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Well, whoops, indeed. When I attempted to upload the image for this week's Old Postcard Wednesday, I was blocked by Blogger from doing so and received the prompt above. I am simply too frustrated and tired right now to try to figure out all the particulars of purchasing additional photo storage space via a storage upgrade. Certainly, there are those reading this who have used 100% of their 1 GB quota for photos at Blogger. If so, I would love to know which of the two upgrade options you selected.
In any case, my card for you this week was to be an 1880s image of Holman's Steam Ferry crossing the Willamette River at Salem, Oregon. In the foreground there is a horse-drawn flatbed wagon. I selected this one to accompany the Thanksgiving song "Over the River and Through the Woods," along with the information I read about the composer of the poem...... another Lydia for me to add to my "Lydias" tab on my main page after I can download her picture! You can read the bio of Lydia Maria Child here.
I always loved this song when I was a little girl, probably because we never went to a grandmother's house for Thanksgiving or any holiday. This is the background on the poem, via Wikipedia:
"Over the River and Through the Wood" is a Thanksgiving song by Lydia Maria Child. Written originally as a poem, it appeared in her Flowers for Children, Volume 2, in 1844. The original title of the poem is, "A Boy's Thanksgiving Day". It celebrates her childhood memories of visiting her Grandfather's House. Lydia Maria Child was a novelist, journalist, teacher, and wrote extensively about the need to eliminate slavery.
It is sometimes presented with lines about Christmas, rather than Thanksgiving. For instance, the line "Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!" becomes "Hurrah for Christmas Day!". As a Christmas song, it has been recorded as "A Merry Christmas at Grandmother's". Although the modern Thanksgiving holiday is not normally associated with snow, New England in the early 19th century was enduring the Little Ice Age, a colder era with earlier winters.
The original piece had six verses:
Over the river, and through the wood,
To Grandfather's house we go;
the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
through the white and drifted snow.
Over the river, and through the wood,
to Grandfather's house away!
We would not stop for doll or top,
for 'tis Thanksgiving Day.
Over the river, and through the wood—
oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes and bites the nose
as over the ground we go.
Over the river, and through the wood—
and straight through the barnyard gate,
We seem to go extremely slow,
it is so hard to wait!
Over the river, and through the wood—
When Grandmother sees us come,
She will say, "O, dear, the children are here,
bring a pie for everyone."
Over the river, and through the wood—
now Grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!
The following verses appear in a "long version":
Over the river, and through the wood,
with a clear blue winter sky,
The dogs do bark, and children hark,
as we go jingling by.
Over the river, and through the wood,
to have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring, "Ting-a-ling-ding!",
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!
Over the river, and through the wood,
no matter for winds that blow;
Or if we get the sleigh upset
into a bank of snow
Over the river, and through the wood,
to see little John and Ann;
We will kiss them all, and play snow-ball
and stay as long as we can.
Over the river, and through the wood,
trot fast, my dapple-gray!
Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound!
For 'tis Thanksgiving Day.
Over the river, and through the wood,
Old Jowler hears our bells.
He shakes his paw, with a loud bow-wow,
and thus the news he tells.
Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in the U.S.
I hope to get this photo storage issue settled in order to post again by Friday, but may wind up taking a longer weekend if it's a hassle. :(
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