
Mystery On First Street

(Adventures for Youngsters of All Ages)

By Mac MacRae

Copyright 2018

Mac MacRae Publishing

ISBN 13: 9780463473825

(Cover Illustration by Terry Blas)
Table of Contents

The Last Day of School

The Empty House Next Door

Our Family

The New Neighbors

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Jones

Inside Ten First Street

Curiouser and Curiouser

In the Garden

Cookies and Milk

Awakening

An Unusual Visitor

A Trip to the Hospital

Road Trip!

Home Again

Summer Vacation Winds Down

Our Cabin Adventures

Yet Another Mystery

Karen's Kollectible Korner

School Days

Trouble Up North

A Trip to the Orphanage

More Driveway Commotion

The Tree Farm

Grandma Takes Charge

Holiday Flowers

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

Revelations

About the Author

# The Last Day of School

One more hour to go!

The hands of the clock on our classroom wall appear to have stopped moving altogether. Why does it always seem that the last afternoon of the school year lasts for a whole _week_?

Thirty minutes to freedom!

All around the room, kids are restlessly fidgeting while waiting anxiously for the final bell of the year to ring. Our teacher, Ms. Jessica, is trying her best to hold our attention, but we can tell that she's looking forward to starting her Summer Vacation as much as we are.

Just ten more minutes!

Soon the halls will be filled with excited students with thoughts of long, slow Summer days without homework or any of those silly school rules.

Finally!

The bell rings, and I join a swarm of other seventh-graders who just can't get out the door fast enough.

While waiting outside for Mom to pick me up, I overhear other kids talking excitedly about their vacation plans. Some are thrilled about taking trips to places like the beach, a mountain lake, or to one of America's many beautiful National Parks. I must remember to ask Mom and Dad if our family might visit a National Park sometime soon.

From the corner of my eye, I notice that Ms. Jessica is walking quickly (almost skipping!) towards the teacher's parking lot. The happy look on her face says it all. It's Summer!

\------------------

My thoughts are interrupted by someone tugging at my sleeve. It's my sister Noelle, who just finished the Fifth Grade at the same school that I attend. Her huge grin tells me that she's as excited about vacation as I am.

"Well, we made it through this year!"

"Yes, we did!" I agree, trying not to think about going into the Eighth Grade next Fall. That seems so far away, and it's Summer right now!

Just then, our Mom drives up. We say goodbye to our friends and tell them that we'll see them soon. As Noelle and I pile into the family minivan, we toss our book-filled backpacks into the back seat, determined not to touch them again until next Fall.

A feeling of newfound freedom fills each and every kid as they increase the distance between themselves and the now-empty school without so much as a glance back.

# The Empty House Next Door

The house next door at Number Ten First Street has been empty for several months. The rumor going around is that it's been sold to someone from up North. We can hardly wait to see who is moving in!

Ten First Street is much like the other houses in our neighborhood - not too big, yet not small either. It has a large front porch on the main level and a smaller porch up above it. There is also a long driveway that leads to a big red barn in the back.

There are several big trees growing in back of our houses. One very tall willow tree actually grows in the yard of Number Ten, but several long branches hang down over our fence. In the Fall, my friends and I like to rake leaves from other peoples' yards up and down the street until we've made a huge pile in our backyard. Then we put a step ladder under the longest willow branch, grab hold, and swing off the ladder into the big leaf pile. Sometimes there are ten or more kids waiting in line for their turn to climb the ladder. It's quite a thrill!

Our backyard is quite large and separated from the neighbors' yards by a tall fence that I can just barely see over by standing on my tiptoes. Directly behind our back fence is what we call the Big Backyard. It's actually located behind an apartment building around the corner from First Street. Because the apartment dwellers don't use it much, we neighborhood kids consider it to be our personal adventure place. We make play forts under the bushes, enjoy long games of hide-and-seek, and have epic water balloon battles on hot days. Some of us older kids had even built a tree house way up in a pine tree until one of the younger kids fell out of it and Dad made us take it down. That made us sad, especially since we had warned that youngster several times not to climb up there by himself.

\------------------

There are lots of little kids who live on and around First Street. Brynn and Kady live across the street from us.

Lirael's house is near the top of the hill. Her parents are both teachers at our school. Noelle and I hope to be their students next year.

Valentina lives just around the corner. She is a bit younger than most of the neighborhood kids and a really friendly little girl.

Audrey is the youngest kid on the block. She is quick to smile, and you can easily tell that she notices everything that's going on.

# Our Family

My name is Nick. I live at Number Twelve with my Mom, Dad, Grandma, and my younger sister Noelle, whom you have already met.

Our Mom stays home to take care of the house and us kids. To make a little extra money, she also makes beautiful jewelry to sell. You should see her face light up when we see someone that she doesn't know wearing one of her creations!

Dad works hard every day. I'm not exactly sure what he does at the factory, but he's usually very tired when he gets home. Mom says he's a good provider, and he always has time for his kids. Dad loves to get right down on the floor and play with us. He also loves fireplaces. If it's a cool evening, you will find him relaxing in his big easy-chair in front of a cozy fire.

Personally, I have kind of mixed feelings about the whole fireplace thing. You see, it's one of my chores to keep the big wood box next to the fireplace full and you wouldn't believe how fast Dad can go through a stack of firewood! In cold weather, I fill up that box at least once a day without complaining because I know how happy it makes him to sit in front of that warm fire. Someone once told me that oak wood burns much longer, but I'm not really sure about that because Dad says oak is _way_ too expensive.

All-in-all, they are just about the best parents that a kid could hope for.

Grandma collects teapots. She has lived with us for a long time and helped Mom to take care of Noelle and me when we were just babies. She loves us very much, and we love her, too.

Even though Grandma uses a wheelchair to get around now, she is still very active and independent. Her long-time girlfriends often come to pick her up and take her to all kinds of activities. They do scrapbooking, make quilts, knit, read books together, and bake lots of delicious snacks. Grandma's chocolate chip cookies are probably the best that I've ever tasted.

But mostly it's about teapots for her. She probably has a couple of hundred of them in all different shapes and sizes. Dad built shelves on one whole wall in the kitchen to display her wonderful collection. They are every color of the rainbow, and some are one-of-a-kind. Her fondest dream is to find one of the rarest teapots of all at a garage sale someday. Everyone in our family knows to always be on the lookout for a Chinese teapot made from purple clay.

# The New Neighbors

Over the past couple of weeks, Noelle and I have both become quite curious about the strange goings-on next door. The freshly-painted names on the mailbox say "Mr. and Mrs. K.K. Jones". A large letter "J" has also magically appeared next to the peak of the roof.

The day they moved in, a huge green truck pulled up in front of the house. It took the movers the whole day just to carry all of the things inside! There was lots and lots of furniture and many different sizes of boxes and crates. Indeed, some of the larger items ended up on the porch because they wouldn't fit inside until other things were put away. Noelle and I sat on our porch swing for hours to observe the movers. We got tired just from watching them!

My sister and I were both eager to get our first look at the new neighbors, but they must have been keeping themselves busy inside their new home. Mom called us in for dinner before we even got a peek at them.

"I hope they are nice people." Noelle said as we washed our hands in the kitchen sink.

"Me too." I agreed.

"Of course they are." Mom assured us. "Most people are pleasant and friendly."

Still, I couldn't help wondering what they might be like.

After dinner, Noelle and I went out to sit on our front porch again. To our surprise, a man and a woman soon came out onto the porch of Number Ten. Upon seeing us, they both smiled and waved. We waved back and returned their big smiles.

"Hello, neighbors!" said the man in a cheerful, booming voice.

"Hi." said Noelle and I at the exact same time.

"We'll have you over for a visit as soon as we get settled." the woman assured us.

Together they picked up a small table and carried it into the house.

"They really _do_ seem like nice people." remarked Noelle.

# Meet Mr. and Mrs. Jones

K.K. Jones is a large, roly-poly man with snow-white hair and happy eyes that sparkle for no apparent reason. In the summertime, he likes to wear red socks and sandals with cargo shorts and flashy Hawaiian shirts. His round wire-rimmed glasses make him look extra-cheerful, and his smile flashes brightly through his thick white beard. As you might imagine, he presents quite a colorful sight! He's quick to laugh, and all of the neighborhood children instantly like him.

His wife seems to be his perfect match. Everything about her is also quite round - her curly white hair is cut in a way that frames her round face, which is also adorned with round wire-rimmed glasses. She likes to wear long, colorful dresses that almost touch the ground. Although heavy-set, she walks very lightly - like a dancer. She also loves red flowers. There must be at least ten pots of them lined up on their front porch railing and in the flower boxes on the second story.

# Inside Ten First Street

It was Saturday morning - my favorite day of the week! After finishing a tasty breakfast, Mom asked me to go out to the mailbox. I pulled open the little metal door and saw several envelopes inside. Bills, bills, bills! Why do grownups get so many bills?

Wait, what's that? There was an unusual-looking red envelope that was hand-addressed to Kristopher K. Jones. I took the mail back into the house and showed the mysterious envelope to Mom. She looked at it, smiled, and chuckled. "So that's what the first "K" stands for! Please take it over to the Jones' house and explain to them that Gary, the letter carrier, put it in our mailbox by mistake."

I was just the tiniest bit nervous, but did what she asked. My plan was to leave the envelope on the new neighbors' porch and then make a quick getaway. However, the minute I began climbing the front steps, Mrs. Jones opened the screen door!

"Oh, you must be the nice boy that lives at Number Twelve!" she said with a smile that made me like her right away. "If you've already had your breakfast, you may come in to have a fresh-baked cookie or two."

I hesitated for a moment, but then the delicious smells coming from the kitchen took hold of my nose. Before I knew it, I was sitting at her kitchen table with a small plate of cookies and a large glass of milk in front of me.

Mrs. Jones did nothing to explain the puzzling name on the envelope, she just placed it on a side table and said "Thank you, I'll give it to K.K. when he returns from up North."

"Up North?" I asked. My curiosity was definitely aroused.

"Oh yes, Mr. Jones takes a trip up North for a few days every month or so." she said matter-of-factly. "By-the-way, don't you have a sister?"

"Yes, her name is Noelle."

"Well, you certainly can't go home without taking some cookies for her, too."

"Thank you very much from both of us, Mrs. Jones!" I said with a huge grin.

"Please, call me Ponsie - everyone else does." she said with her special smile that instantly warms your heart. "Mrs. Jones" sounds _much_ too formal."

Going into the pantry, Ponsie returned with a large piece of waxed paper. Carefully selecting four of the biggest, roundest cookies, she placed them on a paper plate and neatly covered them.

"Here are three for your sister, and another one for you to eat later." she said. "Be sure you don't spoil your appetite for lunch - it would be best for you to have them for dessert afterwards."

This was my first time being inside of Number Ten since the Joneses moved in. A quick glance around while walking through the kitchen and down the hall to the front door revealed some truly remarkable sights. The first thing that caught my eye was a large collection of deer stickers and magnets displayed on the refrigerator door. There were deer of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Someone in the house clearly had a "thing" for deer!

Another unusual thing I noticed was that the living room seemed to be completely decorated in red, white, and green. There were two large red easy chairs sitting on a bright green carpet. Those chairs looked so comfortable that I had to stop myself from trying one out. The walls were painted white with bright green trim around the white-curtained windows. There was a large red brick fireplace in the middle of one wall. All-in-all, it was quite a happy, cheerful room.

In an opposite corner, I noticed two smaller versions of those same red chairs. Seeing those immediately got my curiosity going. They looked like chairs specially made for children, but the Joneses didn't appear to _have_ any children.

Walking down the hall towards the front door, I happened to glance up at the photos that lined the walls. There were so many that it was difficult to focus on just one. The first picture that caught my eye was of a younger-looking Mr. Jones surrounded by children. It appeared that perhaps he once coached a kids' team of some sort? I decided to ask him about that sometime.

Another photo showed a huge red barn with snowdrifts piled up all along it's outer walls, except for where a path had been neatly-shoveled right up to the big barn doors.

Yet another picture seemed to show the inside of the same barn with several horse stalls in a row. I really would have liked to see the horses, but the photo only showed a couple of their noses poking out over the stall doors.

When we got home, lunch was ready. After Noelle and I finished, we ate our cookies. She ate hers slowly, enjoying each tasty bite. I gobbled mine up as if I might never have dessert again. Thanks, Ponsie!

# Curiouser and Curiouser

A couple of days later, I walked up onto the porch of Number Ten and knocked twice on the screen door. Mrs. Jones came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Hi, Nick." she said, smiling broadly. "What can I do for you today?"

"Er, Mr. Jones asked me yesterday to come over today for a chat - is he here?"

"Yes, he's in his den."

"OK, I'll go back there to see what he wanted to talk about. Which way is it?"

"Why don't you have a seat in the living room and I'll have him come out to meet you there." she replied with just the slightest hint of mystery in her voice.

I walked into the living room and sat in one of the smaller red chairs. It felt even more comfortable than I had imagined - as if countless kids had sat in it for many, many years!

While waiting, I began to to wonder why Mrs. Jones had steered me away from going into the den. Was there something in there that she didn't want me to see?

My thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Jones entering the living room. He shook my hand vigorously and said "Thanks for stopping by, Nick!"

Sitting himself down in one of the large easy chairs next to my smaller one, he said. "There seem to be so many kids in this neighborhood. I bet you and your sister have lots of good friends here."

That started me thinking about the neighbor kids - Kady, Brynn, Audrey, Lirael, Valentina, Iris, Mikey, Don, Willie, Sandy, Beth, and all of the others.

"Yes, we do." I agreed, unsure of where the conversation was going.

We talked for almost an hour about many different subjects including what school Noelle and I attended, how lovely the Summers were in our town, and lots of other things that Mr. Jones seemed to be curious about.

"Do you have any pets?" I asked Mr. Jones during a pause in the conversation, trying to bring up the subject of the animals that I'd seen in the photos in the hall. My curiosity was getting the best of me, and I _really_ wanted to know what those pictures were all about.

"Not here." he answered mysteriously. Though friendly, the tone of his voice let me know that he wasn't interested in talking any further about that particular subject.

This only served to intensify my curiosity. Does that mean that he has pets someplace _else_?

This seemed like as good a time as any to ask about that picture of Mr. Jones and the kids' sports team that I'd noticed on my previous visit.

"Er, Mr. Jones?" I asked, not quite sure of how to begin.

"Please call me K.K." he replied with a huge, friendly grin. "After all, we're neighbors now."

"Er, um, K.K., I'm curious about some of the pictures in your hallway, particularly the one of you with the little kids. Did you used to coach a sports team?"

"Sports team?" he answered as if he had no idea what I was talking about. "Please show me which photo you are talking about?"

He followed me into the hall and I pointed towards the picture that I was asking about. It was hung high up on the wall over my head, so I couldn't really see it very well.

"Oh, _that_ one." he answered. "I'll have to think about where that was taken, it was so long ago."

I got the feeling that he knew perfectly well when and where the picture was taken, but he didn't want to tell me about it. I decided not to ask any further questions and changed the subject to Mrs. Jones's excellent baking skills.

"Your wife sure makes good cookies!" I began. "Noelle says they are even better than our Grandma's, but please don't tell Grandma that."

"Yes, Ponsie certainly loves to bake." K.K. said with a smile while patting his round belly. "Let's go see what she made this morning."

As we walked past the den to the kitchen, I tried to take a peek inside, but the door was closed.

# In the Garden

Standing on an empty milk crate and looking over the back fence between our yards, I noticed that Mr. Jones was working in his garden. It was quite a large one with all kinds of vegetables growing in the center and brightly-colored flowers planted all around the edges. Those flowers were almost as bright as the ones on the Hawaiian shirts that he seemed to enjoy wearing so much.

