Scampers and Capers

Fall in WV is always beautiful. The squirrel's scamper blithely from tree to tree. Carolyn points out a hidden one to James. He captured this picture. Can you find the squirrel in the photo? He,  along with his squirrel friends, seem to be enjoying the weather in Wanton. They are busy gathering for the winter, but they take time to play.

Carolyn decides to play too. She gleefully pushes James down the hillside into a pile of leaves. He catches himself on a nearby, young sapling. He recoups quickly and rushes back up the hillside. Revenge is on his mind. He laughs heartily and pastes a big grin on his face. He doesn’t want to give away his strategy. Well, if he had any. He laughs again, all the while edging closer. He reaches out, grabs her and kisses her.

Her heart beats faster, and she returns his kisses.

Then…

He pushes her down the hillside. A little too hard, she stumbles and crashes into a big tree. Her nose starts to bleed.

James runs to her side, but she threatens him away. He reaches out, and she hits his hand.

“I’m so sorry. Oh baby, I’m so sorry. I did’nt mean to hurt you. He pulls out his handkerchief, (his mom taught him, always keep a clean hankie).  

She grabs it and hisses, “You’re ssso gonna pay.”

He laughs. “Okay, but let’s get you to the house for now."

They walk up the hill, arm in arm. 

Maybe this stamp will make it into the next book in the series. Cancel Out MurderDo you know who is on this stamp? This stamp is printed in 1940. 

Fourth of July 2014

Fourth of July 2014 was almost the same as 2013, except James and Carolyn are even more in love.

Fireworks, a parade and lots of excitement surrounds the Fourth of July in Wanton, WV. There's even a Dilly-Dunker where it's a tradition for Mayor Harold Benson to get dunked. The townspeople have been trying for years to get the sheriff to volunteer too, but he says, "No way."

Mayor Benson, one of the biggest men in Wanton, smiles broadly as he sits on the little padded seat. People are lined up to get a shot at seeing him fall and hearing the song, "Splish-splash" play each time the target is hit. He's there early to allow the people to have some fun, but he has to leave around lunch time to get ready for the one o'clock parade. Never fear, he'll return to the Dilly-Dunker right after he finishes the parade, kissing some babies, and judging the pie baking contest.   

Aunt Linda always wins the pie baking contest, but no one minds because she makes plenty of extras to sell. Linda leaves McKeel's Bed and Breakfast long enough to watch the parade, win the Blue Ribbon for her apple-rhubarb pie and to take a couple turns at dunking the mayor.

The local gossip is all about Aunt Linda and Mayor Benson. Have they rekindled their the love affair of their youth? You'd think with so much going on in this small town for the 4th of July there wouldn't be time to gossip. 

Related articles

• Kids highlight of annual Fourth of July parade in Gary

When Will James Arrive?

Mid January brings James closer to a heavy work schedule. The weather in Wanton, WV is unpredictable this time of year, but it's worth the risk to see Carolyn.

Carolyn excitedly awaits James' arrival. She tunes the Antique Philco Model 90  radio to the news station. She runs her hand over the smooth wood, and puts her ear close to the cloth covered speaker. The tone is a little scratchy, but not too much. The veneer is the light and dark wood shades that made up so much of the furniture in the 1930's. The Cathedral design gave it a bit of a regal look. Carolyn worried over James' unfamiliarity with the winding, switchback roads, that were so much a part of her life.

"Carolyn, get your ear away from that radio and make yourself useful. There's work that needs to be done. Your Uncle bought over a fresh load of wood and Pedro has stack it on the far side of the porch, but you need to bring some into the sitting room. Then we need to get the potato salad ready. There's no rest for the wicked is what I've ever heard, and I reckon I must be mighty wicked." Aunt Linda smiled slightly. "I know you're not wicked, but you can't lollygag until the work is done."


"Yes, Aunt Linda." Carolyn turned up the volume of the old fashioned white radio. "I'm worried about Jim."

"No sense fretting. He'll be here soon enough."

Carolyn rushed out to get the wood. 

A Very Wanton Christmas

Carolyn pulled James out the front door of McKeels Bed and Breakfast. Her gleeful laugh bought mirth to James heart, but he wished she would have given him time to put the toboggan cap on his head. He had never worn a stocking on his head before, but it was an early Christmas gift from Carolyn, and he had also been blessed with a matching scarf and mittens.  Homemade gifts had never been part of his family’s Christmas traditions. 

