Blarry Stories Continued

For those of you who are reading please forgive some of the mistakes. I bang these out pretty quick and do not spend as much time editing as I should.  Also keep in mind that Mieke has given me some stuff she wants her students to learn about.  She reads two of these each week to her students and I think the kids are learning.  They are a little puzzled about how this guy can roam the land but I think 4th graders need adventure and some mystery so here are a few more stories.

13. “Browser Lost”

Sure enough the train was moving.  For about 20 miles it went to the east.  Then a long broad turn to the south.  I could tell the direction.  When you were heading east and west the sun as in front or behind you and when you were going south and north the sun was off to the side of you.  Pretty smart thinking eh?

Anyways, when you are on a train like this you notice some interesting things.  First of all trains make a lot of noise.  The wheels are a steel and the train cars are help together with a steel latch that has a little play in it. Just enough to clatter and jangle and make a lot of noise.  The other interesting thing is that if you look out of the door you will occasionally see signs.  As the train made the bend to the south I saw a sign OHIO 55 miles.  You know I wondered about this.  Who would name a place Ohio?  I did not have all that much to do so in the dim light of the  it car I got out my map to see how many states had just 4 letters.  I found 3, Ohio, Utah and Iowa.  I wondered some about if the people in these states might not be all that good a spelling or something.  Anyway it just seemed like sort of a strange name for a state.  O-hi-O.  But that is were we were headed.  The Railroad tracks had a sign when we crossed the state line.  Browser even sensed the adventure of the whole thing.  For both of us it was the first time we were in another state.  I did not seem like the air smelled any different.  The train tracks looked the same and the noises of the tracks were the same. But still I wish the people here would have come up with a better name for the place they lived.  Maybe something like O-hi-O-why-O or something like that.

The train rumbled to the east now and it was becoming apparent that a problem I had not thought of before was happening.  Both browser and I had been in this RR car now for 6 hours and he was starting to tremble.  He had been trained so well by the police trainers hat he would never use the floor of the RR car for a bathroom. And very frankly I was not sure what to do on this level as well.  For the first time on the trip I was not sure what to do about something like this but Browser was shaking and so was I.  It was at about the time that things were getting more desperate than the train started to slow down and it came to a grinding stop.  This car had a step outside of the door and I climbed down. Browser jumped in to my arms and it was not very long that we both feltt very much better having used the comfort station of the great outdoors.

It was just a very few seconds though that the very largest problem of the trip occurred. The train jumped back to motion.  My tent, my map, my backpack, Browsers food and saddle bag,  plus all my appleseeds were in motion and soon to be lost unless I would do something quick.  I quickly ran and caught with my hand the lower step of the car we were in.  The train though (accelerated) so quickly that I could only manage to hang on and somehow pull myself up even while my feet were dragging on the stone bed of the the railroad bed.  I managed to pull myself in.  Browser was going to make a run and jump for the car but I held out my had to stop him.  If he missed the jump he would be underneath the steel wheels and chopped to pieces.  But by now the train was moving so quickly that I did not dare jump. As the train turned I could look out of the door and see Browser trying to run behind.  But his limp did not let him run fast enough to keep up and he soon became a speck on the tracks far behind.  I had lost my dog. No way to get off of a train moving this fast. Tears came quickly.  Somehow the emotion of the whole thing came to me so fast and hard that the tears formed a puddle on the worn planks of the RR car.  The train rumbled to Cleveland. Browser was now at least ten miles behind.  I knew now I could not do the trip without him plus he was my only buddy.  

A very very sad day Mrs. M. Can you think of what I should do.  The train stopped now but my dog is gone.  I climbed out and set up the tent. But there will not be any sleep this night.  I (mourn) for my loss and I think it might be time to turn around and come back.

You very sad student Blarry.

14. Making plans in a Big Forest

I set up the tent that night by myself.  Very lonely thing.  Railroad right of ways are very lonely places and the surrounding woods had huge trees and night time was setting in.  With all of the feelings and the loss of Browser another thing started to hit me pretty hard. I was hungry.  I seemed like I was so far away from everything and very frankly the only thing I had to eat was Browser’s dog food.  It was not the best meal I ever had had but it did fill me up.  And when I was filled up I could think a little better about some options. I was not sure I ever would find Browser but I knew I did not have a chance of finding him unless I went back  to the approximate place I had last seen him. I planned to pack up the morning and do just that.  I would have done it right now but it was just so dark and might I say, somewhat scary.  Acorns would drop out of the trees and hit the tent and those trees were so big and tall that the acorns sounded like bowling balls when they hit.  Plus in the woods was a pack of howling coyotes. I was pretty sure I was safe in the tent and I sort of felt like a prisoner.  I figured if I could eat dog food, coyotes could eat Blarry’s so I just stayed put right there. It just was not one of my better nights though.  I had nothing to do that night except once in a while have a dog food burp and they were not all that much fun.  I turned the light on and got out my Johnny Appleseed book.  It was here that I got a few interesting ideas,  

Remember how I told you that the governor wanted me to write to him.  I sure did not want to tell him I had the lost the dog he gave me but I thought I had better. So before I went to bed I did just that.  Told him I was in Ohio and then the whole sad story.  Now I have to tell you that this Johnny Appleseed guy was real (resourceful) and I did pick up a few ideas. At the crack of dawn I would pack up and start walking back.  If I cannot find Browser I might come all the way and start in your class.  I hope your class is not full.

