having a great time. I’ll be fine. Really.
Missing you, Stevie
“She sounds really desperate,” Kate said.
Carole nodded. “Yeah. That line about Veronica is a dead giveaway.”
“That’s her mortal enemy back at your riding stable, right?” Kate asked.
“Uh-huh. Stevie volunteering to spend time with her is like Dorothy offering to hang with the Wicked Witch of the West,” Lisa told her. “I wish there was something we could do to help.”
Carole gave a hearty sigh. “At least our e-mail back won’t be overly exciting. I’ll tell her about how Paula doesn’t like us.”
“Yeah,” said Lisa. “And don’t forget to mention all the chores Kate made us do.”
“I did not!”
“Be sure to describe the agony of my dishpan hands after she insisted we wash all the dishes,” Lisa continued.
“I did not,” Kate repeated. “You guys volunteered!” She put her hands on her hips. “If you’re so exhausted, maybe you shouldn’t come with me tomorrow.”
Lisa was filled with anticipation. “Where? Is it as good as the pond?”
Kate shrugged. “Different.”
Lisa and Carole tried to press her for more details,but it was no use. They were going to have to wait to find out about Kate’s next surprise.
L ISA WAS THE first out of bed. She roused Carole, who yawned and stretched and scratched at her ankle. “The local fauna picking on you?” Lisa asked sympathetically as she slipped into her old jeans, feeling a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t actually worn any of the new clothes her mother had bought her yet.
“Guess so. If there’s a mosquito within a mile, I’m the one it heads for,” Carole lamented. “Hey, Kate! Up and at ’em!”
Kate slowly sat up in bed and, with hardly a word, began to pull on her clothes.
Lisa was surprised. Usually Kate bounded out of bed full of life and fun. “Everything okay?” she asked tentatively.
“I didn’t sleep well, that’s all. I couldn’t seem to get comfortable.”
“You still want to go out today?” Carole asked.
“Let me see. I can stay at the ranch and do more chores, or I can take my friends on another adventure.” She gave Carole a smile. “You do the math.”
“We’re outta here!” Carole and Lisa exclaimed.
The day’s plans were almost derailed by Mrs. Devineat breakfast. “Kate,” she said with concern, “You look a little flushed. Are you all right?”
Kate dodged the hand her mother put out to feel her forehead. “I’m fine, Mom.”
“Well, okay,” her mother said. “Maybe some fresh air would do you good.”
The girls saddled up and headed off, this time with Kate taking them in the opposite direction of the pond. After a brief ride over a few hills and through a small wooded area, Kate announced they were there.
The girls sat on their horses and looked over a deep horseshoe-shaped canyon. From their position at the rounded curve of the back of the horseshoe, Lisa could see the rocky left and right branches stretching away on either side of them. The steep walls looked treacherous and uninviting. “Exactly what are we doing here?” She gulped, backing chocolate a little farther from the edge.
Kate pulled her neckerchief off and wiped at her sweaty forehead. “Prepare to journey with me back through time,” she announced grandly. “Back to the days when dinosaurs ruled the earth!”
Carole guffawed. “Have you been out in the sun too long?”
Lisa did think Kate looked overheated.
Kate urged Stewball down a rocky slope. “Forward, nonbelievers!”
Moving cautiously, the horses sent tiny rivers of rocks rolling down the steep grade before them. Lisa was glad Chocolate was such a reliable horse; a fall down these rocks would be a nasty experience.
At the bottom, Kate paused in front of a house-sized boulder. “The doorway to the past is the doorway to the future.”
“Will you stop already?” Carole told her. “Pretty soon you’ll be gazing into crystal balls and reading tea
Missing you, Stevie
“She sounds really desperate,” Kate said.
Carole nodded. “Yeah. That line about Veronica is a dead giveaway.”
“That’s her mortal enemy back at your riding stable, right?” Kate asked.
“Uh-huh. Stevie volunteering to spend time with her is like Dorothy offering to hang with the Wicked Witch of the West,” Lisa told her. “I wish there was something we could do to help.”
Carole gave a hearty sigh. “At least our e-mail back won’t be overly exciting. I’ll tell her about how Paula doesn’t like us.”
“Yeah,” said Lisa. “And don’t forget to mention all the chores Kate made us do.”
“I did not!”
“Be sure to describe the agony of my dishpan hands after she insisted we wash all the dishes,” Lisa continued.
“I did not,” Kate repeated. “You guys volunteered!” She put her hands on her hips. “If you’re so exhausted, maybe you shouldn’t come with me tomorrow.”
Lisa was filled with anticipation. “Where? Is it as good as the pond?”
Kate shrugged. “Different.”
Lisa and Carole tried to press her for more details,but it was no use. They were going to have to wait to find out about Kate’s next surprise.
L ISA WAS THE first out of bed. She roused Carole, who yawned and stretched and scratched at her ankle. “The local fauna picking on you?” Lisa asked sympathetically as she slipped into her old jeans, feeling a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t actually worn any of the new clothes her mother had bought her yet.
“Guess so. If there’s a mosquito within a mile, I’m the one it heads for,” Carole lamented. “Hey, Kate! Up and at ’em!”
Kate slowly sat up in bed and, with hardly a word, began to pull on her clothes.
Lisa was surprised. Usually Kate bounded out of bed full of life and fun. “Everything okay?” she asked tentatively.
“I didn’t sleep well, that’s all. I couldn’t seem to get comfortable.”
“You still want to go out today?” Carole asked.
“Let me see. I can stay at the ranch and do more chores, or I can take my friends on another adventure.” She gave Carole a smile. “You do the math.”
“We’re outta here!” Carole and Lisa exclaimed.
The day’s plans were almost derailed by Mrs. Devineat breakfast. “Kate,” she said with concern, “You look a little flushed. Are you all right?”
Kate dodged the hand her mother put out to feel her forehead. “I’m fine, Mom.”
“Well, okay,” her mother said. “Maybe some fresh air would do you good.”
The girls saddled up and headed off, this time with Kate taking them in the opposite direction of the pond. After a brief ride over a few hills and through a small wooded area, Kate announced they were there.
The girls sat on their horses and looked over a deep horseshoe-shaped canyon. From their position at the rounded curve of the back of the horseshoe, Lisa could see the rocky left and right branches stretching away on either side of them. The steep walls looked treacherous and uninviting. “Exactly what are we doing here?” She gulped, backing chocolate a little farther from the edge.
Kate pulled her neckerchief off and wiped at her sweaty forehead. “Prepare to journey with me back through time,” she announced grandly. “Back to the days when dinosaurs ruled the earth!”
Carole guffawed. “Have you been out in the sun too long?”
Lisa did think Kate looked overheated.
Kate urged Stewball down a rocky slope. “Forward, nonbelievers!”
Moving cautiously, the horses sent tiny rivers of rocks rolling down the steep grade before them. Lisa was glad Chocolate was such a reliable horse; a fall down these rocks would be a nasty experience.
At the bottom, Kate paused in front of a house-sized boulder. “The doorway to the past is the doorway to the future.”
“Will you stop already?” Carole told her. “Pretty soon you’ll be gazing into crystal balls and reading tea
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