Reality Is Not What Dreams Are Made Of

 This trip was so wonderful. It was nothing like her mom had told her it would be. The seats were even more comfortable than the living room chairs were at home. She was in Heaven. Besides that the young woman sitting in the seat beside her was so nice. The time just flew by even though it seemed to Grace that the bus did stop several times for little bitty towns; even smaller than her hometown. Soon the driver announced that the bus would be pulling into the next large terminal. "Okay, this is where I get off and have to get on another bus." She held her handbag tightly to her chest and watched as the driver took her luggage out of the compartment. Then she lost sight of it. "I'm sure he put it where it belongs. I'll be just fine. Don't be a worry wart like your mama," she thought to herself.  She walked into the terminal and looked around. The seats were like church pews and it sure didn't smell very nice. She couldn't believe her eyes when she noticed an older man wearing just an old underwear shirt smoking a cigar! Wasn't that illegal nowadays?

 She found herself an empty spot on one of the uncomfortable seats and waited for over two hours before the man at the ticket window announced that the bus for Master City, Texas would be boarding for the next five minutes. She stood up and walked out into the parking garage and looked for her bus. The fumes of the running busses choked her until she could hardly breathe. Thankfully the destination of the buses was on the front. She had her ticket in her hand and showed the driver before she found a seat. The bus was almost full and the seats were nothing like the first bus she rode in. These were like school bus seats and some guys were laying down in the seats with their feet on the seat across the aisle! They sneered at her and pretended like they wouldn't let her go down the aisle to find a seat. She heard them say mean things about her as she walked away. She thankfully found a seat next to a window. The woman came and sat down next to her. She was dirty and smelled really bad. She was nothing like the friendly woman on the last bus. As the bus took off her stomach reminded her that she had had nothing to eat that day. She had the little brown bag in her purse and thought, "Oh thank you, Mom, but I can't eat in front of this woman. Maybe she will get off at the next stop." The bus continued down the road with several stops before the woman next to her got off. Thankfully Grace got into her bag and got her orange out and started peeling it. Soon she could hear people at the front of the bus saying things like, "I smell an orange. Boy that smells good. Who has an orange? Wanta share with us?" Grace felt so many eyes on her. She was so embarrassed. She quietly put the orange in the brown paper sack and rolled it up tight hoping the delicious smell of the orange would disappear, but for several miles she heard people say things like 'some folks just don't know how to act out in public. she couldn't shared with some of us at least.' Once again she felt her ears burn with embarrassment. 

The sun was starting to go down when Grace found herself just a few miles from Master City. She had been instructed to text the owner of the ranch when she was a few minutes away so that someone could pick her up. It had been a really long day and she couldn't wait to get to her new home away from home. She sent the text and relaxed totally for the first time since she had left home.

When people started getting off the bus they shoved their overhead luggage into the aisle so that she had to wait until she was almost the last person off the bus. When she went to get her suitcases the driver was nowhere to be found. "He must be inside." She walked into the terminal and looked around for her luggage. She couldn't see them so she went to the ticket agent and showed the lady her ticket. "I can't see my luggage anywhere. Can you please point me to where it might be?" The lady said, "Did you ask the driver? You are always supposed to stay with your luggage so that you know where it is. I am going to have to see if he is still is in the terminal. He may have already gone on to the next stop." Grace felt like she might be sick. Everything she had except her purse was in those two pieces of luggage." While she waited she thought, "I'm sure hoping he just put them somewhere and that he is still here and that I don't have to wear these same clothes for two weeks and maybe I just want to go home!"

The ticket agent said, "I'm sorry, but the driver is on his way to San Antonio. I'll have to put a tracer on your luggage. Give me your address and phone number where we can reach you and will contact you to pick it up."

Grace could feel a tear roll down her cheek, but she heard a friendly voice, "Hey, there. You don't happen to be Grace do you? If you are, I'm here to pick you up for a free two week stay at the Double D Dude Ranch. You look like the picture I have of a Grace from Missouri. What seems to be the trouble young lady? My name is Josh; are you okay?"

In answer to his question her stomach growled so loud he laughed. "Whoa! Man you must be starving. Do you want to get something to eat before we go to the ranch?"

Grace said, "They have lost my luggage. The only clothes I have are the ones I'm wearing. I am starving, but I can't eat without knowing where my luggage is. Do you think you could help me?" Josh said, "Sure thing. Just find a seat and give me your ticket and I'll see what they have found out. Then we will get you something to eat."

After a few minutes Josh said, "Well, they found out that your luggage went a bit out of the way." 

"Where did it go?"

"It went to another ranch, but the ranch is in Oklahoma, Grace. It's going to take a couple of days for it to get here. I'm sure Allie, she's the owner of the ranch, will have something for you to wear until your luggage arrives. Come on let's go across the street and order you some food. I'll text Allie and let her know we will be a little late. Come on! It's okay, just part of life's little stumbling blocks. Someday you will look back and laugh about this day." Grace thought I will never in a million years laugh about this day; not even in two million years."

Back at the Double D things were hopping. Little Addie was a firecracker and so full of energy and so cute! She was keeping everyone busy; so busy that things weren't getting done that really needed to be done. Allie frowned when she saw the text from Josh saying they would be late and that Grace's luggage had been sent to Oklahoma. "What's next around here?" She looked out in the kitchen and couldn't believe her eyes. Addie was waxing the kitchen floor with a banana! She went tearing out to retrieve the banana and her shoes hit the slick floor and down she went! And there she was when Addie started yelling "Eat, doggie, eat banana!" Allie could feel a warm puppy tongue licking her cheek and felt it's drool running down her neck. She tried to stand up and was failing miserably. As her second attempt failed miserably she heard giggles coming from the porch. Three little faces were staring at her. She heard them say, "You are a funny lady. Why are you laying down on the floor? Why did you take the banana away from that little girl? Are you feeding that dog a banana?"