Blarry,  A happy boy in a big world  (a little scared and cold as well)

Story 15

A bell in the distance:

I did wake up in the morning and somehow feel more confident that I could do my very best to get this whole thing turned around.  The Johnny Appleseed book had given me some confidence that I could survive out here but to do so I would need to somehow find Browser.  I did consider that if he could not be found perhaps I could find another dog.  But I knew already that there would be no other dog like him. I put everything back in the backpack and started down the tracks again to try and backtrack and find him.  But of course before I did so I planted an apple seed in the forrest. I was not sure this was going to grow in the dark cover but I did it anyway.

I had learned in the book that there just are times you need to think different and right now I needed to think like a dog.  I was pretty sure Browser would not stay along the RR tracks.  No food, no water, no nothing except for a loud train every now and then.

So I knew I had to get off to one side or another and I was quite sure he would try to find someplace with some food just as I had to do last night with the dog food.  It was in about 2 miles more that I saw and heard my first sign of (civilization). I heard a bell ringing and the south side of the woods. I decided to follow the sound and after navigating through some pretty rough terrain I saw in the distance a white building. It was a church and it had a bell ringing in the steeple.  It had  about 20 cars around it.  I thought perhaps that some how Browser might have also heard the bell and I decided to approach the place and I walked up the steps and sat in the back row.  There was an old guy up front and he made us sing a few songs.  Then he told us that if we're smart we would learn how to pray.  He made quite a case for this.  I was not really sure who I was praying to but anyway I prayed.  I prayed that I would find Browser.  I needed him so bad to complete my journey.  My mom and dad when they were alive never had said much about how this works.  It seemed to me that the people who were there were nice, I was quite sure it must be Sunday as I recalled that people who went to churches kind of did so on this day.  It was on that day that I did a prayer.  I asked that somehow I would reunited with Browser.  I knew it was only a try but I needed some help here.

You know something Mrs M.  I am not sure this works out every time. But when I emerged from this place Browser was sitting at the bottom of the steps.  He had also heard the bells and he knew that he needed to find people as well as I did. He had thorns and burrs,  I had a tear as I ran down the steps to embrace him.  The people in that service who came out and saw me hug my thorn filled dog observed this thing with interesting passion.  The pastor walked down the steps.  Both Browser and I looked pretty bad. He was filled with thorns and I was dirty and road worn.  He was tired and thin. I was only filled with dog food.  The pastor could kind of see the situation and he called a  sort of a old looking lady down the steps.  He asked her to take us to her home that afternoon.  She did so.  She explained to us that her husband had died a year ago.  She would sort of like the company.  She took us to her home.  She suggested that we both might want to take a bath.  We did so.  I picked all of the burrs and thorns out of Browser.  I gave him a shampoo bath outside with the garden hose.  Then I went in to use the bathtube.  Dirt was on my feet and the grime of this many days of travel was all over the place. It was so good to wash it off.

So that night I stayed at her house. Browser stayed  on the front porch.  He liked his pork chop.  He curled up on this rug she had on the porch. I curled up in the warm bed she had upstairs.  I had found my dog, We were both clean and full.  Does life get much better. I am just not sure.!!!

Your student Blarry (President  of the YMTA, so far a one person club)

Story 16:

Getting close to Halloween

It turned out the the lady was named Mrs Applegarth,  I told her all about the apple seeds and the governor and about my trip.  Told her just everything.  She invited us to stay the next night but I told her I was getting more worried about cold weather setting in and that we should be going.  It was afternoon before we left though and before we did I asked her if I could plant an apple tree in the front yard in recognition of her kindness.  She granted her permission.  I thought if any trees were going to grow this one would be the one.  The grass was neat and everything was so well cared for.  The yard was surrounded by a nice white fence.  It was not very long after I got the tree planted that we were walking along down the road.  Browser was by my side.  My backpack was firmly in place and Browser saddle bags neatly on his back.  Mrs, Applegarth had packed for us a couple of bag lunches and I used Browser Saddlebags to carry these.  Kind of seemed like old times again.  We were still in the country. We were both a little tired from all of the events from the last days and we had a late start.  So it was in about 20 miles that we approached the little town of Strangeville.  On a hill outside of the town I saw kind of a perfect camping spot.  It had at the entry to it an arch type of a sign with some really cool script letters.  It said “Strangeville Cemetery, Sleep is Important Here”,  Anyway, the whole place kind of looked pretty nice, the lawn was cut and in the back was an area with not all that many tombstones.  Perfect I thought. And since the sign said sleep was important here I thought this is where we would stay that evening. Browser though did not seem to like it as much.  He sat on the outside and I had to beg him to come in.  He kind of let out a whimper as he crossed under the arch.  As though to say ‘I do not think this will be a good idea”. But I was the boy and he was the dog and I told him this would be it for the night.

We set up the tent like old times, Then we opened the bag lunches.  Mrs Applegarth had made for me a chicken salad sandwich and chips and for Browser a couple of pork chops and gravy.  We made short business of this.  There was only one thing I did notice about this place though.  When the wind would blow it made almost a talking sound,  And you know something it sure was starting to blow that night.  I tried to pick up the sound and perhaps what I heard the wind saying was something like this “ no need to fear You will just have to stay here” .  I was not all that sure I was interested in that but anyway that is all I could figure out.  Very frankly it was just some whistles in the trees so I was sure it was imagination.  I took Browser down to the pond in back to get a drink.  After a few minutes I said to Browser “come on boy, time to go back”!!! He did not come all that quick. I really think this whole place gave him the creeps.  But just before dark he came with me.  We needed to clean up our lunch mess and get it thrown away before total dark.  When we  got back to the camp we had a little surprise though.  Everything was clean and the mess was gone.  There was a toothpick with a little note in the ground.  It said this “it is true that we are all dead but if you want to stay here don’t leave trash on top of our bed  Stash the Trash Blarry”!