"Hello Mr. Jones." I began.

"Well, hello, Nick," he replied as he stood up and walked towards where I was leaning on the fence. "It's so hot out here! I guess I could use a little break."

Coming closer, he reached into his back pocket, took out a bright red handkerchief, and began to wipe the sweat off his forehead. Being quite a bit shorter than him, I caught a quick glimpse of something very colorful peeking out from underneath his shirt sleeve. Whatever it might be was a complete mystery to me. Perhaps it was just the bright sun shining through the brightly-colored material of his Hawaiian shirt?

However, I thought it would be impolite to ask Mr. Jones about what I'd just seen. We continued talking about Summer Vacation and how good fresh vegetables taste from your own garden (we have one too).

We talked for a few more minutes, then he mentioned that he really should finish his weeding. Going back into our house, I realized that Mr. Jones was becoming my very good friend.

# Cookies and Milk

A few days later, Mom told Noelle and I that Mrs. Jones had called earlier to invite us over for cookies and milk after lunch. My mouth immediately started watering because Mrs. Jones makes _absolutely_ the best cookies ever! (Of course I'd _never_ tell Mom or Grandma that).

Noelle hadn't been inside of Number Ten since the Jones's moved in. As we walked next door, I told her a bit about what to expect.

"It's quite an unusual house now. If you keep your eyes open and look carefully, you'll notice some very odd things."

"Should I be afraid?" Noelle asked with her eyes opened wide. She always was the careful one in our family.

"Oh no, there isn't anything to be afraid of." I assured her. "It's a very happy place, yet full of curiosities. You'll love Ponsie - just wait and see."

"Ponsie?" Noelle repeated with a puzzled look on her face.

"That's Mrs. Jones's first name."

As we walked up the front steps, Noelle took hold of my hand just to be sure. Being a good big brother, I held her hand firmly so she wouldn't worry.

Hearing us coming, Mrs Jones held the screen door open for us while giving us her usual big smile.

"Ponsie, this is my sister Noelle." I said by way of introduction.

"Hello Noelle, pleased to meet you - I'm Ponsie." she said while holding out her hand. Noelle let go of my hand to shake hers and I knew right away that they were going to be great friends.

"Please take a seat in the living room, and I'll get your snacks." Ponsie offered.

Entering the living room, we noticed that Mr. Jones was already there - sitting in his usual chair.

"Hello, Nick!" he greeted me warmly, as always. "This must be Noelle that I've heard so much about!"

Shaking Noelle's hand, he motioned towards the two smaller red chairs.

"Please, both of you have a seat."

As we sat down, I noticed that my sister was looking wide-eyed all around the room. There certainly _were_ a lot of interesting things to see.

Just then, Mrs. Jones returned carrying a tray with four delicious-smelling plates of still-warm cookies and four large glasses of milk. Setting the tray down on a side table, she proceeded to place a plate of cookies and a glass of milk on the small tables next to each of our chairs. When she finished, she sat in the other large red chair next to her husband.

"Thanks for the yummy cookies, Mrs. Jones!" Noelle gushed after swallowing her first bite.

"Please, call me Ponsie." replied Mrs. Jones. "There's no reason to be so formal - after all, we're neighbors."

The four of us talked about the neighborhood, what our favorite foods were, and what my sister and I were studying in school.

Eventually the conversation turned to our family. Mr. Jones seemed to be particularly interested in my Grandma, who is old and confined to a wheelchair. Mrs. Jones (er, Ponsie) somehow got me to tell her that Grandma's old chair is quite worn out, and we can't really afford to get her a better one.

It also came out in our conversation that my main hobby is fixing up old bicycles for the kids who live at the orphanage a few blocks away. They are less fortunate than us, and are always happy to see Dad and I driving up with a freshly-reconditioned bike or two in the back of our minivan.

I've been doing this for about a year now, so people in town have learned to bring me the old bikes that their kids have either outgrown or broken. I make do with used tools that I've found and whatever bike parts are still useable, although a _real_ set of tools would make things _so_ much easier. However, that is out of the question because of the cost. Dad has kindly let me take over the little shed near the back fence as my workshop.

Yes, putting those bikes back into useable condition is a lot of work. Sometimes I get very dirty, or even skin my knuckles. At times like those, I just imagine the smiles on the orphans' faces as they hop onto one of their "new" bikes for the first time. It makes me happy just to think about that!

We also talked about how Noelle enjoys making warm hats and scarves for the patients at the local hospital. That's her favorite thing in the whole world to do. Their kind words are her reward. The patients really _do_ need the warm things because the hospital is kept quite cold inside all year around. I wonder why that is?

Noelle sews those items by hand, so she can only make a few each week. Ponsie somehow got her to mention that she is secretly trying to save up for a sewing machine. My sister would love to be able to make warm things for _all_ of the patients, but is hesitant to ask Mom and Dad for a sewing machine because she knows that they don't have the money to buy her one.

We munched on our cookies and sipped our milk while Mrs. Jones told us how much they like their new home and our little neighborhood. "It's quite different than what we're used to." she said with excitement in her voice. "We are enjoying living in town and having other people nearby."

Hearing this made me even more curious. My first thought was that they must have lived in a big place in the country before, with no neighbors close by. Maybe that's _their_ barn in some of the photos in the hall?

I really wanted to ask about some of the interesting pictures hanging on the living room walls, but decided that it would be impolite. There were several of snow-covered houses and barns - _much_ more snow than we _ever_ get in our area.

We talked for a long time about all sorts of things - the neighborhood, what there is to do in our town, and the kids on the block. K.K. and Ponsie seemed to be _very_ interested in the other children and wanted to know everything about them. We tried to answer their many questions as best we could.

Having finished our cookies and milk, we politely said our goodbyes. Mr. and Mrs. Jones suggested that we become regular visitors to their home. With happy thoughts of future tasty snacks, my sister and I both agreed.

Little did I know that, over the coming months, Noelle and I would have many delightful conversations with K.K. and Ponsie in that very room. We enjoyed their company and they grew quite fond of Noelle and me. They also seemed to know a lot about kids for two people who didn't have any of their own.

# Awakening

Early one morning, I was woken up by K.K.'s now-familiar deep voice talking on his cell phone in the driveway outside my bedroom window. I could only hear little bits of one side of the conversation, but enough to know that something important was going on.

"It's too cold to fix it up North." K.K. was saying to the person on the other end of the line. "It was badly bent when it got caught on a wire fence that was buried in a snowdrift. I'll give you a progress report soon."

Having finished his conversation, Mr. Jones turned his attention to all of the activity in the street in front of Number Ten.

A large van had arrived just before dawn with a small, powerfully-built man driving and three others keeping him company in the cab. After much difficulty in backing the huge vehicle up the long driveway, they began unloading a large, cloth-wrapped object into K.K. Jones' barn.

My first thought was that it was some kind of vehicle, but from seeing all the trouble that the men had getting it into the barn, it didn't seem to have any wheels.

I intently watched their struggle from my bedroom window. When they had finally finished their task and gone into Number Ten for a well-earned breakfast, curiosity got the best of me.

Tiptoeing quietly out the back door of our house and over to a small window in the side of K.K.'s barn, I peered inside. Sneaking a peek through the small gap between the closed shade and the window frame, I could see that the large object was covered by a huge green cloth tarp. Was that some kind of curved metal bar peeking out from beneath the cover? It was painted red, and bent almost in half.

A hundred questions marched through my mind like a parade. What was this huge "thing" and why did it need to be repaired here instead of "up North"? Who were those odd men that drove the delivery truck? K.K. seemed to know them well. Perhaps the "mystery machine" was some kind of snowplow? He _had_ mentioned snow.

All this thinking was making me hungry, and I could hear that Grandma was awake and starting to make breakfast. The smell of pancakes cooking filled my nose. Yum!

# An Unusual Visitor

On our next visit to the Jones's, something very unusual happened. Mom had just finished baking some bread and suggested that we bring a loaf over to them.

My sister and I walked up the front steps of Number Ten and knocked on the door. It took a couple of minutes for Ponsie to appear, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She seemed a bit surprised to see us.

"Our Mom baked some bread for you." Noelle began. "Do you like whole wheat?"

"Oh yes." answered Ponsie. "It's one of our favorites. Please come in?"

"Hi kids!" I heard K.K.'s booming voice from the living room. "Come and meet my visitor."

As Ponsie carried the still-warm loaf of bread into the kitchen, Noelle and I walked into the living room. Sitting in one of the smaller red chairs was a teen-age girl dressed in very colorful clothes. She looked quite unlike any of the kids that we knew. She was wearing a very long green dress with what appeared to be red cowboy boots. Her blond hair was cut quite short, and most of her head was covered by a tight-fitting green cap that was pulled down over her ears. Her bright, friendly smile made us both feel comfortable.

"Noelle and Nick, meet Trixie. Trixie, these are the children who live next door at Number Twelve. We've become close friends."

The more I looked at Trixie, the more questions formed in my mind. Clearly, she wasn't from around here.

"Where are you from?" I asked her, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"I live up North." Trixie answered. "Quite far up."

"Do your parents have a farm or do they live in a town?"

"Well," she replied, "They have a nice little farm, but I don't live there."

This raised even more questions - why wouldn't she live with her parents? I decided not to ask about that any further in case it might upset her. Mom and Dad have taught us to recognize the times when it's best not to say anything.

"K.K. and Ponsie took me in when I was much younger." Trixie continued. "They've been very, very good to me."

Then an odd thing happened. As Trixie began to tell us more about where she lived, I heard K.K. clear his throat loudly and she stopped in mid-sentence. K.K. then quickly changed the subject to the neighborhood kids.

"Now you've met Nick and Noelle, Trixie. So far, I've also met Kady and Brynn, Lirael, Valentina, and little Audrey." He said without missing a beat. "They are all wonderful children!"

I couldn't help but wonder why K.K. didn't seem to want Trixie to tell us about where she lived. The puzzled look on Noelle's face told me that she was thinking the same thing.

# A Trip to the Hospital

It was a happy day for Noelle!

Mom was taking her to the hospital to deliver the latest group of hats and scarves that she'd made for the patients. This was the first time that my sister had asked me to come with her and I felt honored by the invitation.

The three of us piled into the front seat of our minivan for the short trip to the hospital. Noelle was proudly holding a large paper-wrapped bundle in her lap.

"Do you know how many of each item you've finished?" I asked her.

"Of course!" she answered without hesitation. "Six long scarves and ten hats."

I knew I'd be getting a good look at them soon because, at that very moment, we pulled into the hospital parking lot.

Although it was a warm Summer day, we were greeted by a wall of cool air as we walked through the revolving entry doors.

"Why is always so cold in the hospital?" I turned to ask Mom.

"It's because germs have a hard time surviving when it's cold." Noelle answered, seeing a chance to enlighten her big brother. "Keeping the hospital cooler helps both the patients and employees to stay healthier."

Not having heard this before, I looked at Mom for confirmation. She was nodding her head "Yes".

"I guess a kid can learn something new every day, even while on Summer Vacation." I thought to myself.

As we approached the information desk, the woman sitting behind it smiled and said "Hi, Noelle!"

"Hello, Barbara." Noelle replied while returning the woman's big, bright smile. Noelle knew Barbara well because she not only volunteered at the information desk, but also played the baby grand piano in the hospital lobby for special events.

"Are you here to bring more warm things for our elderly patients?" Barbara asked.

"Yes." answered Noelle, patting the precious bundle that she cradled in her arms.

"Well, I must tell you that Mrs. Emery in Room 302 has asked me a couple of times when you might be visiting again. She told me that she often feels cold because she isn't able to move around much."

"Then we'll go to see her first."

As we reached the elevators, Noelle pushed the button to go up. I had a sudden feeling of pride in my sister - both for her kindness to the patients and because she was becoming more comfortable with taking charge of a situation.

The third floor was even cooler than the hospital lobby. A nurse at the desk pointed us towards Room 302. As we entered the open door, it first appeared that Mrs. Emery was asleep. However, when she heard our footsteps on the hard floor, her eyes opened. A huge grin made it's way across her face as she recognized Noelle.

"Oh, you're the nice little girl who makes all those warm things for us!"

"Yes, I am." responded Noelle without any hint of shyness. She placed her precious bundle on the bedside table and began to unwrap it.

Mrs. Emery's whole face lit up as she saw the fuzzy pink hat that was on top of the pile.

"I love pink!" she exclaimed.

Noelle slipped it onto Mrs. Emery's head. It fit perfectly!

"Wait a minute." said Noelle. "I remember making a matching pink scarf too. Yes, here it is."

Mrs. Emery raised her head off the pillow just enough for my sister to wrap the long scarf loosely around her neck. As we all admired her new pink hat and scarf, I couldn't help but think about how much happier she looked.

"I'm _really_ in the pink now!" Mrs. Emery laughed.

"Yes, you are!" agreed my Mom.

"Thank you _so_ much, Noelle!" Mrs. Emery gushed as we headed for the door.

"You are _very_ welcome." my sister replied, giving her biggest smile.

As we walked back out into the hall, Noelle recognized a familiar face.

"Hi Dr. Kayce!" she greeted the woman. I recognized her as little Audrey's Mom. They live up the street from us with Bjorn, Audrey's Dad. After Noelle explained her mission of mercy at the hospital, Dr. Kayce suggested that we check in on Mr. Moynihan in Room 333. Then she continued down the hall to make her rounds.

Noelle led the way down the long hallway and stopped in front of Room 333. She knocked on the closed door. A man's voice from inside said "C'mon in."

There were two beds in that room. One was empty. In the other was an older gentleman with his leg in a cast.

"Mr. Moynihan?" Noelle asked.

"That's me. What can I do for you?"

"You don't know me, but my name is Noelle and I've made some warm things for the patients here. Would you like to try on a hat or scarf?"

"Don't mind if I do." answered the man with a hint of surprise in his voice.

Noelle looked through her pile to find something suitable for a man with quite a large head. There were only two possible choices.

"Do you like blue or white better?"

"Blue is my favorite color, but white is good, too." he answered.

Picking up the two hats, Noelle approached the bed. First she tried to fit the blue one on his head, but it was much too small. However, the white one easily pulled down over his ears.

"Is that too tight?" my sister asked him.

"No, it fits nicely and my ears are finally getting warmed up. It's always much too cold in this room."

I thought about telling him what I'd learned earlier about why hospitals are always kept cool, but decided not to interrupt. After all, this was Noelle's time to shine.

Entering Room 335 next door, we saw that the lady in that room was wearing one of Noelle's hats from her last hospital visit.

"I _love_ the hat you made me!" she said enthusiastically. "I wear it all the time!"

"It makes me happy to hear you say that!" Noelle answered with a huge grin.

Just then, a nurse walked in to take the woman's temperature. She told us that most of the other patients were in the solarium at the end of the hall, so we decided to go down there.

"What's a solarium?" Noelle asked Mom as we made our way farther down the long hallway.

"Solarium means sun room." was Mom's reply. "It's where the patients can go to socialize and get out of their own rooms for a while."

We entered a large, bright room where ten or more patients and nurses were talking and relaxing.

One of then recognized Noelle and announced. "Here is the girl that makes the hats and scarves to keep us warm!" All of the others turned to look at us with big smiles on their faces.

We never did get to the fourth floor that day because all the rest of Noelle's handiwork was given to appreciative patients in the solarium.

"Next time, I'll start on the Fourth Floor." Noelle announced as we piled into the minivan. "Please remind me, Mom?"

"Of course, dear." she answered. "Do you have _any_ idea how proud I am of you?"

Noelle's face lit up like the sun as she leaned over to kiss Mom on the cheek. I felt proud of her too.

# Road Trip!

It was _finally_ the Big Day! The minivan was all packed for our long drive to Grand Canyon National Park. Noelle and I were quite happy with ourselves for convincing Mom and Dad that going there on a family trip was a great idea.

