Good morning FFFs,
I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! Mine was rather hot in the morning since I went out with my dad, and sis, to walk in a parade with my brother. There were 45-50 people wearing t-shirts with his name on them, holding signs, flags, and passing out candy. It was a lot of fun even if it was hot.
The rest of the day I spent pretty much inside reading, and watching some patriotic songs on youtube. One though, left me shaking my head. It was "supposedly" the "true" story behind the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner. Ha! This guy must not know his history! He called us "the colonies" as though we were fighting the Revolution instead of the War of 1812! Then he only mentioned Frances Scott Key going aboard the British ship to talk about a prisoner exchange. He neglected to mention that there was at least one other man with Key. He said the British were going to release the prisoners anyway the next day because the war would be over since Fort McHenry would fall and they'd release the prisoners. Huh? Next he said the entire British navy of hundreds of war ships all came to be a part of bombing Fort McHenry. My sister wanted to know how they all managed to fit. Anyway, it went on like that and I shook my head. I think that man needed to do a little more reading.
Anyway, . . . This has been a good writing week. Since Camp NaNo started I have managed to get 4,400+ words written. I'm aiming for over 5k this week. Tomorrow I won't be writing as a family from church is hosting a 4th of July get together at their place.
But I know you all must be busy, so I won't keep you.
Missing: One Junior Ranger
Part 3
The little fawn turned his head and looked at her a moment before giving a few hesitant steps forward. Then, with a sudden bound, he trotted off to disappear into the forest.
Carefully Sharon gathered the fishing line and tucked it carefully into her pocket. “I don’t want something else to get caught.” After she was sure she hadn’t left a single piece, she stood up, suddenly realizing that it was growing later. “I hope I’m not too late! I’ll run.” With that thought she set off the way she had come, jumping over large sticks, ducking under low branches, and dodging around rocks and tree trunks until she was out of breath. Stopping, she rested her hands on her knees, her breath heavy.
Feeling her air returning, she straightened and looked about. “Now, where is that path?” she muttered. “I didn’t go that far into the woods, did I?” For a long minute she stood still looking about her. “Perhaps I shouldn’t run.” Once again she set off, this time at a slower pace.
The path refused to be found. Instead, a small clearing popped up.
“Now where did you come from?” Sharon demanded, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at the clearing where the prints of a small deer and a child were clearly to be seen. “I must have gone in a circle. Now I’ll really be late. I wonder if they’re waiting for me.” With a sigh, Sharon unscrewed the lid on her canteen and took a drink. “Well, if I’m careful, I should be able to find my way back to the path.”
Though she hadn’t lived in the forest for long, Sharon had spent hours with the other Junior Rangers and Mike Big Eagle, an Indian who worked as a guide around Little Falls when he wasn’t teaching the Junior Rangers something or off on his own. Now, trying to remember everything Mike had said, Sharon started off again, taking care to look for footprints.
This was easy at first, for the ground was soft. But later the footprints disappeared, and Sharon was left bewildered. “There has to be a way to find the path again,” she said. “What else did Mike say about tracking?” Frowning in thought, she stood still and looked around her. Suddenly her face brightened. “Branches. I probably broke some small branches because I was so busy watching the deer.”
With renewed energy, she set forth once again. It was slow going, and several times she spent several minutes searching for some broken twig or a footprint. “I know I’m going to miss the camp out,” she thought, “but when I find the trail I can go to the fort anyway and get my things. Maybe I’ll sleep there.” That thought didn’t sound too appealing. “Maybe I will just go into Little Falls and see if Sam can tell me how to get to the Prestler’s.” With these happy thoughts, Sharon began to look for signs again, but while she had been thinking, she had been walking. There were no signs to be found.
The sun began to set. The light in the forest faded into gray as the sun sank lower and lower. Sharon shivered. If only she could make a fire to keep herself warm and to keep away any strange animals. “I’d better find a place to spend the night,” she thought dismally. She looked around. Not too far from where she stood was a large tree. Several sturdy branches grew not too far from the ground and seemed to offer a place to sit and rest. Quickly Sharon hurried over and looked up.
A sigh escaped her lips, for the branches stretched several feet above her head. “I don’t think even Mike could reach those, or Sam either,” she said, thinking of the tall Indian and the forest ranger. “Perhaps I can find a branch or fallen tree that I can use as a ladder.”
It took some searching before a suitable branch was found. Then Sharon had the difficulty of dragging it over to the tree and getting it situated against the large trunk. But at last it was up. Breathing heavily, Sharon surveyed her work. She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of spending the night in a tree, but it was better than on the ground without a fire.
