Morning FFFs,
It's Hot! Last evening it was still in the 90s and it was 9:00 at night. But what makes it worse is the humidity! Ugh! We are under an Extreme Heat Advisory through tomorrow. Just the kind of day you want to go do door knocking. Right? :P Ha. But that's what's on the schedule for tomorrow morning. At least the heat index is supposed to be only around 100º instead of 115º like it was another time we were out knocking doors during a campaign.
This week has been busy! Starting with last Friday evening when 5 of the 7 kids were over. (Doodle Bug and Buddy went with Brother and Sis-in-Law.) They didn't go home until around 9:30 as my brother, Dad, and Sis-in-Law got to talking about food for my brother's big fund raiser event for his campaign.
Saturday Sis and I helped all morning with a large fund raiser garage sale.
Sunday after Church we helped pack up things from the garage sale.
Monday I had a long list of things to work on.
Tuesday I had one student in the morning, and Funny Boy, Buddy, and Ti-K all day. That evening was my brother's fund raiser. It was fun. :) There were over a hundred people who came. We didn't get home until about 10:00
Wednesday I tried to get things done and take a nap. ;)
Thursday my "to-do" list as about as long as it was on Monday.
Today is my best friends' birthday(s). One lives in Canada so I won't be able to do anything with her. The other lives just down the street though and we want to do something together.
And that, my readers, is what I've been up to. What have you been doing?
Missing: One Junior Ranger
Part 2
A sudden movement to in the woods startled her and her heart thudded against her ribs. What was that? Her courage faltered, but the fear dissolved a moment later when a fawn limped into a clearing between a few trees.
“Oh,” Sharon breathed, “he’s hurt.” Slowly, carefully so as not to startle the little deer, Sharon crept toward it. One thing she had learned with the Junior Rangers was how cruel it was to let an injured animal suffer. “It’s all right, little thing,” she whispered. “I only want to help.” It was then that she saw something tied or twisted around one of the fawn’s back legs.
The deer took a few steps away and again paused.
“Don’t run away, I won’t hurt you.”
Still leery of the strange creature, though not old enough to associate Sharon with danger, the young animal limped farther into the trees, pausing every few steps to look back.
“Does everyone have their packs ready?” Don asked, looking around the fort at the other Junior Rangers. As the oldest of the kids in Little Falls, and the younger brother of the local chief ranger, Don had been elected the leader of the Junior Rangers.
“Don, Sharon hasn’t come yet,” Tessie said.
“Well, is she coming for sure?”
“I thought she was.” Tessie looked over at Angie. “Didn’t she say she was coming?”
“She said she thought she could come. She didn’t think her aunt and uncle would object.” Angie shrugged.
“Can’t we wait a little longer, Don?”
Don looked at his watch. It was the time they had agreed upon to leave the fort. “Okay, we’ll wait a little longer,” he agreed with an easy smile. “A few minutes won’t matter.”
Ten minutes passed and there was no sign of Sharon. The others were beginning to grow impatient.
“Let’s give her five more minutes,” Don suggested. “Then, if she’s not here, we’ll leave her a note and head out. Who knows, we might meet her on the way. We’re heading in that direction.”
When five minutes was up the Junior Rangers shouldered their packs and set off, leaving a note tacked to the fort gate telling Sharon when they’d be back. As they started out, Don turned on his portable radio and called the ranger station. “XNV-451 calling XNR-457. Come in XNR.”
“XNR-457 to XNV-451, go ahead.”
“Hi Sam, just wanted to say we’re heading off now. Over.”
“You taking the trail by the river? Over.”
“Yeah. We’re camping at Mr. and Mrs. Prestler’s. Over.”
“All right. Have fun. Over.”
“Will do. See you tomorrow. Over and out.”
“Over and out.”
Sam Oleson whistled softly to himself as he pulled out some files and sat down at his desk in the ranger station in Little Falls. As much as he would have enjoyed being out in the forest on such a lovely day, he had paperwork to do. Breaking off his whistling, he began to read.
The opening of the door interrupted him some time later, and he looked up.
“Good afternoon, Ranger Oleson.”
“Afternoon, Mrs. Donaldson.” And the ranger stood up with a smile. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“It’s not much really,” Penny Donaldson began, holding her purse in both hands. “It’s just that I got a message that my sister is sick, and I have to leave right away. My husband has gone to work, and you know he won’t be back for three days.” When she paused for breath the ranger nodded. “Sharon has gone camping with the other Junior Rangers and I can’t reach her. And I wouldn’t want to take her with me anyway. I talked to Angie’s mom, and she’s supposed to stay with them until I get back. Or until Ken gets back. But I can’t tell Sharon that.” She paused once again for breath.
“I’m sure the kids will come by here when they return,” Ranger Oleson said. “I can let Sharon know she’s to go home with Angie, if that would help.”
“Oh, it would be a tremendous help if you would, Ranger Oleson,” And Penny Donaldson sighed with relief. “Thank you. I must be on my way now.”
