Okay!! I posted the entire book, less the crossword puzzles and a
few drawings and pictures that are in the book, during the chapters.
You can find it
under my blog called The tiny Life of Lucas Fern, organized in chapters.
It was fun to
finally publish one of the hundreds of stories I have told my kids, over the
years. I have also been adding a fun portion of a tradition in Yosemite
that many visitors (usually campers) have, as the sun is setting in Yosemite
Valley.
Just as people are
returning to their campsites and finishing up with dinner, or roasting marsh
mellows over the campfire, people begin to shout for Elmer. It is
alarming for a child the first time they hear it, then it becomes exciting.
Just the thought that you can scream at the top of your lungs, the name
of a person, nobody has ever met.
At least according
to the three different stories I have heard over the years.
This first story,
an old family member told me during a family reunion. It was the story of
an old man named Elmer, who had a cart full of fresh fruit, fish, and vegetables.
This was told even back before WWII when this person was just a teenager.
People would shout
his name, in order to get his attention.
A different story
was that of a young boy, who was lost, during the sixties or so. His
parents began calling his name, and the campers all began calling for him as
well. It did not take long for him to finally return home.
The third is the
story I made up for my own children, since the truth is almost impossible to
find. I tell them the story of Elmer the bear cub, who was separated from
his mother. The bear cub ran across a few children playing in the river,
building a small dam out of rocks, creating a little pool of water to swim in.
They named the
bear cub Elmer, and spent all afternoon playing games, and feeding the cute
cub. When the night came, Elmer's mother was still missing.
That night the
children all gathered together and slept out under the stars, with Elmer the
bear cub, hoping his mother would return to find him.
In the morning
Elmer was gone! From that day forward, these children returned to Yosemite
every year, looking for Elmer, calling his name as the sun went down.
As you can see,
Yosemite can be a magical place, especially for those who can resist the desire
to watch television, listen to music, use their electronic devices, and
whatever else you can do when you are back in the city, or at home.
Try and find a
spot, all alone, preferably along the river, where nobody can disturb you.
Set out a blanket, to relax and listen to the music and the message
Mother Nature has in store for you. It may take a while to purge the big
city out of your mind and system, but for those of you who can hear it. Her
message is magical.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009654812050
Copyright © 2016 Derek Ryan Jensen. All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system - except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper - without permission in writing from the publisher
Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved.