Jean's Comments: November 2011

Above or Below

Joe and Bertha had sold their home in Denver, Colorado and moved to a one hundred acre track of land in the mountains near Weston, Colorado. The place was only accessible by jeep after leaving the main road. They had bought a small mobile home and moved it to their land. Both Joe and Bertha wanted to be as far from people as they could get. They decided to put their wee mobile home near the very top of a high mountain. It took all day for a bulldozer to pull the small house trailer to the chosen spot. The second day was spent getting the trailer leveled, since there was not a spot of level ground big enough to sit the cozy portable home. The jeep had to be parked at the foot of the mountain, leaving Joe and Bertha with the task of climbing a far piece to reach their exciting headquarters. Amazingly, over a short period of time all the furnishings that would be needed to live here comfortably had been packed up the mountain and moved into the hide-a-way with each detail of useful necessity finding it’s respectful place. A 50 gallon drum was rolled and pushed up the slope of the mountain. It would be used for a water storage tank. Water was carried in gallon jugs and poured into the drum. Drinking water was left in the jugs. Two butane tanks accommodated the trailer when it was pulled to the site. Cooking and heating for the winter months would be provided by butane. Bertha was also able to find a butane refrigerator small enough to pack up the mountain. Joe built an outhouse with logs. Oil lamps were used for light. Everything was finished and a very excited young couple was ready to explore their 100 acres of rugged land. There was so many tall pine and aspen trees until one had to almost wind their way through the thick brush. An awesome beauty of nature surrounded their happy lives.
Joe and Bertha had made a comfortable living back in Denver selling insurance and writing articles for magazine companies. They had decided long ago that they wanted to write a book on the things that they loved most; the nature of God’s great creation. Now they had become full time dwellers and lovers of the great and beautiful works of the creator of all. They had no children and were nearing their middle thirties. They had chosen the ‘ripe ole time’ for exploring the known as well as the unknown. Neither of them had a science degree, but because of their adventurous desire to know more about, “what’s out there,” they agreed to let nothing stop them. Living here on this mountain fulfilled the craving for complete peace and quietness. There was no telephone, no TV, no newspaper, no radio, nothing that might clutter their mind and hamper their keen sense of venturous desire. Their mailbox was located on the main road where they turned off to go up to the top of the mountain where they lived. They had to walk down the mountain to get to the jeep then drive the rest of the way to the mailbox. Usually they just picked up their mail once a week.
With all the necessary living gear in place, Joe and Bertha drove into Trinidad and bought grocery supplies such as canned meat, milk, dried fruits, brown beans, dehydrated potatoes, macaroni, cheese, and lots more of non-perishable foods. Crackers and beef jerky were a big part of their food supply. They also bought a good supply of vitamins and medicine. Two of the most important items were note books with pens, and a camera with lots of film. They would be taking these things with them every time they went out to explore their land. Included on the list of, must get items, were two weather-proof sleeping bags and two large back packs.
It took several trips for the new, nature enthusiasts, mountain dwellers, to pack all of their supplies up the steep slope to their trailer home. Before long everything was put up to display properly. All things were organized so it would only take minutes to decide what they wanted to fix for the next meal. The little trailer was small, but compact. A large box of wooden matches was clearly visible near the tiny cook stove. An oil lamp sat close to the matchbox. A five gallon oil tank was stationed under the steps of the trailer. In the morning Joe and Bertha would be setting out on their first real adventure.
Joe and Bertha woke up early. They wanted to eat a good breakfast before starting out on their journey. Bertha prepared a delicious meal of biscuits, sausage, eggs, and gravy. They hurriedly cleaned the dishes, packed a lunch and grabbed their back packs which had been packed the night before. Locking the door behind them, they started out on their first assignment. The slight summer breeze with daylight breaking made for an exciting and welcoming rush for the great out-door, unfamiliar, sights. Their plans were to go to the boundaries of all four sides of their property. They knew that this would take several weeks because the tall pine and aspen trees were very thick. Lots of brush and foliage covered most of the ground. They brought their compass hoping not to get lost for long periods. Hundreds of acres surrounded their small acreage. Joe thought that he might not be able to recognize a boundary line if he came to one. Today they mostly wanted to check out the rocks and possibly caves, or anything else that might be on their land. As they ventured on their journey Bertha thought the nearest thing to remind them of the busy city and hard work that they had left was little squirrels scampering around trying to find food to store up for the coming winter months. Birds were chirping and singing, darting in and out of the trees as if to get attention and reminding the new crusaders of their freedom. After walking and winding their way through the tall pines for several hours, they came upon some skeletal remains of some kind of animal, maybe a bear or cougar, they guessed. They took notes of this discovery and moved on. Before long they began to have a little more ground view as the brush began to get thinner. They could see where some rocks had been placed to form a kind of monument, supposedly. Bertha thought a hole in the ground was significant. It was about two feet wide and three or four feet long. She couldn’t see the bottom for it was filled in with dead leaves with foliage growing over it. The imaginary grave appeared to be man-made, and had been there for quite some time. While Bertha was still taking notes, Joe ventured a short distance ahead. He suddenly yelled out, “hey! What do you think this is?” Bertha moved as fast as she could to reach him knowing that Joe had found something unusual. She looked the object over. Obviously it was a missing part to some kind of aircraft or something that had flown over this land. The object was shaped like a wheel about six inches in diameter and one and one-half inches thick. It was a dark gray color with markings that made no sense to the couple who found it. The wheel-like object had three long slanted lines with two triangle shaped designs and four horizontal lines directly under the triangles. Five X’s were lined across from the horizontal lines. On the other side of the wheel was a tiny square box shape design with a marking similar to a C with another marking like a tiny A inside the C mark. There was no bearing what so ever of this object being a U S made object. However, both Joe and Bertha knew that the USA makes many things that most people never see. Joe decided that it was not a US invention. He thought it might be something from a space ship sent into orbit from another country. There was no rust or embedded dirt. It surely couldn’t have been here long. Bertha looked at Joe as he studied the strange object. She had laid down on the ground with her arm resting on elbow. Her head was braced by the palm of her hand. Joe’s black hair had grown out and was falling down over his eyes. He had grown a slight beard. His tall lean body stood brave and steady reminding her of the handsome guy she married while in college fifteen years ago. Joe glanced at Bertha. Her long brown hair had mostly fallen from the bun she had put in into this morning. She was smiling at Joe and he returned the smile. Slowly moving toward Bertha, Joe lay down beside her. “What a wonderful experience we have had this morning,” Joe softly spoke, reaching out to touch her. Suddenly nothing else in the world was more important than the two of them being in each others arms.