“Have a safe trip, and I hope your sister is better soon.”
With another “Thank you!” the door closed behind the visitor and Ranger Oleson returned to his paperwork. “If the kids don’t stop by, Don will radio from the fort and I’ll pass the message on. No use interrupting their trip now.”
In a small clearing, the young fawn stopped. He didn’t move as Sharon slowly crept up and stooped. Gently but quickly, her nimble fingers worked on the tangled piece of fishing line that was twisted about the small leg.
“You poor thing,” she murmured, pulling out the small jack knife her uncle had given her and cutting the line. “I’m sure it must hurt. Who would leave fishing line in a place where something could get caught in it? There you are, little one,” she crooned, freeing the last bit of line and pulling it away. “You can go find your mama now.”
“Oh,” Sharon breathed, “he’s hurt.” Slowly, carefully so as not to startle the little deer, Sharon crept toward it. One thing she had learned with the Junior Rangers was how cruel it was to let an injured animal suffer. “It’s all right, little thing,” she whispered. “I only want to help.” It was then that she saw something tied or twisted around one of the fawn’s back legs.
The deer took a few steps away and again paused.
“Don’t run away, I won’t hurt you.”
Still leery of the strange creature, though not old enough to associate Sharon with danger, the young animal limped farther into the trees, pausing every few steps to look back.
*
“Does everyone have their packs ready?” Don asked, looking around the fort at the other Junior Rangers. As the oldest of the kids in Little Falls, and the younger brother of the local chief ranger, Don had been elected the leader of the Junior Rangers.
“Don, Sharon hasn’t come yet,” Tessie said.
“Well, is she coming for sure?”
“I thought she was.” Tessie looked over at Angie. “Didn’t she say she was coming?”
“She said she thought she could come. She didn’t think her aunt and uncle would object.” Angie shrugged.
“Can’t we wait a little longer, Don?”
Don looked at his watch. It was the time they had agreed upon to leave the fort. “Okay, we’ll wait a little longer,” he agreed with an easy smile. “A few minutes won’t matter.”
Ten minutes passed and there was no sign of Sharon. The others were beginning to grow impatient.
“Let’s give her five more minutes,” Don suggested. “Then, if she’s not here, we’ll leave her a note and head out. Who knows, we might meet her on the way. We’re heading in that direction.”
When five minutes was up the Junior Rangers shouldered their packs and set off, leaving a note tacked to the fort gate telling Sharon when they’d be back. As they started out, Don turned on his portable radio and called the ranger station. “XNV-451 calling XNR-457. Come in XNR.”
“XNR-457 to XNV-451, go ahead.”
“Hi Sam, just wanted to say we’re heading off now. Over.”
“You taking the trail by the river? Over.”
“Yeah. We’re camping at Mr. and Mrs. Prestler’s. Over.”
“All right. Have fun. Over.”
“Will do. See you tomorrow. Over and out.”
“Over and out.”
*
Sam Oleson whistled softly to himself as he pulled out some files and sat down at his desk in the ranger station in Little Falls. As much as he would have enjoyed being out in the forest on such a lovely day, he had paperwork to do. Breaking off his whistling, he began to read.
The opening of the door interrupted him some time later, and he looked up.
“Good afternoon, Ranger Oleson.”
“Afternoon, Mrs. Donaldson.” And the ranger stood up with a smile. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“It’s not much really,” Penny Donaldson began, holding her purse in both hands. “It’s just that I got a message that my sister is sick, and I have to leave right away. My husband has gone to work, and you know he won’t be back for three days.” When she paused for breath the ranger nodded. “Sharon has gone camping with the other Junior Rangers and I can’t reach her. And I wouldn’t want to take her with me anyway. I talked to Angie’s mom, and she’s supposed to stay with them until I get back. Or until Ken gets back. But I can’t tell Sharon that.” She paused once again for breath.
“I’m sure the kids will come by here when they return,” Ranger Oleson said. “I can let Sharon know she’s to go home with Angie, if that would help.”
“Oh, it would be a tremendous help if you would, Ranger Oleson,” And Penny Donaldson sighed with relief. “Thank you. I must be on my way now.”
“Have a safe trip, and I hope your sister is better soon.”
With another “Thank you!” the door closed behind the visitor and Ranger Oleson returned to his paperwork. “If the kids don’t stop by, Don will radio from the fort and I’ll pass the message on. No use interrupting their trip now.”
*
In a small clearing, the young fawn stopped. He didn’t move as Sharon slowly crept up and stooped. Gently but quickly, her nimble fingers worked on the tangled piece of fishing line that was twisted about the small leg.
“You poor thing,” she murmured, pulling out the small jack knife her uncle had given her and cutting the line. “I’m sure it must hurt. Who would leave fishing line in a place where something could get caught in it? There you are, little one,” she crooned, freeing the last bit of line and pulling it away. “You can go find your mama now.”
Have you ever strayed from a path in the woods?
Do you like camping?
What did you do this week?
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