It was to be an interesting night but my hands are shaking so much I cannot find the right thing to push on my I-pad.  We did survive but it was one of the more interesting nights I have ever encountered.  Tell you about that next time.

Sleeping without peeping   Blarry and Browser.

Story 17

The Cemetery (Warning Pretty scarey)

Have you ever heard of moonbeams? Well that is what happened that night.  Some how the wind and the night came to full fruition and ultimately cost both I and Browser  a lost night of sleep.  I took my flashlight out and we both took a walk . I  and pointed it on some of the granite stones that surrounded our tent. It was really interesting to see some of the (“epitaphs”.)  Here are some of the first ones!!! These were nearest to our tent.

Here lies Less Moore

4 shots from a 44

No Less no Moore

Here lies my cousin Minnie

She was always so skinny

but before she could get wide

she died.

Here lies my cousin Frank

He always had a prank.

He is no longer around

He is 6 feet underground

But then I started to see some of these that got my attention a little more.  Even Browser kind of got the shivers when I read them to him.

Here Lies Curly and His Dog Jake

Can you tell the are no longer Awake.

Camped here one night behind the garden shed.

But some how they are both now dead.

And this one really got to me.

Here lies Art

He always did his part

Art was a man of wild imagination

He rises to every situation

He is supposed to always stay in the ground

But every night he gets out and walks around

Now I just have to tell you that seeing this on these stones did not make for all that fine of night of sleep.  Plus as we walked back to the tent the moon was so bright and the wind was just enough to let the moonbeams dance around a little as they shone through the trees. At  first I thought I was seeing things and perhaps I let my imagination get the best of me but if you would have seen this it somehow took on the look of ghost dancing on top of the grass and all the tombstones.  Creepy I know, but I am just telling you how it all looked.  When we got back to the tent Browser did something interesting.  He put his paws in front of his eyes and he got underneath the covers with me.  The moonbeams danced on top of our tent. The wind whistled in the trees. But I have not yet told you the real moment of being scared.  Is it Ok if I tell you that now or might it be best for another time?  OK now, because I just cannot hold this in.

I next heard sort of a clinking noise. I slowly opened the the tent flap and I could see the figure of a man in the moonlight coming up the hill towards us.  The cemetery seemed to be alive with sound and it seemed to have figures running all over the place. I was just sure it must be Art.  As the figure approached I could sort of tell we were in for some real trouble.  He had sort of Zombie look and he had 2 tin cans on his belt that made the noise. He had a shovel that he carried on his shoulder like a rifle.  I looked over at Browser and expected him to jump out and handle this situation but it was so scary that Browser just went a little deeper in to the sleeping bag.

The figure came closer and closer and ended up right in front of the tent. I opened the flap again and timidly said “hi Art”. He put the shovel down and said “ this is not Art,  this is Norm. I am the caretaker of this land of the dead and I could sure use some help from you guys. I had one of these guys die that weighs about 400lbs and I have to dig this huge grave before morning and I am so old I do not think I could do it myself. I saw you guys camping here and I wondered if you could help. “ Heart be still!!! I was so relieved.  We did that together. We pitched the dirt out. We dug it neat and square.  I was just so glad to be alive.  When we were done he thought we might need 6 more inches on one side so we did that as well.  We were tired when we were done.  We sat on the dirt piles and then Norm asked me an interesting question.  He asked me what should  go on the tombstone.  Turns out he was the guy who did all of these.  I told him I was not sure but maybe something like this.

The moonbeams of the night result in a scare

Underneath this grass lies a specimen that is rare.

Had to dig his grave a little wide

Had two kids and a nice looking bride

But the end of life is something we all need to meet

And this guy here considered all food a treat.

I was not sure Norm was going to use this but for now I was just so glad that I was still alive. Dug a grave, got a little scared, and looks like I will live to see another Halloween.

Happy Halloween

Your Friend Blarry.

Story 18  On down the road.

It was sort of hard to sleep that night. It was true the cemeteries were sort of peaceful places but it was also true that Browser and I might  be fully aware of  the the trauma that might be involved in staying  in  such a place.  We of course did survive the the night.  Dug a big grave, saw a few ghost (I think) and somehow knew that if we could both survive something like this we could make it through just about anything.  So I did this. In the fresh dirt of the large grave I planted a appleseed.  I thought this way.  I thought that the relatives of this large man might enjoy the  apples that would fall on the grave and when they would come out to see and recall the fond memories of their relative that they could enjoy a apple, When they crunched in to it they could remember the  man.  In any event I was sort of glad to be be moving on down the road.

Browser helped me pack up the tent.  He, more than I, seemed to be glad to be moving on down the road.  He wandered on down to the creek for another drink of water but he seemed pretty anxious to help me pack things up and it was not very long before we left this place and we were both on down the road.  Norm met us at the gate and expressed his thanks for the help of digging the grave.  But we were soon on our way.

