I can't remember what time this story took place, but it was out west in the desert of Texas.  Our star is Jessie Jane in a small town called Tumbleweed.

I went to town for buckets and potatoes, when I bumped into this cowboy.  His name was Woody Williams, and he seemed to be lost.  He asked me where was the Yeehaw Ranch.  So I told Woody to take two rights then a left, and then go straight from then on.  So I get back to the farm, and for some reason, Woody wasn't at Yeehaw Ranch, but at my farm.  So I decided to jump behind the bushes and not let him see me.  He asked my Momma, "Where is Jessie?"

She told Woody that I was in town looking for potatoes and buckets to milk the cows.  That I wore my hair red with a yellow bow in it.  He then knew who I was and ran back to town.  While he was gone I gave her the potatoes and buckets for milk.  When I was about to go Woody came back.  This time there was no point in hiding because he had already seen me.  I wondered what he wanted.  "Jessie we need you down in the South part of Texas.  Will you come with me?"  He asked.

"Maybe"

He told me to decide by morning, because they were moving out by then.  By the next morning I had decided to go with Woody.  We got on horses and set out at 6:30, and grabbed some breakfast on the way.  It felt like we rode for miles, and miles.  You could see houses and buildings in the distance, but it didn't seem to matter how long we rode, they never got any closer.  After hours it was finally lunchtime.  Luckily there was an oasis so we took a break.  We jumped in the water, and picked some berries to eat.  After we got more water, our horses and us were nice and refreshed, then we climbed back on their back and set off again.

The sun was setting, and it felt like we had been traveling for days even though we hadn't.  Finally the houses got really close, and I knew we were there.  Woody and I made our horses run as fast as they could into town.  He showed me where the stables where so I tied up the horses.  So me and Woody slept in his house.

The next morning I found out why I was needed.  Woody was the sheriff and that was really surprising.  They needed someone to herd cattle and keep the wolves away, because they kept attacking the town.  I knew all about cows and how to keep wolves away.  So, I took the job.  That night I had to stay up late, because we heard the wolves.  I put torches everywhere I could by the cattle pens, and by the houses.  I told everyone to put candles in the windows.  Finally, that night the wolves came into the town, but they were searching, not for cows and meat this time, but for something else.  Because I hid to see what they would do.  They didn't mess with the meat shops, and passed by the cows.  So I followed them to see what they would do.  I followed them all the way to the edge of town, where the horses were.  "So they must be after the horses," I thought.

So I grabbed two of the torches.  I threw one in front of them and when they tried to turn back I through the second one behind them.  Once I got them surrounded by flames, I called Woody, "Yoodle-a-ee-who!"

So Woody came in his pajamas with a sleeping hat on.  I was surprised, he told me he would wait up all night for my call.  So guess what he did then?  As the fires burned out, Woody signaled something to the roof tops, and nets fell on top of the wolves.  The next day, we took the wolves really far away to the oasis we had seen.  Then we raced back to the town as fast as we could, making sure they didn't follow us.  Instead of going back to Woody's house though, we went back to my house.  I told Momma all about the wolves, the long journey and the oasis.  Momma secretly took a picture of me and Woody.  I just found this out, and here is the picture.

It was the year 1703 when Optimus sent his newly trained recruits on a spy mission to check out what had been happening at Megatron's most deadly base, where Megatron stays when he isn't destroying something.  He sent three spies - Thunderwave, Mosquito Man, and Wedge.  They decided to split up.  Remember whatever you do, don't run into Soundwave.  He is a decepticon who cannot see very well, but has radar sensors that can hear extremely well.  He relies on hearing and sound wave that he can catch and read.  The objective of the mission is to be able to steal Megatron's greatest tech and make it out alive.  Simple but not easy.  After all Soundwave's drone can go anywhere but mostly follows Megatron around.

Yesterday evening we attended an event that we heard about through our local library, about the book "A Land Remembered."  Memaw came too, and got her book signed, but our book is still with a friend, we have loaned it out so many times, that I almost another copy.  Britt and Ruth came too.  The show had tons of video clips by the author Patrick Smith who passed away 6 years ago, and was given by his son, Rick Smith (Patrick Jr.).  I have read the book aloud many times for Gary, especially on road trips, and the kids have heard bits and pieces of it over the years.  We would highly recommend it.  Afterward, there were refreshments downstairs in the art gallery and we enjoyed looking at the Florida themed art as well.  Ruth and I found a picture that we decided Gary could get for us, for only $1700.  Needless to say, I don't expect to ever own any real art.  For this week's blog post I wanted to get the two of them together to share their thoughts about the show.


Momma:  What was your favorite part of the show yesterday?
Britt:  The video of the alligator eating a water buffalo.  It was about a part of the book where they lose a bunch of cows to gators.
Ruth:  I think some of my favorite part, was his (Rick's) imagination, with the tour bus, plane, and semis to take this show on the road.  He said, the semi's are parked outside with my tour bus, and I whispered to Britt, in his imagination.