After a few moments of God’s blessings, both agreed to unpack their lunch and eat. After eating and resting, the couple returned the food and dishes to the backpack. Then they carefully put the little gray wheel into Joe’s back pack. They pulled a few weeds and gathered some dead twigs to form a kind of marker for them to remember if they should come upon this place again. The sun shone brightly, but the breeze was cool making walking on this expedition a pleasant matter.
A short distance ahead they could see the remains of an old fence row. It could be the west boundary line of their land. They started walking northward while being distracted with several objects of interest. An old rusty horseshoe large enough to fit the hoof of a giant horse. A tin can with lid rusted so badly it wouldn’t open, possibly an old tobacco can. The two explorers were sure they would find a nugget of gold before long. They must be close to an old mine that had been shut down for many years. Searching through every patch of cactus, every dead tree limb, and anything that might be a hiding place for a clue to something that might reveal a long hidden secret, Joe and Bertha probed diligently. Little by little they moved on northward as the sun was beginning to hide behind the trees. They knew that before long it would be too dark to find anything of interest. They would have to unroll their sleeping bags, eat their leftovers from lunch and start out fresh in the morning. Just a few more minutes were left to rummage the exciting place of artifacts. As the couple began to step through the rough ditches and tall weeds they spotted an old board leaning toward the ground with another board holding it up. They moved closer to the old falling frame of an dilapidated cabin. The closer they got to the ruins the more they could see piles of rotted wood. By now it was too dark to start digging through the remains. They hurriedly unrolled the sleeping bags, laying them a short distance from the fallen shack. Each of the tired hungry campers were ready to swallow anything that came near their mouths. Some of the biscuits and sausage that was left from breakfast this morning was still tasty tonight. Both eager beavers swallowed a lot of water and marveled at what they thought would be discovered tomorrow in this pile of rubble. Maybe, they thought, a skeleton might be buried under the ruins. It possibly could be holding a secret code to where some gold might be buried. They knew if that was the case it would be very unlikely that they could find the scoop, because neither of them knew anything about this land or the language arts of the early dwellers. At least they had a lot of dreaming to do before daylight. It had been such a wonderful, exciting day, and they were anticipating a restful night while sleeping under the cool moonlight of the Colorado mountainous region. Finding it hard to relax, both city dwellers turned into night hawks. They kept thinking about tomorrow and how lucky they had been finding a place of perfect peace and happiness among the tall pines of the highlands of Colorado. Could heaven possibly be any better than this, they echoed.
Deep into the night Bertha heard an unfamiliar sound that caused her heart to beat so loud she thought the sound’s originator would surely hear it. She was too scared to awake Joe. Slowly she moved further down in her sleeping bag with her head completely covered. After a few moments of silence, the alarm sounded again. Joe raised up and said to Bertha, “ What was that noise?” Bertha’s heartbeat had slowed down a bit, but was pounding again now. Joe’s 357 magnum pistol was by his side. He reached to pull it out while raising himself up in the sleeping bad. Bertha whispered, “I heard it a while ago.” Both campers were ready now for a kill or die situation. If this unknown creature became visible, Joe was sure he would shoot to kill. It would be too late if he waited to see what it was because there wasn’t enough light for him to tell until the angry monster was right before them. After sitting quietly for an hour or so, Joe decided to check the time. His watch had a light that let him see the time. It was 4:00 am. Two hours before the break of dawn. It was too early to get up, but too late to go back to bed. Something was hindering their sleeping schedule. All they could do was wait for the sun to come up and scrounge their back pack for something to eat. They had water and coffee grounds, but couldn’t make a fire yet to boil it. Fearing at any time the alarm might go off again, Joe and Bertha continued to be ready for the worse. They were mostly silent while they waited for another warning from the intruder. After all they were on their own land. Other more familiar noises could be heard occasionally such as squirrels or some small rodent prowling around. Joe knew that wild animals like bear and mountain lions were among the dwellers of this rugged country side. For that reason he had loaded his pistol and kept it near by; but the sound he heard was not coming from neither of those animals. He was still trying to decide the origin of the blood curdling call that woke him up.
