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Everyone in America has heard the Thanksgiving story from their kindergarten days on up. The happy Pilgrims and Indians got together for a feast. Turkey was served and pumpkin pies followed.

Historians have the daunting task of sorting out the true facts of events from the folklore, myths and wishful thinking that invades our recollections of the past. In the case of Thanksgiving, the process can be described as “trying to separate the mashed potatoes from the gravy.” Fortunately, primary sources such as letters and documents do exist from those times. Here are some of what they reveal.

One of the best accounts of that first Thanksgiving comes from a letter written by an English settler, Edward Winslow, on December 11, 1621. He does not use the word “Thanksgiving”, but describes a weeklong harvest celebration with King Massasoit and 90 Wampanoag men “so we might after a more special manner rejoice together.”

Edward Winslow’s letter goes into detail about the menu. The colonists had planted (with advice from the Wampanoag) 20 acres of Indian corn and 6 acres of barley and peas in the spring. In fall he reported, “our corn did prove well, our barley indifferent good but our peas not worth the gathering.”

When the harvest was in, the Governor of the colony “sent four men ‘fowling’ (which) served the company almost a week.” Historians note that no mention can be found of what kind of wildfowl were shot, but wild turkeys were present in Massachusetts at the time. So turkey may or may not have been present on the table.

What is known with certainty is that venison was in abundance at the feast. Five deer were presented to the Governor as a gift from the Wampanoag. Records also note that the Indians often supplied the colonists with shellfish as well.

Pie was not the finale of the meal. The colonists had no wheat or butter to make a crust and no ovens for baking. However, both the Wampanoag and the colonists grew pumpkins and other indigenous squash which could have been served other ways.

The guest list at the party can be constructed from historical documents. The 90 Wampanoag men who attended were the survivors from a tidal wave of infectious diseases brought to the New World by the European explorers and fishermen who preceded the colonists. These diseases, such as smallpox, reduced the population of Native Americans in the Massachusetts Bay Area by about 90%. The colonists found empty villages and fields waiting for them to occupy.

The original colonists in Plymouth did not have an easy time that first year, either. Approximately half of them died, and only four women were alive in the fall of 1621. The preparation and celebration of our most famous harvest festival was almost entirely an all-male affair.

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It’s interesting to read what states have to say about themselves. And we can do exactly that when we drive down America’s highways. Many states put a line on their license plates bragging about their uniqueness. Some of these taglines are true, some are sort of true and some are downright misleading. I’ve done a bit of fact checking, and here are the results.

My state of Wisconsin proclaims “America’s Dairyland” on our plates. Yes, we do have cows everywhere in Wisconsin, but California takes the prize for being the biggest dairy producer with more cows and more milk production. Wisconsin comes in second followed by Idaho, whose plates say “Famous Potatoes”.

Minnesota, Wisconsin’s neighbor, boasts of “10,000 Lakes”. In fact, they have 11,842. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources claims that we have 15,074 lakes. However, I’m going with Minnesota having more lakes than we have. There is no standard definition of the word “lake”. In Minnesota, a lake is defined as more than 10 acres. In Wisconsin a lake is defined as “anything we want to call a lake”. Some “lakes” near our house would hardly even qualify as duck ponds. If Minnesota’s 10 acre rule were followed here, we would have 5,898 lakes. Brag on, Minnesota.

Florida proudly announces that they are the “Sunshine State”. Not even close, Florida. Here are the scientific facts on which states get the most sunshine:

1. Arizona
2. New Mexico
3. Nevada
4. Texas
5. California
6. Colorado
7. Oklahoma
8. Kansas
9. Utah
10. Florida

Florida is, however, the state with the most hurricanes in recorded weather history. I doubt that “Hurricane Heaven” will show up on Florida plates any time soon.

Connecticut’s plates announce that they are the “Constitution State”. One would assume that they are referring to the Constitution of the United States of America. But no, the “Constitution” on the plates is a 1639 state document called “The Fundamental Orders” an “agreement under which the unchartered colony of Connecticut organized its government”. Extremely misleading, Connecticut.

My favorite license plate both for design and slogan is New Mexico’s. They claim to be the “Land of Enchantment”. Enchantment is, of course, a subjective thing. Since every one of the scores of times that I have been in New Mexico I have been enchanted, those plates speak truth to me.

And a final word to Missouri. I really don’t want you to “Show Me”.

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My husband and I recently stayed overnight in a lovely house made out of mud. When people started building shelters, they utilized the materials provided by the nature around them. In the case of desert dwellers, it is the earth itself. It is not a coincidence that our home has a wood frame and wood siding. We live surrounded by plentiful trees and forests.

