On Saturday the temperature reached into the 70's and the whole town and countryside seemed to come alive. Just as the grass knows when to grow or the geese know when to nest, so too do the fishing boats on the Missouri know when to slide into the water. I think I saw at least three dozen of them, along with some shore fishermen.
We drove south twenty miles on a short camera safari past Huff onto Fort Rice. We saw lots of shacks and junk cars which I think make interesting subjects, but we also saw quite a few "cannonballs" that, over the past, people have taken from the river. Those in the picture set close to the road along someone's sidewalk as ornaments.
In 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition came upon numerous cannonballs at the confluence of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. Captain Clark, on Thursday, October 18, 1804 wrote in his journal: "Set out early proceeded on at 6 mls passed the mouth of la Boulet (French for Cannonball River). . . above the mouth of the river Great numbers of Stone perfectly round with fine Grit are in the Bluff and on the Shore, the river takes its name from those Stones which resemble Cannon Balls. . ."
As I know the story, scavengers have pretty well cleaned out the river of the "cannonballs." They have been moved to ornament people's yards. If they had survived nestled in their natural state, they probably now would be under the protection of some official park designation, but too late is too late.
The river originates in rough country north of Amidon, and like many of the rivers and creeks in that part of the state, it resembles a long snake in a big hurry with nary a straight line in its wriggling back.
We drove south twenty miles on a short camera safari past Huff onto Fort Rice. We saw lots of shacks and junk cars which I think make interesting subjects, but we also saw quite a few "cannonballs" that, over the past, people have taken from the river. Those in the picture set close to the road along someone's sidewalk as ornaments.
In 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition came upon numerous cannonballs at the confluence of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. Captain Clark, on Thursday, October 18, 1804 wrote in his journal: "Set out early proceeded on at 6 mls passed the mouth of la Boulet (French for Cannonball River). . . above the mouth of the river Great numbers of Stone perfectly round with fine Grit are in the Bluff and on the Shore, the river takes its name from those Stones which resemble Cannon Balls. . ."
As I know the story, scavengers have pretty well cleaned out the river of the "cannonballs." They have been moved to ornament people's yards. If they had survived nestled in their natural state, they probably now would be under the protection of some official park designation, but too late is too late.
The river originates in rough country north of Amidon, and like many of the rivers and creeks in that part of the state, it resembles a long snake in a big hurry with nary a straight line in its wriggling back.