Joe and Bertha began to see a ray of light breaking through. They knew it wouldn’t be long now before they could start a fire and boil some coffee. The early morning arrival was most welcome and everything had been quite for about two hours. Whatever the mystery warning had been was no longer a concern for the hungry night owls. They could hardly wait for daylight to make coffee, eat some beef jerky with biscuits and honey, then start digging for clues that would tell them more about this old, one time cabin, that even now was far from any human activity. Joe guessed that the cabin was built in the late seventies or early eighteen hundreds. He could tell that the rotten boards had been split with an axe from pine logs. That’s about all he could distinguish last night before it began to get dark. Bertha was hoping to find something that a woman had used, but she doubted that a lady had ever lived there. Probably just an old mountaineer scouting for gold.
It was light enough now to gather some sticks and start a fire. Before long a bright hot blaze was warming up the campsite. Bertha poured water into the coffee pot from a gallon jug she had carried on her back pack. Two more gallons were traveling on Joe’s back. After spooning coffee grounds into the water, Bertha set the pot on the hot fire. Before long the coffee was boiling. Reaching into the travel bag, Bertha brought out two tin mugs for the coffee. She arranged the left-over biscuits on a tin plate and covered them with honey. The beef jerky was soft enough to eat like crisp bacon. Breakfast was even better this morning than It was at home. All fear and frustration had disappeared from the scouters minds. They hurriedly finished their breakfast, cleaned the cups and plates then put everything back into the back pack. After rolling the bedroll tightly the couple begin to look for something that would tell them more about the discovery of the old fallen down shelter that had at one time served some one efficiently. One by one the old rotten logs and planks were moved about without much stash being found. Just as the last three boards lying on the ground were moved it was quite noticeable that a sunken place had been covered by the boards. Two minds began to work fast to decide what to do next. The only tools they had that could be used to dig with was a long butcher knife and a large metal spoon. “We have got to dig now” the two would be, archaeologist, agreed. The two tools they had stored in their backpacks could not have been more suitable.
The little that these two diggers knew about uncovering artifacts included the importance of fragile digging. They had the perfect pair of digging equipment for uncovering what ever might be buried there. Slowly the grave began to start sinking. The knife, used by Joe, broke up the dry soil while the spoon, used by Bertha, scooped it out. It was believed by both excavators that something was buried here. The space from which they were digging was approximately 4’+ 7’. There was no doubt but that it would take a lot of time to dig out the entire grave, but both Joe and Bertha were set on doing that. They had planned on being out on this expedition for a week. They had brought enough food and water for the duration. The scary night that they had spent there seemed to have slipped their minds. Would they really spend another night there? Time was going by fast now. The couple had grown tired and needed to stop and eat some lunch. Bertha took out some canned lunch meat, some crackers, cheese, and opened some soft drinks. The food and rest gave them more energy sending them back to digging. While having lunch the two curiosity seekers racked their brains for answers to so many questions they had. Was there really anything buried in this grave or was it just a tunnel or something leading to a deeper cave. Could a person really be buried here and if so do they want to dig the bones up? More important to the young enthusiasts than anything else was finding a pot of gold. Gold mining was a full time and booming business back in the late eighties. Buried pots of gold were rumored to be in these very mountains. Certainly digging up old graves, if that be the case, was not illegal for this couple for they had bought and paid for the land with everything that was on it. The digging continued with a larger mound of dirt forming with each spoon full.
Just at a time when both diggers had started to feel stupid, Bertha felt something hard as she raked with her spoon. It was the first time anything had been touched except dirt. She quickly cried out, “I have found something besides dirt.” She gently moved a little more of the soft soil until she could see a part of an iron object. Joe began to help with the discovery. The more of the object they uncovered the bigger it seemed to get, although they could tell that it was not a pot. Both digging enthusiast were carefully working so not to damage the possible valuable object. The depth of the hole was now about 18”. Things began to look more promising as the excavators worked cautiously.
The sound of a jet passing over caught the attention of the working couple. Something as fast and furious as the flying jet was a far cry from digging a 4+7 foot hole in the ground with depth unknown, using only a knife and a spoon. Still the unfinished work had to go on. This was a special assignment agreed upon by both Joe and Bertha. They were not missing the big city life or the large pay checks that they were use to getting. The more unexplored regions with all the beauty of nature was a dream come true for these two outdoors characters. Adventure and working through impossible perplexities are the total thrill of these two champions. The piece of iron was now taking on the appearance of some kind of weapon. At least the idea of it made for a better feel of how and where to dig. Joe was now using the knife to slide along the long piece of metal object . Bertha started scooping dirt off the top until she reached another hard surface. After a few more scoops of dirt it was obvious that an old riffle was the buried treasure, At least part of it. Joe was now able to uncover the prized weapon faster since he knew the shape and size of most riffles. Still working with patience, he continued to lift the old rifle out of the burial site. It was all intact, even the stock, although most of the wood was rotted. “What a find,” Joe sighed, “I can’t wait to clean and research this old charming antique. I will be able to know how old this gun is when I find the serial number. He was sure the rifle was a Musket, probably a French-made flintlock made around the late seventeen hundreds. No doubt this rifle had been a life savior many times for some brave forerunner. After Joe examined all the details of the precious find, he began to wonder just how he could secure this fragile treasure while continuing on his journey. The perfect thought came to his mind. He used a small towel from the backpack to wrap tightly around the decaying stock. He tied it with string ripped from a cotton shirt taken from the backpack. Finally the two happy treasure diggers thought of a way to carry their valuable snatch. A blanket rolled up inside the sleeping bag proved to be the perfect rifle case. Joe gently laid the old flintlock on a blanket spread out on the ground. He closed the sides of the make-shift gun case by folding the blanket over both ends of the rifle. He then rolled the bundle of soft wool till only about a five foot bed roll was surmised. He used the rest of the shirt to tear strips and tie the bedroll tightly from end to end. He then made a shoulder strap to place under each arm while walking the rugged ground.