Josh and Grace come up behind the children and Josh said, "Oh oh, looks like things haven't improved while I was gone. Grace, this is Allie. She's the one down there on the floor. Allie this is Grace, as of now our new Child Development Director. Now don't yell! Your ranch is probably the first one with that added bonus for their guests. We can add that to our website!"

She Won A Trip To Texas

 She was so excited she couldn't believe it. She was packing for Texas! She stopped and picked up the letter and read it again. "Congratulations! You have been selected as one of the winners to spend some time at the Double D Dude Ranch outside of Master City, Texas. Your essay was excellent telling us just why you would like to spend a few weeks on our ranch. We have enclosed a round trip bus ticket in the letter. If for some reason you cannot accept our offer at this time we also enclosed a self addressed envelope to return the ticket. It also has our phone number if you have any questions. Please text us your arrival time." 

She looked up and saw her mom watching her from her bedroom doorway. "I'm going to miss you, girl. You've never been away from home this long. Are you sure this is what you want to do? We never found much time to just sit down and talk about your future and what you wanted to do. You really want to work with horses? Grace, you don't know anything about horses."

Grace got serious and said, "I've never told anyone about me wanting to go to Texas. I want to learn new things and meet new people. I love the outdoors and really want to do this. I will miss you and my family too, but we can Facetime. I'll tell you all about it. I'll only be gone for a few weeks."

Her mom smiled and said, "Oh, I know. I knew this day would come someday, but time just flew by and here you are all grown up and ready to try out your wings. It just hit me like a ton of bricks. Okay let's get your bags in the car and head down to the bus station. Now do you have enough money? Do you have your cell phone? Did you pack your charger too? Did you pack clothes for good? You never know on dude ranches sometimes they have fancy parties. You did pack a nice dress, right? Oh I should have helped you pack." When she saw her daughter laughing at her, she smiled too. "Okay, I'm going to miss you terribly, but I'm excited for you too. You are getting to do things and go places I only ever dreamed of. Okay, here we go."

She wiped the tears away as she handed her daughter a little bag with a sandwich and an orange. "For the trip in case you get hungry on the way and don't want to get off the bus. Those vending machines are expensive. Oh my! Do you have quarters? I forgot so many things. Did you pack some magazines? You'll need something to read. Yes, I know you can read on your phone, but you don't want to run the battery down. Oh, I'm going to worry myself silly until I hear from you. Now did you text those people at the ranch and let them know when you were going to arrive? Oh good. I can't think of anything else, but I know I have forgotten to ask you something. Oh, how I love you, pretty girl. Have fun and don't forget everything your dad and I have taught you. I know, I know. Love you too."

When Grace handed the driver her luggage he took it and put it in a huge baggage compartment and told her to go ahead and find a seat she liked. He would be back to check her ticket when they were ready to start the trip. Grace felt like she had pinched the ink right off the ticket that the Double D had sent her. She was so worried that she would lose it. After walking down the aisle to find a seat she saw a couple using laptops and there was even a DVD player that they could watch.

This was nothing like what her mom had told her the bus would be like. The seats looked like living room furniture. When she found a seat where she could see her mom from the window and wave goodbye she had to grin. Each seat had a charger. She was set! No worries from here on and she was so excited to be a cowgirl. Packing her cowboy hat had been tricky, but she had gotten it in her bag. It was going to take almost twenty-four hours to get there. That was a long time. She would have to change buses at one point. She would be okay. She just couldn't lose her ticket. She put it in her shoulder bag. Soon she could see the driver walk down the aisle and check everyone's ticket. Soon he stood in front of her and said, "May I see your ticket please?" Grace got out her purse. She couldn't find her ticket. She looked and looked. "I just put it in my purse. I know it's in here. She had to eventually dump out her purse and there it was. It had caught on the edge of her billfold. "I'm so sorry. Here it is." The driver smiled and said, "You are traveling a long ways from home. Hope you enjoy your trip. The next stop is Springfield, Missouri. There will be several stops on your trip to Texas, so make sure you keep your ticket in a place where you can easily get to it."

Grace felt her cheeks burn and kept her head down while she put everything back in her purse. "What a great way to start my new adventure." She looked out the window and saw her mom wipe tears from her cheeks. She waved and smiled at her. Everything would be alright. She was a grownup now and she was on her own from now on.

                                                            ***************

"Josh! Grace is coming tomorrow! Boy can we use her help with all these kids. Jean is about worn out with her little granddaughter. And we need help with Carrie Belle, and even though the young couple love the three little children, I'd like to see them go on a trail ride and enjoy the evening music. Besides that, Maxine asked for my help with some of their wedding plans. She'd like to have their reception here as well as the wedding. There is so much to do! Josh! Did you hear me?" 

"Where is that guy? He always disappears when I want to talk to him or there's work to be done. Oh, no! Not another animal in the house. I just can't be overrun with animals! Next thing I know we'll have to change the ranch from a dude ranch to an animal rescue ranch. No. No more animals."

"But Allie, don't they just make the cutest picture? What will it hurt, huh? Look at that happy face."

Grandma Lu Was Too Busy For Tea With Marlee

 Marlee went out to the kitchen to find her Grandma B. "B, how come we never see Grandma Lu anymore? Is she mad at us? Is she okay?"

Grandma B smiled and said, "No, she's not mad at us. She's been very busy. You know she takes care of a lady that doesn't feel very good, plus she and her husband are remodeling their back porch. She doesn't even write as many stories as she used to. She sends me messages though and tells me to give you a hug and say hi. She misses you too, Marlee. She told me the other day she would like to go out for lunch with us when you have time off from school. How does that sound?"

"Well, I think you should call her and invite her over for tea. It doesn't takes very long. She could come over and have tea and a cookie. I want to see her. I need to give her a hug in person."

Grandma B agreed and gave her old friend a call. "Marlee wants to invite you over for tea this afternoon. Do you have a few minutes to spare for a little girl that wants to use her pretty tea set? Oh, okay. I'll tell her. Don't work yourself to a nubbin. Take care. We'll do it another time. Love you."

"I'm sorry, Marlee, but Grandma Lu said she's too busy today. She will try to come over as soon as she can though. She misses you. She said, "You should have a cookie and a cup of tea for her. Oh, it's okay. Sometimes grownups just can't always do what they want to do when they want to do it. You will find it more and more difficult as you grow up to fit all of your friends into your busy schedule. Come on. I'll have tea with you. What would you like? How about some cheese and crackers and little pieces of ham? We'll have a high tea like the folks in England have. Yes, we'll have cookies too."

Remember when you dressed up in your beautiful gowns and pretended you were a princess? Well a long long time ago there was a Dutchess who lived in Bedford England that ate her breakfast in the morning and had to wait until eight or nine o'clock at night for her supper. She would get so very hungry her tummy even growled. So she said she just had to have something to eat in the afternoon to tide her over. They had tiny little sandwiches or pretty little cakes and tea. It was then called Afternoon Tea. It became the fashion throughout the country and they still do that. We call it a coffee break in our country. The farmers and working people in her kingdom had what they called High Tea. It was a heavy meal with steak, kidney pie, vegetables and dessert like cookies and cake. So let's pretend you are the Queen and have a High Tea, but no steak," she laughed.

Marlee helped her Grandma B set the table with her pretty tea set that she had gotten when she was only three years old. She had been really careful with it and it looked like it was brand new."

Soon Grandma B put the food on the table and said, "Okay, Marlee. You can pour and we will have fun; just the two of us."

Marlee was kind of sad at first, but she soon found herself laughing and having a good time with her Grandma B just like she always did.

Down the road Grandma Lu was not having a good time. "I just hate to disappoint a child when they want something, but this day; for that matter this week, has been crazy! I feel like a rubber band. People are pulling me this way and that way and I'm stretched to the limit. I haven't written a story for awhile and I so enjoy that, but I want my back porch remodeled. I need a store room and a place where I can watch my birds and look at my flowers even when it rains. There was Easter dinner to make and of course, my lady to take care of. I still haven't given my husband a hair cut and he's not a bit happy I'm not out there helping him. I know the neighbor lady hasn't been feeling well and I need to make her up a meal and take it over. Oh dear. Where do I go next?"

She could hear her husband call her from the porch. She was needed to tell him what she wanted to save, throw, sell, or give away. Mercy, she had so much stuff! She went out and worked for awhile then she decided she needed a rest. She had helped throw things in the dumpster and got caught in a shower! "I didn't think it was going to rain today! What a mess I am now."

 She told her husband that she needed a break and was going to have a cup of coffee. When she sat down she got to thinking about the characters in her stories; Josh and Allie. The last she had written they were finding abandoned animals on the ranch. The town was going to have a meeting to see what was going on and how to stop it. Allie was cuddling a little scared and hungry cat whose name was Carrie Belle. Of course, Allie didn't know that and was talking about giving the cat a name. "It must be confusing to animals to have their names changed from owner to owner. Makes me sad to think about it," Grandma Lu sighed.

She looked in the living room and saw their dog, Bandit. Oh how she remembered the first day they first saw that little scamp. There he was tied up by an old rope under a pickup with a paste board box that had printed on it; Free dog. She had never seen a sadder face on an animal in her life. They already had Maggie a rescue dog. Could they handle a bigger dog? A dog that was used to living on a farm? An escape artist? A  dog that wasn't housebroken? Old girl, you talked Fran into taking him home on a trial basis. And here he is ten years later spoiled rotten. She grinned as she watched the handsome border collie snooze on the couch. The world was definitely his oyster now. "I wonder what would have happened to him if we hadn't decided to go to that flea market."

When she chuckled at the picture he presented he raised his head and looked at her. "Yes, you are spoiled. Now go back to sleep. I am going to try to write a little and then I must make some food for the neighbor lady. Poor thing. I sure hope she gets better soon. She has had a time of it lately."

From outside she could hear her husband yell, "Can you take time from your coffee to hold this board for me? You know this was your idea.."

"Well old computer, I guess you don't have to work today. Fran is right. It was my idea to remodel, so the story is going to have to wait a few more days."

My Name Is Carrie Belle

One day Carrie Belle  sat by her mother's soft and furry paws and listened to her tell stories about her mother and her grandmother. She told stories about her great grandmother cat as well. One day she asked her mother how she knew so much about their ancestors. Her mama said, "Well, a long long time ago there was a professor in our family. A professor is very smart and teaches grown up cats what he or she knows. There are human professors also from what I understand. He once had heard his great grandfather tell that there was an old woman who lived in England that was somehow related to the King of England. He wanted to know more because he thought it would give him more prestige at the academy to be a royal cat. After some digging on his computer he actually found a picture of the cottage where the old lady lived. It had lots of flowers and even had a picture of a cat."

