By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Mosquitoes

Pa felt that it was time to build a stable for the horses before a severe summer storm came or the colder weather. Laura helped him to build it. Ellen stayed outside though, as he felt that a cow could live just fine outside. But he wanted the horses instide.

The weather got warmer and misquitoes were coming from the Big Slough. Ma didn't like the slough and had wished that they had moved farther away from it. But Pa liked living near the slough. It was filled with good hay that no one else would homestead and it was there for the taking. He was happy to be near it to use. But something had to be done for both man and beast to fix the nasty bugs.

Pa went to the store and bought some netting and some wood. He soon had a new screen door made and hung. Ma put the netting on the windows as well to keep them out of the house at night. For the stock, Pa made a smudge in front of the barn door and another for Ellen to stand in. They were made out of damp grass that would cause a lot of smoke that the misquitoes would not fly through. They all had a more restful night.

Synopsis provided by Marilyn

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas!

Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder Now Available on DVD!

Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder is now available on DVD at Amazon.com.

While there is some uncertainty whether this DVD includes the first Beyond the Prairie movie and its sequel, fans have anxiously awaited the release to DVD.

Using Wilder's books as the source of inspiration, Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder finds a teenage Laura Ingalls (Meredith Monroe), Pa (Richard Thomas), Ma (Lindsay Crouse), and Laura's three sisters living in De Smet, SD. Eventually she meets the dashing Almanzo Wilder (Walt Goggins), they marry and set up a little house of their own.

Crop failures, the death of their infant son, a chimney fire destroying their home, and a bout with diphtheria that leaves Almanzo permanently impaired, leads the Wilders to the decision that they must say goodbye to Ma and Pa and leave De Smet in search of new opportunities.

In the sequel, the Wilders end their journey in Mansfield, Missouri, where they purchase a small farm and some apple trees. They meet a man who helps out around the place since Almanzo is still weakened by the effects of his stroke. Their daughter, Rose, experiences some trouble at school, and Laura travels back to De Smet, SD to see her dying father one last time.

I always felt these movies were a nice way to honor Laura's legacy. While they followed the books more closely than Michael Landon's Little House on the Prairie series, I still felt they took a bit of creative license in spots. Almanzo and Laura consummate their marriage in a field. That was a stretch for me. Rose is only a toddler when they leave De Smet at the end of the first movie, but she is at least 5 or 6 at the start of the sequel, which finds the Wilders still riding in their covered wagon to Missouri. The scene between Laura and her dying father is very touching, but it almost seems like they wanted to infer that Charles Ingalls (Pa) was responsible for Laura writing her books so that Rose wouldn't forget about their triumphs and trials. As Laura enthusiasts know, it was Rose, who was an adult and also a well-established writer, that prodded her mother to pen her now classic books.

I plan to purchase this DVD. If this is only the first movie, which seems likely, I hope it sells well so that they release the sequel.

New Survey

I know it's been a while, but I figured I would add a new poll for Thanksgiving. During Season 6, Little House on the Prairie ran what was known as "The Little House Years". Laura and her family are around the dinner table and she is sharing stories from their past.

This is a clips episode and features the episodes like 100 Mile Walk, Journey in the Spring, and other favorites. I always loved this series of episodes because it was way for Albert to learn more about the family he had been adopted into.

Feel free to share your thoughts on this episode in this post.

A quick bit of trivia, these episodes are not included on the Little House on the Praire DVDs. Last I knew there was some rights issue that prevented it from being included in the original DVDs and the Mega-Pack.

By the Shores of Silver Lake Book Discussion - Where Violets Grow

Laura ran and ran and looked everywhere while calling for Grace. She felt very
guilty for not watching her baby sister during the tree planting fun that the
family had been having. Ma and Pa's voices were faint as they called for Grace
in the Big Slough. But Laura tried to think of what she would have done as a
little girl, where would she have gone to. Laura didn't think that Grace would
want to go into the high grasses or in the mud of the slough. Grace must have
come this way.

As she continued to run, her sides began to hurt from the heavy breathing. She
came to a stop and ended up at the edge of a little valley. The bank sloped down and at the bottom was
Grace among a sea of violets. Laura climbed down the bank and Grace happily showed her big sister the "sweet" blossoms. Laura gathered Grace into her arms and hugged her as she caught her breath. Then together they headed toward the house.

After leaving Grace with Mary, Laura headed to the slough to let Ma and Pa know that Grace was safe. It was past lunchtime when everyone was together again in the house. Laura described the violet area to Pa and he told her that it was an old buffalo wallow.

After their lunch, at which only Grace was hungry, Pa headed out to finish the tree planting. Ma helped Grace hold her tree as Pa planted it. Inside the house Pa put a nail into the wall and hung the wooden bracket that Ma's china shepherdess always stood on. Both the bracket and the shepherdess were as beautiful as they had been back in the Big Woods. He also put nails over the door for his rifle and a shiny new horseshoe. Laura brought the fiddle and Pa sang a beautiful song about the horseshoe.

The house was a home. It was a tight squeeze but everyone was together and they were finally on their own claim. Pa promised that rooms would be added later on. He would make a little place for a garden and spend time raising hay and cattle. It truly was a happy home.


Synopsis provided by Marilyn