wood. The pup whined so she pulled it against her leg. Immediately, the puppy was happy to find warmth. Seconds later, she had a lap full of furry wet noses.
The boys tried to move closer, especially the brave one, but she heard the growls behind her. The boys stopped to sit back down on the cold ground to watch her.
“Hey, Sally, how do you do that, you know, with the dogs?” The brave boy yelled.
“She is one with the animals.”
She held onto the puppies as she turned to look at a robust man in his late years of life with long grey braids. She had an idea she had found Chief George. He reached down picked up one of the pups to nuzzle it to his chin, smiling.
Sally got up, careful with the dogs so that she could look at him. “Sorry, I’m Sally Denison. Are you Chief George?”
She was aware that he looked at her for a long moment then set the pup down.
“Why don’t you come in where it is warmer?” He indicated the half-opened door behind him.
“Great. Wait, I have something for you.” Sally ran out, skipping around the sitting boys to grab her package from the truck seat. She came back up took only a moment to watch the mother herd her litter to the edge of the porch.
Chief George held the door open for her and she went into a comfortable room. It was warm in the room, so she looked around as she handed him the grocery bag. She began to take off her jacket to hang it on the wooden hooks inside the door. The room was great, paneled in natural pine, waxed to a soft polish. The wood floor was covered with various handmade braided rugs thrown around wherever they were needed. The furniture was old, solid clean leather that bodies had worn to make an invitation. A beautiful pot-bellied stove sat in one corner. An antique collector would probably pay a lot for on the Internet. It had a stoked fire visible through the open door. She saw stacked cordwood behind it against the wall.
Sally took in native baskets along with dream catchers on the walls as well as some hangings that she knew were native, but didn’t know the proper identification. Everything was cozy and spotless.
Chief George sat on one couch. He pulled out the chocolate and begin to eat, letting his eyes go to the ceiling. “Jim gave you good advice.”
Sally chose to sit down in one of the leather chairs. She immediately relaxed into the ambience of the room. With the sun blocked by the soft curtains made from thin Indian blankets on each window, the room was comfortable to the eye.
“Well, what do you think this chocolate buys you, dog lover?”
She would have been put off by the question, but his voice was gentle. There was a smile in his eyes.
A woman entered. “Hello, I am Gloria.” She had a tray that she sat down. “George said company was coming, so I made coffee. If I had known it was a lady I would have made tea.”
“Hi, thanks, but coffee is great. Lots of milk and sugar and the caffeine get me through the day.” She slid forward in the chair, taking the cup Gloria held out. Gloria poured real cream, then put three teaspoons of sugar, leaving the spoon in her cup. She sat back, stirred and took a sip. It was perfect.
“Chief George, you knew I was coming? How does that work?”
Gloria was starting to leave the room, but she stopped laughing. “Hon, you don’t want to believe half the crap he will tell you. It is just old Indian bull, yet it keeps him happy and out of my kitchen. Let me know if you need anything.” She was gone. The Chief looked insulted, but opened another package of the chocolates.
“So, little lady, whose name is not Sally, what do you wish to learn.”
Sally looked at him. He didn’t look like Indian medicine men you saw in movies a lot, looking like a modern day Chief. He was healthy, tanned deeper than the dark natural skin tone, and had large rough hands that probably helped split the wood by the fire stove. His hands had done other outside work.
Besides that, his dark eyes were
The boys tried to move closer, especially the brave one, but she heard the growls behind her. The boys stopped to sit back down on the cold ground to watch her.
“Hey, Sally, how do you do that, you know, with the dogs?” The brave boy yelled.
“She is one with the animals.”
She held onto the puppies as she turned to look at a robust man in his late years of life with long grey braids. She had an idea she had found Chief George. He reached down picked up one of the pups to nuzzle it to his chin, smiling.
Sally got up, careful with the dogs so that she could look at him. “Sorry, I’m Sally Denison. Are you Chief George?”
She was aware that he looked at her for a long moment then set the pup down.
“Why don’t you come in where it is warmer?” He indicated the half-opened door behind him.
“Great. Wait, I have something for you.” Sally ran out, skipping around the sitting boys to grab her package from the truck seat. She came back up took only a moment to watch the mother herd her litter to the edge of the porch.
Chief George held the door open for her and she went into a comfortable room. It was warm in the room, so she looked around as she handed him the grocery bag. She began to take off her jacket to hang it on the wooden hooks inside the door. The room was great, paneled in natural pine, waxed to a soft polish. The wood floor was covered with various handmade braided rugs thrown around wherever they were needed. The furniture was old, solid clean leather that bodies had worn to make an invitation. A beautiful pot-bellied stove sat in one corner. An antique collector would probably pay a lot for on the Internet. It had a stoked fire visible through the open door. She saw stacked cordwood behind it against the wall.
Sally took in native baskets along with dream catchers on the walls as well as some hangings that she knew were native, but didn’t know the proper identification. Everything was cozy and spotless.
Chief George sat on one couch. He pulled out the chocolate and begin to eat, letting his eyes go to the ceiling. “Jim gave you good advice.”
Sally chose to sit down in one of the leather chairs. She immediately relaxed into the ambience of the room. With the sun blocked by the soft curtains made from thin Indian blankets on each window, the room was comfortable to the eye.
“Well, what do you think this chocolate buys you, dog lover?”
She would have been put off by the question, but his voice was gentle. There was a smile in his eyes.
A woman entered. “Hello, I am Gloria.” She had a tray that she sat down. “George said company was coming, so I made coffee. If I had known it was a lady I would have made tea.”
“Hi, thanks, but coffee is great. Lots of milk and sugar and the caffeine get me through the day.” She slid forward in the chair, taking the cup Gloria held out. Gloria poured real cream, then put three teaspoons of sugar, leaving the spoon in her cup. She sat back, stirred and took a sip. It was perfect.
“Chief George, you knew I was coming? How does that work?”
Gloria was starting to leave the room, but she stopped laughing. “Hon, you don’t want to believe half the crap he will tell you. It is just old Indian bull, yet it keeps him happy and out of my kitchen. Let me know if you need anything.” She was gone. The Chief looked insulted, but opened another package of the chocolates.
“So, little lady, whose name is not Sally, what do you wish to learn.”
Sally looked at him. He didn’t look like Indian medicine men you saw in movies a lot, looking like a modern day Chief. He was healthy, tanned deeper than the dark natural skin tone, and had large rough hands that probably helped split the wood by the fire stove. His hands had done other outside work.
Besides that, his dark eyes were
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