In the American southwest, mud houses are called “adobes”. The Macmillan Dictionary definition of adobe is “earth mixed with straw used for making bricks to build houses”. The bricks are dried in the sun, no kiln needed. More mud is applied in a rainbow motion over the stacked up adobe walls to create a uniform surface.

Some of the oldest buildings in the world are constructed of adobe bricks. They are durable, fireproof, non-toxic, soundproof, thermal regulators and biodegradable. Even by current standards, an extremely impressive list.

Since mud and clay are highly malleable, building features such as corners, fireplaces, chimneys, niches and courtyard walls can be sculpted. I have heard these gentle curves poetically referred to as “beautiful shoulders”.

The walls of an adobe building are a foot or more thick. As a result, window sills are like deep shelves and doors are a distance from the interior side of the wall. Adobes give a hug from within.

Here are photos of Hacienda de Chimayo in the mountains of New Mexico. It has been providing shelter for over 100 years.

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The other day I saw an advertisement for a 2022 calendar with a picture of sandhill cranes and the title of Phenology. Being clueless about that word’s meaning, I immediately looked it up. Here is the definition:

Phenology is principally concerned with the dates of occurrence of natural events in their annual cycle. Phenology is nature’s calendar- when cherry trees bloom, when a robin builds its nest and when leaves turn color in the fall.

I had to smile when reading this definition. Although I was completely unaware of the word, I’ve been completely involved with phenology for the past fourteen years. Every morning I write one or two sentences about something I have observed in the natural world from the previous day. The idea for this journal came to me after reading about someone in the 1800s keeping daily nature notes for decades. The practice is a gentle reminder to live with nature instead of being oblivious to the great show swirling around us every day.

This morning’s entry was brief but major: “First frost in the meadow last night, but the marigolds are still with us.” Other recent observations note that the chipmunks are still up and active, fewer cardinals are in the yard and a beautiful buck has been dining in the Tooley Cafe.

After discovering the word phenology, I became curious about its origins. The word “phenology” is from the Greek “phainomai” which means “to appear, to bring into view.” The word was coined in 1849 by a Belgian botanist, Charles Morren. He gave the name to what people have been doing since ancient times, being acutely aware of seasonal occurrences. It was necessary for survival. If they planted their crops too early or late, they starved. If they ignored the annual rise of spring waters, they lost their homes or lives.

The same is true today. Global climate change is playing havoc with nature’s clocks. Animals have to adapt quickly to the new patterns to stay alive. This applies to us as well. Since all of us are in the animal group (although many kids often insist this is not true when I mention it in my natural science programs) we will have to make many changes as well.

In nature, as in our personal lives, timing is everything. Here is how nature’s time clock is ticking in our neighborhood now.

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It’s impossible to go anywhere these days and not run into pumpkins. Everywhere in America, but especially in the Midwest, fall wouldn’t be fall without this tidal wave of jolly orange globes. The time is right for a dose of pumpkin history and trivia.

• Natives to North America, pumpkins are a pre-Hispanic crop that dates back over 7,500 years. Central America (which is geographically a part of North America) and southern Mexico are believed to be their birthplace. Archeologists have discovered ancient seeds in the Oaxaca highlands of Mexico. Pumpkins are cultivated on every continent now, except Antarctica.
• Native Americans were growing pumpkins even before they cultivated corn and beans.
• The word “pumpkin” comes from the Greek word for large melon or pepon. The French turned this into pompon, the English into pumpion which then morphed into pumpkin.
• In 1584, Jacques Cartier was exploring the St. Lawrence region and reported finding “gros melons”. The French explorers subsequently introduced the pumpkins to France and from there they went across the Channel to England. The Europeans quickly figured out that pumpkins made great pies. Recipes for pumpkin pie have been found in 17th century English cookbooks.
• The earliest pumpkin recipe in America probably wasn’t for pies. The Pilgrims and early settlers hollowed out pumpkins, filled the shells with milk, honey and spices and baked them.
• In today’s world, China, Russia and India account for 53% of global pumpkin consumption. We Americans carve them more than we eat them. To be precise, only 1/5 of the pumpkins grown in our country are processed into canned pumpkin. Morton, Illinois claims to be the “Pumpkin Capital of the World”. Libby’s processing plant is located there.
• Botanically, pumpkins are simultaneously a fruit, a squash and a member of the Curcurbita family of plants. Other family members include cucumbers, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, watermelons and zucchini.

Enjoy your pumpkins whether they are decorations, Jack-o-lanterns, pie, bread, soup, roasted seeds or the edible flowers. We are all happier because of them.

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