"The way I was told by my mama was that the old woman's cat was actually a kitten of a litter that belonged to the King many many years ago."

Carrie Belle was so excited. "So I am a royal cat? How exciting is that? But shouldn't we be eating better food than mice? The treats that our lady gives us are good, but I think we should be eating shrimp even lobster. I thought royalty meant that you were rich and could eat well and have everything you wanted." Carrie Belle's mama cat laughed and said, "Well, in every family there seems to be a bad apple." 

"What do you mean, Mama?" Well, we had an ancestor that was mean as a snake and not a bit nice. He certainly wasn't very mannerly. He yowled and howled and kept the humans up at all hours of the night. They called him a barn cat. He had to live in a barn and was only fed now and then. The humans wanted him to run away and take his family with him because he was so noisy and mean."

"So you mean we are part of that mean family?" 

"Yes we are, but we don't have to be mean. We can be sweet and loving just like you are, my child."

"Mama, didn't you tell me about our grandmother, Jeannette? Wasn't she mean?" Carrie Belle's mama chuckled and said, "The only reason she was mean was that where she lived there was a little girl that liked to hold her and play with her. The problem was she carried her with her hands around her neck!"

"Oh, I wouldn't like that either. What ever happened to our grandmother? Where did she live? Did we live there too?"

"Oh my, little one aren't you just full of questions today. It's a rainy cloudy day so I have time to tell you a story. The young woman that lived on the farm was beautiful. She grew up and moved away. After several years she and her husband moved back to that very same farm and lived there for many years. Yes, we lived there too for a time. In fact she was the lady that had a little girl that carried your grandma around by the neck."

"Then what happened, Mama?" Carrie Belle's mama laughed and said, "You happened, my dear. Oh my you were a handful when you were little. Out on the farm near the kitchen door to their house there was a little building or shed that they used for coal to keep their house warm. One day you discovered that there were lots and lots of baby mice that lived in there. You didn't tell a soul that they were in there. You were going to eat them all and not share with your brothers and sister. That lady's little boy was just a little tyke and decided he'd go in that shed and look around. Well, you didn't want him to scare away your dinner so you jumped up on him and scared all of those baby mice. There must have been a dozen of them."

"Then what happened, Mama?" 

"That's when the fun began. All of those baby mice ran up that little boy's pant legs and half tickled him to death. He started to dance a jig and holler worse than that old barn cat did years ago. Well the lady came running out the door and just like that she seemed to know where those baby mice were. She pulled down his little overalls and those mice started to run for their lives. Well, you weren't going to have it and you started the chase of your life. You got in between that little boy's legs and his mama started yelling for you to 'get' and what a commotion it was."

"I did all of that? I guess I was a handful. I'm sorry Mama." 

"Don't be silly. All children give their parents a run for their money, or in your case mice. Someday you will have a litter of kittens and you will know what I'm talking about."

Later on that afternoon a young woman picked her up and said, "Guess what, Carrie Belle, you and your mama are going to new homes. You are such a lucky little cat. I'll miss you, but I can't have any cats where I'm moving to. You will be just fine. You are going to live on a farm. Won't that be exciting? I don't have anyone to take your mama yet. Hopefully she will go someplace nice too."

Before she knew it, Carrie Belle was in a box with holes and riding in a car to her new home. She was so scared. Where was her mama? She had always lived with her mama. What was she going to do?

The car had stopped and a man took the box she was in out of the car. Here you go cat. Get to the barn and earn your keep. There's enough mice and rats to keep you fat and happy. She watched as the man walked over to the house. She didn't really know what a barn was. It was probably one of those big buildings. She decided to walk over to the first one she saw. She was so thirsty. She hoped there would be water for her to drink. She heard a growl and quick as a fox she ran as fast as she could. There stood the biggest dog that she had ever seen in her life!  She found herself high up in the barn. It was full of straw and comfortable. She peeked over the edge of the loft and that big dog was still standing there. "Well, he will eventually get tired of barking at me and leave me alone. The first chance I get I'm going to leave and see if I can't find a nice place to live that doesn't have a dog!"

During the night Carrie Belle would hear strange noises that scared her so she didn't sleep well. The next morning she jumped down from her perch and landed safely onto a bale of hay. She quietly walked to the front and looked around. She didn't see that big dog so she took off running as fast as she could.

She ran until she got tired. She was constantly looking for that mean dog. After some time Carrie Belle realized that she was safe. She started to take it easy and decided that she would make her new life an adventure. If some of the stories her mama had told her she would have some fun along the way. Maybe there were other children that she could play tricks on. It seemed like forever since she had had a drink of water or even a tiny mouse to eat. She was getting so tired. She had found herself in a small town. Surely there would be something to eat if she looked hard enough. It started to rain. Her fur was getting all wet and it was so dark outside. What was she going to do? She decided to look on the bright side of things and lapped up some of the rain water. Oh it was so good. Now if she could only find something to eat. It was so dark.

As Carrie Belle walked the tiny bell that was on her collar would tinkle. There was a border collie dog whose name was Bandit that heard that sound from inside his house. Right away he knew that there was a cat outside. He barked and barked wanting his human to let him outside. He would chase that cat far far away from his house. He did not like cats of any size shape or color!

Bandit's human said to quit his barking. It was raining and cold outside He needed to go to bed and be a good dog. 

