Up pretty early this morning to get ready for a rubber raft trip (of just two hours) on the Missouri. We were in the boat with a bunch of Koreans who had not dressed warmly enough for the cold ride, but were cheery despite the cold. Our boatman was knowledgeable. It turns out that he is of Cherokee descent. He said the Ponca Indians who used to live on the banks we were passing had been driven away by the European and American settlers. The Poncas are a sub-tribe, along with the Otos and Pawnee and Shoshone and many others, of the Sioux Nation.
In the cliffs we saw mud nests of swallows, and caves where mountain lions and other creatures lived. We saw one eagle, and also, on the opposite bank, saw a large eagle eyrie in a tree. There was a windsock (at a private landing strip) where Lewis & Clark camped on September 4, 1804 while waiting for Private Shannon. Shannon was sent out to round up the horses and got lost, disappearing for 17 days.
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Niobrara State Park, NE, raft trip: Aron Cowen, Arthur Luehrmann, and a family of Koreans
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Niobrara State Park, NE, raft trip: family of Koreans
Dear Journal,
Today we woke up and drove to the visitors' center, where we got in a van that took us to a boat ramp where we got into a raft. We had a lot of fun, but it was cold. I saw a bald eagle! Then we had lunch and went to a farm where they raised buffalo and elk farm. I got to feed a buffalo corn, but I kept getting scared. They had really long and pointed tongues. After that, we had dinner, watched 2 Wallace and Grommet sections, and went to sleep.
Aron
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Niobrara State Park, NE, raft trip: mud swallow nests on the bluffs near Sioux City, Iowa as seen from the Missouri river.
Had lunch, and then went to Kreycik Riverview Elk and Buffalo Ranch for a tour. They took us in something like a large covered wagon, pulled by a tractor. We saw buffalo up close and personal, and fed them hard corncobs (with the corn). We also saw magnificent elk and fallow deer, longhorn cows, mule deer, goats, and some other kind of deer (or elk). One of their prize elk was Montana Sky, who had been named champion elk for his antlers several years running. The farm harvests the velvet horns of the elk, freezes them, and then they are processed for Chinese medications. Apparently the velvet horns, particularly of the 3 and 4-year-old elk, have a lot of chondritin in them, which is considered a powerful nostrum.
Back in the town of Niobrara, Nebraska, we did our laundry and had a good dinner at Ole's Café. This time Martha had an elk-burger. It was OK, but not fatty enough for a good hamburger, so it was somewhat dry.
Back near the cabin we went, watched another pair of Wallace & Grommet movies, and early to bed.
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Buffalo and Elk farm near Niobrara State Park, NE: elk that have had their antlers harvested
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Buffalo and Elk farm near Niobrara State Park, NE: elk
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Buffalo and Elk farm near Niobrara State Park, NE: buffalo
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Buffalo and Elk farm near Niobrara State Park, NE: buffalo mom and child
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Buffalo and Elk farm near Niobrara State Park, NE: longhorn cow
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Buffalo and Elk farm near Niobrara State Park, NE: elk and fallow deer
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Buffalo and Elk farm near Niobrara State Park, NE: fallow deer
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Buffalo and Elk farm near Niobrara State Park, NE: elk
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Buffalo and Elk farm near Niobrara State Park, NE: elk named Montana Sky