Author: ellenparkerwrites

Have you ever ridden in a sleigh? Or a cutter? Or on a bobsled?

I remember the last — but it was far from a glamorous ride. I was small, perhaps five years old. My father was doing some of the work for my Great-Uncle (he was ill) and he took me along one afternoon. Cleaning the barn was included. My dad loaded the manure from the cows and horses onto a bobsled — actually a platform on four wide, wooden, shaped “runners”. Then he hitched up the team, had me stand next to him in a clear spot near the front of the platform, and we went off across the field. My dad pitched the manure onto the field, ordering the horses to go forward at the proper time. (The horses were old and not inclined to move without an order.)

A sleigh ride sounds more glamorous than the above. I think I’ll continue to create a picture consistent with the Thanksgiving/Christmas/Winter songs “The One Horse Open Sleigh” (Jingle Bells) and “Over the River and Through the Woods.” Want to sing along?

Wanted: One horse, trained for driving. Must not startle at bells.

The sweet romance, Starr Tree Farm, includes a January storm which leaves enough snow for sleigh-riding. However, the characters in this contemporary story drive trucks, cars, and snowmobiles instead. Check out the book here: https://amzn.to/2zqIQEw

These final weeks of a year can get hectic. Merchants clamor for your shopping dollar. Charities beg for an end-of-year gift. Schools and workplaces plan social events.

Sometimes a person wants to temporarily escape.

Unharried by the events of the larger world, this zoo resident contemplates her next move.

Beware of claws and teeth if you interrupt their thinking. On second thought, beware claws, teeth, and sharp words if you disturb an adult who has retreated behind a closed door to do a little thinking and thought gathering.

Residents in fictional Elm Ridge, Illinois, kept a cautious relationship with the forest animals. The primary animal mentioned in New Dreams, a sweet historical romance, is domestic, not wild. Check out the details here: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

According to the song — it’s the perfect gift for a young boy.

In my experience, and to stay within budget, this animal was limited to a puppet and a stuffed animal for young boys.

The real animal, while an interesting creature, requires a lot of upkeep. Swimming pool, generous vegetarian food supply, (I doubt a family garden could keep up), space to roam on land, and a waste disposal system. (Only so much can be accommodated on the garden.) And then you’ll need exotic animal permits. And a vet willing to make house/pool calls.

No hippos in the sweet, historical romance, New Dreams. If the residents of fictitious Elm Ridge, Illinois, knew of them at all — it would have been through books. So if you’re looking for a hippo-free zone – check here: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE