Branson Bound

BransonTrip Earl Plato

Extras on a bus trip holiday means to me finding some nature connections. On a Farr bus trip to Branson, Missouri our bus driver took us on a side trip to a State Fish Hatchery on the outskirts. Our driver had been there before and told me there was an interesting Nature Center on the location. It really was and I met the Ranger and spent over a good half hour learning about Missouri’s flora and fauna. I was given several booklets that were well presented. I still had time to see the fingerlings and full grown Brown trout. Looking for nature elements on a bus trip is usually one of my goals.
This Branson side trip was inspired by my questioning our bus driver about a dead snake. First off the bus I said, “That’s a young Diamond Back.” The driver agreed as he took a branch and threw the snake, three rattles and all to the left of the bus before we unloaded. “There’s a good nature center down there,” as he pointed to the large building below. “ They have a serpentarium in there.” “No need to tell the women and snake fearers,” he said. I still have those excellent full coloured booklets. It was a great side trip.
***
I really am an Andersen not an Anderson. “En” endings on surnames are usually Danish and Norwegian. “On” endings are usually Swedish. My grandfather came to America in the 1880’s and was asked his name at the immigration office. His reply was, “Andersen.” The officer wrote “Anderson” on his entry certificate and thus “e” became “o.” Anderson my family name would be. This day in July we were in “en” country, Denmark. Here we were, brother Ed and two cousins, in a beautiful country. We had just left the home city of Odense where famed story teller Hans Christian Andersen had worked and lived. We were travelling by Petersen Tours on a well appointed bus. Nature called and we had to stop. Where? You guessed it. It was a nature stop and I was thrilled. We were at the highest point in Denmark. Don’t get excited, This is essentially very flat land. We unloaded at the fabled Forest of Rold. Think of Fonthill topography with its rolling hills only with an abundance of trees covering the area.
“We’ll give you an hour,” the driver called out.





‘As old as a tree in the Forest of Rold ...” thus said an old Danish proverb. To stress the age of something really old in Denmark, one compared it with a tree in the Forest of Rold. I left the others and headed for the forest over the wooden bridge. Any ogres underneath? Old trees? The photo shows no towering trees. I was disappointed but I also knew that Earl can get lost despite his oft repeated belief that he can’t. Birds all around. Sparrows, warblers and the long-tailed Magpie hopped around the open areas. A great break for me. Hey, there was also a small concentration of Purple loosestrife here. The information signs were in several different languages. I taped the following as I read it out. “The Forest of Rold has trees of great age. There are 250-350 year -old stunted beeches in the “Bewitched Wood”.
Could I cross the bridge and head for the old forest? Nature called and I must head back. No one around me at this particular spot on that warm day with a faint nist-like rain falling.
Back at the administrative building I picked up a brochure in English and read about this neat place. There were legends of notorious robbers, cheerful poachers and colourful woodsmen. Where were my compatriots? I stepped out of the Centre and there were Ed, Winnie and Margot. They told me what I had missed. Many famous persons had come to this centre. Queen Margrethe 2nd and Prince Frederick of Denmark. Past Presidents George Bush, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon wallked these paths and spoke from the platform across the way. Walt Disney, Danny Kaye, and other noted personalities had visited this great setting. We had only an hour but those other lucky visitors who had many more hours probably made it to the wonderful forest setting in “Bewitched Wood.”
Thanks to our bus driver who answered nature’s call that July day for this “nature nut”. Don’t be afraid to ask your bus driver about “nature” stops. You never know what you might experience.