My friends are descendants of scoundrels (why I love twitter)

It started with a simple post.

@johannaharness: Back yard sledding in Idaho: http://twitpic.com/3i9pcb

John Ross Barnes, who currently lives in Portland, Oregon responded and we had the following conversation:

@barnestorm2004: @johannaharness Your back yard (sledding)reminds me of back home in Kansas(only colder, no doubt). I miss the *farm*

@johannaharness: @barnestorm2004 My mom's parents grew up in Girard and McCune. They came to Idaho in the late 20s.

@barnestorm2004: @johannaharness Small world file - Lived in Pittsburg(no h), about 10 miles from Girard for 4 yrs. grew up in Coffeyville(we killed Daltons)

@johannaharness: @barnestorm2004 In 1990 we stayed a night in Pittsburg. Found the old farm site, visited cemetery. Finally saw location of family stories.

@barnestorm2004: @johannaharness It's good to see where our roots were from. Helps with sense of self & place in the world I think.

@johannaharness: @barnestorm2004 Agreed. I only have a couple generations of family in Idaho, but this picture shows Greg's roots: http://bit.ly/gdv2Kg

@johannaharness: @barnestorm2004 Be sure to hover on the picture to see the identification notes. It's great to take the kids here. (We like cemeteries.)

@barnestorm2004: @johannaharness Thanks! cool hover thingy! looks like Cemetery just down frm the country place in Kansas. Walked my dogs there, good haunted

Now that seems like the end of the story and it's cool enough right there.  John lives in Portland.  I live in Idaho.  We both have roots in the same part of Kansas.  We both tell stories that include an understanding of who we are as influenced by our history and our geography.  That's really cool.

But then, three hours later, Kristina (also from Portland, Oregon) chimes in:

@quickmissive: @barnestorm2004 @johannaharness Wait, killed which Daltons???

@johannaharness: @quickmissive The Dalton Gang (At least that's what I'm assuming, yeah? In context of discussion abt Coffeyville, KS) @barnestorm2004

@barnestorm2004: @quickmissive @johannaharness The "famous" Dalton gang of train/bank robbers http://tinyurl.com/2cflpfd who tried to rob 2 banks at once.

@quickmissive: @barnestorm2004 @johannaharness Those are my illustrious ancestors...13 brothers & 1/2 are sucky thieves. Others were dr, lawyers, etc.

@barnestorm2004: @quickmissive @johannaharness Wait the Daltons were your ancestors or bank/train robbers? Grandma Barnes was a James(yeah, that James)

@quickmissive: @barnestorm2004 @johannaharness Yep. They ran with Jesse. Too bad they were only good at getting killed. My mom is a Dalton.

@johannaharness: @quickmissive @barnestorm2004 You two are dang near related. If gangs were families, you'd be cousins.

@barnestorm2004: @johannaharness @quickmissive Yup, some kind of shirt-tail, second cousin or so. Family all came from same area of Missouri,

@barnestorm2004: @johannaharness @quickmissive Grandma was Bell James, never met her, Psychotic from what I hear. Gramp John guided Truman on fishing trips.

@quickmissive: @barnestorm2004 @johannaharness What a random hoot is this? It is a small world, isn't it?

@barnestorm2004: @johannaharness @quickmissive My fam was not in on Dalton shoot-out, still in Missouri then. Cherokees & Choctaws bred to Drunken Scotts.

@quickmissive: @johannaharness @barnestorm2004 Yep! Come over here and give your non-cousin a big hug! Lol.

@barnestorm2004: @quickmissive @johannaharness Thanks! How weird is that from the small world file?

@johannaharness: @barnestorm2004 @quickmissive And this is why I love twitter. Do either of you mind if I capture this for a blog post? I love this.

@barnestorm2004: @johannaharness @quickmissive I would be honored.

@quickmissive: @johannaharness @barnestorm2004 Capture away! After all, as a descendant of the Daltons, I'm used to capture! Well, and being shot...

Yep.  That's why I love twitter.

I'm dying to see what scoundrel descendants show up in the comments.  Robert Ford, anyone?

Read more from John Ross Barnes on his blog, Love This Life, Onward Through The Fog.  And follow him on twitter too!

Read more from Kristina on her blog, Ten Minute Missive.  And, of course, follow her on twitter.