Browser was walking at my side. I was so glad to have him back.  But it was also hard to not notice in the next mile that the (incline) was leading us to some hills. We were just outside of Cleveland now  and the hills were getting kind of sharp.  A gradual ascent in to what I later found to be the foothills of the Appalachians.  Anyway every step seemed to be uphill.  Mrs M? do you find it interesting how in some parts of the country the land is flat and in other part these hills seem the rise out of the flats.  Well Browser and I sure did. I mean these hills were just huge. We walked past Cleveland and on to Pennsylvania.  First we walked up and then we walked down and then up again. It seemed like a never ending deal.  Whenever we would would go up the temperature would get cold and whenever we went down a little warmer again.  Do you know why this is?  

Anyway when we both could walk no more we decided to make camp in this colorful forest.  It had everything.  Fall leaves in full color.  Crystal streams of clear water. Large oak trees (laden) with squirrels, a few deer and just about everything else you might think of in the category of wildlife.  On the way in to the valley in which we were to camp I saw a sign.”Beware of Timber Rattlers”.  I did not think all that much of this. I thought these things would not be out this late in the year.  Browser helped me set up the tent.  We were just getting settled in and setting up the campfire and I heard this rather large noise. It was for sure a rattle.  I looked around in the dim light and about 10 feet away was a curled up snake just sitting on the outside of the camp but also seeming plenty mad that a boy and his dog were now in his area.  Browser reared up but I knew the danger.  I had bought a hatchet before the trip and I also wondered why I had carried it so far.  I knew of nothing else to do. I got the thing out and took aim.  I threw it at the large snake and it is hit about halfway up the body.  The thing quivered and after all kinds of action on both sides of the body it slowly stopped moving.  

I saw in a movie that these things could be good on the eating side.  I lit a campfire. I set up up a spigot.  I slowly cut the snake in to pieces and I put sticks in the snake and rolled him by hand over the fire.  Browser and I had a good meal that night. Rattlesnake dinner. I was really pretty good.  It was a little hard to get to sleep that night.  But we were full. Yes, a few thoughts of  some the snakes relatives might still be around but on the most part a good night of sleep.  Browser and I  curled up in the tent. I knew he would sense if there were any more of these creatures around.  But he and I had a good night of rest. Pretty good dinner as well.  It was the all in all a good night and a good day.

Blarry (Also known as Hatchet Man)

Continuation of Stories for Miekes class

5. “Sprinkler Problems”

So I packed up all the stuff early in the morning.  I was sort of worried that if the local authority saw me doing this they would stop me before I even got started.  But now I am on my way.  I did take a look back at the school as I turned the corner.  I must admit that as I did so a tear came to my eye.  I felt the weight of my pack and I sensed the the huge enormity of my journey and  turned back to see for the last time the safe (haven) of the life I was leaving.  I was on a 15 mile journey to the GR Ford Museum.  

I sort of wanted to see this because somebody had told me that Ford was was the only president our country that came from our state.  So I walked up Baldwin,down to Chicago drive and then on to Market St. and the next thing I knew I was standing at the staircase of the the GR Ford museum.  

I climbed the stairs,  24 steps in all, A security guard saw me doing this. He had this mustache of which the end curled up somewhat and he and I sat at the top of the stairs for a moment,  He could sort or see that I was on the start of large journey.  He gazed down on me from the corner of his eye.  He sort of had feel for the the fact that not every day would he have a visitor like this and he offered to my a personal tour of the facility. It was is this tour that that he showed me the works of a fine man. Gerald R Ford.  The only man from our State to ever be a president.  

After the tour he allowed me to put up my tent in the back of the museum on the yard.  It was sort of behind the place but the lawn was soft.  Nobody could see.  One thing he forgot to tell me is that in 4 AM in the morning the sprinkler system went off so here I was in the middle of the night and my tent felt like it was being hit by the rain.  Nothing bad here because the tent does keep the water out.  But still a little bit of a shocker. It was the next morning that I packed my stuff up again and climbed the same same steps.  My friend the security guard held out a couple of tickets. He offered them to me.  He said that as long as I was traveling the whole country I should stay some in Grand Rapids.  He told me I would not do better.  They were tickets to the GR Symphony which was to perform the following evening.  He told me that If I was to travel I should hear this group. One of the very finest in the land.  I decided to stay one more day.

Is it OK if I tell you what happened next on the following correspondence.  It is pretty interesting.  For now Ms M this is What I have for this day.  My feet are kind of sore but you know something.  This is all starting to be a really fun trip.  People are nice and God is good.

-Blarry

6. “Music and a Ride”

So with this ticket this guy gave to me I had to find some stuff to do In Grand Rapids for another day.  I was sort of hungry and I found the place called the B.O.B. and it looked like they had a lot of places to eat.  B.O.B. stands for big old building.  And that is what it is. I big old building with lots of choices of thing to eat.  I bought I steak and some fries.  They charge me about $12 for everything.  

You know something Mrs. M  I am starting to think a little more about how much money this is all going to take.  I am getting a few breaks along the way. People are seeing me travel and when they see me I think they cut me a little bit of a deal.  It was really a nice day here so I sat downtown and just enjoyed the day.  This city is busy though, something called "Art Prize" is being talked about and I think it might even start today.  Staying out of the way of all the traffic is a problem.  The fact is that a smushed Blarry would  not be a good deal.  I did think of one interesting idea.  After seeing the Ford museum I have been thinking some about if I might ever be the president of something.  So I formed this club.  It is called the YMTA  (young mens traveling association.)  And since I am the only member so far I elected myself the president.  I am sort of proud of this.

