Snowy Adventure - Part 1

 Good morning!

Yes, this is late. We slept in and I'm just now getting to the computer. My sister has the nasty cold that I had last week. Prayers that she'll be well enough to go to church on Sunday would be greatly appreciated. 

This week has been good. I've felt like I've had a productive week. I have actually written every day since Monday! The last time I wrote 4 days in a row was the beginning of September when I was finishing up the 100-for-100 challenge. I've also helped get books on our new bookshelves in the hall! It's actually starting to look like our hall with books on shelves. Well, sort of. We've never had white shelves and finished walls and floors before.

Anyway, I'm keeping this short as I have other things I need to do before breakfast so I can clean the house after breakfast. It needs it! I hope you enjoy the first part of this story. Since we got snow yesterday, it just seemed to be the right story.

 Snowy Adventure

Part 1

    Coral Williams stepped from the door of the lodge her family was staying in and grinned. There was snow everywhere. Since she was from Alabama, snow was a novelty to her and she didn’t want to miss a chance to get out in the cold white stuff.
    Something brushed against her leg and she looked down at the golden retriever who had followed her outside. “Hello, Candle. Did you want to play in the snow with me?”
    The dog wagged her tail and panted.
    “Then come on.” And Coral left the porch and started off across the snowy yard. Since the front was well trampled from the family’s time outside yesterday building snowmen and forts, having snowball fights, and writing messages with sticks, Coral made her way around to the back of the lodge. Here the land was open in a large field of white until it reached the forest sheltered by snow laden branches.
    The mountain’s dark rocky wall, which offered shelter to the lodge, stood out in sharp contrast to the white landscape below it. Overhead the clouds hung low and only a faint glow in one part showed where the sun was shining in the blue sky above.
    For a while Coral was content to wander here and there, making snow angles and throwing an occasional snowball for Candle to chase. She was glad to be outside away from everyone. It wasn’t that she disliked her nieces and nephews or her brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, parents or grandparents, it was just–
    “You understand, don’t you, Candle,” Coral said, crouching down and hugging the dog. “There’s just too many people sometimes and all the little ones want me to play with them all the time. And when I don’t someone cries and then one of the grownups asks if I’d be willing to watch a different little one, or help in the kitchen. I’m always in demand by someone. Why, I haven’t even had a chance to pick up a book once since I’ve been here!”
    Candle tipped her head and her ears perked up.
    “I know,” Coral went on. “I thought this was going to be a family vacation.” She sighed. “I think everyone else is having a vacation but me.” Standing up, Coral gave a decided nod. “But I’m going to have a vacation right now. I’m going to find a nice cozy cabin and read. Micah said there are old cabins in these mountains, and he ought to know since he lives up here.”
    Candle gave a bark.
    Coral laughed. “Of course I brought a book. I zipped it inside one of the inner pockets of my coat. I thought of reading in one of the cars, but they get cold. You can come with me.” In her imagination, Coral could already picture the small, rustic cabin, a warm fire blazing in the fireplace and a comfortable rug or chair where she could read uninterrupted.
    She looked about her for a minute and then set off across the trackless snow. There really was no wind and everything was hushed and quiet. She made her way to what appeared to be a narrow trail leading into the trees. She loved exploring.
    “Come on, Candle,” she said, “maybe we’ll see some deer or even a fox on the way to the cabin.”
    But Candle stood in the open and whined. Coral coaxed and begged, but Candle refused to go. Instead she looked toward the lodge, and back at Coral and barked.
    “No, I’m not going back there yet,” Coral said, crossing her arms. “I’m not cold, and I don’t want to play picnic or dress-up or bunnies. I want to go explore. Come on, Candle.”
    Candle wagged her tail slowly and gave another bark.
    “Fine,” Coral sighed. “Go back to the warm lodge. Micah said you liked the snow. Maybe you only like it a little while.” With that she turned and started up into the woods.

*

    “Has anyone seen Coral?” Bethany asked, bouncing a fussing twin in each arm. “She’s so good with the twins that I thought maybe she’d like to cuddle one.”
    “Isn’t she back yet?” Dad asked. “I told her she could go out and play in the snow two hours ago.”
    Micah looked up from the book he was reading for the third time to some of the little ones. “Candle went out with her and she’s back, so she’s probably around somewhere, Beth.” Micah returned to the book not caring if his pronouns were clear or not.
    A few minutes later, after refusing to read the book for the fourth time, Micah noticed his dog standing by the door as though wanting out. “You were just out not long ago, Candle. Didn’t you have enough cold and snow with Coral?” He bent and ruffed the dog’s fur up affectionately. “Besides, it’s starting to snow.”
    “Micah?” There was something in Bethany’s voice that made Micah turn quickly. “No one has seen Coral. And Ben said he let Candle in about an hour ago but he didn’t know Coral had been out with her.”

How was your week?

Have you had snow yet?

Would you go exploring like Coral did?