At three years old, Sky loved toddling behind Dillon. Dillon who was now seven, kept a close eye on Sky and loved the way she followed him all over camp mimicking his movements. If he squatted down to look at something, Sky squatted down as well. If Dillon said, hmm as he surveyed animal tracks, little Sky would put her finger to her cheek and say, hmm as well. It was their third Summer in the mountains and Dillon and Sky were quite at home in the outdoors.

It was already August and August days were hot, even high up in the mountains. The afternoon heat drove all creatures even the human ones, to the cool shade of trees, or down to natural springs and creeks to seek relief from the dry heat. Kily spent most of her afternoons down at the swimming hole with Dillon and Sky. Mathew worried about them encountering rattle snakes, and insisted Kily wear a small .22 caliber single shot pistol on a belt around her waist. Kily hated the gun and often happened to forget it back at camp when Mathew was at work. To Kily’s dismay, Mathew had loaded it with snake shot and actually had her practice shooting it several times so she could get the feel of the gun before she might have to use it. "You don’t have to be good enough to actually hit your target," Mathew explained, "with snake shot, you just have to be close. The pellets scatter in a big circle, and if you’re close, you’ll hit whatever you’re aiming at," he explained. Kily got the picture as she shot the little gun and saw the circle of damage it left on the opposite bank. She vowed that she would never use it unless she or the kids were in absolute danger!

Today, Kily had to make a trip to town. She had been dreading it all week, and hoped to get an early start. If she could make it down the mountain in the early morning hours, she could avoid most of the intense heat of the day and be back in camp before 1:00 o’clock. Mathew had just left for work, and Kily carried first a sleeping Sky then Dillon out to the pick up. Securing them in their seats, Kily put the pick up in gear and started down the dusty road.

On the long drive down the mountain, Kily had plenty of time to think. Dillon had become quite adept at tracking animals and learning a variety of survival skills. Kily was quite proud of her little boy and hoped she could make living in the mountains a large part of his and Sky’s entire life. It was a good life with few dangers compared to city living, and Kily loved the wholesome natural feel of it. There were strange things that happened, Kily had to admit. Like the Indian in the fire! Kily had kept the picture in her pocket and periodically pulled it out to make sure she hadn’t imagined it. No matter how much she tried to rationalize what had happened, the picture always brought her mind back around to the fact that it was indeed real.

Kily pulled the pick up to a stop at the rail road crossing. The first small town was only a mile further up the road. She reached over and gently woke Dillon. "Hey little guy, we’re almost to town". Dillon stretched and gave a loud yawn. Sitting up on the seat he peered out the window. Sky squirmed sleepily in her seat and Kily smiled at both of them. Dillon loved coming to this first small town. It was small enough that everyone knew each other and the clerk at the mercantile always gave Dillon and Sky a piece of candy or a small toy as Kily stood at the check out stand paying for her supplies. Kily pulled to a stop in front of the mercantile and got out. It wasn’t open! Kily read a note on the door, it said, " Closed till noon." "Damn," Kily swore under her breath. Now she would have to go all the way to the big city. Resignedly, Kily loaded the kids back into the pick up, secured them in their seats, and headed for the freeway. Even this early in the morning Kily could feel the sticky sweat starting to run down her back. It was going to be a scorcher!

Armed with her long supplies list, Kily maneuvered her way through traffic, in and out of crowded parking lots, and jostled down the isles of numerous stores. It was already past 1:00 p.m. and the heat was stifling as it reflected off the hot pavement and cement covering the ground. Dillon and Sky hadn’t eaten anything since early in the morning when Kily had taken them to get pancakes and they were both tired, sweaty, and hungry. With her errands done, Kily got them lunch and pointed the pick up toward the freeway. "If we roll down all the windows the wind from outside the car will cool us off," she told Dillon. He happily began rolling down the window on his side of the pick up and Kily rolled hers down. When she had been in the department store Kily had purchased an empty spray bottle. When they had stopped at the gas station to fill up the pick up, Kily entered the bathroom and filled the spray bottle with cold tap water. Dillon sat with his young face pointed out the window. Kily reached beside her and pulled out the spray bottle. She aimed the bottle at Dillon and pulled the trigger. A fine mist of cool water sprayed onto his head and neck and the hot wind coming in from the open window gave him brief relief from the intense heat. As Kily drove she alternated spraying Dillon and then Sky, periodically aiming the bottle at herself to get small relief as well.