I did have one thing interesting happen when it was time to go the the symphony. My ticket was on the ( mezzanine)  and all of the players in the orchestra played like a team.  The music  was just perfect.  I looked in the program and they played something that this guy Beethoven wrote.  And you know what was interesting.  He wrote it when he was deaf.  Now how do you do something like that.  The music was just perfect and even the new president of the YMTA really enjoyed it.

I was not sure what I would do next so I was sitting in the lobby after the concert and this guy walked by. He saw me there contemplating my next move.  He sat next to me for a moment and inquired if I might be lost.  I told him what I was doing and I must tell you something amazing now.  When I told him who my teacher was, Mrs. M, he told me he was your brother.  He played a trumpet I think.  I told him where I was going and he said that he was going the same way.  Plus if I wanted he could give me a ride.  I asked him if he was really the brother of Mrs. M  and in short order he proved to me he was.  He told me all about you and what you did.  I threw my stuff in his car and we were on our way to Lansing.  He bought me a hamburger on the way.  

I offered to set up my tent in his back yard.  But he had me stay in the guest room.  We got in there late at night but one interesting thing I saw on the way to his home was a huge building with a lit up round dome on the top.  He told me it was the capitol building of our State.  So I knew what I was going to do the next day.  I was going to see that building up close and personal.

Your brother Ross a is nice guy.  When you have the chance please be sure to thank him for the ride.

Your Friend, Blarry  President of the YMTA

7. “Some Bad Neighborhoods”

The next morning I was opened my eyes and I heard the sounds of music ring up the staircase.  I descended the staircase of their somewhat old home and in their living room was a piano and it was being played by a lady who was still wearing her pajamas.  She looked at me and invited me to sit on the seat next to her.  It seemed to me that this business of music was complicated.  Notes were on the page and she took a little time to explain a few things.  She talked with a (accent) and her fingers just flew on the keys of the piano.  She was around 30 years old and she had taken 20 of those years to learn to play.  She plays the piano about 4 hours each day but she explained that she needed to do this and it was her job. She teaches 16 students.  Sure enough at the top of the music page was the name Beethoven.  So now two days in row I had heard this name.  She did explain to me some of the notes.  She plays on a baby grand piano.  Do you know what that is? Turns our she is the wife of your brother.  She got up from the piano and prepared for a me a large breakfast during which I explained that I would be walking the 4 miles from her home to the capitol building.  She called up the stairs and told your brother to come down and they had some real concern that to reach the capitol I would have to walk trough some bad neighborhoods and very frankly I had never heard of such a thing.  After further questioning they explained to me what a bad neighborhood was.  It had crime and it had problems that we do not see as much back home and as it turns out pretty much every big city in the USA has some bad neighborhoods.   Places that people do not have jobs and they steal stuff to make ends meet. Places where people sleep on the streets because they do not have a home to be in..

Your brother asked how I was taking care of my money. I told him proudly  I still had over $9,000 with me.  A frightened look came over his face.  He carefully explained that it was just not safe to carry with me that much money.  If I encountered one person that would robe me all my money would be gone and I would have to stop the trip.  Here is what he did. He took me to a bank and I put the money in an account with my name on it and then the bank person gave me a plastic card with my name and number.  She also explained very carefully that they would give me a password and I could stick the card in bank machines anyplace in the country and take some money.  My password is Beethoven and it is safe for me to tell only you this because you cannot get money out of my account unless you have both the card and the password.  I still had some money in cash left but I felt safer this way.  So Mrs. M, I was really glad to meet your brother.  I had about $400 bucks on me now and a plastic card.  Now all I had to do is get through this bad neighborhood and I would get to see the capitol. Your brother offered to ride his bike alongside as I walked. As we walked I could see what he meant when he said bad neighborhood.  Some of the buildings on the way had broken windows.  Trash littered the streets.  People hung around and as we walked by they had sort of a mean stare at us.  Many of the people smoked and in a few cases you could see people drinking out of whiskey bottles right on the sidewalks.  It was pretty sad.  I was so glad he was along because it was scary.  In fact Blarry had never seen something so scary.  Hey, that rhymes.

All this way we could see the capitol building but as we got closer things started to get nicer and then the huge building started getting bigger.  I climbed the stairs.  When I reached to top step I looked down at Ross on his bike and he gave me a wave and a salute and I watched his bike disappear as he went back home down Michigan Avenue.  I was on my own now.  People with briefcases were walking up and down the stairs.  For some reason when they built this place somebody had the idea of looking straight up at the inside of this thing.  If you ever come here you gotta see this.  It is really big and it looks really important.  Well enough for now.  I want to see the rest of this place.  Somehow wish you could come here someday.  But that probably will not be possible with so many kids.  One of the advantages of traveling and being the president of YMTA.

Your friend and missing student Blarry.

8. “Capitol”

The next morning I was opened my eyes and I heard the sounds of music ring up the staircase.  I descended the staircase of their somewhat old home and in their living room was a piano and it was being played by a lady who was still wearing her pajamas.  She looked at me and invited me to sit on the seat next to her.  It seemed to me that this business of music was complicated.  Notes were on the page and she took a little time to explain a few things.  She talked with a (accent) and her fingers just flew on the keys of the piano.  She was around 30 years old and she had taken 20 of those years to learn to play.  She plays the piano about 4 hours each day but she explained that she needed to do this and it was her job. She teaches 16 students.  Sure enough at the top of the music page was the name Beethoven.  So now two days in row I had heard this name.  She did explain to me some of the notes.  She plays on a baby grand piano.  Do you know what that is? Turns our she is the wife of your brother.  She got up from the piano and prepared for a me a large breakfast during which I explained that I would be walking the 4 miles from her home to the capitol building.  She called up the stairs and told your brother to come down and they had some real concern that to reach the capitol I would have to walk through some bad neighborhoods and very frankly I had never heard of such a thing.  After further questioning they explained to me what a bad neighborhood was.  It had crime and it had problems that we do not see as much back home and as it turns out pretty much every big city in the USA has some bad neighborhoods.   Places that people do not have jobs and they steal stuff to make ends meet. Places where people sleep on the streets because they do not have a home to go too.

Your brother asked how I was taking care of my money. I told him proudly  I still had over $9,000 with me.  A frightened look came over his face.  He carefully explained that it was just not safe to carry with me that much money.  If I encountered one person that would robe me all my money would be gone and I would have to stop the trip.  Here is what he did. He took me to a bank and I put the money in an account with my name on it and then the bank person gave me a plastic card with my name and number.  She also explained very carefully that they would give me a password and I could stick the card in bank machines anyplace in the country and take some money.  My password is Beethoven and it is safe for me to tell only you this because you cannot get money out of my account unless you have both the card and the password.  I still had some money in cash left but I felt safer this way.  So Mrs. M, I was really glad to meet your brother.  I had about $400 bucks on me now and a plastic card.  Now all I had to do is get through this bad neighborhood and I would get to see the capitol. Your brother offered to ride his bike alongside as I walked. As we walked I could see what he meant when he said bad neighborhood.  Some of the buildings on the way had broken windows.  Trash littered the streets.  People hung around and as we walked by they had sort of a mean stare at us.  Many of the people smoked and in a few cases you could see people drinking out of whiskey bottles right on the sidewalks.  It was pretty sad.  I was so glad he was along because it was scary.  In fact Blarry had never seen something so scary.  Hey, that rhymes.

All this way we could see the capitol building but as we got closer things started to get nicer and then the huge building started getting bigger.  I climbed the stairs.  When I reached to top step I looked down at Ross on his bike and he gave me a wave and a salute and I watched his bike disappear as he went back home down Michigan Avenue.  I was on my own now.  People with briefcases were walking up and down the stairs.  For some reason when they built this place somebody had decided it needed a huge dome on the top. The doors were so heavy I could not open them so I waited for a guy to get the door open and I slid in before it closed.  In a moment I was standing looking straight up at the inside of this thing.  If you ever come here you gotta see this.  It is really big and it looks really important.  Well enough for now.  I want to see the rest of this place.  Somehow wish you could come here someday.  But that probably will not be possible with so many kids.  One of the advantages of traveling and being the president of YMTA.

Your friend and missing student Blarry.  President of the YMTA

9. “Homes and Domes”

After looking up at the dome for a while I went in to see some of the the rooms in this big building. On room is where the legislators meet. It has neatly arranged table desk and chairs and in the front it has a place for the boss, but I am not sure who that is.  I am not sure why all the capitol building need to have a dome but whoever built this thing did kind of a nice job.  If it where my guess I would say these domes have somewhat of a (symbolic) nature.  But is it is my guess that you and your class might be better at figuring this out than I.  It was not very long though that I got a little bored with this so I sat out on the front steps for a while and I just sort of stared down Michigan Avenue not really sure of my next move.  I was pretty anxious to get going some more on my trip.

And then Mrs. M some thing amazing happened.  At around 5PM a guy with grey hair walked out  of the building and he passed by me descending the stairs.  He had a big briefcase. He got about 10 steps down and he turned around. He turned around and he came back and sat by me on the top step.  He stuck out his hand and introduced himself.  He said "my name is Rick Snyder who are you?"  I told him my name was Blarry.  Mr. Snyder told me he was the governor of our state but he seemed more interested in what I was doing.  I explained the whole thing.  Told him about my trip and everything.  Told him I was an orphan.  His head seemed to be whirling in thought.  I was not sure if he did not have the power to stop the whole trip right now.  But after he gave it some thought he kind of winked at me out of the corner of one eye and he told me this, he said "you know Blarry this is the most incredible thing I have ever heard".  A young man who endeavors to see our land.  But he said. "before you go further allow me to just help you a little."  "Come down this stairs with me and with your permission let me allow you to pitch your tent in my yard this night and in the morning let you and I take a ride out to our state police post. I have heard we have something out there that might be of help to you!!"

The next thing I knew I was going down the steps with Mr. Snyder and we both got in to the back of long car with a driver with a cap.  We approached a large house and the driver reached up and hit a button. The gates opened. The house had a huge yard and when the governor got out of the car he pointed to a spot in the yard that might be good for my tent.  I set the whole thing up. Got the light working. Kind of admired the surrounding a little.  The next thing I knew I sort of heard someone making noise as though they were knocking on the door of my tent.  I looked out and I saw this guy with a white vest and a white cap.  He had a plate of with some mashed potatoes,  2 pork chops, some beans. and a little gravy on the side.  It had been a while since I had even seen a meal like this.  It was served on a plate, and by the way not a paper plate.  Nice silver wear and everything. I was pretty hungry so nothing on the plate lasted very long.  I was not sure what to do with it when I was done but just as I was finishing the guy in white hat came back.  He told me that the governor would pick me up at 8 in the morning.