Dad drove first, with Grandma sitting in the front with him because it was more comfortable for her. Mom, Noelle, and I shared the back seat. The large space behind us (which we called the WayBack) was crammed and jammed full of everything that a family might need for a week-long trip. Mom was in charge of reading the maps and keeping us on the right road. Noelle and I had filled a backpack with games and books to keep us occupied in case we got tired of watching the scenery go by.

It was going to be quite a while before we needed those items, though. At first, we saw the familiar sights of our town and the surrounding area. A bit farther out of town, I began to point out things to Noelle that I'd seen before, but she hadn't. Eventually, it was Mom who took on the role of tour guide because neither my sister nor I had traveled that far from home before. We all settled in for the long trip, which would take until tomorrow around lunch time - if all went well.

\------------------

"I have a surprise for you kids." announced Dad as the sun was getting low in the sky. "We're staying the night at a motel."

"What's a motel?" Noelle asked.

"It's a place where travelers can spend the night." answered Mom.

"You mean like a hotel?"

"Well, sort of, but they are usually smaller and you can park your car right in front of the rooms."

"Oh, I get it! Motor-hotel, motel!" my sister said with a laugh.

"Here it is now." Dad announced after a few more miles, pointing to a large, colorful sign. The bright red and yellow neon sign said " _Southwest Motor Inn_ ".

"But I don't see any hotel." Noelle said with just a touch of disappointment in her voice. "Hey, what's _that_?"

Dad drove up to a triangle-shaped building that came to a point at the top and parked under an overhanging roof. Another smaller neon sign blinked " _Office, Office, Office_ ".

"Be right back." said Dad as he got out of the minivan and went inside.

Noelle and I both looked at Mom. We weren't at all sure what we were getting into.

"Don't worry, kids, you are definitely going to enjoy staying here." she assured us.

Looking farther down the driveway, we saw what appeared to be more triangles barely visible as darkness fell. Triangles?

"We are in Numbers 16 and 17." Dad announced as he got back into the driver's seat and drove slowly down the single-lane road. "Let's see - 13, 14, 15... aha! 16 and 17!"

As he pulled into the parking space in front of Number 17, I saw Noelle's face light up. "Hey, those are teepees! I recognize them from our studies of Native Americans in school!"

I squinted a bit and peered into the darkness. Yes, those were teepees all right!

"You kids are staying in Number 16 with Grandma, and your Mom and I will be in Number 17." Dad informed us with a smile.

"Oh, wow!" Noelle and I said at the same time. This vacation trip was already turning out to be quite something!

Opening the tall, triangle-shaped door of Number 16, we peeked inside. As Grandma flipped on the light switch, a marvelous sight met our eyes. It was a delightful circular room which wasn't huge, but plenty big enough for the three of us. The ceiling was unusual in that it came to a point high up over our heads.

The next thing that I noticed were the colorful Native American-style blankets covering the two double beds. The same bright patterns were also used for the seats of three wooden chairs which were clustered around a round oak table. There was also a small TV sitting on a side table and an air conditioner in one of the two windows. The large paintings on the walls were of Western landscapes. We could easily imagine riding through them on horseback. Further exploration revealed a small bathroom with a shower, sink, and toilet. All-in-all, the room had a cozy and charming feeling of the Old West.

"Noelle, you can bunk with me." suggested Grandma. "Nick is big enough to need his own bed." That was fine with me.

Dad came in carrying our overnight bags and asked if we liked our teepee. Noelle laughed and said that she already knew what her Sixth Grade essay on _How I Spent My Summer Vacation_ would be about.

"We need to get up early if we want to get to the Grand Canyon before Noon," Dad reminded us. "so everyone should turn in soon."

We were all tired after the day's long drive, so it wasn't long before Grandma tucked me in with a kiss on the cheek. She then wheeled over to kiss Noelle goodnight and climbed into bed next to her.

Mom and Dad were very comfortable in Number 17 and talked about the next day's schedule for a few minutes before going to sleep.

"The kids seem to be excited about our adventure." remarked Mom after she kissed Dad goodnight.

"This trip will be both fun and educational for them." Dad added as he turned out the light.

All five of us slept like babies.

\------------------

In the morning, Noelle and I ran around exploring the teepee village while Dad loaded up the minivan. We then stopped at a nearby diner for a wonderful breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and wheat toast. Traveling sure gives a person a hearty appetite!

After breakfast, Dad asked Mom if she would drive for a while and she agreed. With Grandma in the front seat and Dad in the back with us, we continued down the highway. Grandma made up a fun game that involved reading road signs, and soon we saw one that announced _You Are Entering Arizona_.

"Isn't Arizona one of the States where the Grand Canyon is?" asked Noelle.

"You are correct, sweetie." replied Mom. "We should be there in another hour or so."

We decided to play checkers to pass the time and took the magnetic board out of our game backpack. First, I played against Dad, who let me win. I knew he let me because he could play checkers so well that he _never_ lost. No matter what your first move was, he always knew how to come out ahead. Next, I played Noelle, who beat me fair-and-square.

"Let's go two out of three." I suggested. She won again.

"Hey, look!" Mom announced, pointing to a wood-and-stone sign that said _Welcome to Grand Canyon National Park_. "We're here!"

Noelle and I both carefully inspected the huge sign, which was longer than our minivan. In addition to the park name in bold letters, it had a wooden "arrowhead" that said _National Park Service_ above a drawing of mountains, trees, and a white buffalo.

"Why is there a buffalo on the sign?" Noelle wanted to know. She spoke for both of us.

"The white buffalo, or bison, is very special to Native Americans." Mom answered. "They are extremely rare - only about one in every ten _million_ bison born is white. The National Park Service chose to use that animal as a symbol of early North American wildlife. Bison were here long before America was even a country."

We stopped at the Park Ranger's little cottage to pay our parking fee and pick up several information booklets. The Ranger was wearing his uniform of forest green pants and a gray shirt with his name tag and several other cool-looking patches on it. He also was wearing one of those famous "Smoky the Bear" hats.

"That's _so_ cool!" I heard Noelle say under her breath. "I want a hat like that!"

We drove on, and at last came to a huge parking lot full of cars with license plates from almost every state in the USA. There were some from Mexico and Canada too.

As Mom parked, Grandma was reading some of the information from one of the park brochures out loud:

"The Grand Canyon is over 277 miles long, up to 18 miles across, and over a mile deep. At the bottom of the canyon runs the Colorado River, which has been carving through the rock for almost 2 billion years. Almost 5 million visitors come here every year to marvel at one of the Seven Wonders of the World."

"Native Americans have lived around the Grand Canyon for thousands of years. The Pueblo Indians have historically used the many caves for shelter and to store corn and other foods." she continued. "This is a sacred site to the Pueblo people."

Meanwhile, Mom had been browsing through some of the other booklets. Not wanting to interrupt, she waited patiently until Grandma was finished reading.

"Hey kids, this sounds interesting!" she said when it was her turn. "This booklet tells how you can become a Junior Ranger."

"Wow! That sounds interesting! What do we have to do?" asked Noelle excitedly.

"To become a Junior Ranger, pick up an Activity Book at the Visitor Center." Mom read. "Complete the requirements for your age group and bring your book to the Visitor Center for review by a Park Ranger. You will then take a pledge and receive an official Grand Canyon Junior Ranger badge."

"What's a pledge" asked Noelle.

I knew the answer to that one. "A pledge is like a promise."

\------------------

The Visitor Center was only a short distance from the parking lot, so we all headed in that direction. After standing in line for a few minutes, we reached the Junior Ranger Sign-Up desk. Behind it, five Park Rangers in full uniform were busily attending to the park visitors' various requests.

Soon, Noelle and I were excitedly clutching our Activity Books as we headed outside in the direction that the lady Ranger pointed us. Because of our age difference, my sister and I were going to be in different groups, with age-appropriate activities.

"Do Junior Rangers get to wear those cool hats?" my sister wanted to know as we sat on a long wooden bench below a sign which read _Junior Ranger Program Meets Here_.

"I'm not sure." replied Mom. "Here comes a Ranger, why don't you ask him?"

We all glanced in the direction that Mom was looking and, sure enough, a Park Ranger in full uniform was walking towards our small group.

"Hi folks!" he said, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm Ranger Bryan. Are you all here for the Junior Ranger program?"

"Yes!" we all replied in unison.

"Well then, let's get started. Please hold your questions until after we all have filled out our paperwork."

Ranger Bryan handed each kid a clipboard and a pen.

The registration form wasn't very long. It only asked for our full names, what state or country we were from, and some other personal information. N-I-C-H-O-L-A-S, I began to spell out, using my full first name. I chuckled to myself at the realization that "Nick" was my "nickname".

The final step was for a parent to sign an official-looking form stating that we had their permission to join the classes. Mom smiled as she signed Noelle's form. Dad happily signed mine.

Ranger Bryan then began his talk by assuring all of the parents that their kids would be completely safe and under Ranger supervision for the whole three hours of the Program. He also mentioned some Park activities that the parents might consider doing while they waited, including several hikes with terrific views.

"First of all, what does a Junior Ranger do?" he continued. "The Junior Ranger Program allows kids to have fun while learning about many subjects including geology, wildlife habitats, and being safe and respectful while exploring the Grand Canyon. Some of us will also study petroglyphs, which are rock carvings done by ancient peoples who lived in this area long ago."

"Junior Rangers learn how to preserve and protect our many National Parks. They learn all about Park history, have fun exploring Nature, and tell their friends, families, and schoolmates about what they learned. They also learn ways to protect the environment both at home and at school. At the end of our course, you will take a pledge and receive an official Grand Canyon Junior Ranger certificate. If you bring your certificate to the book store, you can buy a beautiful sew-on patch to go with the award that you receive."

"And maybe a cool hat?" Noelle whispered to Mom. Mom just nodded.

"Now let's talk about what each age group will experience." Ranger Bryan continued. "There are three age group categories in the activity book. Ages 8 through 10 can earn the Raven Award, ages 11 to 12 study for the Coyote Award, and ages 13 and up work towards the Scorpion Award. I'll be conducting the Raven Class, Ranger George will teach the Coyote Class, and Ranger Aurora will instruct the Scorpion Class."

Rangers Aurora and George smiled and waved at everyone. Then the eager kids lined up next to the Ranger guides for their age group. Noelle stood near Ranger Bryan. It was easy to tell that she was in awe of him - perhaps it was his uniform? I moved to stand behind Ranger George, thinking that in only a month, I would be 13 and in the Scorpion Class instead.

"By the way, each National Park has completely different Junior Ranger Programs, so if you visit another Park, you could enjoy those activities too." Ranger Aurora added as the older kids lined up behind her.

With that, Ranger Bryan announced that the parents should meet back here in three hours. He also handed out maps highlighting some of the local trails that the grownups could hike while they were waiting.

Mom, Dad, and Grandma watched as we headed off for our Grand Canyon adventures.

\------------------

Three hours later, we returned to the bench where we started. Mom, Dad, and Grandma were there waiting for us.

"Well, what did you learn?" Dad asked.

Noelle spoke first:

"We learned that the Grand Canyon is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Almost 300 miles long, it's the world's longest gorge. It measures over 10 miles from rim to rim and the Colorado River is over a mile down. It is one of the most-visited parks in the U.S. I really think that _every_ kid should see this place. Looking at photographs is one thing, but nothing compares to actually being here! Our group stood at the very edge of the canyon while Ranger Bryan told us all about what we were seeing below. I'll definitely remember this trip _forever_!"

It was my turn to speak next. "I've never seen anyplace so big, beautiful, and impressive!" Our class concentrated on the local wildlife and the Native Americans who have made this area their home for thousands of years. We learned that the Canyon is one of the safest places for the California Condor rebuild its population. That huge bird has a wing span of almost 10 feet! In the early 1980's, the total number had fallen to only twenty-two birds, but now they are coming back strong."

"We also studied some of the petroglyphs that Ranger Bryan mentioned before. They are examples of ancient art which showed the day-to-day life of the people who lived here long ago. We also got to grind corn using the same methods that they did long ago."

"What did you grownups do while we were in our classes?" Noelle asked.

"We had a wonderful hike on the Cape Royal Trail." Grandma answered. "It has gorgeous views and is wheelchair-accessible. We saw where the Colorado River turns a corner, and a beautiful overlook called Angels Window. We could also see the Desert View Watchtower on the South Rim - all the way across the main canyon. It was awesome!"

Noelle and I both looked at each other and giggled when we heard Grandma use the word "awesome".

Just then, Ranger Aurora announced that the Awards Ceremony was about to begin. "Please line up with the Ranger who conducted your class and we'll get started."

Thirty or so excited kids wasted no time in getting to their places.

"First of all, the other Rangers and I have reviewed your activity books and are proud to announce that every one of you has finished all of your requirements. Congratulations!"

A buzz went up among the parents and other onlookers. It was easy to see the pride on their faces.

"We will now recite the Junior Ranger Motto."

"Explore, Learn, and Protect." said a chorus of young voices in unison.

"Very good!" Ranger George announced with a smile. "Now it's time for you to take the Junior Ranger Pledge."

"Do you promise to do your part as a Junior Ranger and discover all that you can about Grand Canyon National Park?"

"We do!" all of the children promised.

"Do you promise to share your discoveries and pledge to protect the Grand Canyon and the other National Parks, and to be a friend of the planet Earth?"

"We do!" the kids declared enthusiastically.

"Congratulations! You are now Junior Rangers!"

A loud cheer went up from the audience. A couple of the parents even had a tear or two of joy in their eyes.

The kids stood at attention while their respective Rangers pinned their badges on their shirts and handed them their Certificates.

I looked over to see that Mom, Dad, and Grandma were all beaming with delight.

\------------------

"Let's go get something to eat." suggested Dad after the ceremony was over. "You must have worked up quite an appetite!"

As we sat together in the restaurant waiting for our food to come, Mom reached into her backpack and pulled out a gift for each of us.

"This is a souvenir for you, Nick, to help you remember your adventure." she said.

I unwrapped the tissue-paper-covered object to reveal a real fossil! It was the impression of a fern imbedded in a piece of sandstone.

"Thanks, Mom!" I said excitedly. "We learned today that this kind of fossil is proof that this whole area was once the bottom of an ancient sea."

"You're very welcome," she smiled. "and Noelle, this is for you."

I watched as Mom handed my sister a larger package. Noelle gasped as she open the big square box and saw what was inside.

"Wow, a _real_ Ranger hat!!!" she said as she put it on her head. "I'll treasure it forever!" It fit her perfectly.

Just then, our food arrived. As we ate, we took turns telling about all the amazing things we had seen and learned that day.

After lunch, we headed to the book store to get our sew-on patches. They looked much like the ones that the Rangers wore on their uniforms.

\------------------

Over the next few days, we explored the whole area of the North Rim. Our many hikes included one to Bright Angel Point with Dad. The views there were spectacular!

We didn't see a single person that didn't seem to be impressed with the beauty and majestic views of this gigantic natural wonder.

Is there such a thing as a perfect vacation? We all agreed that our trip to the Grand Canyon certainly came close!

# Home Again

The happy sounds of children playing outside gradually filtered through the wonderful dream that I was having. Hearing a couple of familiar voices, I slowly opened my eyes and glanced around my bedroom. It sure felt great to be back home again!

Of course, having adventures is enjoyable for kids (and grownups too), but there is a lot to be said for waking up in your own bed. Indeed, I wasn't in any hurry to get up.

As I was lying there, it occurred to me that I hadn't thought about the mystery of Mr. and Mrs. Jones since we left on our trip to the Grand Canyon. My mind busily went over the many clues and questions about the mystery that was unfolding next door. Questions began to flood my brain.

