Dash For Power

As first Americans to walk to the Pacific, Jed and Merri find their trips vary.

• There were extensive plans and funds for the now famed Lewis and Clark expedition from America to the Pacific Ocean by fore sighted President Thomas Jefferson’s purchase of the Louisiana Territory - but at the same time- it is 1804-

• Jedediah Smith, an American trader and explorer, has found a southern route around the Rockies, and arrives in Spanish Los Angeles. Spanish officials whisper in groups…if one American, how many will follow? Well, we know, thirty five million so far, and counting. I would love to think Jed Smith, this 1804 rough coonskin trapper in a civilized Spanish city beyond Mission status, stayed on, built a house up in the hills, the Beverleys, that is. I wonder if to the Spanish Dons he was the first Clampet? Do you think? He didn’t have any oil wealth. In 1804 you burned coal oil, died coughing in your cabin. If so, we should arrange Jed Smith, not Clampet, gets a heavenly tennis court and pool to exercise and plot some way home.

• Although, Jedediah Smith seems a mighty happy camper up there in the hills of Beverley, lapping in his pool, jogging with the senoritas, for Pete’ sake, with all those senoritas by his pool, him pretending all his writing is really serious parts in next year’s big 1805 fiesta with the pieta. Well, as long as they sing and dance, let’s us grin go ourselves silly with sports and outdoors here in the sun, and dance away. And get out of the sun.

• Meanwhile, a thousand miles north, Merriweather Lewis, drenched to the skin, watches in fury while pounding Pacific waves shake him, as he shakes the drunken Frenchman who has again beaten Sacagawea, their native guide, wife of the abusive Frenchman, the only woman he knows, admires, adores, loves.

• Lewis, dispirited, says let’s go home. Treated like royalty by President Jefferson, given land grants in his native Tennessee, Lewis huddles in his cabin, hears no more music, plays no more games, shoots and kills himself alone in his cabin within years. Sacagawea mourns him all her life.

• The moral? Hm. We need sunshine. We need to be out and about with our friends. We need love. You should have arrested that bastard for treason and had him shot and buried at sea; married Sacagawea, all lived happily ever after. But you did not. And now it’s too late. Except, if that jerk is in hell, who in Heaven gets to choose who dines with whom? I bet God says you decide. Some tables are crowded, some sparse. We will leave you two alone, honeymooners: Merriweather and Sacagawea till the sun stops shining. You can walk in your snowshoes up over those passes forever. And we will yet join you, but not just yet. So, we suggest if you also share our enthusiasm for a happy healthy life, you might find it of interest to click on our Pages Home Gym Essentials, and our Healthy Supplements, for those greens, flax oil, omegas you know your skin needs. Your entire body will thank you.

Derek Dashwood

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 8th, 2007 at 7:06 pm and is filed under Lungs for Life, Be 1 of The 3 Wise Men, Heart Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.