I spent the night wondering what jail they were going to take me to. I mean a guy my age out in the big world by himself..  So I did not sleep all that well that night.  I did notice before I went to bed that several State police roamed the grounds of the governors house.  They carried guns and they looked pretty serious.  One of them stopped by the tent.  He told me that the governor just wanted to help me and that he was a pretty good guy.  With that I went to sleep.  It was the best night of rest I had ever had.  On the grounds was a garden of roses and before I went to bed I could sense the (fragrance.) If nothing else happened on this trip I can at least tell you I slept in the yard of our governor.  The sweet smell of roses, the soft lawn, just everything. But still I wish I had a home.  How lucky can a guy named Blarry get though.  I do wonder however where the governor wants to take me in the morning.  What do you think?

Your Friend Blarry. President of the YMTA, and friend of the governor of the State of Michigan

10. “Browser”

The next morning, I awoke suddenly at 6:30 in the morning.  I saw the guy the white hat emerge from the back door of the expansive governors house and he carried another plate.  On it were neatly arranged eggs, 2 sticks of bacon, and a little pile of hashbrowns. Plus a little ketchup in a small dish.  I thought for a moment that I must be in the land of kings.  But I gotta tell you Mrs. M this stuff was good. Kind of makes me want to run for governor some day.  

In short order I saw the big limo warming up in the drive and one of the assistants told me to pack my stuff up.  By 8 I had this done and once again I was sitting in this long car. Mr, Snyder was busy doing paperwork in the back and I crawled in with my backpack.  We drove out about six miles and we entered a complex with all State police cars.  The governor got out of the car and the officers all saluted.  I could tell that they sort of respected him.  There uniforms were really sharp.  

In short order Mr. Snyder took me to the place where they taught all the State police dogs. He explained to me that dogs have a sense of smell that is 7 times stronger the humans.  These dogs all stood neatly at the side of the officer that was training them.  It was quite a show.  20 sharply dressed officers and 20 really strong looking German Shepherds. All trained to protect, pursue, and follow the scent of anybody who broke the law.  Except for the one on the very end.  This dog was just a little different.  He was only 3/4 the size of the others and when he walked he had a very slight limp in his left front leg.  

The governor explained to me that the dog on the end could not really be used for State Police work.  He further explained that it was important to him that if I were to go on this trip that I have some protection.  It was in a matter of no time that the officer who had this dog on the leash walked forward to me and presented me with this dog.  Even though this dog was a little smaller that the others it walked over to me and I put my arms around it.  Yep it is true that even though I had only gone a short ways on my journey it would sure be nice to have somebody along.  The road is sort of lonely you know. Plus even I thought it might be safer this way.  I asked the officer the name of the dog and he told me that this was dog 479.  

The governor explained to me that he wanted for me to have this dog.  So dog 479 and I and the governor got back in the car.  479 I think kind of liked me.  At least he sat closer to me than the governor.  I was told I could spend one more night in the "yard" before I started my trip again.  So I set the tent up again.  That night 479 wandered all over the yard and only once in while came back to the tent.  He seemed to browse around just about everything.  Finally he came back and sat at the front door of the tent.  I opened the  front flap  and he came in. First he sat up in a police dog position inside of the tent but then as he seemed to get to know me and trust me a little more he just laid down and just lay there looking at me. I talked to him.  I told him that he was just to fine of looking dog to be called dog 479.  So he and I agreed on something. I recalled how he had browsed around the yard.  And we agreed on his name.  Dog 479 would be named Browser.  So Blarry and Browser would set out walking in the morning.  We had the governor and the State Troopers on our side.  So far a good start to a long trip.

The Pres of the YMTA

11. Appleseeds

In the morning I looked out of the tent and the governors limo was gone. Browser sat out side of the tent in the police dog position and watched me pack everything up.  He seemed to observe this with lots of attention. One little problem though. the gate was closed.  I walked up to the front door of the mansion.  No doorbell or anything.  I knocked softly and then a little harder and the door opened.  I guy I had not seen yet answered the door and he had a suit and tie on.  He had a stern gaze. But he looked me over and asked "You must be Blarry?"  He reached over to a stand in the front entrance way and he handed to me a neatly wrapped square box.  I opened it there on the front steps.  It had two things in it.  It had a book called "Johnny Appleseed" and it had a little cloth bag about the size of an apple.  The book looked old.  The man in the suit told me to look inside of the front cover.  It had a note from the governor. It said "To Blarry from the Governor,  When I was your age this was my favorite books and now I want to give it to you.  In the cloth bag are some appleseeds. I like apple pies and and I had my cooks take the appleseeds out of the apples.  Please do this for me.  Each time you camp out would you please plant one of these seeds.  Each one will grow in to a tree and create a memory of your trip, plus some nice apples in a few years.  I hope dog 479 takes good care of you and please take good care of him.  Send me a note sometimes on how you are doing, be safe!! Rick Snyder"

The governor did not know that dog 479 was now Browser.  I looked behind me and the gate was open.  Browser had been trained to walk very nicely at my side and so it was just a short time before we left the property and were on our way.  We walked back down Michigan Avenue back through the bad neighborhood and I just have to tell you Mrs. M it felt pretty good to have Browser right along side of me.  After about 4 miles Michigan Avenue turned in to Grand River Ave.  It went right through the campus of Michigan State University. One of the biggest schools I have ever seen.

