near the Little Bighorn River near dusk. Some reports of troopers on foot or on hose back have been made to the staff of the facility.
There are four apartments for seasonal park staff on the site not far from the National Cemetery and we stayed in Apartment C. Shortly after the training was completed and we started greeting the public with our NPS version of the history of the Battle of the Greasy Grass River, the boss and a couple of the long time rangers sat me down in the breakroom at the Visitor Center and introduced me to one paranormal occurrence that happened in my apartment. The Intern, a college student, there for a summer of work, had heard of the white marble marker left along the bank of the River where Lt. Hodgson died of his bullet wounds. She asked one of her fellow workers to take her for a hike to visit the Marker and they agreed to do so tomorrow after work. That evening she was relaxing and reading, when a pale figure appeared in the easy chair across the room from her, it was ghost white pale and stared out of sightless eyes with a look of terror on its’ features. Before the intern could do or say anything the vision vanished.
After the quiet hike to the river edge to visit the monument, the fellow worker regaled the intern with the terrifying story of the retreat from the prairie dog village to the timber along the river by Reno’s troops. Lt. Hodgson was Reno’s Adjutant and was with the group when Reno lead a disorganized retreat to and across the River to find higher ground which became known as Reno Hill. But the Lieutenant did not have much fortune and was shot off his horse in the timber before reaching the River and he grabbed a stirrup offered by another mounted trooper. The horse got them both over the river but to no avail as Hodgson collected a fatal bullet as the horse pulled up on the east bank of the Little Bighorn River. Years later the white markers were placed at known killing sites for each trooper.
This brave young intern was still interested in the whole story and when back in the visitor center her friend helped her look through photos of the troopers and sure enough the face she had seen in her Apt C was that of Lt. Hodgson.
Every so often, while working as a Park Ranger, you get to hear some great reasons why the public visits Historic Battlefield Parks. I remember one man with his two middle school aged daughters who had traveled from Nova Scotia to visit the building currently the NPS Museum in hopes of seeing some supernatural evidence of paranormal activity. I don’t know if they were successful in their quest, but on the evening of the 4th of July, 3 of us saw the upper story of that building lighted up without cause. Upon inspection by a Law Enforcement Ranger he found no reason to explain the light and casually flicked it off. The Museum was originally the Superintendents house and the basement of the same was the morgue for the National Cemetery just outside its walls.
My wife worked as a librarian in the ground floor of the Museum and often heard strange unexplainable sounds from the loft and the basement. Some persons have heard children’s voices and the creaking of bed springs as if the urchins that lived there in the past were jumping on their beds.
Visible Ghosts have been reported in the form of battle dressed Lakota Warriors usually on horseback seen on the grounds or near the Little Bighorn River near dusk. Some reports of troopers on foot or on hose back have been made to the staff of the facility.
There are four apartments for seasonal park staff on the site not far from the National Cemetery and we stayed in Apartment C. Shortly after the training was completed and we started greeting the public with our NPS version of the history of the Battle of the Greasy Grass River, the boss and a couple of the long time rangers sat me down in the breakroom at the Visitor Center and introduced me to one paranormal occurrence that happened in my apartment. The Intern, a college student, there for a summer of work, had heard of the white marble marker left along the bank of the River where Lt. Hodgson died of his bullet wounds. She asked one of her fellow workers to take her for a hike to visit the Marker and they agreed to do so tomorrow after work. That evening she was relaxing and reading, when a pale figure appeared in the easy chair across the room from her, it was ghost white pale and stared out of sightless eyes with a look of terror on its’ features. Before the intern could do or say anything the vision vanished.
After the quiet hike to the river edge to visit the monument, the fellow worker regaled the intern with the terrifying story of the retreat from the prairie dog village to the timber along the river by Reno’s troops. Lt. Hodgson was Reno’s Adjutant and was with the group when Reno lead a disorganized retreat to and across the River to find higher ground which became known as Reno Hill. But the Lieutenant did not have much fortune and was shot off his horse in the timber before reaching the River and he grabbed a stirrup offered by another mounted trooper. The horse got them both over the river but to no avail as Hodgson collected a fatal bullet as the horse pulled up on the east bank of the Little Bighorn River. Years later the white markers were placed at known killing sites for each trooper.
This brave young intern was still interested in the whole story and when back in the visitor center her friend helped her look through photos of the troopers and sure enough the face she had seen in her Apt C was that of Lt. Hodgson.
Mike at the Little Bighorn
Sgt. Mike Madden
After several round trips of carrying water to the wounded during the siege on Reno/Benteen Hill Mike Madden started back for more . Trooper Mike, an Irishman, made one too many trips and was wounded in the leg by an Indian sharpshooter. One of the Ree scouts, named Half Yellow Face carried and pulled Mike to safety. Neither of these two brave souls received a Medal of Honor although there were several noncoms in this action that did.
Mike was unable to walk and so was carried to the field hospital of Dr. Porter in the center of the siege circle on top of the Hill. Primitive is too kind a word for the conditions in the hospital area and there was no painkiller available only a bottle of Prairie Whiskey. The doctor gave Mike a drink before he began to operate. Mike took a huge drink and is reported to have said;,” Doc, give me anither drink and ye can cut off me othr leg.” What more can we ask of a true Irishman with a sense of humor.