Exhausted, Kily turned onto the off ramp and drove toward the small town which was to be their last stop before heading back up the mountain. Kily looked at Dillon and Sky, their little faces were red from the heat and the sweat trickled in little rivulets down their cheeks. Kily imagined that hers must look the same. At the mercantile Kily bought the last few items on her list and enough ice to last them for a week. The clerk ruffled Dillon’s hair saying something about having fun, and Kily bustled everyone back out to the heavily loaded pick up. With the supplies loaded Kily wiped the sweat from her face, and judged that they should be back at camp about 3:30. Kily hoped the old pick up wouldn’t over heat.

Dillon was cranky and Sky was fussing. Cranky herself, Kily pulled the pick up over, climbed in the back, and pulled a bag of ice out of the cooler. Back inside the cab, Kily opened the ice, and tossed some to Dillon. "What do I do with this, mom?" he asked. "Well, I’m going to hold it in my hands and rub it all over my body," Kily said matter of factly, "what are you going to do with yours?" Dillon gave a great smile and began rubbing the ice all over his clothes! Sky reached into the bag and followed suit. "Roll down your window all the way Dillon," Kily told him, "the wind from the window will blow on your wet clothes and cool you off," Kily explained. Dillon did as he was told and all the way up the mountain the three of them rubbed the quickly melting ice on themselves and each other, had ice fights, and got brief relief from the August heat.

When they finally arrived at camp, Kily told Dillon and Sky to sit in the shade of the trees while she unloaded the supplies from town. She had one more load to take out of the back of the pick up when Dillon asked if he could take Sky down to the shallow part of the creek. Hot and tired herself, Kily thought about how hot and miserable they must be as well. "I suppose you can," Kily said. "But, you have to stay right with your sister Dillon, and not leave her even for a minute." "I won’t," Dillon replied. "And what do you do if you see a snake, or bear?" Kily asked, "Run right to you," Dillon replied proudly! "OK," Kily said, "I’ll be down in just a minute," Kily lifted the last of the bags out of the bed of the pick up and Dillon took Sky’s hand as they walked the few yards to the shallow creek.

"Mommy, mommy, snake, snake," Dillon screamed as he ran towards Kily. "Where’s your sister?" Kily immediately responded. "At the creek," Dillon said wide eyed and pointed in the direction he had just run from. In one fluid motion Kily opened the metal box bolted to the side of the tree, grabbed the .22 pistol loaded with snake shot and ran to the creek! Dillon ran close on her heels. Kily slid to a stop, breathlessly, there sat Sky on the edge of the inch deep water, happily putting rocks in her mouth. Kily quickly surveyed the immediate area and could not see a snake! The creek was only about an inch deep where Sky sat. A huge tree had fallen across the creek a few yards up and the fallen tree had collected moss and small rocks over the years that formed a natural dam. The water on the other side of the fallen tree created a small pool about waist deep on Kily before the remaining water gently cascaded over the tree in a soft water fall. Not wanting to make any sudden moves that would provoke a snake to strike, Kily moved slowly towards Sky. Her eyes swept the entire area as she moved. "Where?" Kily whispered to Dillon. Crouched over, moving carefully, in mimic of his mother, "There," Dillon whispered as he pointed to the fallen tree. Kily looked carefully but could not see the obviously camouflaged snake. Kily cautiously picked up Sky and walked slowly in the direction Dillon was pointing. "I don’t see it," Kily said softly. "It’s right there mom," Dillon said exasperated! Kily looked more carefully and then she saw it! There against the far bank, right on the edge of the water floated a long snake. "Oh," Kily said straightening up. The snake was not on their side of the water and Kily’s instinct was to let it be. "Well, let’s go back up to camp and leave the snake alone," she said to Dillon. "But, mom, you could get it and make a hat band or belt out of the hide," Dillon said almost in a whine. Kily considered this for a moment and looked back at Dillon. "You can do it, mom," Dillon said urging Kily on. Kily studied the snake for a moment, then thought, "it would make a nice surprise for Mathew!" Kily found a safe place to sit Sky down and instructed Dillon to stay next to Sky and hold her hand in case she got it in her head to toddle off to the water again. Dillon dutifully held Sky’s hand and watched as Kily took careful aim.

