DID YOU KNOW? Baking Soda

Here are a few things for thought that might even come in handy.

BAKING SODA
It can be used as toothpaste and for foot powder. If you put 1/2 teaspoon in a cup of water you can make an antacid for when you have eaten too much or the wrong thing. And I've heard that it is also good for upset tummies. I remember my grandmother using this remedy.

It is also good for insect bites and stings. Make a paste of a little baking soda and a little bit of water. Put the paste on the sting or bite. Do not put it on real thick, 'cause if you do it will crack and fall off when it dries.

Use it on your body as a deodorant. You can put some in your coolers before you put them away for the winter so they'll be fresh when you get them out to use the next summer. Of course, if you are going to use your coolers all year, that might not be a good idea. You can use this on other food containers also.

Use it to clean your hands after cleaning fish, rabbits, or other critters. You can even sprinkle some baking soda in your canteens to get rid of that stale odor from them being stored all winter.

You can also make a home remedy for insect repellent. The pioneers used this, and Old Joe made several batches of it every summer.

It's called "Nessmuk Juice." It is made of:
3 oz pine tar
2 oz castor oil
1 oz pennyroyal oil
Old Joe use to "cook" this stuff up outside. Simmer over a low fire until it becomes like a paaste, then smear it on your body. Share it with your friends, 'cause if you don't, you won't have many left. Yep, it stinks just a bit, but it does keep the pesky things from biting you.

If your're out fishing and the others have not used this, they will all know where you are at all times. You might even have to move your tent down wind of them.

My sister and I had some of this stuff smeared on us by old Joe when he took us fishing for the day. We never got an insect bite, and we caught all kinds of brookies that day. When we got back to the ranch, though, we were not allowed in the house. We stripped down on the back porch and had to take a hot bath in a old wash tub.

But it really does work.

So, now ya know.

DID YOU KNOW: Real people's real names

Did you know that Billy the Kid's real name is William Bonney?
Black Bart - Charles E. Boles
Calamity Jane - Martha Jane Canary
Kit Carson - Christopher Houston Carson
Butch Cassidy - Robert Leroy Parker
Buffalo Bill Cody - William Fredrick Cody
Wild Bill Hickok - James Butler Hickok
Belle Starr - Myra Belle Shirley
Annie Oakley - Phoebe Ann Moses
And, Doc Holliday - John Henry Holliday

I can see how some of these people would accept a name change that seems more in line with them. And they all have a certain " ring" to them.

So, now you know!

DID YOU KNOW? The First Train Robbery

Did you know that the first train robbery in the United States was committed on October 6, 1866, by the Reno Brothers (John, Frank, Simeon,and William) near Seymour, Indiana.

And,three of the brothers were lynched by vigilantes in New Albany, Indiana, in 1868.

So. Now you know.

DID YOU KNOW? O.K. Corral

Did you know that the initials in the "O.K." corral do not stand for okay.

They stand for "Old Kinderhook."

DID YOU KNOW? Lewis and Clark

Did you know that the expedition of Lewis and Clark, and the 33 adventurers who went along on the journey, were the best equipped hunting and fishing excursion ever? One of the most valued pieces of equipment along with them was a large sized Dutch Oven!

They also had an air rifle in 46 cal., along with their other firearms.

So, now you know.

DID YOU KNOW? Buckhorn Exchange

I'm sure that you all have heard of Buffalo Bill and the Sioux chief Sitting Bull. Have you ever heard of a gentleman by the name of Shorty Scout? His real name was Henry H. Zietz.

Henry was only 10 years old when he met Col. William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody in 1875. Within two years, Henry was a full fledged member of Buffalo Bill's Scouts. During the years that Henry rode with Buffalo Bill, Chief Sitting Bull dubbed Henry "Shorty Scout" because of his diminutive stature. He became a lifelong friend to Sitting Bull.

Zietz opened up a saloon in Denver called "The Buckhorn Exchange." The doors first opened in 1893 and it has the liquor license number one in the state of Colorado.

So, if you're ever out this way you need to stop by the Buckhorn and have a bite to eat. Good food. lots of history, and lots to look at. They serve all kinds of game meat that you can pick from and, of course, lots of other things to eat.

So, now you know!

DID YOU KNOW: Zorse?

This is for real, but it seems out of place for Colorado. (And in the animal kingdom, for that matter!)

We went to Gateway, Colorado, last spring. One of the places we visited was the Gateway Stables. They offer horseback riding, picnics, riding lessons, horse therapy, horse painting, pony cart rides -- just about anything horse-related that you can think of.

Before we left, the stable manager asked if we had ever seen a zorse. Uh. . . what's a zorse?! It's a cross between a zebra and a horse!

It really is.

So, she brought the zorse out so we could see for ourselves. Nobody rides it. It's more like a pet (though not easily managed and much bigger than an average pet). Here's a picture we took so YOU can see it, too!

If you ever get the chance, you should visit Gateway. Don't blink, though, or you could miss it! It's about 45 minutes out of Grand Junction. Here's a link to the stables: http://www.gatewaycanyons.com/play/the-stables/ . They are open in the winter by appointment.

A zorse is a zorse, of course, of course. . .

NOW YOU KNOW!

DID YOU KNOW: Chuck Wagon?

Did you know that Charles Goodnight, who was a Texas rancher, cattle king, and co-founder of the famous "Goodnight Loving Trail," introduced the first chuck wagon in 1866?

It was made of wood and drawn by oxen.

DID YOU KNOW: Julesburg, Colorado?

Did you know that the town of Julesburg, in Colorado, moved four times before it decided to stay put?

The town started in 1859. It was attacked by indians in 1865 (Sioux, Arapaho, and Cheyenne) and burned to the ground. The townspeople stayed in Fort Sedgwick for a time. (The fort was called Fort Rankin before they changed it to Sedgwick.) A second Julesburg was built about four miles east of the Fort.


A town plat was filed in 1866. In 1867, the Union Pacific Railroad came into Colorado. They set up a railhead just North of the South Platte River.

So, the residents of Julesburg number 2 packed up the whole town, and moved to the new railhead, forming Julesburg number 3. After the battle of Summit Springs in 1869, the indians quit causing problems in the area, so Fort Sedgwick was declared surplus and closed permanently.


In 1880, the Union Pacfic started a cut off to Denver. It follows the South Platte River diagonally towards the town of LaSalle, where it joins up with Union Pacific's main line out of Cheyenne. The new cut off to Denver was a few miles east of Julesburg number 3. The Union Pacific named the north end of this new cut off "Denver Junction."

When the new line was finished, the townspeople of Julesburg knew that Denver Junction was to be the main town in the region.


So they packed up once again, took over Denver Junction, and renamed it Julesburg. And that is where they are today. And so, as far as we know, they have not decided to move again


So there you have it. And now you know.