Carrie Belle had jumped when she heard a dog bark and started running as fast as she could. She ran until she was too tired to run any more. She ran across a field where there were horses. They were big and scared her. It seemed like she was scared all the time. She missed her home and her mama. The field mice watched her as she struggled to get up to chase them. They made fun of her and squeaked, "Catch us if you can, old scrawny cat!" She finally found a place to lay down and slept for awhile. When she woke up she was almost too tired to walk any more. She was so tired and thirsty. There were weeds stuck to her fur. She tried to get them out with her paws and her tongue, but wasn't able to. It was so hot. There weren't any trees or water anywhere. She just had to sleep.

                                                                            *******

"It's okay little one. Here's some water. Open your mouth. You are going to be alright. We will take care of you." Carrie Belle felt herself being lifted and carried in a human's arms. She was too tired to open her eyes, but somehow she just knew everything would be alright. She thought maybe she would try to purr. 

"Yes! Allie said, She's going to be alright! Let's get her some blankets and make her a bed. This poor thing looks like she has traveled a hundred miles. Her little paws are all red and her fur is matted. We will need to check her for ticks and fleas. Oh Josh, look at this poor little cat. Do you think she is going to be alright? Do you think that the outside cat will get along with her? Maybe I should keep her in the house for awhile at least. Oh you poor thing. What shall I call you? Josh, this dumping of animals around here just has to stop. Will you go to the meeting in town with me next week? Some of the ranch hands are going. There must be something we can do." 

Carrie Belle once more felt some water being dropped into her mouth. "My name is Carrie Belle, lady human. I'm Carrie Belle. Please take care of me."

The Ranch Hand Pays Allie A Visit

The wind was hot and the sun was beating down on his face, but he liked working at the Double D. He had worked there for years and had seen owners come and go. But he had loved old Bill. He was a good guy and easy to work for. He sure did miss his old friend. He hadn't met the new owner yet, but he could see that she was young and didn't know much about ranching. It looked like she was making new friends, though. From what he had seen most of them were older folks. Well, except for the young guy; Josh. He seemed to come and go. For quite some time he had been watching and thought that the ranch was being used for a dumping grounds for unwanted animals. People that did that made him sick. He needed to talk to the sheriff. He had started to walk over to Maxine's cabin when he saw the sheriff's patrol car sitting there, but he overheard them laughing and talking about their wedding plans. He decided to wait until the sheriff went back into town. He'd go see him when he was in his office. He was busy getting hay ready for the horses out in the pasture when he heard his little boy yell. "Hey, Dad! Can you use some help?" Oh how he loved that little boy. "Sure, come on over and lend me a hand. Does your mom know you are out here?" His young son grinned and said, "Yeah, she's over there in the car making sure you saw me." They waved to her and got to work.

After an hour or so the ranch hand grinned at his son and said, "Are you thirsty yet? It's mighty hot out here. Let's go back to the bunk house and get a cold drink and maybe a snack. How does that sound?" His son happily agreed, but on the way back he saw a cat in the weeds by a stump the hands used to split wood. "Hey Dad, look! Where did that kitty come from? I didn't think the Double D had any cats."

" I don't know, son. I've been seeing a lot of animals around here lately. Let's see if she is hungry and thirsty. It's a hot day. I'm sure she'd appreciate a cool drink of water." He stooped over to pick it up and it hissed at him and ran away. "Just what I figured. Its starving and scared to death. This has to stop." Your mom should be coming back for you shortly. I will go up to the main house and talk to the new owner. Her name is Allie. I'm sure she will know who to call to put a stop to this."

                                                                     ***********

Allie was in the kitchen leafing through the magazine where she had seen the ad for the C.E.A.D.E.R. ranch. She needed to call them and see what to do about all the animals that were apparently being dumped on her ranch. She looked up and saw one of the ranch hands about to knock on her door. "Hey there, come on in. What's up?"

"Hi, Miss Allie. I really need to talk to you about all these stray animals we've been seeing out here."

"Great. Come on in. I've been worried about that too. I've got all kinds of animals on the ranch I've never seen before. I've got cats, dogs, puppies, even geese! What is going on do you think?"

"Well, I think the word is out that no one is living here since Bill died and this is a good place to dump animals. Evidently they think that no one will find out. It's a shame. I just can't hardly stand it. Even my little boy noticed it and said something about it this morning. I was going to tell the sheriff, but he's busy making wedding plans with Maxine. I didn't want to bother him just now so I thought I'd come to see you about it."

"I'm so glad you did. Yes the sheriff and Maxine are two happy people that's for sure. Come on in. Let's look at this piece about this rescue ranch up north. It seems like to me that they might be able to help us. The article reads like they are more horse rescue and large animals. They also give riding lessons and provide some therapy horses etc. I don't see anything about small animals like dogs and cats. What do you have there?"

Lance had been looking at the ads in the newspaper while Allie was reading the C.E.D.A.R piece in the magazine. "Look, Miss Allie. There is even a piece in the newspaper about people dumping animals just not here but this whole area. They are having a meeting about it next week. Maybe we should go. What do you think? I know my wife would like to go. Maybe we can get this nipped in the bud and get this ranch back to where it used to be. This place used to be buzzing with people and beautiful horses, not scared and starving cats and dogs."

Allie agreed to go to the meeting and said she knew others that might want to go. "So did you know my Uncle Bill?" You did? What was he like? I'd love to hear some stories about him." She was listening to every word about the man that she had inherited her ranch from and didn't see the little donkey eating her daffodils.

Or the starving and thirsty cat in her back yard. Carrie Belle was lost and scared. How she missed her lady human. Even though it was so very hot she shivered. She never should have gone outside without her lady. It was her own fault that she was lost. "Oh dear, what do I do now? I thought there might be some water here, but there is not a drop. I need help soon, but I'm too scared to let anyone near me."

