The Frances Slocum Drive

Among today's excitement was a drive around the countryside with Kara. Kal had been at a friend's house for the afternoon, and she was feeling a little down when all her friends were unavailable to play.

So... we went out for a root beer float at Mr. Weenie's, the drive-up hot dog and root beer joint in Peru, Indiana.

The root beer fizzed everywhere, all down the side of my car door, on the seat, and on the floor, when the car hop brought it out to us. Oh, well.

That's why I keep wipes in my car. You never know when you'll find half-melted Andes mints under a seat, or root beer on the door panel, or the Dum-Dums from the bank schtuck to the floor mat.

Or someone needs a quick wipe of the face or hands or some other sticky place because they forgot to get it before the ride to school.

Little Ginger Fluff the Bunny came with us in her travel case. Ladies always needs lots of luggage, even animal ladies. She had her cute little harness and leash. As little as she is, we can't risk her jumping away from us right now. The ride wasn't long enough to fuss with food or water, though.

Missessinewa Lake at sunset

Since I have a fairly good nose for directions, I tend to drive just in general NSEW directions to get places. The Missessinewa Dam was the target this time, then a drive around the entire reservoir. I hadn't driven around the reservoir before, but sure enough, it was easy enough to find my way around the perimeter and land back where we started.

Also, unless I'm really in a place I don't want to get lost (think the wrong side of town), I don't turn on directions on my phone. I can't stand having some lady yakking at me, telling me where to go.

Frances Slocum's gravesite

Part of our trip around the reservoir took us past the grave of Frances Slocum. She was a white girl from Pennsylvania who was captured by Delaware Indians as a 5-year-old in 1778. She was raised with the Miami Indians in Ohio and Indiana, later marrying Shepaconah, who became a Miami chief. Frances joined the Miamis and took the name of Maconaquah. She died in 1847, and is buried in Somerset, Indiana.

I didn't know there was a Somerset, Indiana, until just now when I looked up Frances Slocum on Wikipedia to make sure I wrote my brief history correctly.

When we all gathered later today around the dinner table with beef and noodles heaped on soup plates, Kara said the drive was her favorite part of the day.

Mine, too.