Carefully she climbed up her shaky ladder, testing each step before trusting her full weight to it. The ladder didn’t quite reach the large branch, but it was close enough so Sharon could grab it and pull herself up. As she did so, however, her foot kicked her ladder and it slid along the trunk.
“It didn’t fall though,” Sharon reassured herself once she was safely in the tree. “It’s too dark to try and do anything now. I’ll worry about it in the morning.” She had no hope of rescue that night, for her aunt would think she was with the other Junior Rangers, and the kids would probably think she hadn’t been able to make it. “Unless they radioed the Ranger Station and Sam called Aunt Penny to ask where I was.”
Carefully Sharon gathered the fishing line and tucked it carefully into her pocket. “I don’t want something else to get caught.” After she was sure she hadn’t left a single piece, she stood up, suddenly realizing that it was growing later. “I hope I’m not too late! I’ll run.” With that thought she set off the way she had come, jumping over large sticks, ducking under low branches, and dodging around rocks and tree trunks until she was out of breath. Stopping, she rested her hands on her knees, her breath heavy.
Feeling her air returning, she straightened and looked about. “Now, where is that path?” she muttered. “I didn’t go that far into the woods, did I?” For a long minute she stood still looking about her. “Perhaps I shouldn’t run.” Once again she set off, this time at a slower pace.
The path refused to be found. Instead, a small clearing popped up.
“Now where did you come from?” Sharon demanded, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at the clearing where the prints of a small deer and a child were clearly to be seen. “I must have gone in a circle. Now I’ll really be late. I wonder if they’re waiting for me.” With a sigh, Sharon unscrewed the lid on her canteen and took a drink. “Well, if I’m careful, I should be able to find my way back to the path.”
Though she hadn’t lived in the forest for long, Sharon had spent hours with the other Junior Rangers and Mike Big Eagle, an Indian who worked as a guide around Little Falls when he wasn’t teaching the Junior Rangers something or off on his own. Now, trying to remember everything Mike had said, Sharon started off again, taking care to look for footprints.
This was easy at first, for the ground was soft. But later the footprints disappeared, and Sharon was left bewildered. “There has to be a way to find the path again,” she said. “What else did Mike say about tracking?” Frowning in thought, she stood still and looked around her. Suddenly her face brightened. “Branches. I probably broke some small branches because I was so busy watching the deer.”
With renewed energy, she set forth once again. It was slow going, and several times she spent several minutes searching for some broken twig or a footprint. “I know I’m going to miss the camp out,” she thought, “but when I find the trail I can go to the fort anyway and get my things. Maybe I’ll sleep there.” That thought didn’t sound too appealing. “Maybe I will just go into Little Falls and see if Sam can tell me how to get to the Prestler’s.” With these happy thoughts, Sharon began to look for signs again, but while she had been thinking, she had been walking. There were no signs to be found.
*
The sun began to set. The light in the forest faded into gray as the sun sank lower and lower. Sharon shivered. If only she could make a fire to keep herself warm and to keep away any strange animals. “I’d better find a place to spend the night,” she thought dismally. She looked around. Not too far from where she stood was a large tree. Several sturdy branches grew not too far from the ground and seemed to offer a place to sit and rest. Quickly Sharon hurried over and looked up.
A sigh escaped her lips, for the branches stretched several feet above her head. “I don’t think even Mike could reach those, or Sam either,” she said, thinking of the tall Indian and the forest ranger. “Perhaps I can find a branch or fallen tree that I can use as a ladder.”
It took some searching before a suitable branch was found. Then Sharon had the difficulty of dragging it over to the tree and getting it situated against the large trunk. But at last it was up. Breathing heavily, Sharon surveyed her work. She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of spending the night in a tree, but it was better than on the ground without a fire.
Carefully she climbed up her shaky ladder, testing each step before trusting her full weight to it. The ladder didn’t quite reach the large branch, but it was close enough so Sharon could grab it and pull herself up. As she did so, however, her foot kicked her ladder and it slid along the trunk.
“It didn’t fall though,” Sharon reassured herself once she was safely in the tree. “It’s too dark to try and do anything now. I’ll worry about it in the morning.” She had no hope of rescue that night, for her aunt would think she was with the other Junior Rangers, and the kids would probably think she hadn’t been able to make it. “Unless they radioed the Ranger Station and Sam called Aunt Penny to ask where I was.”
Have you ever been lost in the woods?
How was your 4th of July?
Are you doing Camp NaNo this month?
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