But about 4 miles later I started to think about and notice a problem. Browser would sometimes stop and look at me sort of a longing look.  I thought about a few things.  You know I really did not know how to take care of dog and I started to become worried that Browser was thirsty and hungry.  

I solved this problem for right now and I found a Burger King.  So I bought a whopper.  I got one of those little plastic knives and cut the thing in two.  Plus I filled a plastic cup with water and I sat at this table they had outside.  While I (relished) my half of the whopper Browser ate his in about two bites. He lapped up the water in a pretty good hurry as well.  I did go back inside and buy another whopper and Browser made short work of this as well.  My head kind of spun with how I as going to feed us both.  By the time I was finished this all cost me about $14 so I thought I am never going to make it at this financial pace.

It was further down Grand River that I saw the sign for a pet store.  I went in and in these type of stores they let your dog come in as well.  I walked with Browser up and down the isles and at one point he stopped and sort of sniffed one of the many varieties of dog food bags that they had displayed.  And right behind me was something I had never seen before. It was sort of a saddle bag that you would put over the back of a animal.  On each side was a carrying poach.  This thing was $30 bucks.  I also bought a little dog dish  to put the food in.  I did not want Browser eating off of the ground.  By the time I was out of there $45 was gone.  But I figured it was worth it just for the safe feeling I had with Browser by my side.  I was going to go busted by whoppers.   I had heard this expression one time though that a whopper a day would keep the doctor away but I am really not sure if that is quite right.  

Outside of the store I gently put the saddlebags on the back of Browser.  I placed the dog food on one side.  Then I put the governors book and the appleseeds in the one on the other side just to balance the load.  All in all it was a good solution.  I could not really carry much more,  I could not afford many more whoppers and Browser seemed to carry the load quite well.  

I looked at the map and thought we could maybe set camp that night in Williamston.  I saw a sign Williamston One Mile.  Lucky for us right outside of town was this sort of nice little roadside park.  It had a stream running through it. Nobody was really around so we set up camp sort of in the back of the park.  It was around 7PM.  Browser seems to be a really smart dog.  When you set up a tent like mine you need some tension on the other side to get everything tight and Browser was smart enough to hold the other side tight while I pulled everything tight. He did this gently so as not to (perforate) the canvas of the tent.

It was not long before it got dark.  I turned the lantern on and got my new book out of the back pack.  I opened .the bag of dog food and poured some in the dish.  I am not sure Browser liked it as much as the whoppers but he consumed it at a steady pace.  He then went down to the stream and lapped up some water, came back to the tent and laid at my side as a read the book.  In a short time his eyes fell shut.  It had been a long day.  My eyes did the same. We came about 25 miles today.  But it was a good day.  I like my new buddy Browser.  He feels like part of the family.

Blarry zzzzzzz.

12. “Apples”

You know something Mrs, M. A few things never do cease to amaze me. Right outside of the park that we camped in last night i heard the rumble of freight trains.  Browser would wake up every time they came by.  One other thing that I noticed.  The nights are starting to get a little colder.  So I am pretty glad to have Browser along. It seems that the body heat of both of us keeps the tent warm.  Browser took a walk this morning and he drank out of the creek that flows in back of this place.  When he goes to sleep each night he senses the noises. Each night he seems to be aware of everything that is going on around us.  

In the morning he helped me pack up the tent. He had seen me do this in the governors yard but now he knew exactly how to be of help.  He would watch a little but then he would go in to action.  With his teeth he would pull up the tent stakes on the left side.  We were sort of partners in this, I could tell.  May I say this?  It sure was good to have a partner in this adventure. A helper!!!

We prepared a breakfast.  I few rolls. A little dog food. And then one of these trains stopped behind the area we were camping and came to a total stop.  I am not sure why.  I was ready to start walking but Browser did not seem all that anxious to get going. Browser was down by the creek and he pointed his nose in the direction of that train. We jumped over the creek and the next thing I knew we were standing next to that train.  Some of the cars said Cleveland on them. I knew from the map that we needed to go to Cleveland and I noticed that for the most part the cars were empty.  I lifted Browser up into a car.  The planks on the bottom were made of wood.   .  It was long thing and it had a whole bunch of empty cars.  I unlatched one  of the cars. I saw it was not the most comfortable place I had ever seen but it somehow seemed that it would be better than walking.  I think the term term might be "jumping a freight". Sso here we were in this freight car.  We sat there for about one hour.  Every once in a while Browser would get up and look out the door.  But then this thing with a jolt would move forward. We were moving.  Just because the signs on the door said Cleveland I was not sure where it was really going.  But in any event Browser and I were on the move.  We settled in a corner of the (expansive) car.  The rumble of the tracks and the (cadence)  of the tracks somehow had a rhythm that could sort of put one to sleep. I was sort of hoping that we were heading in the right direction but I really had no good idea.  I figured it this way. If you are going to go on an adventure you might as well let it flow.  

By the way, before we departed the camp we had last night I took a spoon and dug a three inch hole in the ground and planted one of the governors apple seeds. I think when this tree grows the people that stop there will be able to reach up and get a good apple.  Is it a whopper a day or is it a apple a day.  If it is a apple I think I did good.

I wonder where this train is going.  Will let you know next time.

Your student and friend Blarry.