Post 6:
“100 Mile Walk”

From 13-Year-Old Anne’s Journal —

November 11, 1982  – GOOD

“Charles goes looking for work & found it in a dynamite quarry. They did a drilling contest & Charles won. One of his friends got blown up. He went home to his family.”

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From Anne —

It’s all fun and games at the stone quarry until somebody gets atomized. Who can forget the image of limey Jack Peters atop boulder in the sun, all jovial and jokey – suddenly blown to proverbial smithereens. Everyone’s taking a punch in the gut this episode, though you wouldn’t know it from my synopsis: Ma gets no credit for rounding up the womenfolk and salvaging what they can of the wheat crop in inspiring, feel-good, assembly-line style.

My synopsis has a fabulously confusing pronoun reference, implying that the friend who “got blown up” subsequently went home to his family. The limey’s lucky if Charles could find any part of him, say, a tooth, to send home to his family. Anyway, this episode sure won’t help you forget the economic downturns and freak weather events of present times – but it will make you glad for cars and e-mail (tough to romanticize walking 100 miles; easier to romanticize waiting two weeks for a letter). Little House always makes me ask: what would you do if you had to?

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From Tracy —

What killed me about this episode wasn’t the quarry scene but watching the Ingalls family’s gorgeous wheat being destroyed by hail in the first ten minutes. They are always having to play the part of Sisyphus.

Watch Karen Grassle’s expressions in the first scene. She’s worried for Charles and his reactions but at the exact same time she’s also worried for herself and her family. I had forgotten what a great actor she was in this series.

For a more humorous take on this episode take a look at the fabulous 30 Second Little House:

Now for something even cheerier. Our Laura Ingalls (aka Melissa Gilbert) is on a different show right now. She’s a contestant on “Dancing With The Stars.” Right out of the gate they threw two fast dances at the teams and frankly she looked a bit stiff. But her latest performance was her best – a jive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yPkyvg9Evg

She looks incredible — especially for a woman who is recovering from a broken back and a divorce just last year. I mean holy shit! It’s “Little House” drama for her all over again. (Personally, I would be worried about plagues of locusts next if I were her.) Anyway she’s now a serious contender on the show and you know I’ll be routing for her. Go Melissa Go!