Why were the Jones's so friendly about most things, yet secretive when certain subjects came up?

What did K.K. do when he went up North?

And the biggest mystery of all - exactly what was that huge thing in K.K.'s barn? I had tried every way I could think of to get a better look at it, but without success.

# Summer Vacation Winds Down

The days that followed seemed to fly by faster and faster. We enjoyed swimming in the lake, riding our bikes through the neighborhood, playing games with our friends, and generally enjoying our freedom. Why is it that Summer seems to go by so much faster than the other seasons? School will be starting again in only three weeks!

However, Summer Vacation wasn't over quite yet. Dad announced at dinner last night that we were going to stay in a _real_ log cabin in the woods for 3 whole days and 2 nights! It seems that Timothy, one of his friends from work, was going on a cruise ship vacation and wasn't going to be using it. Thank you, Timothy!

Our cabin adventure was only 2 days away, but time seemed to be going by extra-slowly. Noelle and I each made a list of items to take with us - clothes, snacks, games to play in case it rained, a couple of good books, and all of the other items that kids just _have to_ bring along _._

Indeed, our suitcases were all packed and ready the afternoon before our adventure was to begin. When Dad got home from work, he noticed them waiting near the front door.

"So, someone _really_ wants to go to the cabin!" he announced while flashing the special smile he saved just for moments like that.

" _Two_ someones, at least!" Noelle replied with a chuckle.

" _Four_ someones!" came Mom and Grandma's voices in unison from the living room.

"Well then," continued Dad. "I'll make it unanimous. I have a whole week off from work!"

The conversation at dinner covered a wide range of topics from how many cookies Grandma had baked to wondering if we might see any wild animals near the cabin.

That night, my sister and I both found it difficult to get to sleep. We lay in our comfy beds imagining what adventures might be in store for us. Eventually, we drifted off to Dreamland.

# Our Cabin Adventures

"Time to get up, Nick - today is our trip to the cabin." I heard Mom's voice slowly coming through the haze of my dreams. As she went to wake up Noelle, I stretched and looked over towards my neatly-packed backpack sitting on a chair. With that and my suitcase, I was all ready to go (after eating a hearty breakfast of course).

Why is it that stretching is almost automatic as we wake up? Is it some kind of primal urge? Almost everyone seems to enjoy doing it sometimes. Even some animals enjoy a good stretch. I yawned, stretched again, hopped out of bed, and started getting dressed.

By the time I walked into the kitchen, Grandma was putting 2 huge waffles onto a plate from a large pile that was warming in the oven. I watched as she spread butter on top of them, covered them with maple syrup, and placed them in front of me. Yum!

I was halfway through the first waffle when Noelle came in. Grandma served her up a single waffle because her tummy is smaller than mine. Both Noelle and I have always had good appetites. Mom and Grandma's delicious home cooking probably have a lot to do with that. Dad had already eaten and was busy loading up the minivan for our road trip.

Mom came into the kitchen and Noelle asked her "Do you know how long the drive to the cabin is?"

"It's only about two hours." was Mom's reply. "We should be there around lunchtime."

Just then, Dad came in from outside.

"Is anyone just a _little_ bit excited?" he asked in his usual understated way.

"I am!" answered Noelle.

Knowing better than to talk with my mouth full, I raised my hand and waved it wildly in the air.

"Very well then," replied Dad, "I'll go upstairs and get the backpacks from your rooms. Can you both have your teeth brushed and be all ready in half an hour?"

This time it was Noelle who had her mouth full. I enthusiastically answered "Yes" for both of us.

Mom came in and was delighted to see that we were moving right along.

"Did you both pack your swimsuits?" she asked with a smile.

"I brought two." Noelle answered.

I realized that I hadn't packed that all-important item and told Mom. She said that she would get me one from upstairs while I finished eating breakfast. I thanked her between delicious bites.

It wasn't long before all 5 of us were loaded up in the minivan and ready to back out of the driveway.

"Let's hit the road!" Dad said while looking at us kids in the rear-view mirror. "Are we ready?"

"I am!" Noelle and I both declared at the exact same instant.

"OK, fasten your seatbelts and prepare for takeoff."

It was a bright, sunny Summer day as we headed South. We drove through the familiar and relatively flat landscape of the river valley that surrounded our town. There wasn't a single cloud in the brilliant blue sky. In the distance, we could see the foothills with several mountain peaks just barely visible behind them.

"What a fine day!" Grandma remarked. "We couldn't ask for a better one."

Everyone agreed.

Soon the road began to climb - gently at first. Up and down the rolling hills we went. Grandma started singing _The Wheels On The Bus_ and we all joined in.

By the time our song ended, we were climbing a much steeper road. The big trees on both side of the road sometimes met overhead, which made it seem as if we were driving through a green, leafy tunnel.

"Everyone look for a side road with a red ribbon marking it." Dad requested.

It wasn't long before Noelle spotted a splash of red against the background of thick greenery.

We were all surprised to find out that it was a _dirt_ road that we were turning onto. It wasn't very wide - in fact, there was only room for one car to drive up it.

"What if we meet another car?" inquired Noelle, just a tiny bit worried.

"It's OK." Mom answered. "We'll go very slow. The chances of meeting another vehicle on this little road are quite slim. If we do happen to meet someone, either they'll pull over to let us by, or we'll let them by."

Hearing this seemed to calm Noelle down.

"What does the cabin look like?" I asked Dad.

"I haven't been there before," Dad said. "but Timothy told me it's made of logs and is on a small lake with a boat dock."

"A boat dock!" exclaimed Noelle. "Wow!"

I was happy to hear that because it meant we might be able to get a running start and dive into deeper water off the end of the dock. My sister and I both love to swim and dive!

The winding dirt road went this way and that - curving, yet always climbing up, up towards the small patches of blue sky that we saw from time to time between the tall trees.

After a mile or so, we came to a little clearing with a couple of small parking spaces that had been cleared from the thick brush and a low metal gate that was painted yellow. There was no road past the gate, only a well-worn gravel path.

"Ready to begin our adventure?" Dad asked as he pulled the minivan into one of the parking spots.

Everyone answered "Yes" at once, and the energy level in the car increased by about ten times.

"I don't see the cabin." announced Noelle as we all piled out of the minivan. "Are you sure we took the right road?"

"It's up the path and around a corner." Dad assured her. "You'll see."

As Dad wheeled Grandma around the yellow gate in her chair, the rest of us each picked up a couple of bags and followed them. Sure enough, as we went up a short hill and rounded a corner, our eyes were met with a marvelous sight!

To our right was a small log cabin that blended beautifully into its thickly-wooded surroundings. We could see a good-sized porch that surrounded two sides. A closer look revealed that the whole structure was raised up off the ground on large wooden posts, so you could see underneath it. The roof was made of green canvas, like a tent.

To our left was the lake. It was absolutely gorgeous! The sunlight made little sparkling ripples appear on the surface with each tiny gust of wind. A fairly long wooden dock jutted out from the shore, and tied up to it was a little red rowboat! Noelle and I looked at each other with delight at the possibility of sharing some nautical adventures.

Dad went around to the other side of the cabin and came back with a key. We all watched anxiously as he turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. It was quite dark inside.

Mom spoke first. "Let's open all the windows and blinds to get some light and fresh air in here." We were happy to help.

With each pull of a blind cord, more and more of the cabin's secrets were revealed. There was a large oak table in the center of the main room. Around it were several wooden chairs - none of which matched. In one corner was a pot-bellied wood stove. You should have seen Dad's face light up when he saw that! Next to the stove was a huge old trunk filled to the brim with logs. A closer inspection also revealed a metal pail filled with sticks of kindling. If it hadn't been 90 degrees outside, I'm sure that Dad would have fired up that stove right away.

As the grownups settled in, Noelle and I explored the rest of the cabin, which didn't take long. We soon discovered that there was only one other room with a big double bed, a smaller twin bed, and a set of bunk beds that reached almost to the ceiling. One, two, three, four, we counted. Four bunks high - wow! I began to wonder how a person might ever get up into that top bunk, but Noelle was way ahead of me. She was already halfway up the wooden ladder that was built into one of the walls.

"C'mon up!" she said excitedly as she climbed into the second bunk from the top. I followed her and took the top one.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather have the top bunk?" I asked her politely. "After all, you climbed up here first."

"No, you take it please - I'll feel much safer right here."

We tried out the "new" beds that we'd be occupying for the next 2 nights. I reached up to touch the green canvas. and wondered why it wasn't a solid roof - the rest of the cabin was certainly built sturdy enough. I decided to ask Dad about that when I had a chance.

Just then, Grandma's voice came from the other room. "Lunch is served."

I suddenly realized that I was _very_ hungry. Noelle went down the ladder first, and I followed.

"What's the bedroom like?" Mom asked as we sat down at the big table after washing our hands in a metal basin in the kitchen sink. Oddly, I hadn't seen any faucets on the sink.

I described the bedroom accommodations to Mom, Dad, and Grandma, and assured them that everyone was going to be quite comfortable. I was also glad to know that no one in our family snored, but decided not to mention that.

My sister and I had questions - _lots_ of them.

"Why is the cabin built on "stilts"? Noelle asked Dad.

"Yes, and why is the roof made of canvas instead of wood?" I added.

"Well," began Dad. "Timothy told me that there are several of these vacation cabins nearby, but they are built out of sight of each other. They are only temporary structures because the land here is owned by the U.S. Forest Service. A few years ago, they allowed people to enter a lottery to build these cabins. After 20 years, they'll all be torn down and the land allowed to return to its natural state. That's why the cabins are raised up off the ground - to keep from damaging the forest floor. The canvas roof is another one of the Forest Service's requirements. That makes certain that the structures are only temporary."

"I had no idea about _any_ of that." I said with amazement. "So your friend doesn't really own the cabin?"

"He owns the cabin, but not the land it sits on." Dad explained. "I suppose he could move the cabin someplace else when the time is up, but that seems like a really big job."

Moving on to another subject, Noelle asked why there weren't any faucets on the kitchen sink.

"See that metal thing with the long handle at the edge of the sink?" Mom began. "That's a hand pump for bringing water up from the lake."

"From the _lake_?" both Noelle and I asked with surprise.

"Yes, the lake water is clean and OK for washing, but we'll have to boil it for cooking and drinking."

"How does the pump work? Do you just move the handle up and down?"

"It's not quite that simple, but almost." Mom went on. "If we go too long without pumping some water, gravity will empty the pipe coming up from the lake, so someone would have to "prime the pump".

Neither my sister or I really had any idea what she was talking about. Thankfully, she explained further.

"See that bucket full of clean water sitting on the shelf under the sink? Before I started pumping, I poured that water down the pump from this end. That way, the pipe was full and could create enough suction to pull more water up from the lake when I started working the handle. I refilled the bucket with fresh water to prime the pump the next time it needs it."

It was all becoming clear now. I began to wonder what other strange things this cabin may hold.

"I had no idea that going to camp would be so different from our daily lives." Noelle remarked.

"That's one reason why people have camps," Dad explained. "to take a break from their everyday routines."

"It's time to go down to the lake." announced Mom after we had helped clean off the table. "Go put your suits on and I'll unpack the sunblock."

We didn't have to be told twice!

A few minutes later, our whole little group headed down the short path to the sparkling blue lake. Noelle and I ran out to the end of the dock to take a good look around while the grownups unfolded several beach chairs that were leaning against the trunk of a pine tree and made themselves comfortable. The lake was kind of medium-sized and we could see a couple of other docks sticking out into the water a little ways off to the right. To our left, the lake seemed to turn a corner - hiding whatever was there from our view. Also to our left was the little red rowboat tied up to the dock. It was in need of some fresh paint, but a look inside told us that it was floating just fine.

Noelle and I decided to jump off the dock at the same time. Holding hands, we looked at each other, counted to three, and took the Big Leap. Splash!

At first, the water felt quite cool, but in no time at all we became used to it. It was just the right depth off the end of the dock - coming up to Noelle's shoulders when she was standing up. It would have been OK if it was over our heads though, because we've both been taking swimming lessons for the last three Summers. The smooth, sandy bottom felt great between our toes.

Looking up towards the grownups, I noticed a rope hanging next to the trunk of a tree growing right at the edge of the water. Further inspection revealed that the rope was tied to a branch high up in the tree. It was a rope swing!

After asking Dad's permission, I grabbed the rope and walked it up the little hill as far as I could. I then put one foot into a big loop tied in the rope, gave a little "whoop", and swung out over the water. In my excitement, I forgot to let go and swung back towards shore. It was a simple matter to push off again with one foot and swing back out over the lake. This time I let go at just the right instant and did a "cannonball" into the water. Wow, that was fun!

By the time I swam back to shore, Noelle was ready for her turn. Because of her smaller size, she needed my help to get her foot up into the loop. I held the rope still until she was completely ready. She suddenly gave a "whoop", which was her signal for me to let go of the rope. I watched as she swung out over the lake and let go, hardly making a splash. As she surfaced, the huge grin on her face told me that she loved it! We took turns at the rope swing for at least half an hour before we were both tired enough to take a break.

As we sat down with the grownups, Mom handed us each a towel to dry off and Dad gave us each a bottle of water. Grandma said that we had surprised her with our rope skills. We were definitely ready to relax for a while. Mom started singing _Baby Beluga_ and we all joined in.

When we were all rested, Dad announced that he had another surprise for us. He got up, and after poking around under one side of the cabin, came back with two long wooden oars and three orange life jackets.

"Would anyone like to go for a little row?" he asked - looking right at us kids.

He already knew our answer. Mom told us that she would stay to keep Grandma company. The three of us put on our life jackets and, with Dad's help, got into the boat. This wasn't easy because it was our first time and we had to learn to make slow, smooth movements. We wouldn't want to tip the boat over! Noelle sat in the front, and I got in the back. Dad sat backwards in the middle seat and took up the oars.

Playing Pirate Captain, he pretended to order Noelle to "Cast Off!". She untied the rope that was attached to a metal loop and tossed it up onto the dock. We were under way!

"Yo ho, yo ho! It's a pirate's life for me!" Dad sang as he began rowing out onto the lake.

"Be home in time for dinner, pirates." Mom reminded us with a chuckle.

It turned out that Dad was an excellent rower. He almost made the boat go in a straight line. Anyone who has ever rowed a boat knows how difficult that can be. We decided to go to the left and see what was around the corner of the lake. The little red boat surged forward with each of Dad's strong pulls on the oars.

In a few minutes we rounded the corner and Noelle's eyes lit up as she saw a huge patch of one of her favorite things of all to eat - wild blackberries! Because there wasn't anyplace nearby to land the boat, she made Dad promise that we could hike over later and pick as many berries as we wanted. There didn't seem to be any cabins at this end of the lake, which was quite shallow.

We rowed on a bit more until we reached a little stream flowing into the lake. From our Nature Studies, we knew that this was called the "inlet". At another place on the lake there would be another stream flowing out - called the "outlet". These two streams helped to keep the lake water fresh and cool. Noelle dipped her hand in and remarked that the stream was _much_ colder than the lake water was. It was too cold to swim in for sure - we'll do that at our own dock where the water is warmer, thank-you-very-much.

As we returned to the dock, Mom handed Noelle the rope, which she retied to the metal loop at the front of the boat. We then carefully got out of the rocking boat and onto the dock. It was definitely going to take some practice to learn to do that safely!

That evening after dinner was over, Dad found some dry firewood and kindling underneath the cabin, carried them to the metal fire ring near the dock, and proceeded to light a small, cozy fire.

Mom came out of the cabin carrying a large tray and walked down to where we were sitting around the fire talking about the day's events.

"Who wants s'mores?" she asked, knowing full-well that _all_ of us did!

