Author: Edward GuentherWritten: 1/8/2014

One of Aunt Rachel’s vacations took her to Astoria, Oregon, where we learned about the adventures of Lewis and Clark.  Theirs’ was a monumental expedition that opened the west to the settlers.  Aunt Rachel was very interested in the history of Lewis and Clark and their stay near Astoria at Fort Clatsop.  She saw their fort, Indian canoes, the salt works and many other things.

She learned about Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who led the expedition.  How they made candles out of bear lard.  She also explored the lodgings of these travelers as well as those of the local Indians.  Lewis’ and Clark’s lodgings had separate rooms for individuals and supplies but the Indian lodging, which were called ‘Long Houses’ was one big room. It looked like a big shoe box. It had a wood floor around the perimeter with a dirt floor down the middle.  Aunt Rachel considered different possibilities of how the house was used.  The best she came up with was that people slept around the edges on the wood floor and they had their fire down the middle. She was investigating the Indian lodge and her dad wanted her picture with it so he said, “Come on out here, Rachel, so I can get your picture with the lodge.”  To his surprise, she did not come out head first but rear end first!

Her dad was amazed but snapped the picture anyway.  Thus, Aunt Rachel had her infamous “Rear End Shot”.  Years later she still chuckles over that picture and to this day can’t figure out why she came out rear end first!