She dropped onto her back, right there in the front yard. Before his eyes, she started moving her arms and legs up and down as if she were doing jumping jacks on her back. After a couple of seconds he could see that she wasn’t having a medical episode and he reached down to help her up.

“A snow angel.” She flipped her hand over and pointed it toward the impression on the ground. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

“She is.” His dimples deepened as he gazed at her chilled face. He loved the rosy cheeks and red nose caused by the cold air.

“You make one.” She tried to pull him to the ground.

“No way. One angel is plenty.” He hugged her close. “Do you always get this much snow?”

“We do and more.”

“More?”

The scene looked like a Currier and Ives painting. A young couple standing in front of a Victorian-style house with a nice-sized, fully decorated Pine tree out front. The snow broken only by the couple, the snow angel and the red berries of a Holly bush. A red cardinal flew overhead and landed in the Evergreen tree. All the scene needed was a globe overtop.

Wanton, West Virginia is beautiful and serene on the surface, but along with the magnificentness rages discord and ugliness. You will see the full range of ups and downs in the novel “Stamp Out Murder” and coming next year “Cancel Out Murder”.

---

 [CG1]a

 [CG2]

Fourth of July in Wanton, WV

Fireworks, a parade and lots of excitement surrounds the Fourth of July in Wanton, WV. There's even a Dilly-Dunker where it's a tradition for Mayor Harold Benson to get dunked. The townspeople have been trying for years to get the sheriff to volunteer too, but he says, "No way."

Mayor Benson, one of the biggest men in Wanton, smiles broadly as he sits on the little padded seat. People are lined up to get a shot at seeing him fall and hearing the song, "Splish-splash" play each time the target is hit. He's there early to allow the people to have some fun, but he has to leave around lunch time to get ready for the one o'clock parade. Never fear, he'll return to the Dilly-Dunker right after he finishes the parade, kissing some babies, and judging the pie baking contest.   

Aunt Linda always wins the pie baking contest, but no one minds because she makes plenty of extras to sell. Linda leaves McKeel's Bed and Breakfast long enough to watch the parade, win the Blue Ribbon for her apple-rhubarb pie and to take a couple turns at dunking the mayor.

The local gossip is all about Aunt Linda and Mayor Benson. Have they rekindled their the love affair of their youth? You'd think with so much going on in this small town for the 4th of July there wouldn't be time to gossip. 

Hearts on Fire

Love is in the air and in West Virginia the groundhog did not see his shadow, so an early spring is expected. This is good news for James and Carolyn, because they love to walk along the Cheat River and it's been way too muddy. While waiting for the mud to dry up, the couple needs to find another way to entertain themselves.

James and Carolyn (like any new lovers) want to spend some time alone.

Carolyn has never been to an auction. James is very excited. Usually it's her that introduces him to new adventures, this time it will be him. Auctions may not be the best place to buy antiques, but sometimes there comes along a great value and maybe even something hidden within something else. Such as a valuable painting under a cheaper print. Once James' mom had bid pretty high for a frame she wanted and she got the bid. The print was a dark, slightly damaged picture of an old barn with a wagon sitting in front of it. Under that print was a sketch by Grant Wood.

A  very good reproduction of a William and Mary Antique end table was up for auction. It was a very dark wood. It was a little over two foot high by almost the same width. The auctioneer suggested  perhaps it could be used to hold cocktail supplies, in a spare room or even at a summer cabin. William and Mary style furniture was known for the dovetail design and for the lightness to the pieces. With this type of carving and construction the furniture was made in a slimmer, sleeker style than ever before. It started out at twelve.

Carolyn raised her hand. The auctioneer nodded, stated he had twelve and went on with twelve-fifty. The auctioneer continued barking. He yelled fourteen, do I hear fourteen-fifty. The crowd was electric, the auctioneer was excited and James felt a little worried. It was a nice piece of furniture, but it was getting into pretty high numbers. He hadn't known Carolyn that long, but he couldn't see her spending that much on an end table, no matter how nice the piece of furniture appeared to be. He leaned close to her and whispered, "Do you think that table is worth Fifteen Hundred Dollars."

She pulled her arm in close to her body and her voice squeaked, "Fifteen hundred?"

After they left the auction empty handed, James suggested they grab a bite to eat. They entered the little diner, seated themselves and snuggled together in the back booth. The waitress seemed hesitant to interrupt them to ask if they'd like to order something to drink. James never mentioned the auction and neither did Carolyn.

Read more about James and Carolyn in
Stamp Out Murder 

Enter the contest at Facebook

Join me on my Facebook Fan Page