\------------------

Later on, the sun began to sink lower in the sky over the lake. Aren't those Summer days wonderful when it doesn't get dark until after 9 PM?

We were all sitting around the big oak table playing cards.

"It's time to light the gas lamps." Dad announced, reaching for a box of wooden stick matches. He then climbed up onto one of the chairs and lifted up the glass globe of the lamp.

Noelle and I watched him closely.

"Where is the light bulb?" Noelle wanted to know. I did too.

"There is no bulb, wire, or electricity in a gas light." explained Dad. "See this thing that looks like a little cloth bag? It's called a "mantle". Gas from the tank outside the cabin runs through this metal tube. The mantle keeps the gas from spreading out before it's lit, which could be dangerous."

At hearing this, Noelle cautiously moved her chair away from the one that Dad was standing on, but still watched his every movement. He lit a match, held it near the mantle, and turned a little metal knob on the side of the lamp. We heard the hissing sound of the gas, then a "pfffft" sound as the gas inside of the mantle lit.

"It's not very bright." remarked Noelle.

"It will be plenty bright - watch this." Dad answered. He lowered the frosted glass globe back into its usual position. The lamp instantly put out a _lot_ more light.

"That seems like magic!" Noelle said in amazement. "How can it get that much brighter just from lowering the glass?"

"You can see that the top of the globe is open." explained Dad. "The heat from the burning gas has nowhere to go except out the top. That creates an air current which draws more gas into the mantle. This little round knob here adjusts the flow of gas for the brightness that you want."

"So, it _is_ magic!" my sister announced.

"Yes, or something quite close to it." agreed Dad.

We continued playing cards until bedtime. My sister and I kissed Mom, Dad, and Grandma goodnight and climbed up the ladder to our bunks.

"Noelle?"

I was going to ask her if she was having as much fun as I was, but she was already fast asleep.

\------------------

The next morning I was awakened early by a strange pitter-patter sound filling my ears. It seemed to be coming from directly over my head. As the fog of sleep slowly cleared from my brain, I opened my eyes. At first, all I could see was a fuzzy patch of green. When my eyes could finally focus, I realized that I was looking up at the canvas roof only a couple of feet over my head. The gentle sound continued as I put my fingers up to touch the canvas. I was surprised to feel some very light vibrations. When consciousness had fully returned, I realized that it was raining.

Peering over the side rail of the bed, I looked down to see that Noelle was still asleep in the bunk below.

"Psssst!, Noelle!"

"Huh?"

"Wake up, it's raining!"

"Hmmm, that's nice." she said with her eyes still closed. "What's that noise?"

"It's the rain falling on the canvas roof."

"I like that sound - it's very soothing." she said softly as the falling raindrops lulled her back to sleep.

I agreed with her that it was a relaxing sound, but I was already awake. Noises from the other room informed me that at least one of the grownups was up. I stretched, tossed off my warm covers, and climbed down the tall ladder, tiptoeing past Grandma, who was fast asleep in her single bed, and Mom in the double bed.

Walking into the main room, I saw it was Dad who was up. He was smiling to himself as he made a fire in the pot-bellied stove. From the doorway, I watched him go through the routine that I knew so well. First, he put some crumpled-up newspaper in through the little cast-iron door, then he added some small pieces of dry kindling wood. Next, he stood three small logs up on end like a teepee over the newspaper and kindling. Striking a match, he touched it to the newspaper. A warm and welcome flame slowly grew until the kindling caught fire, which quickly spread to the dry logs. As always, I was held spellbound for a moment by the magic of the dancing flames.

"Good morning, Dad." I said softly, so as to not wake the others.

"Oh, good morning, Nick." he replied. "We seem to be the early-birds today. Grandma and your Mom are still dozing."

"So is Noelle. I added. "The sounds of the rain on the roof made her fall back asleep."

I then realized that it was a bit chilly where I was standing, so moved closer to Dad and the stove. He closed the little cast-iron door, pulled a wooden chair up next to the stove, sat down, and motioned to me to sit in his lap. My first thought was that I was too grown up for that sort of thing, but the chilly air in the cabin quickly changed my mind. I felt Dad's warm, strong arms wrap around me as we watched the flames grow through the tiny glass window in the door of the stove.

"How come that glass doesn't get hot enough to melt?" I asked him.

"That's actually not glass - it's a mineral called mica. You can see through it, but it can withstand much more heat than glass can." he explained as he put the coffee pot on top of the stove. It wasn't long before a delicious aroma filled our noses. I don't drink coffee, but do enjoy that smell! Grandma, who only drinks tea, says that the smell of coffee is the best part. I have to agree with her.

A few minutes passed. Mom came out of the bedroom, fastening the belt of her fuzzy blue robe. She walked over to Dad and me, kissed each of us on the forehead, and said "Good morning, that coffee smells wonderful!"

Knowing that Mom wouldn't be fully awake until she had some coffee, Dad poured her a cup. As he handed it to her, she smiled at him while wrapping both of her hands around the large mug to warm them up. Dad then poured himself a cup, turned to me with mischief in his eyes, and asked if I wanted some. This was an on-going joke between him and me. Dad knew full-well that I didn't drink coffee, but he still asked me whenever people were drinking it.

"Grandma will be waking up soon." Mom said as she put the tea kettle on top of the stove. After putting some of Grandma's favorite tea into another mug, she pulled up another chair next to us. Sure enough, the moment the tea kettle started to whistle, Grandma came out of the bedroom, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Is it raining?" she asked.

"Yes." Dad said. "Perhaps the sun will come out later."

We all hoped so, but remembered that we had a backpack full of toys and games in case we had to spend the day inside.

Mom had found a strange-looking contraption in one of the kitchen cupboards. It had two long wooden handles on one end and two round cast-iron circles on the other, which were hinged in the middle.

"What do you suppose this is?" Mom asked me.

It took me quite a while to figure out that it was an old-fashioned waffle iron to use on top of the wood stove! Of course, Mom already knew that.

Mom let Noelle sleep until breakfast was ready, then tiptoed into the bedroom with a plate of waffles covered with syrup and fresh strawberries. Picking up a magazine, she stood below Noelle's bed and fanned the delicious smells up towards her daughter's sleeping face. Noelle stirred and mumbled something, then slowly opened one eye.

"I'm hungry!" were her first words of the day.

"Here's your robe, sweetie." said Mom. "We're all sitting around the breakfast table."

That was all my sister needed to hear. In no time, she was down the ladder and sitting at the table between Grandma and me.

It was then that I noticed something was somehow different. Oh, yes, the sound of the rain had stopped!

By the time we finished eating, sunlight was streaming in the kitchen window.

"I'm happy to see the sun shining," Mom announced. "because today is bath day for the two of you."

"Awww, Mom!" Noelle complained. Bath day definitely wasn't one of her favorites.

"You'll enjoy _this_ kind of bath." Mom assured her.

After clearing the table, we all went outside. The bright, warm sun was chasing the last bit of fog from the other side of the lake. Dad unfolded the lawn chairs. We all sat near the dock and talked about how much we were enjoying our cabin adventure until Mom told us that it was bath time. She then reached under her chair and pulled out a plastic soap holder.

Noelle looked around, gave Mom a funny look, and asked "Where is the bathtub?"

"The lake will be your tub today." Mom answered. This explanation only made Noelle look at her as if she had gone bonkers.

"C'mon, your brother will show you how it's done."

"I will?" I asked with a puzzled look on my face.

"Yes," continued Mom. "the first thing for you to do is dive off the dock and get wet."

The grownups and Noelle all turned their chairs towards the lake to watch. Being somewhat brave, I dived in, then climbed up the little ladder which was attached to one side of the dock. Mom handed me the bar of soap and instructed me to lather up completely, including my hair.

Still unsure of exactly what was going on, I did what she asked. By the time I was covered with soap from head to toe, Mom had moved over and was holding the rope swing steady. Slipping one soapy foot into the loop, I counted to three, swung out over the lake, and let go. Tucking my arms around my knees in mid-air, I did another "cannonball". A huge wave splashed all over the dock and almost soaked Grandma in her lawn chair!

"Wow, that's the fastest bath I've ever taken! I feel squeaky-clean all over!" I called out as my head broke the surface of the water.

Mom looked at Noelle, who declared that it looked like a lot of fun and she wanted to try it next. After getting wet, she soaped up and Mom held the rope steady for her.

"Wheee!" she yelled as Mom gave her a little push. "It's time for my 5-second bath!"

There really was no feeling quite like it. One went from being a slippery, soapy mess to 100% completely clean in a heartbeat! Mom didn't have any trouble getting us to "quick-bathe" the rest of our stay at the cabin. In fact, we did it without even being asked!

\------------------

That evening, all 5 of us enjoyed a spirited game of Crazy Eights by the friendly light of the gas lamps. We also talked about how different life was at camp without electricity, running water, or many of the other comforts we took for granted. Grandma took the opportunity to remind us that, when she was a little girl, _everyone_ lived without those conveniences!

Later, as I lay in the top bunk, I heard the soft "hooting" of an owl in a tree outside. It was a soothing sound. I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning at breakfast, Dad informed Noelle and I that we would be allowed to row the red boat around in our little cove without an adult aboard. We could hardly wait!

"Remember that you both must keep your life vests on _at all times_." Dad cautioned us while holding the boat steady so we could climb in. "I've also taken some precautions so we don't have to worry about you."

We soon found out that Dad's "precautions" meant tying a 100-foot rope to a metal handle on the back of the boat and fastening the other end firmly to the dock. At first, Noelle thought it was a sign that Dad didn't trust us. However, as we rowed out onto the lake until we reached the end of the rope, a look back towards shore revealed that we were _plenty_ far away. The adults looked tiny as we bobbed up and down on the little waves in our small craft.

"I think the water here is over our heads." remarked Noelle nervously. I assured her that, even though the lake was deep, we'd be safe in our life vests. Hearing this seemed to calm her down. We continued taking turns rowing all around our little cove until Grandma called out "Lunch!"

"Did you enjoy your little cruise?" Mom asked while we ate our sandwiches. "You both seem to have worked up quite an appetite!"

"Yes, we have." Noelle answered after making sure her mouth wasn't full. "Rowing is hard work."

"We have another surprise for you kids." Mom announced. "After lunch, I'll take you on a hike around the corner of the lake to where the wild blackberries are. Won't it be wonderful to have some on our pancakes for dinner? If we pick enough, we can take some home to make muffins, too."

"Yum!" both of us said as we thought about tasty muffins with butter and fresh-picked blackberries.

Being very wise, Mom made sure that we all had on long pants and long-sleeved shirts to keep us from getting scraped up by the thorns of the blackberry bushes. Waving goodbye to Grandma and Dad, we set off down a little path that seemed to head in the right direction.

It wasn't long before we came to a big moss-covered log that had fallen across the path many years ago. As we scrambled across the top of it, we heard a short, sharp whistling sound. Noelle jumped as she saw something moving out of the corner of her eye. Another whistle informed us that a chipmunk apparently lived inside the hollow log. He stopped at a safe distance to sit on a stump and noisily scold us for interrupting his peace and quiet. We continued down the little path.

"Oh, look at _that_." Mom said, stopping and pointing at something growing on one side of a big tree. It looked like some kind of huge mushroom, with a "wrinkly" gray top. A closer inspection revealed that the underside was pure white and very smooth. We kids knew better than to touch it.

"Seeing this takes me back to when I was a little girl." Mom said wistfully. "I'll show you a little trick."

Picking up a small stick from the ground, she proceeded to write her name on the white part. As if by magic, each letter turned dark and became easy to read.

She then handed the stick to Noelle, who added her name and a smiley face. It was my turn next. I was amazed at how something could change color just by rubbing a stick over it. It seemed like some kind of miracle of Nature!

When we were done, we all admired our creation. Mom told us that, if we were to visit this place in the future, our names would still be visible. She also told us that it wouldn't hurt the mushroom and would make it just a bit more special than the others growing nearby.

You learn something every day - some days _two_ things!

Continuing down the path, it wasn't long before the lake came into view. Walking another hundred feet or so, we came upon the biggest blackberry patch that we'd ever seen! There were so many large, ripe berries that the branches bent over to touch the ground. Reaching into her daypack, Mom brought out a large plastic bowl for each of us.

After only a few minutes of picking, Mom's bowl was full to overflowing. Mine was about half-full because it was difficult to keep from eating as I picked. My sister had moved a little ways from us where she had found a thick patch of extra-juicy berries.

"How are you doing over there, Noelle?" Mom asked. "Is your bowl full yet?"

Noelle laughed and stuck out her tongue. It was the color of ripe blackberries. She then turned her bowl over so we could see that it was still empty.

"I just can't stop eating them!" she laughed as she walked towards us. Handing Mom her empty bowl, she went back to gobbling up berries as fast as she could.

A few minutes later, Mom had filled Noelle's bowl to the top and mine was full too.

"Let's head back to the cabin to get ready for dinner." Mom suggested.

We carefully carried our overflowing berry bowls back up the little path. Crossing the fallen log was quite a production. We ended up having Mom cross first, then she held our bowls while we scrambled over. The chipmunk was no where to be seen.

Reaching the front steps of the cabin, a delightful smell filled our noses - pancakes! Certain that our berry hunt would be successful, Grandma had taken it upon herself to make a huge stack of them for an early dinner. Pancakes and fresh-picked blackberries - yum! The meal was so tasty that there was very little conversation.

After dinner, Mom told us that we'd better start packing if we wanted to get home before bedtime.

"But I want to stay here forever!" Noelle said with a touch of sadness in her voice. "I wish we had a cabin just like this one." she continued, knowing full-well that we could never afford one. I felt the same way - this cabin on the lake was truly a special place!

"We'll be coming back here again." Dad informed us. "Timothy has generously offered to let us stay here for a week each summer from now on."

"Wow, a whole _week_?" Noelle gushed. " _Every_ year?"

Dad assured us that we would be visiting the little log cabin every Summer for many more years. Mom and Grandma seemed happy to hear that too.

We continued discussing how much we would all enjoy returning to that special place as the sun slowly got closer to the mountains on the other side of the lake.

"Why don't you kids take one last swim while we load up the car and button up the cabin?" Grandma suggested.

By evening the car was loaded. The cabin windows were closed, the gas turned off, and the door was locked. None of us wanted to say goodbye to our new-found vacation spot, so we just said "See you next year, cabin!"

\------------------

The trip home seemed to be considerably shorter than the drive to the camp had been. I've noticed before that it often seems to take less time when you are driving towards home than when driving away. I wonder why that is?

We pulled into our driveway just as the moon appeared. That night we all slept even better than usual.

\------------------

A week or so later, Dad took my sister and I to the local swimming pool. We had a blast playing in the water. We particularly enjoyed the long waterslide because it was the first time that Noelle was brave enough to go down it. I guess our adventures at the lake gave her more confidence.

Mom called and asked Dad to stop by the grocery store on the way home for a couple of items she needed for dinner and some ice cream for dessert.

As we stood in front of the ice cream freezer debating which flavors to buy, someone spoke to Dad. Turning around, he saw that it was Timothy and his wife, Patricia, who owned the lake cabin!

"Oh, hello folks!" Dad grinned. "Thanks again for letting us use your cabin."

"Yes, we loved it!" exclaimed Noelle. I agreed with her completely.

"Tim, Patricia, these are my kids Noelle and Nick." Dad continued with the introductions.

We then took turns telling the couple about some of our adventures at the lake and how much we were looking forward to going again next Summer. After we all said "thank you" again, Tim and Patricia continued with their shopping. We headed to the checkout to pay for our groceries and head home for dinner.

# Yet Another Mystery

"Mr. Jones?"

"I'm here in the barn, Nick."