Bertha had been making notes of everything that was happening. She was also snapping photos to back up her stories. Little did either of them ever imagine just what their story was fixing to turn into. It all started as just a hobby with which a young couple retired from their jobs in Denver, Colorado to become self supporting by writing a book and live from the proceeds. They had sold their home and all the furniture to buy this hundred acre track of land. The couple had enough savings to buy the small mobile home and jeep, with plenty to live on until they could write and sell their book. They both had family living in Denver and planned to visit them from time to time. As for now these two people had a lot of work ahead of them. Work that both of them loved.
After securing the fragile piece of history, Joe and Bertha tried to decide whether to go on with the digging or not. They were tired and needed to rest before eating their food. At this time, with the day turning into evening, it was evident that the night would be spent here again. A quick tremble came over Bertha at the thought of spending another night here. After what she and Joe had done today, the spirits might really be upset tonight. It wasn’t that Bertha believed in ghost or anything like that, but she had certainly heard a lot of phantom stories. Especially if you get close to their possessions. Joe’s gun would not kill the madness of these unseen spirits. Without telling Joe her thoughts, Bertha knew she must be brave and conquer the fear. If anything life-like should come upon them, Joe’s gun would be ready for kill.
It was time to eat and get ready for the night again. Beef jerky, cheese, cracker, and fruit cake was the menu tonight. Anything tasted good after a long tiresome day such as this one had been. After finishing with the meal, everything put back into the bag, and bed rolls made out, the couple began to discuss their plans for tomorrow. They had not dug very deep into the grave before the gun was discovered, leading them to believe that there might be something else deeper. Yet it had taken most of the day to dig less than two feet. The decision was not going to be made tonight, they finally agreed. Depending upon how the night went and with their tired bodies, they thought it best to wait. It was still light when the happy campers crawled into their sleeping bags, but not before kissing and telling each other good night.
The bedrolls were spread close enough together so either sleeper could touch each other if necessary. Holding hands and speaking lowly, the couple continued to express their theories about the remaining parts of someone’s past. An old shack had obviously been the safe haven of at least one person, perhaps an old gold seeker staking his life on finding his pot at the end of the rainbow. The question still was unanswered. Did the old prospector find the pot? Did he leave it here or take it with him? Since the rifle had been buried many years ago, did it mean that the old fellow was murdered and buried with his gun? Probably not because anyone in their right mind would take the rifle with them. Maybe a son had lost his father to a case of pneumonia or something and wanted to leave his ‘saving grace’ with him Was his spirit still haunting this site? Could there be other gravesites close by? No doubt Indian population was part of this region, about the time it was surmised by Joe, that this shack was erected. Soon after the darkness had covered them, the couple fell asleep.
Yes it definitely was a wild animal of some kind close enough that Joe and Bertha could hear the brush crushing as the beast walked through. The day was just breaking with the sleepers just awakening. Joe reached for his pistol, while Bertha found the butcher knife, as sharp as a razor after rubbing against rocks all day yesterday while digging in the grave. Extra bullets were quickly dropped into Joe’s pant pockets. He knew that quit possibly 6 shots in the cylinder would not bring down a large beast even if he was lucky enough to hit every time. The beast might stop charging, but still would be dangerous. With both armed guards sitting boldly waiting for an attack, silence filled the air. Very cautiously the armed couple glanced from left to right, knowing that the, would be attacker, might be perched in a tree close by. Waiting and waiting for another sound, the anxiety began to build. It was too quite for comfort. The uneasy campers was sure that the deadly creature was still close by. The dawn began to turn to light making it easier now to spy something of the unordinary nature. The attack could happen any second. The suspense was worse than the head on assault. Another thought came to Joe’s mind. What if there was more than one animal? Usually wild animals roamed in pairs. If there were two or more, the risk of defeating them all was great. Only if it was absolutely a must, did Joe intend for Bertha to use the big sharp knife. Twelve shots had to be fired first, then Joe would take control of the knife. Finally after nearly two hours of intense readiness, the couple began to relax a bit. They started a fire never leaving their weapons over a few feet. The feeling was that a fire would help to drive the beast away. Also some coffee was needed at this time. The big fire blazed higher and higher toward the sky. After some time the two exhausted camper guards let the fire calm down so coffee could be put on. Neither of the fighters were hungry yet. Coffee must come first. Bertha brought out the pot and filled it with water. She dumped in a few more grounds than usual this morning. They needed some extra stimulate, as the nervous system was overworked. How good the aroma smelled as the water boiled the coffee grounds. The tin mugs were filled to the brim. The shaky hands that held the mugs were almost dangerous to be drinking hot coffee with. After the first cup, the grip was a bit more studier. Very quickly the pot was empty. The tension had let up drastically. Bertha cleaned the pot and mugs and stored them back into the backpack. The fire was still burning, but they were not going to use it anymore this morning.
Feeling a little more at ease, the suspicious beast watchers decided to dig a little deeper in the hole. Each took their tools and moved over to the digging site, hoping to find more buried treasure. It was hard to settle down to scratching at the dirt so soon after the daring episode with the wild beast. Hunger had not yet taken hold, but the empty stomachs were starting to growl. Just a few more scoops then they would stop and feed their craws. “Look!” Bertha called, “I see something like a bone.” “Oh no,” Joe thought, he can’t be buried here also. Joe glanced over to look at what Bertha was talking about. Sure enough it was a bone of some kind. All thought of stopping and eating suddenly vanished. The ex-owner of the old Musket riffle was now about to appear. They kept digging with the greatest of caution. Their deepest respect would be given to this person who had resided in this wild for God only knows how long. Suddenly a loud growl grabbed their attention. Joe snatched his 357 revolver and looked up right into the eyes of a huge mountain lion. Bracing his body with arms straight ahead Joe pulled the trigger. The bullet hit where Joe had aimed, right between the eyes. The beast charged forward, Joe shot again hitting it in the neck. The stubborn monoester refused to drop. The shooting continued until Joe had emptied his gun. The huge cat dropped just a few yards from where the shooter was standing. Joe quickly reloaded his gun. A mate to this wicked animal might be coming. The two scared, trembling, guards were in complete physical distress, even so they were braced for another encounter at any moment. One thing they knew for sure, as soon as things calmed down, they would be covering the grave and moving on. The dear old settler could continue to rest in peace. The question now was how much longer would they have to wait before it was safe to move on. This battlefield was not a far distance from their own little mobile home. They could walk it in just over an hour if nothing hindered their movement. With the help of their compass, they felt sure the winding trail wouldn’t take longer than an hour and a half. A nice shower would sure go good right now. The fragile rifle needed to be taken home before their journey continued. The couple were thinking and planning while they waited for a safe escape. Using the note book and the compass, Joe was sure they could draw a map that would lead them back to this place. After all it was a place of interest and never to be forgotten, battleground. Ghost sounds had awaken them their first night there, then the sound of approaching animals early of the second morning, then later on the same day an actual attack from the mountain lion. Lots of pictures and notes had been made by Bertha to include in their book.
The hunger pains had started. It was time to raid the backpack for something to eat. They needed all of the strength they could possible get. Bertha found a small can of deviled ham. A jar of baby dill pickles would go good with that. Crackers and cheese would top it off. They both ate heartily. Everything tasted good. After they finished eating and putting the remains back into the backpack, The energized couple strolled over to take a look at their kill. No doubt but this angry lion was ready to shred both of them to pieces. Bertha took several pictures of the dead animal, then walked away feeling lucky herself to still be alive. Using one of the rotten pine boards that had served as a covering for the grave, Joe began to rake the mound of dirt back into the hole. After the entire pile was replaced to the grave, Joe and Bertha tromped for several minutes to pack the soil before placing the boards back over the site. The campsite fire was covered with dirt, and all debris was cleared before the couple left to find their way back home. A lot more of this same maneuvering lay ahead. After a few days at home catching up on the mail, putting the film, note book, prized possession and a few other things in place, the couple planned to strike out again.
As the two campers were loading their gear, they realized that the extra backpack was going to be a bit clumsy while winding their way through some places where the timber was thick. It certainly was best to be going back to the place that they now called home. Bertha was making a map using the compass as they traveled slowly through the tall pines. This was the third day since they left and a lot had happened. The relics they were bringing home would prove to be more than they ever dreamed of. Weaving in and out of the brush-covered ground, amongst tall trees, climbing the steep slopes began to tire out the two explorers. They dared not stop to rest for the load they were carrying would be too hard to unpack then load again. Finally the fatigue was such that they decided to lean against a tree while waiting to regain their strength.
Bertha noticed something not far from where they were standing. She could barely see something moving though the trees. “Look Joe,” she whispered. “Do you see something over yonder, pointing in the direction where she thought something moved?” Joe stared for a minute then answered, “ yes I believe it is a person. Who could possibly be out here on our land, and for what reason?” The two of them watched for several minutes, but the figure didn’t seem to be traveling. Finally Joe said to Bertha, “lets go see what it is.” As they moved closer to the site, they could now see that it was a man. They could also see a make-shift tent. Maybe, they thought, they might be on someone else’s land. Could they be lost or just not know for sure where they were. As they walked in the direction of the stranger, it was evident now that the old fellow could see them. He started walking to meet them. “Hello sir.” Joe put out his hand for a shake. The old gentleman grunted, “how do you do?” “Are you camped here,” Joe asked? “No,” he replied, “I live here.” Waiting for more information, Joe looked all around the campsite. Finally he realized the old gentleman was not going to volunteer any more. “What brought you here to live,” Joe asked? “I guess the disappointment in a woman, and the worry of making a living in the big city,” he answered. At this time the old fellow began to talk. “My name is Jim Baker, and I came out here fifteen years ago. “Your name sir?” “Yes sir, my name is Joe Cook, this is my wife, Bertha. We just recently moved over yonder on that mountain. We live in a small mobile home, and we have bought some land here.” All the time Joe was talking to Jim, he was studying the keen eyes of an old man, which were sitting back in the sockets more than they normally should. His hair and beard was long and white. He was about 6’ tall and had a slim frame. It was obvious that this guy never bathed or changed cloths very often. Jim started talking again. “I never see anyone except when I go into town once a month to get my check and buy groceries.” Bertha had been listening to this strange man and her husband long enough. It was her time to talk. “Jim,” she asked, “do you have any family?” “I have three sisters,” he replied. “ I haven’t heard from them in years. They have their own families to care for. They don’t even know where I’m at.” “Well,” Bertha remarked, “we must move on before it gets dark, we are hunting for our cottage, but we know that its not far from here.” “Good day, I will probably see you again,” Jim replied.
