Articles by Bo Mackison

Black Oak or White Oak

I know this is a pile of leaves. I happen to like piles of leaves, but I thought it a good idea if I had a reason for posting a photo of a pile of leaves. So…for those of you who weren’t in scouts for half your childhood or trained to be a naturalist or park ranger, I will tell you a fail proof method of determining if an oak leaf is a white oak or a black oak. (I know there are other oaks – pin oaks, turkey oaks, canyon oaks, and perhaps another 400 types of oaks, but this fun trick only works for the black and white ones.)

There are mostly black oak leaves in the photo, but I see one white oak leaf in the lower left corner. To tell if an oak leaf is a black oak look at the tip of its leaf. Are the tips sharp like a Halloween witches’ hat? Yes? The traditional Halloween witch is dressed in black. The oak is a black oak. Black=black!

Now consider the white oak leaf. Its tips are rounded. Yes, rounded like a little ghost. And Halloween ghosts are white. Aha! White=white!

So know you will always be able to tell a black oak from a white oak. You, too, can impress small children and large adults alike with your knowledge of tree lore. Enjoy!

My Grandfather's Diary: WWI 1918-1919

Veterans Day 2009

These are excerpts transcribed from the diary of Pvt. H. S. Wood 5 Div APO 745. The cover of this thin black journal reads “America to France.” Its first entry is dated May 13, 1918; the last is dated January 12, 1919. And it includes a simple accounting of Armistice Day.

(May) Left Huston, Texas at 430 May 13, 1918 on fine train with 1000 soldiers on board. Every body feeling fine except boys who had girls and they were feeling rather blue.

Crossed the Miss. River the 14th. Cars being taken across on barge. 6 cars at one time. Arrived at Vicksburg, Miss at 430 P.M. stayed there 3 hours. Got great reception there. Marched through main streets with band playing.

Next big town was Memphis Tenn the 15th there for 1 hr. Then thru the town of Paduca Ky. We hiked thru this town and got a good reception. We then crossed the Tenn. river then the Cumberland River next was Central City.

One of the fellows jumped from the car window. Stopped train and went back after him.

We got off the train at Jersey City, N.J. and marched through great crowds to the ferry boat. Left New York to Long Island City at 5 A.M. Had a fine trip across the channel looking at New York, Brooklyn and other cities. Arrived at Camp Upton all tired and sleepy.

(June)

Marched on to the transit “Mauritania.”

Sailed on June 4 at 4 P.M. Large crowds on the ferries waved us farewell. Passed 3 vessels coming in and then we had to go inside until we left the harbor. 9000 soldiers on board and 800 crew. I was on the top deck where I could see everything. Soon got dark and went to bed. Slept fine.

June 5 Morning is a fine day. Nothing to see but water and the boat was making good time. Never sighted a vessel all day. Smooth seas. We had life boat drill twice per day. Had to go to bed at nine oclock. Had to keep all lights out at night on account of submarines.

June 6 This boat has six big guns six inch size and is able to take care of itself. Had target practice today and did some fine shooting.

June 11 Arrived at Liverpool England. As the boat came into the harbor the English band played, “Johnny Get Your Gun,” “The Yanks are Coming.” We arrived at the station and boarded those odd trains and rode all night across England. Sun set at 11 P.M.

I was transferred to Ambulance Co. 27.

Aug 6 Made several trips over to the infirmary. Most of my time I make canes and pick off bugs. Went to the front line trenches with medicine. Heard the trench mortars send over a small barrage. Went back to company and found several of our boys in the hospital. They had been in the opening battle of our division.

Oct 17 Went into action at Septarges. Dressing station in an old barn. Had many patients which kept us dog tired for 5 days and 5 nights. I never got any sleep for 82 hours. There were 2600 men injured in this one place. They had out 250 men burying the dead which was 1450 Americans and many Dutchmen.

NOVEMBER 11, 1918 FIRING CEASED AT ELEVEN OCLOCK. WE CAN’T HARDLY BELIEVE IT. EVERYTHING SEEMS STRANGE AFTER ALL THE NOISE OF THE GUNS AND SHELLS. WE WERE TOO TIRED TO CELEBRATE AS OUR DIVISION HAS BEEN UNDER SHELL FIRE FOR 27 DAYS WITHOUT RELIEF. HAD A GOOD SLEEP. THE FIRST ONE FOR OVER A MONTH.

Postcard of the USS Zeppelin

He also brought back over 200 postcards. Many of the postcards were simply photographs that had been taken during the war – photos of trenches, soldiers in hospital, battlefields, camouflage, children posed with soldiers – with a postcard backing. Some were postcards of the towns and cities he visited.

He returned to the States in September of 1919, married, raised a family, worked as a truck farmer and in a paper factory. He never spoke of the war, even when asked, but in his last year, when he was bedridden and confused, he spent much of his time re-living the events of the war he wrote about so quietly.

Autumn is Yellow at Devils Lake State Park

I like spring, but it is too young. I like summer, but it is too proud. So I like best of all autumn, because its tone is mellower, its colours are richer, and it is tinged with a little sorrow. Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring, nor the power of summer, but of the mellowness and kindly wisdom of approaching age. It knows the limitations of life and its content.~~ Lin Yutang

The Mill at Paoli

Two signs of autumn at an antique shop on Wisconsin’s back roads. A football helmet and a pumpkin.

Hidden in Southwest Wisconsin

Muted colors, muted sunlight. Feeling a bit muted myself, as the days spin golden one day and gray the next.