Answers To The Mystery May Be In Marlee's Journal

 On the way back out to the ranch Marlee asked questions about sunflowers. She said she knew they had bright yellow leaves on them. She had seen them in Grandma Lu's kitchen. "Grandma Lu has a lot of sunflowers at her house, doesn't she?" They all talked about Grandma Lu and a member of their family who also loved sunflowers. "There's all kinds of stories sometimes called legends about sunflowers. They love the sun and always bend to reach their faces towards the sun as much as they can." 
"You mean flowers can move their heads like we do?" Marlee's mom chuckled and said, "Not like we do, but the sunflower always reaches for the sun. That's where it got it's name. Then the brown middle we see is where all the seeds are. They are very good for birds to eat and lots of things are made from them. It seems to me that the seeds are full of Vitamin E which is really good for us. They make oil and feed for birds and large farm animals if I remember right. I think I saw a bar of sunflower soap at that little store in town. Those sunflower farms must be a big deal around here; interesting."

Marlee had been looking through her old book that was in the box she had bought at the auction. "Look at this picture, Mom. Isn't that a picture of a little girl with some sunflowers? It's black and white so I can't tell for sure."

"Yes, it does look like sunflowers. That picture is really old. You have your two dollars worth of fun looking at all the old pictures in that book, don't you? Okay, let's get the car unloaded and put things away. We can explore the ranch tomorrow how does that sound?" She looked at her husband and saw the worry on his face. "I am never going to another auction as long as I live," she thought to herself.

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 The newspaper reporter had taken a picture of two little girls that had found the alarm clocks out at the sunflower field. They both were so happy with their prize, but most of all that they had solved the puzzle by guessing the clue. 

Arie had also guessed the puzzle, but had decided she really didn't need the clock because she already had one. The owner of the sunflower farm gave her some sunflower soap to take home and a free ticket to come back anytime that they were open. She was thrilled. Her little sister had found a silver pocket watch in the dirt and loved it. However her mom wasn't sure that they should keep it. She told her little girl that they needed to take it to the sheriff's office to see if anyone had lost it before she could keep it.

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He quit running and hid in the sunflower field. He listened and watched as the little girl walked away with the pocket watch. He knew that it was very valuable and would bring him a tidy sum; maybe enough to retire on or at least buy him a decent car. When he heard that the mother was going to turn it in to the sheriff he decided to go to the sheriff's office later in the day and tell him that he had lost a valuable pocket watch of his grandfather's. "This is easy pickins," he grinned as he made his way back into town.  However, the older woman was way ahead of him. She had called the sheriff's office and said that she had lost her grandmother's pocket watch out at the sunflower farm. If anyone turned it in she would sure like it back. She would send a driver to pick it up.

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The auctioneer's wife was so happy. She had gotten the job as a delivery person. She would have extra spending money to do as she wished; just for herself. It wasn't a lot, but she loved the feeling of independence. And the job was so easy! Today she just had to go to the sheriff's office and pick up a package for her new boss. "Yes! I love my new job!"