Battle

We admit--we have been bad about blogging.  We have lots of pix, but never got around to posting them.  We were both ill with a bad cold during the holidays, Duane during Christmas and me the following week.  He missed Christmas Eve when we ate Hobo Stew (everybody brought a can of something) and chicken soup.  We ate then played a gift exchange game. The New Year's Eve party was a luau.  Duane went for the eats then spent the evening in the tv room watching football.  I saw a video later of one of the older guys taking a fall where his head bounced off the concrete.  Ouch!  Turns out he neglected his blood pressure meds and passed out.  He's ok, just a few stitches and a few days observation.  The thing about the cold was that we didn't have much energy or appetite.  Chicken soup and rest and we were good as new.  For holiday pix we offer the beautiful Christmas Eve sunset below.

 

 

 

On Jan 13th we rode the bike to the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park for the annual reenactment of the first battle of the Second Seminole War.  This war lasted seven years, claimed thousands of lives, cost millions of dollars and forced the removal of the vast majority of Seminoles and Black Seminoles to Oklahoma, opening Florida to white settlement. 

 

Introduction by park ranger.  The battlefield is behind her.

 

 

An explanation of the dress and accoutraments of the Seminole male

 

 

 

and a soldier

 

 

 

The battle was narrated by a Seminole

 

 

and an American survivor.  Sorry, caught him behind a tree.

 

 

 

Enter the soldiers, the Seminoles arrived earlier via horseback and are hiding in the trees and brush.

 



 

 

The cannon

 

 

 

Taking a stand,  and yes the woods are full of Indians

 

 

 

The battle begins

 

 

 

continues  see the Indian?

 

 

soldiers behind a "fort"--not much help

 

The soldier narrator is wounded under a dead soldier.  The Indians didn't kill the survivors.  They just wanted the soldiers to know they knew their business and should be left alone.

 

 

Their victory achieved, the Seminole go about their business collecting all the guns, believing the whites will leave them in peace. This was just the beginning of the Indians troubles.

 

Next time, a trip to a biker bar,

 

 

Louise and Duane