from Red Hawk Christmas

There are several holidays in Red Hawk Christmas. This is an excerpt from one of them. The RV lifestyle can definitely catch people unawares for calendars. It's disconnected in some ways from the rest of the world and yet very connected to nature and wherever the traveler stops for the night or week or longer.

Photos from our trip, some years back, to Devil's Tower when we did our camping in our Astro van with nice pads, sleeping bags, curtains I made, and traveling light. The campground is beyond the Native American encampment as Devil's Tower NM is one of their holy sites.

October 31, Belle Fourche River Campground, Wyoming

    Walking the trail around Devil’s Tower, Diana was impressed again by the prayer cloths and tobacco bundles. Even though cold weather had settled into this northern Wyoming site, there was still an encampment of tepees and campers outside the park boundaries. The campground into which she had pulled a day earlier would be closing in the morning. That was fine with her. She was ready to head for warmer weather.

    After walking her dogs on the trail through the campground, she fed them, ate a sandwich and opened her computer, signed into the hotspot she had purchased when in Yellowstone to enable her to get online when she was not at an RV park with wireless.

    Where to head next?  She had been zig-zagging around Wyoming and Montana, what now? The tap at her door surprised her. “Trick or Treat?” a small voice in the costume of a witch asked. She looked beyond the child to her father who was smiling.

    “She wanted to do it,” he said, “I told her people here might not remember it’s Halloween.”

    Diana smiled. “You’re right, I hadn’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have something. She reached into the bowl on her counter for a bowl that held oranges and apples. “Would one of these do?”

    The little girl nodded and took one of the red apples. “Thank you.”

    The next tap didn’t have her surprised. She had noticed children staying in the park and wondered but then realized with homeschooling, families had more options than she’d had when raising hers. By the time dark settled in, she’d given away half her fruit but found it rewarding that a little piece of her past had shown up in her present.

    The next tap at her door was the father of the first child. “I just wanted to thank you for your kindness. Jessica is my granddaughter.”

    “It was nothing.” She hadn’t noticed before but although he looked younger than her, he was a handsome man with smooth features, nice eyes.

    “No, it was not. Jess only came to live with me this summer. I bought the coach for her and me, am trying to home school, and take her places she will enjoy. Halloween slipped up on me.”

     She smiled. “Me too.”

Rose's Gift excerpt

Rose walked quickly down the street and entered Sicilla’s store. Connie came from the back. “What’s wrong,” she asked, as she took Rose’s arm and urged her into Del and her private quarters.

Rose shook her head and tried to think how to say what was on her heart. “Not wrong. Well, maybe it is wrong.”

Connie nodded, took some tea leaves from a box before moving to the stove and pouring steaming water into the kettle. She looked back at Rose and then smiled. “My goodness, I can’t believe it. You are in love. How did this happen?”

“I thought you didn’t do readings without permission,” Rose said with a note of what she knew was annoyance in her voice. Unfair or not, she didn’t want Connie doing readings for her, to know things she didn’t know herself.

Connie giggled. “Don’t need to. You are flushed, acting nervous as a girl. I’ve never actually seen you look so young, my friend. You are in love. Who is it?”

“I’m not in love. I’m... in confusion.”

“Talk to me then.” She brought the teapot to the table and went back for two china cups.

Del came to the door. “Mary Richter is out there. You want me to take care of your side of the store?” He smiled. “Okay, I’ll do that.” He disappeared.

“Now, tell me,” Connie said as she put a small plate of cookies on the table and sat down.

“It’s foolishness is what it is.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“Ollie asked me to marry him.”

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Book 4 in the Arizona Historical Romance series -- 99¢ until after the holidays.Rose's Gift

Christmas traditions

 image from Stencil

The winner of the Amazon gift card is Tara Crowley with the following tradition:

My favorite tradition is putting up the tree. Though my allergies have mandated what I like to call a 'handmade'; tree, I have a really good looking one. Instead of slogging through a tree farm to find the perfect specimen, I slog through my garage. Unwrapping the ornaments is an exercise in nostalgia and good way to reflect not only on the present year, but many years past. Now that my folks are in their 80s I have become their tree decorator as well. Some of their ornaments date back to my early childhood: the tiny felt elves that attach to the tree with their pipe cleaner bottoms, and the small 🐝 with their gossamer wings. I love to sit in the dark room by the light of the fire, turn on the tree lights and behold it all.

The tradition didn't influence who won because it was a random name drawing, which Ranch Boss (also my husband and editor) drew from his Stetson, but it is a lovely one. I thought it deserved to be seen again. I've described decorating a tree in one of my books but don't think I ever did it that well :) 

Researching how Christmas was celebrated in 1905 for the work in progress, it's changed a lot in some ways but the tree is a basic for a long time. Interestingly, it like many Christmas traditions, comes from pagan celebrations. One of the pluses of being a writer of fiction is the research that goes with it :)

So congratulations, Tara. The other traditions that people loved were great as these days it is sometimes not easy for me to get into the Christmas mood. The last few years we've only now and again been able to be with part of our family on the day. Sometimes it's been January when we find a time we can all meet. I draw though on my many great memories from my childhood and a time of big family gatherings. They always matter more than the gifts. :)