The weary couple walked away thinking, for what reason is this old fellow here. It did not seem logical for him to just be living out here in these mountains without a purpose. Wondering exactly which direction to follow, left, right , or straight ahead, the couple moved slowly. High above the mountain, what appeared to be some kind of a tank falling toward the ground caught the eyes of an already curious couple. It must be something that had dropped from a jet, they decided. It was obvious now that the object wasn’t falling, but gliding. Bertha could see a long type nose apparatus attached to the space ship, presumably. It was turning from left to right. The strange vessel seemed to be headed right toward Joe and Bertha. All at once it disappeared behind the close-by mountain. This would have to be their next assignment, they decided.
A short time latter, the couple recognized that they were nearing their much needed , “haven of rest.” Totally exhausted, the two overwhelmed ,adventurous, thrill seekers walked the last few steps up to their swell little dwelling. Unlocking the door, both cratered on a couch and drew a long breath. It was already dust outside. Soon the heavy packs were unloaded and everything put away. The little wheel-like object was resting on the countertop. Bertha immediately began to cook a hot meal. She made cornbread, opened a can of butterbeans, and a can of spinach. While a pot of coffee was brewing, she pealed an onion and the two ate heartily. After the meal, Joe helped Bertha wash the dishes. Using their water sparingly, both crusaders took a cool shower and settled down to discuss the case of the mysterious space ship. Every minute of every day now was getting more exciting. They both wished for a radio or TV, just anything that might give them some information about the fallen unidentified vessel; however, both eye witnesses of the strange air craft believed it to be gliding to earth instead of falling. In the morning they would certainly be going into town to try and find out if anything had been reported.
This three day tour had proven to be an expedient adventure paving the way for two determined inquirers of a, ‘God created’ universe, which held many mysteries for special seekers such as Joe and Bertha Cook to advance. Only the unscientific minds that they worked from could ever be brave enough to keep a person pressing on in such an untouchable mission. The more bewildered this couple became the more they wanted to move on. The natural sense would be that a spiritual bliss had crowned them. If a trip to the town near by didn’t offer them any information, then the investigation would begin by Joe and Bertha. If everything was on the level, by morning every one would be talking about this unintended event. No doubt a rescue mission would already be started. Joe thought his and Bertha’s witnessing of the object should be of importance to the Federal Aviation Administration. A long tossing night was proving to be fretful for two anxious news reporters, fixing to report a story of significance to the media. At this point he hoped that the incident had not already been reported. If only a little sleep would engulf them, they would be more accurate in explaining the appearing and disappearing of a very large air ship like they had never seen before. Joe and Bertha had already decided that they would be included in the search or much information would be withheld.
Chapter 2

The early risers were quickly dressed and swallowed a cup of coffee with a bowl of oatmeal. No need to tarry this morning. The dishes could wait till they returned. Joe reached for the keys to the jeep. Locking the door to the house trailer, they hastily raced down the slop toward the parked jeep. The bumpy road slowed down the otherwise speedy trip into town. After they reached the main road into town, the wheels began to turn faster. They had stopped and picked up the mail from a mailbox. There was a letter from Bertha’s mother. She lived in Denver which was about three hundred miles away. She was worried about Joe and Bertha, and asked them to write her often. She explained in the letter about an awful dream she had about them. Somehow it wouldn’t leave her mind.
The little grocery store was the first place they stopped. Joe asked if anything had been mentioned about a fallen airplane or other aircraft. The gentleman said he had not heard a thing. Then Joe asked to use the phone. He asked the operator to connect him to the FAA in Denver. She had a person on the line promptly. Joe questioned the information officer about anything that had been reported from the Trinidad Colorado area about an air craft or any other object falling from the sky. “Not at all,” replied the deep voice. “Nothing was picked up on the radar.” With an unconcerned tone the information officer continued, “I can assure you that no fallen object has dropped from the air.” Joe thanked the gentleman and hung up. Bertha bought a few things then they left to establish a two party search team. Back at the trailer house the preparation started with a blast. The backpacks were filled to the brim with food and extra clothing. More water jugs were also tied on. Just as they were finishing with the packing, Bertha heard a slight beeping sound. She was trying to detect where it was coming from. She walked over to the object which they had picked up on their first day out. Leaning down she placed her ear over the small detail of a wheel. Sure enough the beeping was coming from the strange object. Quickly, she darted backward calling for Joe to come. Her first thought was that it was a bomb. Something had set it to go off, maybe an alarm was sent in when they picked it up, or possibly a time clock had reached its date and time. Bertha asked Joe to listen closely to the little grey wheel situated on the countertop. After putting his ear to the base of the object, Joe looked at Bertha with a puzzling expression. “What do you think it is,” he asked? “It might be a bomb,” Bertha replied. “I doubt that it is,” Joe spoke ghastly, “but just in case, let us get out of here quickly. We can sleep tonight with Jim, making sure he doesn’t suspect anything. If we hurry we can get there before dark.” They left the little trailer house with the wheel still beeping, not knowing if they would ever see their home again. Boundary lines were no longer a question with these two flabbergasted equals. It was time to under go a major turn-around. It seemed as though they had been driven out of their own little place of abode. This nature loving man and wife had turned into a daring example of challengers. Never did this earnest hard working couple ever dream of being called show-offs. They described themselves as peaceful share holders of God’s great wealth. With Him as their super power, they felt at ease anywhere the law of the land allowed them to go. Meeting again with old Jim tonight would relax the tension that had built up since leaving him yesterday. Some company was just what they needed right now. The place of existence for the new found friend was good enough for Joe and Bertha to share tonight. Tomorrow would be a new day with a prospective will to discover the fallen tank, space ship, or whatever.
