Koyote Hill: What to Expect in the Next Few Months...besides Snow

The creeks have been at flood stage the last several days. There has been plenty of rain, some are flooding back roads as pictured. Now it is changing over to snow (Dec.1); typical, November-December weather for NW Pennsylvania. The snow is welcome by area hunters since the rifle season for whitetail opened several days ago on Monday.

The deer processing shops have been busy with customers; saying they had to wait an hour or more. Not sure that means a good harvest or the shops were short-handed.

Just before the rifle season opened, there was a short bear season. A state record bear was harvested but the harvest has been controversial. The story does raise some questions. For more information, Bear.

Winter Plans and Thoughts

Winter is, among other things, a time to plan out a vegetable garden and/or yard improvements. A well located brush pile is a benefit to native wildlife; they are simple to construct and cab be made to look even more attractive with native vines and flowers. Brush piles can attract many birds, butterflies and native bees while offering protection and shelter to smaller animals. For more information, Brush Pile.

Another consideration for the yard are heirloom zinnias. The flowers are attractive throughout the year and attract many beneficial insects which can help increase pollination in the vegetable garden. For more, Zinnias.

What to Expect in 2011 – a lot of history

Beginning in April, the nation and Pennsylvania will begin commemorative celebrations of the Civil War. The events will span the course of the war and in end in 2015.

In northwestern PA it is difficult to miss the the artifacts from that era 150 years ago. There are many stories about John Brown and his farm in New Richmond and the Underground Railroad. Cemeteries are filled with aging graves with GAR plagues and flags; civil war era cannons and monuments are found in many of them and public parks. Pictured below is a Civil War veteran's grave near Canadohta Lake.

One intriguing person was Josuha Monroe Reisinger. He and his brother were students at Allegheny College in Meadville and enlisted. Josuha was critically injured at the Battle of Gettysburg but continued fighting despite his injuries.

It took several operations and several years for him to recovered and then he re-enlisted. This time he served in the 114^th United States Colored Troops (USCT) to train and lead a regiment sent to Matamoras, Mexico and Brownsville, Texas.

Following several mix-ups and a dispute with a commanding officer, he was finally granted the Medal of Honor years later in 1903 for bravery at Gettysburg and subsequent actions. After his military service in Mexico and Texas, he continued his studies at Allegheny College, passed the bar and practiced law, ran a newspaper and was an official in the Galena-Signal Oil Company. He died, a few years after receiving his medal, at the age of 82 and was buried in Greendale Cemetery in Meadville.

So, contrary to common opinion, not all USCT troops were of African or black descent. Some followed the suggestions of Frederick Douglass and joined the USCT to help train the soldiers. Other were recruited as they recovered from injuries and others assigned.

As 2011 rolls along we'll see many more largely unknown and revealing stories.