Carrie Belle could hear a soft voice telling her that she would be alright and that no one was going to hurt her, but she was so tired she just needed to rest. Was that water on her tongue? Maybe if she tried really hard she could purr...

Shadow Has Been Sold!

 Allie was exhausted. "What a day this has been. Life on a ranch is nothing like what I had expected. I thought the green pastures would be beautiful with horses grazing and maybe a few cattle. I expected folks to come a one or two couples at a time to enjoy the trail rides and maybe some riding lessons. I have had nothing but one crazy thing after another happen ever since I've been here. Well, at least now the place is quiet. The children are finally sound asleep and so is poor Jean. I still don't have all the answers she is looking for, but first thing in the morning I will make it my mission to go to the foreman and ask about Shadow, her daughter's horse. Since Josh is sleeping out in the camper I feel like I can conquer the world not just a few hundred acres of dirt. I think I will go to bed with a good book and relax. Wait, maybe I'll read some more of the journal instead. Maggie's mother wrote in this for quite some time. What an interesting history this ranch has." She got ready for bed and propped herself up with the soft pillows and comfy quilts and found her mind following the little girl and her family on their way to Texas in a covered wagon and little else. Well look at this. The mother quit writing. Now her little girl, Maggie has some entries. She could tell by the child like characters that a young child had written the words. "Little did she know she was going to lay the ground work for me and those before me, "Allie thought. As she read the entries made so many years ago she could almost see the hot and tired little girl dipping her toes in the cool water they had made camp by.

Maggie wrote in her journal that the weather was so hot and still she could barely breathe. "I pleaded with Ma to let me go without my bonnet but she insisted that young ladies had to protect their complexions against the sun. Personally I think that's a silly rule. The water felt so good on my bare feet. I wonder how many more miles we must endure this weather before Pa decides that we should build a home and quit traveling. It has been so very long."

Allie thought about the little girl that had not written another entry for several months. "I'm sure she never imagined in a million years that someday there would be another Maggie living on this ranch. I sure would have liked to have known her. Well, it's time to get some rest and much needed sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a very long day."

                                                                            &&&&&

Josh woke up the next morning to a lot of loud giggling and honking of what sounded like a goose. "Oh that goose is something else. I wonder where it came from. It wasn't here when Allie and I first got here." He stretched and thought to himself, "Why do I hear giggling? The children shouldn't be up this early in the morning." When he opened up the door to the little camper he looked up to the sky and realized it was much later in the day that he thought. "Boy, I must have been beat last night. I overslept. Hope Allie isn't mad at me. She had a list of things for me to do today." He started walking up to the main house when he saw two of the three little children and several geese. "Oh no! This is not going to go over well I'm afraid. "Hey, guys! Did you two find some new friends and a mud puddle? Well, I hate to break it to you, but you need to get washed up before you go in the house. Come with me and I will hook up the hose. The water is going to be cold, but we need to get the mud off of you. So was it fun?" The children laughed and said, "Yes! It was great fun. Why do we have to get clean? Why can't we play with those big ducks?"

Allie was walking to the house after she had talked to the foreman of the ranch hands. She had been given bad news. Shadow had been sold quite some time ago. K.R. had bilked Jean out of several thousand dollars for care on the ranch when the horse wasn't even there. She felt terrible. She had tried to get the information to whom the horse had been sold to. The foreman thought he had the sales ticket. He had told Allie that when he found it he would bring it up to the house. Allie was hoping that she could buy it back because Jean's daughter would be devastated if she couldn't. She was almost to the house when she heard children laughing and Josh talking. "Now what are those kids up to?" she wondered. As she got closer to the side yard there they all were laughing and splashing the mud off their clothes and their little faces still had a lot of mud on them. Josh was telling them to turn around so he could get the mud off in between his own laughing. Allie couldn't believe her eyes. Neither could Addie! Get wet! Ducks! Want ducks!" This time her grandmother was right behind her and said, "No not this morning, my girl. You had your fun in the rain with the goose last night. Allie, there was only one goose last night. Where did all of these geese come from? Oh there is a big black dog! He loves to run and play, doesn't he? I didn't know you had a dog, Allie."

"I don't have a dog, and I don't have geese, but there seems to be an abundance of them lately. Yesterday there were puppies and two big dogs, and now this big dog and a lot of geese! I've never seen this dog before. Oh no! Josh that dog is rolling around in pooh! Yuk! Wash it please. I think I need to call the animal rescue people to come and get some of these animals. There are a bunch of baby kittens too! Soon these guys will out number the horses!"

Addie laughed and ran after the dog. "Doggie! Play!" The dog jumped and played with Addie with a ball that was not a bit clean, but Addie didn't care. She threw the ball and said, "Bring the ball, doggie." 

It was one of the dirtiest days of Allie's life, but for some reason she grinned. Who wouldn't grin when there stood Josh covered with mud and pooh and was wet to the bone and was laughing and acting just like the kids he was hosing down.. You just had to love him. Did she?

                                                                         &&&&&&

Willow was beside herself. Zeke! I need help. You'd better be on your way to Texas. I can't do all of this by myself. Where are Edward and Virginia? Are they fishing again?"

Virginia and Edward said, "You just never mind, little angel. We are here and nothing is going to happen to those little children. You are doing a good job. We woke up Josh and he is taking care of them. Our job is to take care of Josh and Allie. So far so good today. Hopefully it will be a rather quiet day at the Double D today if not the cleanest," they laughed and rode their horses over to the edge of the yard and watched the fun.