Jim was finishing his evening meal just as his company arrived. He looked surprised to see Jim and Bertha so soon. He offered them a cup of coffee, which they accepted. All of a sudden, it was too important not to let Jim know about the space craft that descended to earth. Joe decided to tell Jim about it. He hardly knew how to start, since the old gentleman himself was quite a mystery. Just before they broke the news to Jim, Bertha noticed something under a tree that almost made her scream. It was that little grey wheel that they had left at the mobile home, or was this another one like it. She jumped up asking Joe to go look at it closely. Jim spoke up saying, “ oh, that’s just something I picked up several months ago. I thought it might be something from outer space,” he said jokingly. Bertha moved over closer to the subject of discussion now, placing her ear over the object. There was no beeping sound at all. Joe picked up the little grey wheel and noticed the markings were the exact same as the one which they took home with them. However the two, wheel-like, objects could not have come from the same air craft because Jim’s souvenir was rusty and had been around longer. Neither was it beeping like the one at their house. It was exact except for the age difference, leading Joe to believe that maybe these little objects were just operable for a certain period of time. Joe started again to speak to Jim about the strange sighting he and Bertha had witnessed yesterday. “Did you notice anything in the sky moving slowly toward earth yesterday,” Joe asked? “No,” Jim answered, “but funny things do happen out here,” he remarked. Joe continued to describe the mysterious happening, and informed him of the failure to find out anything in town about the incident. Jim listened with seemingly amazement. Joe proceeded to tell Jim about the wheel that they had left at home. Joe was unsure of why he had changed his mind about telling Jim all that they had planned to keep secret from him. The plans for searching through the mountainous region in hope of finding the landed space ship were even relayed to Jim. As soundless as a dead man, Jim sat motionless while Joe lay out the plans. A deep sense of suspicion came upon Bertha.
She needed a big dose of reality pills. It was beginning to get dark so Joe asked Jim if the two of them could unroll their sleeping bags and stay here for tonight. He assured them that it was alright. The three puzzled bodies crawled into their sleepers and were soon resting peaceful.
When the daylight awakened them, Bertha asked Jim for permission to make breakfast this morning. She had everything needed for pancakes, and had a can of sausage. The fire was started and coffee was perking in a jiffy. The pancakes was cooked with sausage patties warming. A bottle of maple syrup was poured over the hot flapjacks and soon all were eating a delicious breakfast. After cleaning the dishes and packing them up, the bedrolls were wound in a tight bundle and strapped to the hikers backs. All other gear was loaded and the overnighters thanked Jim for sharing and started on their way. Jim bid them farewell. He ruefully offered them his best regards. The young couple had actually touched his heart.
Walking away from a human figure with somewhat, counterfeit explanations,’ caused Joe and Berths to speculate as they traveled on their way. They realized that the search mission was going to be extensive, with many obstacles to overcome. Never the less, their minds were made up. They would get an answer to all their questions before they quit.
Bertha was reminded of her mother’s letter. She had not taken the time to answer it. Her mother had shown much concern, and now, Bertha thought, for a good reason. Surely within a few days they would be back home, if they still had a home, then she would immediately send her mother a letter. Upon second thought, she imagined that if something happened to keep them away for several weeks, her mother would be frantic. The couple lost sight of Jim’s camp before Bertha mentioned her concern to Joe. “Please,” she begged Joe, “ let us go back to the cabin and if it is still there I want to write my mother a few lines. I feel like its very important that I do that.” Joe thought for a moment, this would delay the search at least one day, and time was of the essence now. Although Joe hesitated to agree with Bertha, he finally gave in.
The walk back to the cabin wasn’t as tiring as climbing the side of the mountain to reach the little haven. They were in sight of the blessed little abode, and both hikers gave a big sigh of relief. In a short time Bertha was penning a few lines to her mother.
June 15, 1982
Dear Mom,
I had intended to write sooner, but everything is so exciting here I just haven’t taken the time. We are very happy and love each other so much. Please don’t worry about us, for we are learning fast how to take care of ourselves. I have been taking notes and have also taken many pictures since being here.
We are leaving tomorrow, just exploring the mountains to see what is out there. We plan to be gone about two to three weeks. We are taking plenty of food and water. Hope you and dad can come to visit us soon
Love,
Bertha
PS We have met one person who lives not far from us. His name is Jim and he has been roughing this country for fifteen years.