I entered the spacious barn. As my eyes grew accustomed to the dim light, I saw that Mr. Jones was up on a tall step ladder taking something down from the rafters near the ceiling. I also noticed the huge "mystery object" still taking up the whole far side of the barn. I wanted _so_ much to go over and lift the tarp to see what was underneath, but realized that would be a _big_ mistake. If K.K. wanted me to know what it was, he would show me himself.

"We got some more of your mail in our mailbox today and I brought it over for you." I explained. "Gary, the letter carrier, usually does a great job of sorting the mail, but this envelope was stuck to one of ours."

"I'll be right down." K.K. said in his usual friendly tone of voice.

As he started to climb down the tall ladder carrying a big wooden box, the sleeve of his Hawaiian shirt got caught on a nail which was sticking out from a board. It tore out quite a large piece of fabric, and I could plainly see something showing through the hole. I instantly remembered that day in the back yard when I'd gotten a brief look at something colorful that was hiding up his sleeve.

Reaching the floor, Mr. Jones walked over to me and held out his hand to take the envelope that I was offering. As he did, my eyes were drawn to the bright colors peeking out at me through the hole in his shirt. This time I caught a quick glimpse of some pictures of deer on his upper arm - first one, then another. Deer again! He looked to see if I'd noticed anything, but I quickly looked the other way and pretended that I hadn't.

Why would Mr. Jones have pictures of deer on his arm? I didn't think that it would be polite to ask him, so I just handed him his mail.

He took it, smiled again, and thanked me. I'd promised Mom that I would do some chores, so said "See you soon." and headed home.

\------------------

As I entered the kitchen, Mom was busy washing dishes.

"You're just in time!" she smiled as she handed me a dishtowel. "I'll wash, you dry."

Personally, I think it's a waste of energy to dry the dishes with a towel because they'll air-dry themselves just by sitting in the dish drainer. However, Mom and I had repeated that conversation many times and she always insisted that I dry them with a towel. I took the one that she offered and began drying plates as she handed them to me.

A question was forming in my brain. Since my Mom is also my best grownup friend and encourages me to talk with her about _anything_ that might be on my mind, I decided to ask her.

"Why does Mr. Jones have pictures of deer on his arm?" I began.

"Are you sure that he does?" she answered. "I've never noticed anything like that."

I explained how he had ripped his shirt sleeve on a nail and what I'd seen through the hole.

Mom paused for a moment while she decided exactly how to answer.

She then said "Well, it might be a tattoo."

This raised more questions in my mind than it answered.

"Tattoo?" I'd heard that word before, but wasn't exactly sure what it meant.

"That's when an artist draws a picture on someone's skin with ink."

"Why would anyone want to do _that_?"

"Well, it's usually done to remember something or someone that is near to a person's heart."

"Oh... But why deer?"

"I have no idea - that must have some special meaning for Mr. Jones. It's best not to ask him about it though, because tattoos are often very personal and he might not want to explain."

"Could he wash it off?"

"No, tattoos are permanent. That means they last forever."

I kept thinking about it while drying the dishes. How could deer possibly mean enough to Mr. Jones that he would want a picture of them on his arm forever? I decided that, if we became even better friends, I might ask him about it someday.

# Karen's Kollectible Korner

It was a beautiful Summer morning. Mom announced at breakfast that she was taking her latest collection of hand-made jewelry to Karen's Kollectible Korner and would enjoy having us kids tag along.

Having heard a lot about Karen, her Mother and business partner Joyce, and how cool their shop was, Noelle and I quickly agreed to go.

We all piled into the minivan. Noelle had the important job of holding in her lap the small metal box which held Mom's precious handiwork.

Pulling into the little mall, we found a parking space right in front of the store. The two huge front display windows were packed with every kind of collectible that you could imagine. Noelle was clearly amazed, and we weren't even inside the store yet! Being a gentleman, I held the door open for my Mother and sister.

As we entered the store, Noelle's eyes opened wider and wider. Every possible inch of space was taken up by display cases, shelves, and tables filled with brightly-colored items. There were even countless objects hanging from the ceiling!

"Hello, Joyce." Mom said to the woman behind the counter. "These are my children, Noelle and Nick. Is Karen here?"

"Yes, she's in the back talking with Jeremy, the bookkeeper." Joyce replied. "I'll go get her."

While she went through a door into the back room, we all continued looking around.

The first thing that stood out to me was the incredible variety of collectibles that Karen and Joyce had assembled. The largest wall was completely covered with hanging quilts of every possible size and color combination. The opposite wall displayed original work by several local artists. Behind the counter was a huge collection of figures and other items from America's favorite theme parks. It was easy to tell that these were Karen's favorites because a large, colorful sign announced that these objects were " _Not For Sale_ ".

On the display floor were several tables filled with carefully-arranged items. Each table had a theme - the closest one to me held dozens of miniature figures made of crystal. Cleverly-placed spotlights on the ceiling made the whole table sparkle like diamonds.

Another larger table supported colorful rocks and minerals of every variety. A few that I recognized included flat pieces of sandstone holding fossils, some mica (which the wood stove window at the lake camp was made of), and a large geode (a hollow rock formed by a volcano) that was cut in half to reveal bright purple amethyst crystals. Just looking at the items on that table revealed the beauty and many variations of the natural formations of our Earth.

A row of shelves on another wall displayed several dozen teapots. Noelle excitedly pointed to them as if to say "We _have_ to tell Grandma about _these_!" I looked for that elusive Chinese pot made of purple clay, but didn't see one.

Next, my sister showed me a collection of our Mom's jewelry which was displayed in a small glass case on the checkout counter. Seeing that filled us both with pride.

"Why, hello!" said a cheerful woman as she walked through the door from the back room. "Welcome back!"

"Hi Karen." Mom responded. "I've brought you some more jewelry to sell."

"Great!" Karen continued. "Several of your pieces have sold since you were here last, so it's time to refill the case. I also have a nice check for you. Here it is."

"Thanks, that will be quite useful." Mom said happily. "By the way, this is my daughter Noelle and my son Nick."

"Happy to meet you both." Karen declared with a big smile. "Now let's see your new pieces, please."

Mom opened the little metal box, unwrapped each item from it's protective tissue paper, and laid them out in a row on the counter.

"You just keep getting better and better at jewelry making." Karen exclaimed. "I might just have to buy a couple of these items for myself!"

Mom's face turned slightly red. Hearing a compliment like that made her feel a bit self-conscious, although she was gradually becoming more confident about her creative skills.

As Karen began to arrange the new jewelry in the glass case, we said our goodbyes and left the shop. Her Mom turned from feather-dusting the teapots to wave goodbye.

# School Days

School started today and I got the Eighth Grade teacher that I really wanted!

I'm in Mr. Eric's class. He was by far my first choice because he likes nothing better than to take his students on field trips. Indeed, he told us about three outings that he's already planned. Our first trip is to the Aquarium, then to the Science Museum, and the third is to the local TV station.

Noelle is happy too. Her Sixth Grade teacher is Mrs. Sarah. She is one of the kids' favorites because she understands how kids think. After all, it wasn't long ago that she was one of them herself.

All-in-all, the first week wasn't nearly as bad as the students had imagined. Noelle and I didn't even mind writing the often-dreaded _How I Spent My Summer Vacation_ essays.

We both wrote about our trip to the Grand Canyon, and were happy to bring our souvenirs to Show and Tell. Noelle's Junior Ranger hat was a big hit - all the kids wanted to try it on and take photos of themselves wearing it. The kids in my class wanted to hold my piece of sandstone with the fern fossil imbedded in it. Some of them couldn't believe it was millions of years old. A couple of them were so excited by our stories that they asked their parents if they could go to the Grand Canyon next Summer!

# Trouble Up North

I awoke once again to the sound of Mr. Jones talking on his cell phone in the driveway outside my bedroom window.

"Yes, that old assembly line needs to be completely rebuilt, but it will have to wait until after the holidays. You know this is our busiest time of the year!"

I couldn't hear what the person he was talking with was saying, but they were clearly upset.

"Just fix it as best you can and try to keep on schedule." K.K. was saying in his usual calm, unhurried voice. He seemed to be trying to get the person on the other end of the line to calm down.

I made up my mind to ask him about all of these mysterious goings-on the next time I had a chance.

\------------------

That chance came sooner than I expected. That very afternoon I was testing a rebuilt bike on the sidewalk in front of my house when K.K. and Ponsie came walking down the street.

"Good afternoon, Nick." they said at the same time. As usual, they were both dressed in brightly-colored clothes and looking happy as they walked together hand-in-hand.

Because of the cool Fall weather, Mr. Jones had finally put away his cargo shorts and Hawaiian shirts in favor of a dark green jacket with white trim around the edges and matching green pants. Ponsie was wearing a long red dress that almost brushed against the ground with each step that she took. She also had a long green shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

They seemed to be quite interested in what I was doing.

"Is that one of the bikes that you fixed up for the kids at the orphanage?" asked Ponsie with a knowing smile.

"Yes, I just finished it this morning and am just making sure that everything works well."

"I could use someone like you at my factory." said K.K. with a thoughtful look. "You obviously are good at fixing mechanical things."

I saw my chance to bring up what I'd overheard him talking about on the phone and took it.

"You have a factory?" I asked as innocently as I could. "What do you make there?"

"Er, um..." he began.

"They make all sorts of things there." Ponsie answered, clearly trying to be careful not to reveal too much.

"Yes," continued K.K. "it's a big place with many production lines."

"Perhaps we'll tell you more about it another time." interrupted Ponsie.

This conversation definitely created more questions in my mind than it answered. Why hadn't K.K. or Mrs. Jones mentioned the factory before? Was there something secret about it? It all added up to yet another mystery involving our new neighbors.

I decided not to push too hard for answers since I wanted to maintain our growing friendship.

\------------------

Just then, our neighbor Ava came walking up the sidewalk. At first glance, she appeared to be a tall, beautiful, normal woman. Then we all noticed that she was walking her cat on a leash!

"Hi Nick. Hi Noelle." she said with a smile. "Luna and I have just been to the pet store to get some treats."

After introducing her to the Joneses, we all shared a brief conversation. After talking for several minutes, Ava announced that her other cats, Ella, Willow, and Eureka were waiting patiently at home for their treats.

As she walked her cat (or was the cat walking her?) towards their house, Noelle said "You know it's not really fair."

"What's not fair?" Ponsie wanted to know.

"Some of the kids at school call her the Crazy Cat Lady." Noelle continued. "But if they only knew that she volunteers at the cat rescue shelter, they might think differently. She loves animals and truly has a heart of gold."

"Yes, it's easy to see that she does." added K.K. "Well, Ponsie and I both have some chores to do. See you soon."

After watching the couple climb the front steps of Number Ten and go inside, I continued with my bike testing. Everything worked like a charm.

# A Trip to the Orphanage

It was a Saturday morning, and time to do one of my favorite things in the whole world! Dad and I were loading two freshly-rebuilt bikes into the back of our minivan to take to the orphanage. He had called to let them know we were on our way. As we turned from our driveway onto First Street, Mom, Noelle, and Grandma were all smiling and waving from the front porch. They looked almost as happy as I was.

Yes, Dad and I had done this many times before, but a wave of excitement always came over me as I thought about those less-fortunate kids enjoying their bikes.

The orphanage was a huge white building with big porches around three sides. In the back was a large fenced-in area where the kids could play. There was a grass soccer field with a baseball diamond in one corner, two basketball courts, and a large paved area where the kids could ride their bikes and skateboards and play with all kinds of other wheeled toys. There was also a giant sandbox along one side of the fence.

As we pulled into the driveway, Ernest, the custodian, waved at us and opened the gate. He pointed towards where a large group of kids of all ages were sitting in a row on a bench. They were clearly excited. Next to the bench were fifteen familiar-looking bikes lined up in a row. Those were the ones that Dad and I had brought there over the past year.

If it was up to me, I'd like to give each of the kids their very own bike, but there were always more kids than bicycles. They had worked out a very fair system among themselves, though - _all_ of the bikes belonged to _all_ of the kids!

Dad opened the sliding door and there was much happy chatter coming from the bench as we unloaded the first bike. It was hot pink with training wheels and long yellow streamers on the ends of the handlebars. 2 of the youngest girls were pointing and whispering with delight. I wheeled the bike over and stood it up in line with all of the others.

The next bicycle to be unloaded was one of my all-time favorites. I had my own rebuilt bike at home just like it. It was shiny black with red flames on the fenders and a real gear-shifter! A couple of the boys on the bench could hardly contain themselves as Dad set it down and I walked it over next to the others.

You may wonder how these kids could keep from just running over, grabbing a bike, and wheeling off around the playground. The truth is that the orphanage had many rules and the kids generally obeyed them quite well. They were waiting for Patrick, one of the counselors, to give them permission to ride.

Patrick had been a counselor at the orphanage for as long as Dad could remember. He was very tall - about 6' 5", easy-going, and quick to smile. He took everything in stride and even keeping a couple dozen kids in line didn't seem to bother him at all.

He stood in front of the assembled group and announced "Your good friend Nick has brought you two more bicycles today. What do you have to say to him?"

"Thank you, Nick!!!" replied two dozen voices at once.

My heart was instantly filled with warmth. Seeing the happy expressions on those kids' faces was the main reason that I did this.

"Who wants to ride?" asked Patrick in a loud voice. The kids on the bench went wild!

"Remember that everyone rides in a clockwise direction to keep from running into each other." Patrick reminded them. "Three, two, one..... go!"

You never saw so many kids move so fast! In less than a minute, seventeen kids were pedaling seventeen bikes all over that yard. The bigger kids were riding in clockwise circles around the outer edge while the smaller ones went around and around in the middle. A few still sat on the bench, patiently waiting their turn.

Patrick walked over to us, smiling.

"I can't tell you how much you've changed these kids' lives, Nick." he began. "Not only are they getting a lot more exercise, but they've also learned how important sharing is."

"There are benefits for me, too." I told him. "Besides making other kids happy, I'm learning to work with my hands and how to solve different kinds of problems as they come up."

"You must be mighty proud of your son." Patrick told my Dad.

"Yes, he's always been a good kid who honestly cares about others."

Upon hearing Dad say this, I felt a wave of happiness come over me and had to bite my lip to hold back a tear or two of joy. Dad was not the kind of man who gave out compliments very often and when he did, you knew that he really meant it.

# More Driveway Commotion

Early one Fall morning, I awoke to loud talking and scraping sounds in the driveway.

A peek out my bedroom window revealed several men helping K.K. to push that big tarp-covered "thing" up a ramp into the back of the same huge truck that it had arrived in. With much grunting and groaning, they finally got it inside and closed the two huge doors in the back of the truck.

"Do you think the repair will hold?" K.K. was asking one of the men who seemed to be in charge. The man nodded his head and said "We straightened and welded it. It's just like new."

Satisfied with that answer, K.K. watched as all of the men piled into the cab of the truck. After saying goodbye, he waved as it pulled out of the driveway. I couldn't help but wonder what was in that truck and where was it going? Would I ever find out?

# The Tree Farm

On the Saturday before Christmas, Dad always warms up the minivan and the whole family piles in for our annual trip to the Cut-It-Yourself Christmas Tree Farm.

Everyone is always in a great mood and there is much joking and laughter during the fairly long ride. Grandma likes to take charge of which carols we sing because she actually knows _all_ of the words to so many of them! She, Noelle, and my Mom usually sing the loudest because they can actually carry a tune. Dad and I sing softly, so our way-out-of-tune voices won't throw everyone else off. There is fun to be had for all on our yearly search for the Perfect Tree! We also look forward to seeing our good friend Bruce, who owns the tree farm.

