Chapter One Dana Gerard’s pulse quickened as she scanned the horizon. The sky glowed the murky greenish-gray color of a bruise, and a menacing wall of clouds rolled in the distance. She knew a possibility of rain had been forecast, and she’d been hoping for a good, steady shower – the kind that sank in deeply, nourishing farmers’ crops, one that would wash away the dirty browns of winter and give life to the budding tulips and iris that had just begun to dot her neighborhood. But that scenario seemed unlikely now. These clouds carried an ominous threat. Pulling he ...continued...

In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create but by what we refuse to destroy. (John Sawhill, former president of The Nature Conservancy) A reflection of ourselves Our national parks and preserves are located in all regions of the country (Our National Parks), but they are in need of help. From budget cuts, discussed previously, to climate change this remarkable American creation, which goes back more than 100 years, is under threat in the 21st century. Shrinking available water supplies affects ecosystems and species survival. Non-native plants, insects, snakes ...continued...

Because our Mother left when I was 4 and my brother Rich about 18 months old, we were reared primarily by our Father. As a truck driver, Dad was gone 5 to 6 days a week, when we were cared for by a great Aunty who lived downstairs in our duplex home. A true product of the Victorian era, Aunty was born in the 1880's. In her early 40's she had begun to be crippled by rheumatoid arthritis, and by the 1940's was badly incapacitated, hands gnarled, back stooped, knees and hips painful and deformed. She always had someone living with her to help ou ...continued...

The Haunting of Leigh Maxwell By Esther Luttrell ONE The wind was starting to kick up, he noticed. Even though the old car provided a cocoon, protecting him from the elements, he was aware of the dip in temperature. It was colder than usual for so early in October. Trees surrounding the big plant where he worked were bending in the breeze, disappearing from sight when shreds of fog shifted across the woods. He hunched down further in the seat, pulling his wool jacket tighter around him. “She’s going to be late,” he said aloud to ...continued...

Today we hit 89 degrees, no, not the temperature but 89 degrees north. We are now a little less than one degree away from the North Pole. We have traveled over 60 miles north from our start point. Keep in mind, this does not include any traveling we did moving every other direction to get around open leads, ice boulder fields, or pressure ridges, needless to say we have accomplished alot in the past 6 days (or was it 7 days? Hard to keep track). We are expecting one resupply to get us more fuel and food for the dogs, but we have a great team and everyone is motivated to push hard and get to ...continued...

Kids are really good at whatever you put your mind to you can achieve. I remembered not want to go go to school, I got up and started to pray to get sick so I can stay home, I prayed hard, then I began to say I am sick, I am sick, i am sick, not for anyone to hear of course. But before I was dressed for school my tummy started to hurt, YES! ( shouted in my mind). It began to hurt more and more then the runnings stated, the most foul sent ever, I could not go 10 mins with out having find a toilet. I saw the frustration in my moms eyes. But I did get to stay home for 3 days, but not how I wanted ...continued...

Riding Life’s Rollercoaster by Carolyn Unruh as told to Sally Jadlow My husband, Dave, and I graduated from K-State in Manhattan, Kansas in June 1967. We married that same month. Dave had been a member of the ROTC program at KSU and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. Dave finished graduate school in 1968. He got a 1-year deferment from Uncle Sam. We moved to Kansas City so Dave could accept a marketing position with IBM. One year later, Dave received his papers to report for active duty. At the outset of our marriage, we wanted children. I knew from ...continued...

I understand why people say, “Paybacks are a bitch!” It’s tough work to pay back someone in your life who has been giving to you since you were born. You see, when I came into this world, I came in having two mothers. And it seems like these two old ladies sure know the ropes because they got me hopping around like a chicken with her head cut off paying them back big time. By the time I clean up the kitchen from breakfast dishes, and whatnot, I’m setting the table back up because these two old gals are sitting at the table again ...continued...

👀 WRITE LIFE STORIES and SELL MORE BOOKS Five years ago after attending one of my book signings and a Lewis & Clark monologue presentation an administrator at Johnson Country Library, Overland Park, Kansas suggested I create a workshop that would assist those who wanted to write their life story. Since the launch of that program I have made over (50) presentations to a variety of organizations. One that added a new dimension to my effort occurred when I encountered a class of (80) 3rd grade students at an elementary school in Kansas City, Kansas. At the end of the c ...continued...

My favorite Mark Twain quote: I've lived through some terrible things in my life and some of them actually happened. I start every Life History and Lewis and Clark workshop with this one. http://ozarkstories.com Sincerity Be happy to the success of others. Know that there is enough for everyone. Jealousy, Envy, Cynicism, Fear, Selfishness, and Hatred will surely tear you down. Reread the chapter on Thoughts to ensure that you understand how the subconscious delivers. Laugh at yourself and the World laughs with you. Laugh at others and the World laughs at y ...continued...

The entire team is catching a couple hours of sleep before we make our final push to the pole. I, on the other hand, stupidly volunteered to stay awake so that someone could watch the stove for heat and so someone could wake everyone else up at 4am (it is 3am now). Our goal is to make it to the pole before 12 noon so we can catch a ride back to Barneo with another team on the helicopter. While it is not a major thing if we miss the ride, as we can camp at the pole until we can arrange another ride, but we have made such good time over the last 150+ miles that it is now a point of pride to h ...continued...

This is my first chaptor about me. William Sawyers or Known to others as Mr.Bill I'm a school custodian of 27 years and a children author for about 9 years now. I'll be posting more info on this site soon. Meanwhile feel free to explore my web sites, and pass along to others. http://www.freewebs.com/william2233/ http://mrwilliamsawyers.weebly.com/ There are many interesting page's and short stories as well as poetry for the age's of five on up. All my published books are helping out a local school in my area with a dollar a book, and my ...continued...

I was born in London in 1952 to Irish born parents. They both came from Monkstown, a pretty village on Cork harbour about eight miles from Cork city. It was here that I spent my first twenty summers. This wonderful experience caused me to view Ireland through rose-tinted glasses for ever more. Before the opening of Cork airport, in 1961, our annual pilgrimage started on a train from Paddington Station, in London. It took us to Fishguard, a port on the Welsh coast. Then we boarded the Innisfallen ferry, which passed Monkstown on its way up the river Lee to the docks in Cork city. The first p ...continued...

The title of my life story is "I Started Out As A Small Boy". Most readers will wonder "What is up with this dude choosing a stupid title such as this?" Well, I have to admit that it is hardly a unique beginning. I suspect that of the approximate 7 billion people people inhabiting planet earth at this moment, about 3.5 billion of them may have started out the same way. But then again, every story must start somewhere and I am convinced that mine started on April 29, 1937 in the Larned Kansas "Hospital". I put Hospital in qu ...continued...

He is mysterious in every way, the boy I have yet to meet. Nick got my hopes up. He stated that George was coming to visit. As my day progressed, the communication between he and George changed. George wasn't coming to visit... He was coming to say goodbye. As a newly drafted marine, George sought it fit to say his goodbyes before being deployed. The news hit me like a ton of bricks. I had yet to meet him and the possible man of my dreams was going to be just that... a dream. I nearly cried over a boy I had never met. I've been alone for so long that possibilities of meeting peop ...continued...