Momma:  Share one thing you learned about Florida history yesterday.
Ruth:   I learned that in Mississippi there were lakes and stuff for you to swim in, but in Florida you couldn't swim in lakes because alligators might eat you.  Patrick at 13 for the first time in Florida he saw an actual swimming pool made of concrete in 1940.
Britt:  People from Florida were originally called Florida crackers from the sound of a cattle whip.  It is not an insult here.  The man teaching yesterday, was no good with a whip, we saw a video that was funny.

Momma:  Do you think you would have liked coming to the Florida wilderness during the Civil War and starting a life just using the tools you brought?
Britt:  Yes.  It would be a fun adventure and I like the woods.  It would have been worth the hardships, a near starvation for two years.  Beside I could always eat Ruth. hahahahahaha
Ruth:  I like living out in the country, wilderness with the animals.  But it is also really hard, there is not much food, and it would be a long journey, but if it was actually peaceful it would be fun.  Not like during the Civil War.

Momma:  What would life be like if you had never meet another kid and rarely saw another adult until you were 18 years old, because you lived in such an isolated place?
Ruth:  It would be hard and lonely, but you could also see things differently than other people.
Britt:  Easy and fun, because I wouldn't have to worry about anyone messing up my cabin while hunting and other things.

Momma:  What did you think about the part of the book, where he said, that this is God's land, and we are just tenets for a little while, and that he must surely be angry with what we have done in developing Miami?
Britt:  The woods were gone forever, and that makes me sad.  But I am happy because I like restaurants, and baseball fields, and being able to run to Walmart.
Ruth:  It makes me feel sad in ways, because all the animals are gone.  There is no wildlife or forest to explore.  Or take a vacation out in the country like what we read about in Rascal.  But, it makes me happy that we have Walmart and roads, and towns to live in.  I like having friends nearby, but I like living in the country and the olden days sounds kinda fun.  Where it was free almost and no one was there.  Life is easier by far, but sometimes it's a little too easy.

Imagine living in a tree house.  What would it be like?

It would be fun, I could do anything I want.  Just imagine, close your eyes, lay down and imagine.  What could it be like.  It's like a world of your imagination.  You could take all your stuff in, and put it anyway you want.  You could make a tree house.  In one of our houses there were stairs in the tree to go higher and higher.  Once he pretended to take a sword and cut the tree down, but it didn't work out because he was using a toy sword.

Anyway, next it's just so fun imaginating everything you want.  I would have a bunny there.  And I would turn a cup into a rat (get it like in Harry Potter).  I could turn that picture of Momma and Daddy over there into actually Momma and Daddy.  You can turn things into anything you want in your head in your imagination.  So imaginate what it would be like in a tree.  The End.

Finish.  Finish.  Done.  Get it like from that sermon from the Bible?

A few days ago, we decided to get another dog, and we found the perfect one.  She is 10 months old and this is how we got her.  The day we went to get her, we drove down to this dog park that had a small agility course.  That was really cool because our dog park doesn't.  And a few minutes after we got there, another person got there with Ember.  He name was Salsa, but I am changing it to Ember.  She is super fun to play with, and her bark is a little more high pitched that Scout's.  Scout came with us, and what he does with every new dog is jump on top of them and then roll over.  So she jumped back on top of him.  He didn't like that as much and was confused.  They got along great though.  We tried to make her go up the agility ramp, and she didn't want to, but Scout did except he was really slow.  Neither one of them would go through the tunnel hoop thing.  Even though at Memaw's house, he would run right through it to find me.  After a while of watching them, Momma said yes, and I got to bring her home.  She sat in the back seat with me and Kate.  Kate likes her but she keeps calling her Scout.  When we finally got home, they drank some water, and after she sniffed around alot they played. Together they are even more crazier in the yard.  She played even more the second day.  She prances over to things and every now and then chases Scout or us with a toy.  She doesn't fetch yet.  She runs really fast!  She's a natural at agility weaving between little spaces, and Scout couldn't keep up with her.  When she was running fast, Rebecca started running, and she ran and caught up on her, and jumped on her.  Rebecca said, wow, she is fast.  We jumped out of the way when she raced across the concrete, because we didn't want to get hit on that.  Scout was growling, grumbling under his breath as Ember said, "You can try and try but you can't catch me."  Her two favorite toys, is the small rope with the purple treat thingy on it, and Scout's pig.  She likes her pig but not as much.  Scout's doesn't have a squeaker anymore.  She liked getting a bath, but likes to sit up on the edge of the tub.  Ember's fur looks super pretty, and now that I notice it kinda looks like Salsa!

Scout and Ember are finally tired out after a very exciting day.

If you were the parent what would your day be like?

I would wake up really early and have me an instant carnation and 4 pieces of toast for breakfast.  And, I would already be retired, because I would play baseball in the pros for one year and be retired at 16.  I would play tons of video games and do tons of stuff all the time.

(Here I insert - Britt, this sounds like a grown up but not much like you are a PARENT!)

I'll go to parties all the time and I will start Tae Kwon Do.  I will also buy tons of legos and Skylanders and superheros, and Transformers and all that stuff.

(But what about your kids?  What kind of parent are you.)

I am a very great parent as you have heard through this entire story.  The End.

(Ruth then inserted - You sound like a lazy parent or a fun dad.  But probably a lazy parent.)