Bruce is the perfect person to own a Christmas tree farm. He loves the outdoors, and is most comfortable working outside in the tree lot all year around. In the summer, you'll find him in his t-shirt, shorts, and work boots planting seedlings or shaping pine trees into lovely cones. When the weather turns cooler in the Fall, he puts on a pair of coveralls. When Winter arrives, you might see him wearing a plaid wool jacket and sometimes even gloves. All-in-all, Bruce is a very healthy and strong man who would _much_ rather be outdoors than inside.

Upon reaching the tree farm parking lot, Dad gave us his annual lecture about how "everyone must agree on the same tree before we cut one down." Last year he let Noelle and I do the honors and I was hoping that he would let us do the same again this year. We were both thrilled to be trusted to use the _very_ sharp saw.

My sister and I were already out of the car and ready for action as Mom tucked the big thermos full of hot cocoa into the huge bag attached to the back of Grandma's wheelchair. We knew from past experience that her bag also contained yummy cookies! Last year she brought both peanut butter and oatmeal cookies. What kinds did she bring this time? My mouth started watering just thinking about it!

All around the parking lot, excited kids were running around and trying to get their parents to hurry up. Who wants to hang out near the car when there are hundreds of trees to inspect before deciding on "The Very Best Tree"?

At last, Mom, Dad, and Grandma were ready for our adventure. Mom made sure that we had our winter boots, warm scarves, and mittens on before we stepped off the plowed parking lot and into the freshly-fallen snow. I always loved the crunching noises it made as we walked!

Noelle took less than ten steps before choosing an undisturbed patch of fresh, clean snow to make a "snow angel". I happily joined her. As was our custom, we tried to get the grownups to join in. In past years they preferred to just watch us kids, but this year Dad got right down in the snow with us and made an excellent angel himself! Mom looked at Grandma and mumbled something about her "three children".

After a few minutes, Noelle and I decided to race to the back field where the best trees were to be found. As the adults wheeled Grandma through the snow, I thought I heard Mom suggesting to Dad that he should try acting more like a grownup, to which he replied "Awwww, do I _have_ to?" They both laughed, and Grandma joined in too. After all, Mom and Dad were both just kids to her.

Noelle and I had started kind of a tradition of our own. While the adults were slowly making their way to the back of the tree lot, we always played hide-and-seek in between the trees. There was something both beautiful and exciting about darting in, out, and through those snow-covered pines. The feeling of those strong evergreen branches encircling us was quite special. Once in a while, other kids that we didn't even know joined in our game. What youngster can resist a spirited game of outdoor hide-and-seek?

"Nick! Noelle!" I heard Dad's voice call from somewhere in the trees.

Being busy with our games, we had almost forgotten why we were there. Oh, yes, it was time to find "Our Tree"!

As we got closer to the grownups, Noelle had an idea. We crawled on our bellies through the snow until we were directly behind the lovely tree that Mom, Dad, and Grandma were discussing. They didn't seem to notice us.

"Pick me!" Noelle said in her best high-pitched tree voice. "You seem like a nice family!"

Grandma jumped a bit when she heard this. Mom moved over next to her and whispered something.

"Oh, my! A talking pine tree!" Grandma said cheerfully, playing along with us.

"Do all the trees here talk, or just you?" Mom inquired as she joined in our game.

"We all can talk, but only to people that we like." Noelle said in her squeaky voice.

"And just _why_ should we choose you?" Dad added. "There are lots of _other_ nice trees here."

My sister and I sat in the snow behind the tree giggling and trying not to laugh out loud.

"I'm just the right size, smell really good, and promise not to shed needles all over your carpet." Noelle continued.

"Those are all good qualities." Mom said. "What do you think, Grandma?"

"Well, a talking Christmas tree is very unusual." she smiled. "But what if it talks all night long while we're trying to sleep?"

Noelle thought fast. "Trees need sleep too, you know."

"Hmmm... of course, we'll have to ask our kids if they approve." said Mom, thinking out loud. "Where are they, anyways?"

I motioned to Noelle that we should circle around so they couldn't tell it was us talking from behind the tree. A moment later, we had made our way around behind the grownups and jumped out from between two large Blue Spruce trees.

"Who were you talking to?" I asked innocently.

"This lovely pine tree." answered Grandma, trying hard not to laugh.

"Yes, it's a very nice tree." I continued. "What do you think Noelle?"

"I like it, but I don't believe it can talk." she said with a doubtful look.

"But I _can_ talk!" said the tree.

Noelle and I looked at each other with our mouths hanging open. It was then that we realized Dad had moved behind the tree and was continuing with our little prank. That Dad!

We decided to play along.

"Would you like to come home with us and be cheerfully decorated for the holidays?" I asked.

"What does "decorated" mean?" asked the tree.

"That means we will cover you with sparkling glass balls, pretty lights, shiny tinsel, strings of popcorn and red berries, and delicious treats." Noelle answered.

"I think I'd like that a _lot_!" said the tree enthusiastically.

After another moment of talking among ourselves, we all agreed that this was indeed the right tree for us.

"OK," said Grandma. "We promise to welcome you into our home and make you look beautiful."

At that moment, Dad appeared with a tree saw. He handed it to Noelle and told us to each take one end and to be _extremely_ careful. We got down on our knees in the snow and moved in close to the the trunk.

"Tim-berrr!" yelled Noelle as the sharp saw quickly finished its job.

Next came another of our favorite traditions. Dad pulled the tree up onto a large two-wheeled cart and motioned to my sister and me to take our usual places up on top of it. He then proceeded to pull the cart, tree, and us up to the little log cabin which was about halfway to the parking lot. How we loved that cabin! Farmer Bruce always decorated it in bright colors for the holidays. This winter there were even real icicles hanging from the edges of the roof.

As was our custom, we stood our tree up in front of the cabin and asked one of the people passing by if they would please take our photo. In all the years we'd been doing this, people had been more than happy to take Grandma's camera and snap our picture as we stood smiling with our arms around each other. Grandma could hardly wait to add this year's photo to her album at home which showed her precious grandkids growing year-by-year.

Next, Dad put the tree back onto the cart and Noelle and I climbed back up on top. He then pulled the whole thing up a little hill to the shed where a friendly worker wearing a green hat with reindeer antlers was waiting for us. He pulled the whole tree bottom-first through a huge metal funnel, which made it small enough to be wrapped in green nylon netting.

While two other workers dressed as elves tied our chosen tree onto the roof of our minivan, our family enjoyed yet another of our winter traditions. After we sat down at a picnic table, Grandma poured us all big paper cups of hot chocolate and, as if by magic, cookies appeared from her huge bag. We all sat and enjoyed these snacks as we watched our tree being loaded up for the trip home. This year she had made chocolate chip cookies with extra chips!

"ThenkyewGramma!" Noelle burst out with her mouth full.

"You know very well that I can't hear you until your mouth is empty." Grandma said, reminding us kids to be polite.

After chewing some more, Noelle swallowed and said "Thank you, Grandma."

"You're welcome."

Just then, Bruce came around the corner carrying a good-sized spruce tree over his shoulder. His other hand held a double-bladed axe.

"Well, hello folks!" he said enthusiastically as he leaned the tree up against the side of the building, set the axe down, and reached out to shake all of our hands. "It's great to see you all again!"

"Are you kids ever going to stop growing?" he teased while looking at my sister and me.

"Not for a while yet!" answered Noelle.

"That's a lovely tree that you picked out." Bruce remarked while looking over towards our minivan."

"It talks, too." added Noelle.

Bruce didn't seem at all surprised by this.

"Yes, we have several talking varieties on the lot." he added, playing along.

Grandma offered Bruce a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie, which he gladly accepted. He then sat down at the table with us and we talked about the Holidays and how much we enjoyed coming to his tree farm each year.

"You should come visit in the Summertime." suggested Bruce. "I'll show you how to plant and trim trees if you like."

Mom, Dad, and Grandma said that they would like that very much. Of course, Noelle and I would enjoy it also.

# Grandma Takes Charge

Upon arriving home, each of us had our part to do in decorating the tree.

Dad's first duty was always putting it into the tree stand and making sure there was enough room between the top and the ceiling for Mom's favorite silver angel.

As usual, the tree was a couple of feet too tall, so Dad cut the bottom off and mounted the perfectly-sized tree onto the metal stand. This left about six or seven nice, long pine branches that Mom would use to frame the outside of the front door. I always loved the way that those pine branches smelled when someone opened the door!

If Mom could be described as a big fan of Christmas, then Grandma is a Christmas nut! There isn't a single holiday detail that she overlooks.

"Those lights on the tree look kind of far apart, better add a couple more strings." she would tell Mom, or "Someone needs to make more paper snowflakes." That was Noelle's task. I was directed to hang the stockings on the fireplace, put together the display of tiny skaters on a mirror pond, and to help Grandma by standing on the step stool and hanging each of the brightly-colored ornaments _exactly_ where she pointed.

All of this preparation took many hours, but the results were definitely worth it. Our living room was transformed into a beautiful Christmas World of red, white, and green with colored lights and sparkling decorations everywhere!

When we had finally finished, we all stood together and gazed at the results of our creative efforts. Congratulations were shared all around. Was that a tiny tear of joy in the corner of Grandma's eye?

# Holiday Flowers

The next afternoon, while reading on the couch, I heard a knock on the front door.

Looking out through the curtains, I saw that it was Mr. Jones. He had both hands behind his back and was clearly holding something quite heavy.

"Oh, hello." I said while opening the door - a bit surprised because this was the first time that either of the new neighbors had come over to our house.

"Is your Mom home?" asked K.K. "Ponsie asked me to bring her a little holiday gift to brighten up your home."

As Mom came to see who was at the door, K.K. revealed what he had been hiding. She smiled as she saw the bright red flowers in a clay pot wrapped in shiny green paper. I recognized them as the same kind that the Joneses had lined up on their front porch railing.

Mom thanked him for the "posies". At least that's what I thought she called them.

"Won't you come in for a while?" she asked.

"Another time, if you don't mind. Ponsie has a long list of chores for me to do today. A happy wife means a happy life, you know." replied K.K. with a chuckle.

"Well, I'm going to put these beautiful flowers right here on the hall table so all of our holiday visitors can see and enjoy them." Mom said enthusiastically.

"By the way, we're hoping to have Noelle and Nick over for a visit on Christmas Day." K.K. said with a wave as he went down the front steps.

"Yes, they have my permission." replied Mom with a smile. "Thanks again for the lovely flowers!"

# Christmas Eve

While sitting in our living room just admiring the beautifully-decorated tree, the sweet sounds of voices singing outside caught my attention.

Peering through the curtains next to our front door, I saw a large group of carolers gathered in front of Number Ten. As they sang the last chorus of _Jingle Bells_ , I noticed that Ponsie was outside on the porch steps handing out paper cups of hot chocolate. It was a cold evening and the singers seemed to be happy to have something warm to drink. K.K. must have been doing something in the house because he wasn't outside. The look on Ponsie's face as she listened to the music was one of pure joy.

I recognized many familiar faces in the group. Timothy, Patricia, Sean, Kelly, Shaun, Brynn, Kady, Bryan, Mary, Jessica, Jennifer, Bruce, Mary, Shane, Kalyn, Morgan, Valentina, Patrick, Jeannie, Bjorn, Kayce, Audrey, Ava, Barbara, Gary, Jeremy, Alex, Joyce, Karen, Sarah, Erik, and Lirael all were there.

By this time, Mom, Dad, Noelle and Grandma had all put on their warm coats and joined me on our front porch. The lovely smell of the pine branches framing our front door filled our noses.

Clutching their warm drinks, the carolers formed a tight group in front of our house and began to sing _Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer._ Mom, Noelle, and Grandma joined in with their lovely voices. As usual, Dad and I sang softly so the others wouldn't go out of tune.

As the final notes of the song echoed down the street, everyone exchanged Christmas greetings. The carolers then crossed the street to sing for the neighbors, who were already waiting outside.

# Christmas Day

I awoke just as the first rays of the bright morning sun peeked through my bedroom curtains. The total silence outside made me realize that it had snowed last night! As the mist of deep sleep slowly cleared from my brain, I remembered that it was Christmas Day!

Jumping out of bed and throwing on my robe, I peeked out between the window blinds. Yes, there was at least a foot of fresh, powdery snow covering everything! The whole world looked so bright and clean!

I tiptoed down the hall to Noelle's room and knocked lightly on her door. A moment later, she opened it - still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"It's Christmas!" I informed her. She grinned as she fastened the belt of her fuzzy pink robe. Together we went downstairs to the living room where our brightly-decorated tree was waiting. We were both filled with the anticipation of receiving a special gift or two.

Our first look around the festive room told us that this was no ordinary Christmas! The tree lights were already on, and the entire room seemed to be filled with colorfully-wrapped packages of all different shapes and sizes!

The first thing that caught my eye was a brand-new wheelchair decorated with a huge red bow! It even had a battery-powered motor! Grandma was sure to have tears in her eyes when she saw that because it meant she could get around without having someone push her. She loves to be independent.

Instead of the few small packages that usually made their way under our tree each year, there were presents everywhere! A quick look at the tags let us know that most of them were for Noelle and me. We both just stood there motionless for a moment - not knowing quite where to begin.

"That big box has your name on it!" I informed Noelle. She decided to open that one first. After ripping off the wrapping paper, both of our mouths opened wide as we saw the photo on the box. It was a brand-new sewing machine!

A single tear formed in the corner of Noelle's eye as she realized that her fondest wishes had come true. Now she could make warm hats and scarves for _everyone_ at the hospital!

A second huge box had my name on it. I couldn't imagine what might be inside - it sure was heavy!

I could barely contain my happiness as removing the brightly-colored paper revealed a real professional tool kit! It had everything that I needed to fix up bikes for the orphans and much more!

Noelle and I looked at each other with tears of joy freely flowing down our cheeks. We hugged each other, still not quite able to understand exactly what was happening.

We would have been more than satisfied with just these two presents, but further unwrapping produced many varieties of beautiful cloth, yarn, thread, buttons, scissors, and everything else that Noelle would need to make her beloved patients happier than ever.

For me, there was also a huge assortment of nuts and bolts (just the right sizes for bike repair), chains, handlebars, pedals, and even a folding stand to hold a bike while working on it!

I began to wonder how Mom and Dad could afford all of this.

In the far corner of the room was a large white item. It looked like a cube made of cement with a heavy-duty metal lid that locked down tight by turning a huge handle.

"U.S. Kiln Company." Noelle read the words that were stamped into the metal door. "What's a kiln?" She looked at me with a puzzled expression.

I knew the answer. "It's for Mom's jewelry-making. You put glass or metal inside and it heats them up until they melt together into art."

"Oh, she's going to _love_ that!" Noelle said enthusiastically. "It will take her jewelry-making to a whole new level!"

Curiously, we didn't see any large presents with Dad's name on them. There were a couple of smaller ones for him, but none that stood out in the way that Noelle's sewing machine, my tool set, Mom's kiln, or Grandma's wheelchair did. It wasn't until we both took huge armfuls of torn wrapping paper and empty cardboard boxes out to the trash that we saw why. Along the fence at the side of the house was a huge, neatly-stacked pile of oak firewood! It must have been over 20 feet long and as high as an 8th Grader could reach. That should last Dad for quite a while!

When we returned to the living room, Mom, Dad, and Grandma were up. We could tell from the looks on their faces that they were as surprised to see all of the Christmas Magic as Noelle and I had been. They clearly had no idea about how all of those exciting presents had appeared either.

Grandma was sitting in her brand-new wheelchair. The look on her face was that of someone witnessing a miracle. Mom was over in the corner smiling as she inspected her new jewelry kiln.

Dad's puzzled expression said it all. He was just standing there motionless trying to figure out how this had all happened.

"Look out the side window, Dad!" Noelle urged him.

Parting the blinds, Dad glanced out into the fenced-in area on the side of the house. The sight of that huge pile of firewood visibly touched him. Was that a tear running down his cheek? Neither of us kids had _ever_ seen Dad cry before!