To the ranch hand watching the children and grownups having fun with the children and dog he found himself frowning. He was worried. Someone had been dumping animals onto the ranch borders. He was sure of it. He was going to get to the bottom of it. Dumping animals big or small made him sick. In the state of Texas it is highly illegal to abandon and neglect animals, big or small. Those people can go to jail and pay big fines. He had rescued animals before and gotten them safe and sound into loving homes, but lately it had increased to the point where he needed to get the law and Allie involved. He saw the patrol car parked by Maxine's cabin. He figured now was as good a time as any.

Willow Tells Zeke That He Needs To Balance Work And Fun

 Zeke was getting worried. He hadn't heard from Willow in quite some time. He probably shouldn't have given her such a big assignment. If he had to do it all over again he would assign a guardian angel with more experience. Three children was quite a job even for a more experienced angel. The last thing that Zeke had heard was the children were wishing for a new family that would love them. "I wonder how that is going. I sure do wish that Willow would check in. I haven't heard a word from her in hours. As Zeke roamed Grandma B's mini farm he checked out the mini horses and donkeys. He saw Stashia the wrinkled old dog that Grandma B had had for quite a long time. Stashia had been in charge of Marlee when she was little. He chuckled to himself when he remembered the time that Marlee had decided to go on a hot air balloon looking for the perfect apple. She ended up getting mixed up with a crook and almost got Stashia stuck in Washington state in an apple orchard. She was sure glad to get home. As Zeke got closer to the house he thought he heard Willow's bark. "It can't be. She should be in Texas watching over the children." He walked over to the living room window and couldn't believe his eyes. There was Willow playing with Marlee and Whitlee! "Willow! Get your little self over to the window so I can talk to you."

"You are supposed to be watching over three little lost children and here you are playing with the girls! I thought you wanted a promotion, yet here you are playing! I give up. I'll just have to get someone else to do your job. I am so disappointed in you, Willow. So disappointed."

"Willow, whimpered, "Zeke, you just don't understand. I'm not needed down there anymore. Edward and Virginia are there keeping an eye on Addie and they seem to be on the ball for old folks. Besides that, that young couple you sent down there from Missouri? Well, I'm here to tell you they have a whole back seat full of puppies! A whole car load full. I don't know what Allie is going to say when she sees that mess. So that's why I'm back here. I just think this is more fun than working all the time. These kids are fun and love me. And besides that Grandma B has really good treats. Sometimes she even makes homemade ones. So no. I'm staying here. Lots more fun. You should try having fun sometime, Zeke. You need what the young folks call balance. Yes, you need to balance work and play. You work way too hard!"

Zeke said in a very serious voice, "Willow, you were especially chosen for this particular assignment because of your gentle temperament and beautiful soft fur. You were also chosen for your protective nature of children. It is not for you to decide whether you work or not. Those children need you. I am here for Marlee and Whitlee. This is only your home base. Now get yourself to the Double D Ranch and watch over those children until they no longer need you. Now! Willow, now! This is your last chance. Do you understand?"

Willow sadly said that she would be on her way. She looked around the living room and the girls were headed out the door to play with Zeke. "Just as I figured. He wants them all to himself. I'd better get back to the ranch and make sure those kids are okay. I'm sure they are fine, but what ever the boss says, I have to do."

In an instant Willow realized that Zeke had been right. Being a guardian angel was a full time job. Virginia and Edward were so busy watching over the children that she was supposed to be watching that they lost sight of Addie who was playing way too close to the pond. "Oh, I am so sorry. I'll quick get that grey goose to walk her closer to the house and then get back on duty to my three."

In no time Addie's grandmother led her by the hand to the house. "You have to be careful, Addie. Stay close to the house. Plus it's raining. Now we have to get some dry clothes on, okay? I have an idea. How would you like to help me make some cookies? There are a lot of people here now and I could use some help. What do you say?" Addie grinned and as she nodded her head her curls went up and down. She loved to help her grandma.

Allie and Josh had led the way to the ranch from the cafe after they had all had breakfast. They found that the young couple was not only fun, but the little orphan children loved them. Pat and Rex also followed them as well as Jean and Addie and the sheriff and Maxine.

"Wow, look at this place, Josh! We have all kinds of help and are making new friends at the same time. We should have some cabins cleaned and ready to go  in no time. Pat, Kelsey, and Jean all love to cook which is a good thing because as you know I'm the peanut butter and jelly queen. There aren't any pizza parlors or hot pretzel stands out here," she laughed. Rex and the sheriff came over and said, "The young couple are farmers, Allie. They know a lot about cattle and some about horses. They also love children. I'm going to check them out and see if nothing else they can be foster parents for these kids. That's going to take a lot of time, however. Would you be able to put everybody up for a few days? I know it's a lot to ask, but just look at that little girl. She's all cuddled up to that kitten. She and her brother and sister need somebody to love them and make them a good home. What do you  think?"

Allie looked at the the oldest little girl. The little girl's tummy was full and she was probably exhausted. They had traveled by foot a long ways from the orphanage. She had found a soft furry friend that was ready to be a warm and willing cuddle partner. Josh! Josh, that's just not a kitten, it's a mama cat with a whole bunch of kittens! First we have triplet goats, now we have kittens! What's next out here?"

"Oh, Josh, will you help me? I really need you. We have quite a bit of volunteer help, but they are mostly older folks. We really need some younger people that can work longer hours. I sure hope we get some answers to the ad that I placed. We should be alright as long as we don't get any more guests until we have everything done. Oh no! Look over there! There are all kinds of dogs! There are big dogs and little dogs. There are even puppies! Where on earth did they come from? What do I do now?"