Kily looked down the site of the .22 hand gun and tried to remember Mathews instructions. She took in a breath and held it then squeezed the trigger. The sound from the shot reverberated throughout the forest and dirt, leaves, and small twigs flew into the air from the multitude of pellets that hit the bank. Kily glanced back at the kids. "You got it! You got it!" Dillon exclaimed grinning from ear to ear as he stood with both hands covering Sky’s little ears. Kily looked back at the far bank and saw through the settling dust that the snake lay belly up in the water. Not wanting to touch the snake with her hands until she was absolutely sure it was dead, Kily found a long, dead tree branch and balanced herself precariously as she stepped onto the fallen tree. Kily wobbled back and forth as she made her way out to the middle of the fallen tree. When she thought she was close enough, Kily leaned over and tried to snag the snake with the dead tree limb. "Almost got it," Dillon called from the bank. "Got it," Sky mimicked. Kily twisted the branch in her fingers to hook the snake. At that moment Kily lost her balance and promptly fell into the water with a great whoosh! The only thing going through Kily’s mind at that very instant was, "please let the snake be dead!" Sputtering and splashing, Kily came up for air, as she did so the water rushed back in on her bringing the snake with it. As the water swirled back around the void Kily had created by falling in, the snake swirled up around her neck and sent her into a horrific panic! Kily splashed feverishly trying to get a foot hold on the muddy creek bottom. Her efforts making white water all around her. Adrenalin pumping in her veins, Kily made it to the bank and at the same moment snatched away the snake surrounding her neck. She threw it to the ground and yelled at Dillon to keep Sky back. Heaving great gasps of breaths, Kily tried to see through the rivers of water and hair that covered her face. Quickly stepping back, Kily brushed the hair away from her eyes and saw Dillon rolling on the ground with laughter. This immediately irritated Kily. She looked at her son and said, "Dillon, this isn’t funny, that snake may not be dead yet it could have bitten me." This only made Dillon laugh harder. Deciding to deal with Dillon’s sense of humor later, Kily picked up a stick and poked it at the snake. "Well," Kily said, "I think it is dead." This brought a new round of laughter from Dillon, and Kily watched in horror as he walked over to the snake and picked it up. Kily tried to grab it away from Dillon, but he hopped away and said, "Hey!" "You ruined my snake, it’s full of holes!" Stunned, Kily said, "what!" Dillon held the snake out to Kily and said, "holes, mom, holes," then Kily saw that it wasn’t a real snake at all but a rubber one that Dillon had gotten from the store clerk at the mercantile! As the realization hit Kily she became spitting mad! Standing there holding his ruined snake, Dillon looked up just in time to see the expression on Kily’s face turn from confusion to anger and he took off running! Kily scooped up a giggling Sky and headed after Dillon. Dripping water and squishing in her shoes, she yelled out, "Come back here young man!" When Kily got to camp Dillon was high up in a fir tree. Kily tried everything to get him to come down but Dillon didn’t budge until Mathew came home from work! Later, Dillon came to apologize, and Kily tried in vain to keep the smile from her face. After Dillon went to bed, Mathew and Kily laughed and laughed at how she must have looked, making white water to get out of that little pool of water with a rubber snake wrapped around her neck..

Not long after that the Winter season was upon them and the logging came to a halt once more. The logging equipment was packed up and readied for transportation back to the city, the skid roads were bare of the heavy equipment and logging trucks, and Mathew, the kids, and Kily packed up their camp and went down the mountain to join the city life once more. Each Winter Kily counted the days until Spring when they could return to the peaceful meadows, the shade of the forests, and bubbling brooks. There she could find peace among the slow natural rhythms of life.

That winter Mathew returned home from Christmas shopping with a new addition to their family. Once again Kily was instructed to close her eyes and follow to the garage. Once there she was introduced to Candy a female Australian Shepherd that had needed a new home. Mathew had gathered the sad looks of Dillon and Sky and their innocent pleas to convince Kily that Candy desperately needed a new home and since we now had a little girl in our family it was only fitting that we also have a little girl dog as well. Kily stood looking from one to the other of them and back at Candy who had been deserted outside a department store. Candy looked extremely thin and a little nervous and Kily felt her heart go out to her. It was Christmas time and the weather was very cold, it was also obvious that little Candy had not eaten in quite some time. Kily smiled and said of course they could keep her. Sky mimicked Dillon as he jumped up and down laughing and Mathew gave Kily a devilish smile.

The winter months passed, Candy became less nervous and put on weight. She and Butch of course became very good friends, and Kily wondered how they would transport two children and two dogs to camp the next year. When she mentioned it to Mathew he told he had it all worked out. Kily looked at him warily, "mhmm," she said, "as it is now, you have to stack things a bit lopsided just to make a little room for Butch, how on earth do you think you can fit two dogs into that small of a space?" she asked. "Well they ARE male and female," he told her with a laugh, "they will work it out," he said and winked at her. Kily threw a pillow at him and they collapsed on the bed in laughter.