# Revelations

K.K. and Ponsie had previously made Noelle and I promise to visit them on Christmas afternoon. We couldn't wait to tell them about the unusual Christmas happenings at our house!

Our visit to Number Ten revealed that the Jones's had even more of the Christmas Spirit than my Grandma! In addition to a huge display of lights that completely covered the front porch, the whole inside of the house was decorated in red, green, and silver ornaments and tinsel, and even more lights than we'd seen outside. There didn't seem to be a single place anywhere that wasn't shimmering, shining, or glowing!

In the hallway and living room there were dozens of the same kind of red-flowered plants that K.K. had brought over for our Mom. They were in pots wrapped in green and silver foil, which added even more bright colors to the already marvelous Christmas displays.

"Please come in kids. We've been expecting you!" Ponsie greeted us warmly at the door. "K.K. is feeling a bit tired today." she added.

Sure enough, a glance towards K.K.'s favorite chair revealed that he was sitting wrapped up in a huge red blanket with his bare feet soaking in a large pan of warm water.

"I'm sorry that you are feeling sick." Noelle said to him.

"I'm not really ill." K.K. replied. "I'm just tired out from last night."

The two of us weren't quite sure what he meant by this, but we were seeing so many beautiful decorations all around us that they captured our attention like a magnet.

The table in the dining room held a large display of all nine reindeer preparing to lift Santa's huge, overloaded sleigh into the air. I couldn't believe the fine detail - you could actually see the fur on the reindeers' bodies and their muscles tensing up as they prepared for flight!

In one corner of the living room was the grandest tree that Noelle and I had ever seen! It was almost as wide as it was tall. At the very top was a large silver star that came within an inch of touching the high ceiling. Every single branch was covered with brightly-colored balls, twinkling lights, strings of red berries, and silver icicles. Noelle and I both stopped right where we stood and gazed with our mouths hanging open.

"Do you like our tree?" asked Ponsie. "We think it came out even better this year than we hoped."

"It's... beautiful." remarked Noelle when she could finally speak again. I could only nod my head in agreement.

Looking around some more, I noticed that many of the usual paintings on the walls had been replaced with ones more suitable for the Holidays. There was one of nine reindeer hitched to a sleigh, which reminded me a lot of the display on the dining room table.

A nicely-framed photo showed K.K. and Ponsie standing in front of a huge, red snow-covered barn. They were dressed in thick, warm, red and green coats and had their arms around each other. Freshly-fallen snow came up almost to the tops of their knee-high boots. Their cheeks had a rosy glow and it was easy to see that this was a special place that they both loved dearly.

Looking further, I saw another photo of what appeared to be a large group of children standing in front of the same barn. They were also dressed in red and green, and we could tell that they were full of mischief and loved to laugh. The snow came almost up to their waists.

Being a person who pays attention to detail, I noticed that this photo was in the exact same kind of frame as the one of K.K. and Ponsie. Indeed, the two photos appeared to have been taken on the same day.

I _really_ wanted to ask about those pictures, but remembered that K.K. didn't seem to want to talk about the ones in the hall during one of my previous visits. I decided it was best not to ask.

Looking around, I noticed two huge, thick books sitting on a tall table in one corner of the living room. They were labelled "Naughty" and "Nice" in large, fancy letters.

"Very strange!" I thought to myself. "I wonder what those books are all about?"

Next, Noelle and I both observed a large, colorful hand-made needlepoint embroidery hanging on the wall near the beautifully-decorated tree. I watched Noelle's lips move as she read the delicately-stitched words:

Suddenly, everything fell into place. Noelle and I both arrived at the same conclusion at the exact same moment - K.K. Jones is Santa Claus! That means Ponsie must be Mrs. Claus! Her real name is Poinsettia, like the lovely red and green flowers that are seen everywhere at Christmas time. Was K.K. trying to give us a clue when he brought some of of them over to our Mom a few days ago?

Kris and Ponsie smiled at each other as they realized that we had _finally_ figured out their secret all on our own. To show us he knew that we knew, Kris silently rolled his shirt sleeve up all the way to reveal a beautiful tattoo of nine reindeer pulling his big red sleigh and himself waving as they flew through the air.

Noelle and I could only look at each other with our mouths wide-open while taking in all of this exciting new information.

After a long silence, Ponsie spoke. "Yes, it's true, children. We are also known as Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and by many other names in different parts of the world."

My sister and I were both still speechless. I saw Noelle pinch herself to make sure she was awake and not dreaming.

Then it was Kris's turn to talk. "Yes, I am known by many names, including both of yours! In France, I'm known as Pere Noel (Father Christmas) and people in some other countries call me Saint Nicholas. We choose to go by the name "Jones" so we can have some privacy in our everyday lives. You can imagine what would happen if the whole town knew that the Kringles had moved here."

"We want you both to know that we trust you completely with our secret and believe in our hearts that it will be safe with you. Surely you understand the importance of this? Ponsie and I had a very long discussion about whether to tell you or not, and it became clear to us that you were eventually going to figure it out on your own."

"Your, um, secret is safe with us." Noelle assured him, stumbling a bit over her words.

Kris looked at me expectantly.

"Yes, we'll _never_ tell." I guaranteed him.

"You should also know that, in addition to making the World's Best Cookies, Ponsie is also one of the most valuable members of our team." Kris continued. "She not only keeps the financial records straight, but is in charge of the Ordering Department for all of the materials and supplies used in our Toy Factory. We really couldn't do our jobs without her."

"Very well." Kris continued with an even-larger twinkle in his eyes than usual. "Now that we're certain you both can keep our secrets, please come with me into the den." He dried off his feet with a towel, put on his green slippers, rose from his chair, and began to walk very slowly towards the back of the house. He definitely seemed to be tired out, and now we knew the reason. He was recovering from his annual trip around the world!

Noelle and I followed the cheery couple down the long hallway towards the den. We were both feeling excited because we'd never been allowed to go back there before. As we entered his secret sanctuary, our brains were almost overcome by what we saw!

Sitting by the dancing flames of the fireplace were two tiny people dressed completely in red and green. They both turned and smiled at us as if they knew us very well.

Kris spoke first. "Sparkle and Jingle, I would like you to meet our very dear friends Noelle and Nick."

The tiny girl, who I immediately knew must be Sparkle, took Noelle's hand in both of hers and smiled as she shook it. Then she shook my hand while the other little person, who must certainly be Jingle, said an enthusiastic hello to my sister.

"Pleased to meet you!" everyone said at once.

"Do you live nearby?" I asked Sparkle to get the conversation going.

"Oh, no." she answered. "We live way up North, and are really enjoying the nicer weather down here."

Noelle and Jingle were already having a lively conversation and were well on the way to becoming great friends.

"We've never actually met, er, um...... kids like _you_ before." said Jingle as he looked us both up and down. They seemed to be as curious about us as we were about them.

If they thought that _we_ were unusual, we hardly compared to _these_ two! Their clothes were completely different from what we were used to seeing. Both of them wore long green shirts with huge red buttons, red tights, green caps that came to a point in the front, and very odd-looking green shoes with toes that curled up like the horns of a sheep.

We all sat in the various-sized chairs, which turned out to be just the right fit for each of the six of us. Hanging on the wall over the lit fireplace was a huge framed picture of several deer.

" _More_ deer!" was my first thought. Then I realized that it was a _photograph_ , not a painting! It clearly showed nine reindeer harnessed to a huge red sleigh. The deer at the front of the line had a glowing red nose! Everything was becoming crystal-clear now.

I had a very important question on my lips and was not at all sure if it would be polite to ask it, but curiosity got the better of me.

"Are you two...... _elves_?" I heard myself blurt out.

Noelle and Sparkle both stopped talking and stared at me. Jingle looked at Kris, who slowly nodded his head as if giving permission.

After making certain that it was OK, Jingle smiled at us and took off his bright green cap to reveal his long, pointed ears. I looked over at Noelle. If the look on my face was anything like the one on hers, we must have both been a very comical sight!

"Now you know another of our many secrets!" Kris laughed. "Jingle is the Head Elf of my Reindeer Team. Sparkle is in charge of the Toy Factory, and also heads up the team that loads my sleigh on the day before Christmas Eve. No one can pack a sleigh as well as she can!"

Upon hearing this, Noelle and I both looked over towards Sparkle. She seemed slightly embarrassed as she accepted K.K's compliment. Elves are well-known for their many special skills and don't feel the need to be praised for them.

"Perhaps you have some questions for my two favorite helpers?" Kris asked. "They've come here to help me start to plan for next Christmas. After all, it's only a year away!"

Dozens of questions filled my head and I could see by Noelle's face that she had many also. I decided to let my sister go first.

"Um," Noelle began. "Sparkle, how on Earth do you ever fit presents for children all around the world into that sleigh?"

This time it was Sparkle who looked at Kris for permission. Apparently, there were many closely-guarded secrets at the North Pole! Kris nodded his head again and Sparkle began to explain.

"Well, you already know that it's a _very_ large sleigh. Nick, you saw it being unloaded in the driveway to have one of its runners repaired. It was badly bent when Kris got it caught on a wire fence which was buried deep under the snow."

"Yes," laughed Kris. "the sudden stop almost threw me right out of my seat!"

So, the huge object that I'd seen through the window of K.K.'s barn _was_ a sleigh! I promised myself to believe my own eyes the next time.

"That sleigh is quite special." Sparkle continued. "It's designed so that the back of it slides out on rails, so it can go from 15 feet to 100 feet long. My team always packs the first presents to be delivered in the very front. That way, when the front becomes empty, a simple pull of a lever makes the sleigh shorter for better balance while in flight. As you might imagine, a full sleigh that big is quite a handful to drive!"

"I have a question for Jingle." I said. "How long have you been on the Reindeer Team?"

"It's been just about 120 years now." Jingle said matter-of-factly.

Noelle and I both gasped at hearing this. The two elves looked like teenagers!

Feeling the need to explain further, Jingle continued. "Elves can live a _very_ long time. I just turned 276 last month, and Sparkle is only 198 - just a youngster in Elf Years. My father is 409 and still runs the Wood Shop at the North Pole."

I was a bit shocked to hear all of this, and the look on my sister's face clearly showed that she was too.

"Do you have any more questions?" Kris asked.

"Only about a gazillion!" I burst out. "Out of all the possible places, what made you and Ponsie decide to move to _our_ town?"

"Well," began Kris, "We've been thinking about moving somewhere with a milder climate for a very long time. After all, I recently turned 698 and sometimes my old bones need warming up. Ponsie and I both decided it's time to start spending part of the year in a warmer climate and this town is perfect for us. It's big enough that we can easily blend in, yet small enough that everyone is quite friendly.

"698 years old!" exclaimed Noelle. "That must mean you are an elf too?"

"Yes, that's true." Ponsie explained. "But Kris likes to consider himself to be quite ordinary, even though he's actually the King of the Northern Elves."

"Now, Ponsie..." interrupted Kris, blushing just a bit.

"Well, it's something that Noelle and Nick should know." she continued. "After all, we _are_ taking them into our confidence."

I couldn't help myself and asked her. "Then you must be the Elf Queen?"

It was Ponsie's turn to blush as she smiled and silently nodded her head in agreement.

\------------------

There was a pause in the conversation as my sister and I absorbed this new information. There sure was a lot to learn about Kris, Ponsie, and elves in general. Hopefully, they would tell us much more as time went on.

"I'll be right back with a snack for everyone." Ponsie announced as she got up from her chair. We all agreed that some tasty treats would be appreciated.

"Please tell us more about the reindeer?" I asked Jingle after she left the room.

"Be happy to! First of all, they are not pets, but equal members of our team. They can also talk, which helps the rest of us a lot. They'll let us know right away if the sleigh isn't balanced correctly. Also, reindeer have wonderful senses of humor and make absolutely the best jokes!"

"That's true!" added Kris. "Dasher is the last in line while pulling the sleigh, and the funniest of them all. There have been times when I laughed so hard at something he said that tears ran down my cheeks and froze solid! Please continue, Jingle."

"Of course, we have many more than the 9 reindeer that everyone knows about. A little-known fact is that when a new one is selected for the Sleigh Team, they take the name of the reindeer that they are replacing. For example, Blitzen is really Blitzen #42. Before being chosen for the team, his name was Buddy. Blitzen #41 has been retired to the big Reindeer Ranch near the factory with all of the other former Sleigh Team members."

"Where do the reindeer come from?" asked Noelle.

"Reindeer live in the far Northern parts of the world including Canada, Alaska, Russia, and Greenland. They are also known as Caribou. They live on the tundra, which is a huge, flat, treeless region where lichen (a kind of moss), grasses, and other plants that reindeer love to eat grow." Jingle went on.

"They can weigh anywhere between 250 and 750 pounds, and are usually 4 to 5 ft tall, not including their antlers, which can be 3 feet tall by themselves. Much like snowflakes, no two reindeer's antlers are exactly the same."

"Their sharp hooves are used to dig for food in the snow and to help them walk on ice and rocks. Did you know that reindeer can run 50 miles per hour?"

"Wow!" said Noelle. "Amazing!"

"That's nothing - they can fly up to 1800 miles per hour while pulling the sleigh!"

We were both very impressed!

"We have something to tell you, too." Noelle announced during a pause in the conversation. "This Christmas Morning has been _most_ unusual at our house."

Kris and the elves all leaned towards her - waiting to hear every word.

"You know that our family isn't well-to-do financially, but we always have enough to get by and share lots of love for each other." Noelle continued. "That's why we were surprised to see so many expensive presents!"

She began to describe each major gift, beginning with Grandma's new wheelchair. Next she told about her sewing machine, Mom's kiln, and my bike tools. Finally, she mentioned the huge pile of firewood that had magically appeared along the side of our house.

"That's oak wood." remarked Kris. "It will burn for a long time, so Nick won't have to fill the wood box as often."

"How on Earth could you _possibly_ know that?" I interrupted.

Kris just looked at me with a knowing smile.

Noelle, thinking more quickly than I was, burst out with "Thank you, Santa!" and rushed over to give him a huge hug. "Thank you for _everything_!"

As things finally became clear in my mind, I held back a tear while getting up from my chair to hug Kris as well. Noelle was already hugging both Sparkle and Jingle and thanking them for their part in making our Christmas the best one ever. I did the same.

Kris spoke again. "You are two of the nicest and most deserving kids that I've ever met. Helping others less fortunate than yourselves seems to be a guiding principle of your lives. Your Mom, Dad, and Grandmother should be congratulated for teaching you so well."

A lump was forming in my throat. It was truly an honor to hear Santa himself say those kind things about our family. I suddenly realized that the events of this Christmas Day would help to shape the future for both my sister and myself. We both became aware that it's much more important to think of helping others than to be all wrapped up in oneself.

Glancing over at Noelle, I saw that she was experiencing the very same feelings. Our eyes met and we felt closer to each other than ever.

It was at that moment that Ponsie came into the den with fresh-baked oatmeal cookies and big glasses of milk for everyone.

"Merry Christmas to all!" she announced as she set the tray down on the side table.

Before Ponsie had even finished her sentence, Noelle had wrapped her arms around her and was holding on as if she would never let go. I joined in, and soon Kris, Ponsie, Sparkle, Jingle, Noelle, and I all shared a wonderful Christmas group hug.

It began to snow outside. 

# About the Author

Mac MacRae lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and is both a Dad and a Grandpa. He likes to write in a style that is colorful and unique.

Mac enjoys exploring our wonderful planet Earth and does his best to convince young readers of all ages that they should try to learn its many secrets.

Published in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, photocopying, or recording without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is for brief quotations for reviews.

If you enjoyed reading this book, please consider writing a review.

Hey, no peeking at the ending - it's a mystery story! 