Well, the good news is that Mike survived the battle and the field operation. But the poor guy never seems to get a break or to put it another way, his only luck was bad luck, because when the personnel were evacuated to the River Boat “Far West”, waiting at the mouth of the Little Bighorn River, Mike was given a mule to ride to ease his trip. They were close to reaching the boat on a cold wet rainy night, when the mule slipped in the mud on the steep riverside trail and Mike landed in a patch of prickly pear cactus.
In later life Mike’s luck seemed to improve because he lived a long life and his sense of humor helped endure the loss of his leg. But I often wonder if it was Mike’s cheerful outlook on life or his whiskey drinking that contributed to his survival to old age.
After several round trips of carrying water to the wounded during the siege on Reno/Benteen Hill Mike Madden started back for more . Trooper Mike, an Irishman, made one too many trips and was wounded in the leg by an Indian sharpshooter. One of the Ree scouts, named Half Yellow Face carried and pulled Mike to safety. Neither of these two brave souls received a Medal of Honor although there were several noncoms in this action that did.
Mike was unable to walk and so was carried to the field hospital of Dr. Porter in the center of the siege circle on top of the Hill. Primitive is too kind a word for the conditions in the hospital area and there was no painkiller available only a bottle of Prairie Whiskey. The doctor gave Mike a drink before he began to operate. Mike took a huge drink and is reported to have said;,” Doc, give me anither drink and ye can cut off me othr leg.” What more can we ask of a true Irishman with a sense of humor.
Well, the good news is that Mike survived the battle and the field operation. But the poor guy never seems to get a break or to put it another way, his only luck was bad luck, because when the personnel were evacuated to the River Boat “Far West”, waiting at the mouth of the Little Bighorn River, Mike was given a mule to ride to ease his trip. They were close to reaching the boat on a cold wet rainy night, when the mule slipped in the mud on the steep riverside trail and Mike landed in a patch of prickly pear cactus.
In later life Mike’s luck seemed to improve because he lived a long life and his sense of humor helped endure the loss of his leg. But I often wonder if it was Mike’s cheerful outlook on life or his whiskey drinking that contributed to his survival to old age.
February 22, 2016
Keep Calm by Binder
Keep Calm reminded me of a Shakespeare tragedy, murder runs rampant and there are bodies everywhere. This is a first novel for Mike and it is full of awe to me. The pace of the narrative is fast and so intense that you constantly look for a break and hope for the best.
Part one is chaotic to say the least. I had difficulty following the action and plot development, I struggled with the main characters throughout all of Part one. By the time you reach Part two it starts to make sense. On the first few pages there is an bomb detonated at 10 Downing Street that impact the entire British Country.
Adam Tatum has been set up to take the fall for this crime and does his best to stay out of the clutches of the evil plotters, Scotland Yard and the British government. Adam's family traveled to the United Kingdom to visit Grandpa in London and how Grandpa, his wife and kids are all in danger.
As the book progresses I begin to see that the heal hero of the book is not Adam at all. There are several other strong characters who play major parts in looking for justice. Look for them as you read this newly published work. The twist and turns of the action are a constant source of motivation to keep the pages turning. I kept those pages turning till the end and enjoyed this Thriller very much. Try it for yourselves.
Part one is chaotic to say the least. I had difficulty following the action and plot development, I struggled with the main characters throughout all of Part one. By the time you reach Part two it starts to make sense. On the first few pages there is an bomb detonated at 10 Downing Street that impact the entire British Country.
Adam Tatum has been set up to take the fall for this crime and does his best to stay out of the clutches of the evil plotters, Scotland Yard and the British government. Adam's family traveled to the United Kingdom to visit Grandpa in London and how Grandpa, his wife and kids are all in danger.
As the book progresses I begin to see that the heal hero of the book is not Adam at all. There are several other strong characters who play major parts in looking for justice. Look for them as you read this newly published work. The twist and turns of the action are a constant source of motivation to keep the pages turning. I kept those pages turning till the end and enjoyed this Thriller very much. Try it for yourselves.
February 7, 2016
Author Book Signing
On saturday Feb 6, 2016 had a great day at the Hasting Entertainment Store in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Visited with a hundred or more nice folks and sold my very well received book on Genesee Idaho and the one on Custer's Last Stand, MedaL Of Honor.
Hasting Entertainment really made me feel welcome and like part of their family. Thanks to all the people who visited with me and those who bought my book and to all the crew at the Bookstore. Gerald Hickman
Hasting Entertainment really made me feel welcome and like part of their family. Thanks to all the people who visited with me and those who bought my book and to all the crew at the Bookstore. Gerald Hickman
February 3, 2016
v c hellner
a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2..." style="float: left; padding-right: 20px">
A book on duck shooting by Van Campen Heilner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This prolific author brings back the halcyon days of hunting before WW II. Hellner has also written enjoyable books on fishing, Saltwater Fishing, Upland birds and other topics. His brand of writing is smooth and easy to read. The author uses great scenic descriptions of all the areas he has visited.
A nostalgic look at America when trains were the primary means of long distance transport. It did take longer to get from point A to B in those days.
View all my reviews
A book on duck shooting by Van Campen HeilnerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This prolific author brings back the halcyon days of hunting before WW II. Hellner has also written enjoyable books on fishing, Saltwater Fishing, Upland birds and other topics. His brand of writing is smooth and easy to read. The author uses great scenic descriptions of all the areas he has visited.
A nostalgic look at America when trains were the primary means of long distance transport. It did take longer to get from point A to B in those days.
View all my reviews
