Riding "Bear"back

Good morning FFFs,

It really has felt like fall here this week. One night got as low as 49º which, for us, is quite unusual for this early in September. There are crows out, the squirrels are acting crazy with their nuts and just in general. We had a Rough Legged hawk in our yard the other day. We've never seen one before. Nuts are dropping from our pecan tree onto the sidewalk and our roof. The trees may not be turning yet, but fall is coming!

I've had a productive week. Not only did I get some things for the Grand Prize for the coming blog party (if you're excited about the coming Five Fall Favorites party, let me know in a comment!), but I got some writing in! This is the first time since back in July that I've written every day so far this week. Except Sunday when I don't write. Now, I haven't written 1k each day, but I have written. And I'm working on a fall story. Hopefully I can get it done in time to let you all read it before winter comes. :P

And guess what? I got all 8 Christmas books formatted (using a very lovely template designed by Perry Elisabeth!), and the covers all put together with the spines, and everything uploaded yesterday. I hope you are excited about these cute Christmas books as I am! Now I need to format the interior for "Finding Joy" and design the final cover. Then I'll have to make corrections in "Dylan's Story" and hopefully I can order everything at once. Wouldn't that be a fun box to arrive! Nine proof copies and a final copy of another new book. Sounds exciting to me!

I had no idea what to post today. I didn't have anything new, and I wasn't sure if I should try to do a two or three part story or not. So I went looking in my archives and came across this story. Actually it is an essay about a "family vacation" that I wrote about seven years ago. My students and I were tossing out ideas for a made up vacation story that was to be written as an essay. We made a key word outline and then all of us wrote our version of the story. They were hilarious! So, enjoy this lighthearted story, get a good laugh at it, and please, tell me what you want to read next week.

Riding "Bare"back

My family and I love to go hiking. When we go we usually explore many trails hoping that there will be one which will lead to an exciting adventure. Unexpectedly I found it. After it was over I wished I hadn’t found it since it involved getting lost, encountering a bear and being out in a thunderstorm.

We were hiking along a path which had many curves and turns in it, so when I got distracted, it was easy to get lost. At least I think so. Spying something shiny on the ground, I stooped to examine it. Was it gold? After testing it with my teeth, I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t gold, but I dropped it in my pocket anyway. When I glanced up, I discovered that my family had vanished! I started on again; however, I unknowingly took the wrong path. Rapidly I sprinted, trying to catch up with my missing family. Hearing a sound just ahead around the next turn, I hurried on so as not to get lost.

Imagine my terrified surprise when suddenly, instead of my family, I encountered a bear! I screamed! I couldn’t help it, I was so scared. The grouchy, grumpy grizzly turned slowly with a growl. Before he could come close to me I was clambering up a slender tree very quickly. Gasping for breath, I paused on the highest branch just out of the bear’s reach. Then, with an unexpected crack, the branch broke beneath my weight which dumped me on the bear’s back. Instantly the bear began to lumber away in fright while I hung on for dear life. Never will I forget that ride. Before I could gather my senses enough to let go, a branch smacked me on the side of the head, causing me to tumble into a small stream. Although I was thankful to have survived my encounter with the bear, I was still rather bewildered.

When the thunderstorm broke just after I landed in the stream, it took several minutes to register the fact that I needed to get out of there. I lay in the water stunned. A blinding flash of lightning followed by ground shaking thunder roused me from my stupor. “I must get away!” I thought as I staggered to my feet. Stumbling along, I tripped over a tree root and fell. Beyond the trees I glimpsed a dark hole. Slowly, painfully, I worked my way towards the cave which I had seen. Once I fell. Twice I tripped. On I went. At last I made it only to fall exhausted and breathless on the floor of the cavern. It was then that I noticed other sounds besides the thunderstorm; my family was there waiting. Boy, was I surprised.

I will never hear a thunderstorm again without remembering the grumpy bear which I rode when I got lost. After that experience, I don’t love hiking as much as I did. Seeking an adventure is no longer as extremely important to me as sticking with my family. The most exciting part of my getting lost was riding “bear back.”

 

So, did you laugh at it?

What is a family vacation memory you have?

Are you excited about the coming Five Fall Favorites party?