It was noon when Bertha got back from mailing the letter. She was hungry and knew that Joe would be also. She opened a can of spam, fried some potatoes, and made gravy. The cornbread was almost done, and coffee was brewing. How thankful the two of them were to be eating together again at their own table. While enjoying a hot meal, the conversation was still focused on the Wheel that didn’t blow up their home. “It isn’t beeping any more,” Joe remarked. “I put it under a tree. I checked just before I came in, and it wasn’t beeping.” Bertha asked, “do you think it just beeps when its inside? Maybe the sun keeps it quite or the outside atmosphere, who knows?” Joe replied, ”that sounds like crazy stuff, but I’m wondering the same thing.” When we leave again, I’m putting it back inside.”
After finishing their lunch, the two cleaned everything up and started to repack the backpacks. Bertha remembered she had removed the camera to replace new film. She put the instrument along with several rolls of film into the pack. Joe also added more shells to his supply. After bringing the little grey wheel back into the cabin, leaving it on the countertop, Joe locked the cabin door behind them.
They climbed and scampered down one mountain after another. The compass they were carrying didn’t tell them how much distance they had covered, but their guess was, not much. The climbing was slow and very tiresome. Not a sign of anything signifying that the space ship might be close. A lot of birds, some squirrels, and even a few deer were the only signs of life. The couple kept moving trying to cover as much space as they could before dark set in. If nothing else was discovered today, this trip was pleasant and offered much more pleasure tomorrow. This would be the highest bunk either of the two had ever slept on. Just like two kids, they could hardly wait to crawl into their sleeping bags. A quick few bites of beef jerky, and a couple of cheese sticks made their meal for tonight. After looking for awhile, the two campers found a place smooth enough to unroll the sleeping bags. They moved a few rocks and put both beds together. It was cold up high in these mountains. The couple zipped the bags clear to the top with even their heads covered. It was later on that night when Joe awoke and crawled out to use the toilet. He noticed a white object moving a short distance from him. It was tall, slim, and shaped like a human. At first He thought it was a bear, then he could see well enough that it couldn’t be an animal. The eyes, bigger than golf balls, were a shinning blaze of fire. It stood motionless with arms to it’s side. The 357 magnum was fitted inside Joe’s hand. Both the ghost-like object and Joe stood staring at each other for several minutes. Finally Joe decided the creature was harmless and crawled back into the sleeping bag. About an hour later he was awakened by Bertha tapping him on the shoulder. “Joe,” she whispered, “I can see something white standing close by. It isn’t moving but I am paranoid. Joe whispered back to her saying, “I saw it also, but I am sure we are safe.” He got up to sit with Bertha for awhile. The strange figure had moved a few yards since Joe was up, but to their amazement the figure would not move while they were looking at it. Joe persuaded Bertha to go back to sleep telling her that he would stay awake and be in control. A small voice seemed to be speaking to Bertha. It was saying, “you dedicated your life for no other reason than to learn more about God’s creation. Why then are you frightened at what you see?” Bertha lay there a few minutes, then answered the question. “I am no longer afraid, my life I give to you.”
When the sun came up in the morning, there were on signs of the white object. Not even a track could be seen by the two spotters. Looking for twigs and limbs to start a fire, the hungry courageous campers seemed perfectly at ease. The heat from the tall flames warmed their cold bodies. When the flames turned to coals, a pot of coffee was fixed over them and was soon boiling. Bertha had some of the pancake batter left in a jar, so she served flapjacks again this morning. The energy began to build up again, making for a jump-start, to a search team of two, ready for another long day. Putting out the coals and packing back up, the couple started traveling again.
Bracing themselves while sliding down the steep mountain, the eager searchers were looking every direction expecting to spot the big vessel at any time. It just had to be close, they thought. At the bottom of the high peak, which they just came from, was a valley of brush and weeds, growing among the rocks. It made walking a weary, boring undertaking, yet they knew all ground had to be covered. Moving farther and farther on, the couple decided to sit down awhile to rest before starting up another mountain. Each of them took a large drink of water, and fumbled for a snack. Laying their heads on the sleeping bags, each one stretched out and took a brief nap. When they awoke, a very rested couple gave each other a loving smile. This was a good time for them to hold one another with love and passion. No other way could a couple get closer together than this. The past month had been devoted to relocating to this new area of beauty and peace, but also with much uncertainty, which they did not expect. They could not deny the fact that they were maybe too over zealous from the start. They were getting an experience that only two people such as they, full fledged explorers, could ever receive. The great outdoors belonged to the Great I Am, for which Joe and Bertha sprung from. They wanted to be obedient to the call for service to the Great Creator.
It made sense to Joe that the subject they were talking about was somewhere on the next mountain that was to be the next climbing effort. The thought of walking upon a huge vessel with unknown cargo or possibly passengers, made both enthusiast shudder. It had not been included in their plans as to what they would do. Since the FAA instrument observer had not seen anything on the radar screen nor old Jim had not seen anything floating in the sky, made the two eye witnesses’ story seem like a fantasy. There had to be something withheld by some sort. Joe and Bertha came to the conclusion that one of two things were involved here. Either the US Scientist Commussion was holding information or another planet was secretly gathering data to transport back to their body of Intelligence. Either case seemed far from the intelligence of these two commoners. Whatever the case might be, both Joe and Bertha were destined to run the course.
While still resting in a peaseful enviorement, Joe turned his thoughts to his own family. His dad had been a successful
　
　
　
　
　

　
　

　
　
　
　
　
　

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