Sarah and Jimmy visited Denali National Park. It was a clear, sunny day. 

The ride started calmly as the bus started on the road into the Park, and the views were magnificent.

Further into the ride, Billy’s heart went from calm to racing at top speed. 

The bus was traveling on a ribbon of a road, and looking out the window, all Billy saw was blue sky and a deep valley below that looked ten thousand feet deep; he did not see the edge of the road.

He was scared.

The bus driver saw a Mama Bear and her two cubs. He stopped and pointed to them.

The driver said, "Get your cameras ready, there is a Mama bear and her two cubs to the right of us." 

One cub was close to Mom, and the other stood farther away on a rock, crying out.

The Mama Bear raised her head and gave out a call. She slowly walked in the direction of her crying baby.

Reunited, the lost cub came down from the rock, and the other young cub slapped the head of the lost cub.

Jimmy told Sarah, “Did you see the head slap? That's the big sister doing Mom's work.”

I Called My Teacher Mom

All the kids laughed when they heard me

Mr. Thompson, my fifth-grade teacher, had a line of students waiting to ask questions.

I remember standing in line, with my eyes fixed on the part of the book where I had a question.

I was forming the question in my mind, and when it was my turn to ask, I started with the word ‘Mom,’ instead of Mr. Thompson.

I remember the boys in the class who started laughing.

Mr. Thompson said firmly, “He is thinking of his Mom.”

The laughter stopped.

Mr. Thompson answered my question, and I returned to my desk.

Some of the guys were still snickering, and I gave them that look we understood as fifth-graders.

“I’m gonna pound you next recess, I promise!”   

Walking into the Doctor's office cool and slow.

I said something out of the ordinary. 

It seemed normal to me and very strange to my doctor.

After reviewing my medical file, he asked about my elevated cholesterol levels.

I told him that it is coming down because I stopped eating meat three months ago.

Looking away from his computer screen and directly at me, I continued.

I told him that I found out that I'm allergic to meat, and stopped eating meat.

He squinted his eyes and quietly said, "I have never heard of that one before."

I remained silent.

Six months later, on my next visit, I told the doctor, "I found out that I am allergic to French Fries and not meat.

He just looked at me and said, "I'll submit a request for another cholesterol test."

Lesson Learned:

Before blurting out random  thoughts, I need to stop and think before my lips start moving.

2 minute  read time
The Story of The Cowboy
Book report

Published in 1898 by D. Appleton and Company of New York
WRITTEN IN 1897  by E. Hough

I have a copy of this book that I found in a Pasadena used book store.
_________________

It is a slice of history about the life of cowboys who worked on cattle drives in the American West between 1860 and 1895.

The 343-page book tells their story about working in the arms of Mother Nature.

Here is a quote from page 182:

“The monochrome of winter, the blue-grey of cold desolation, oppressed it all.”

Who were the brave souls choosing to work under those conditions to drive cattle to market?

Here is my guess, and it is just a guess.

I saw them as young men breaking free of the rules of civilization and embracing the rules of cattle drives.

Nobody would be calling daily meetings and telling them what to do. They knew what needed to be done and did it.

The job had one goal: Bring those Longhorns from Texas to Kansas.

Sitting straight as an arrow in the saddle, they were the boss over the cattle; nobody was a boss over them.

They believed in themselves.

Together as one. Rider and horse. They did their job.

Bringing beef to people living in the East while leading productive lives under the blazing Sun and cold rains.

When the Sun finished its job, a blanket of stars appeared. It was time for supper.

While sitting around a campfire, telling stories, and embellishing a few to make them more exciting, they were a team.

Here is another quote from page 182:

“The sky is even in its colours, except that now and then there scuds across it a strange and ominous thing,”

The quote reminded me of the song written by Stan Jones in 1948, “Ghost Riders in the Sky.” 

Stan said that he heard the story from an old cowboy when he was 12.

I am sure that the old cowboy had lived that glorious life and relived it when he told Stan his story.

Books about the cowboys and the lives they lived can be read online at:

babel.hathitrust.org