Ohio - Why We are Here?

Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

Trouble no one about his religion.

Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours.

Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.

Seek to make your life long and of service to your people.

Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.

Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.

When you rise in the morning, give thanks 

for the light, 

for your life, 

for your strength.

Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.

If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.

Touch not the poisonous firewater that makes wise ones turn to fools and robs their spirit of its vision.

When your time comes to die, 

be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, 

so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time 

to live their lives over again in a different way.

Sing your death song, 

and die like a hero going home.

~ Tecumseh, Shawnee (1768-1813)

[Yeah, I know. This is a second intro for the trip. Whatever....it wrote itself after a conversation and a hike. Then everything became clear.]

This trip was planned as a pilgrimage to see the Serpent Mound.* I had learned about the "mound builders"* in American history back in the day (I have no idea if it was Sacred Heart, SHS, or college). But I suspect I learned about Serpent Mound, an effigy mound, in art history when I was trying out the online classes with my dear MM, my first ceramics professor.

I love modern earth works - Spiral Jetty,*** Wave Field,**** and others (I've met a few modern earthwork artists - an interesting bunch). My research into Serpent Mound led me to the works in and around Chillicothe, Ohio.

The trip came together at the last minute. We would stay in Chillicothe for four days while we visited some Hopewell***** sites. We would dodge the raindrops and see Serpent Mound. Then we would do what we wanted - shop, see more mounds, and/or look into some state forests/parks.

Our last two days and nights will be at a wildlife area managed by Arc of Appalachia. They are a volunteer organization that is very active in rescuing historic sites and wilderness in Ohio (I know I have more research to do into them). What I love about them, so far, is that they are so active and that the properties they manage are open to the public (NOT subject to an irritating permit application process the state of Ohio provides (don't get me started!).

Oh, and we wanted to take a trip before it got too hot. I remembered I wanted to see Serpent Mound and was lured by the possibility of wildflower hikes in Ohio State forests (we missed them all as we had other things planned those weekends). We decided to go anyway, see the sites, take a look at the wildflowers remaining and "travel while we have legs" as our friend TH advised.

The following posts will share the fun and foibles of our week in Ohio. You are welcome to come along.

NOTES:

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_Mound [I had to promise DH there would likely be few actual serpents. There are snakes - some poisonous - but you are pretty safe if you stay on the trails.]

**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mound_Builders

***https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Jetty

****https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/wave-field-2

*****https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopewell_tradition