Willow grinned to herself. "Yes, Zeke, what does she or we do now? Maybe you should come to Texas and help me out a little, huh?"

Breakfast At The Cafe

Addie's grandma hugged her close and took her back in the house. She sat with her until she knew she was sound asleep. Just in case she woke up she did block the door with a heavy footstool that she knew her little granddaughter wouldn't be able to move.

The three children had fallen sound asleep after they made a wish on Willow's tooth that they had found. The sheriff had dropped Maxine off at her house with a promise to meet her at the cafe in town for breakfast at nine in the morning.

The house was quiet. Allie and Josh looked at each other and shook their heads. "Can you even believe what just happened? My dude ranch is turning into a haven for the lost and found!" Josh said, "Well another way to look at it, what would have happened to the children and Jean and Addie if you wouldn't have been here. I sometimes wonder if things don't happen for a reason. I was going to leave and now I feel like I need and want to stay and help you if you are alright with that." Allie smiled and said, "This time I'm not going to argue with you, but the bedrooms are all full now. They only place empty that's clean is my little camper. 

What do you think?" Josh shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sounds good to me. I've slept in it before and tonight I'm just tired enough to sleep anywhere. See you in the morning. Want to go to the cafe for breakfast? I'll buy. Why don't we take everyone into town? The kids and Jean could use a treat. What do you say?" Allie grinned and said, "Sounds good to me. Let me know when you are ready to go. We can lead the way and Jean can follow us into town."

                                                                    *******

The sheriff was sitting in the cafe reading the newspaper while he was waiting for Maxine to meet him for breakfast. "Well news travels fast. The society news has a spread about Rex and Pat getting hitched in Vegas. He chuckled. "I'm happy for them. I can't wait till we get married. It takes some time to get everything planned though. Well well well. This is interesting. The orphanage in the next county has been closed up by the officials. No wonder the little ones ran away. I am still waiting for a call back from Child Services though. This might take awhile since there are several children to place in foster homes. What a mess. "Hello! I'm over here! Come sit, my dear."

It seemed like they never had a lack of things to talk about and of course, this morning there was a lot to discuss. The Double D for one thing. Just as they were about to order they looked up and Allie and Josh were coming in followed by Jean and Addie and the three little ones that the sheriff had taken out to the ranch for the night. "Well, would you look at that? Everyone has a big smile on their face. They all look so happy. I sure do wish they could all stay that way. Hmm, there's some new faces. Do you know them? I've never seen them before. The couple looked around and looked so disappointed. There was no room for them to sit. The sheriff asked Maxine if it was alright to invite them to sit with them. "Sure! The more the merrier." The sheriff caught the couple's eye and waved them over to their table. "We have some empty chairs here. Join us!" 

The couple gratefully walked over sat down. They introduced themselves and the waitress once again came over to the table to get their orders. "So what brings you to our little town today?" asked the sheriff. They told them they had seen the ad for the Double D Dude Ranch and had decided to spend their vacation there this year. "I think it should be fun. The ad says that we can even do chores if we want to along with trail rides and outdoor activities. We are looking forward to it. The only thing I didn't check with them about was our dogs. We have brought our dogs with us. I sure hope they have facilities for them."

Without batting an eye three little children promptly sat down with the couple and the sheriff and Maxine. Someone got up to leave and Josh and Allie and Jean and Addie sat down at the empty table next to Maxine and the sheriff.

"Well, hello there. Who are you?" The young woman grinned at the three smiling faces. The children started talking all at once and the young couple just smiled and chuckled as they listened to the adventures that the young children had had the night before. They had wished on a puppy tooth? They did not smile however, when they heard about the orphanage. "Well, so are you going to stay at the Dude Ranch then?" Allie and Josh overheard the conversation with the young couple and the children. "What are they talking about, Josh? We can't keep those kids out there! She whispered under her breath, And what about Jean and her little granddaughter? This is a fine kettle of fish if you ask me. I don't know what to do. She says her daughter's horse is at the ranch. I haven't had a chance to ask the cowhands about it and now the little family of three has no home." 

Soon a familiar voice said, "Well, I don't see a problem at all. I see an opportunity. An opportunity for an old miner and his new wife to lend a hand." Right behind them was yet another couple; Paul and Laura. "I agree, said, Laura. We've all been friends for years. This will be fun. We will all pitch in and help and the ranch will be up and running in no time."

Jean was listening and said, "I love to cook and bake. I can help if you don't mind. I love to clean and decorate. I can get started on the cabins." Pat said, "I'm more than willing to help. I love it out there. What do you say, Allie? Do want us old folks to help you get that place up and running? We don't charge much, just some food and some place to sit and star gaze." Allie laughed and said, "I just might keep you all so busy there won't be much time for star gazing." They all laughed and enjoyed each other's company.

The young couple was having so much fun with the children. "We have made reservations at your ranch. We are Kelsey and Aaron. We had planned on taking you up on working on a real ranch. We are farmers so we know a little something. I think it sounds fun if you have someplace to fish, I'm in!" Everyone laughed especially three smiling faces that had such good memories of fishing with their mom and dad. Aadon said, "I can remember tying flies with my dad. I can teach you if you want to learn how." The young man said, "You bet! I'd love to learn how. That's a deal."
Yay! We can all be a family!"

The young man and woman looked at each other with a glimmer of hope in their eyes. The sheriff watched them carefully. "This just might be the answer." he thought to himself.