Who knows what lurks in the forest??

Kind of quiet here at the ranch this time of the year. Calves have been weaned and sold, feed for the winter has been arranged, and it's a good time to enjoy the beautiful autumn weather.

Last weekend all the kids and grandkids came for a visit, which called for the annual bonfire with roasted wieners and s'mores. I've never much cared for marshmallows, but throw in a little melted chocolate and a graham cracker and I can manage to join in the fun. Lot's of laughter, sticky faces and hands, and one little one who kept asking for scary stories which we never got around to telling....we didn't have to.....

It was a cold, dark night as we pulled our chairs closer to the fire. The heat from the dying embers felt good against the chill of the darkness, and the adult conversation drifted aimlessly from topic to topic. The flickers from the flames cast an eerie glow on the faces of those sitting closest to the fire, but no ghost stories seemed to come to mind. Soon, the grandkids lost interest and asked if they could take the lantern and walk to the playhouse at the edge of the woods.....

"Sure, go ahead, but be careful. " said Miss Elizabeth, as they grabbed the lantern and headed off into the darkness. We watched as they disappeared from sight except for the gentle sway of the lantern as they walked toward the playhouse about 100 yards away. I suppose when you're three years old it might as well have been a mile. Did I mention that it was a cold, dark night....

Soon we were back to our own thoughts and conversations, and forgot about the little ones playing at the edge of the forest. Oh, we could hear an occasional squeal of laughter drifting across the yard so we assumed that all was well.

Suddenly, we heard a piercing scream followed by the appearance in the distance of the bouncing light from the lantern as it emerged from the darkness at a much faster pace than it had left. Ten little legs were pumping furiously and covering ground as fast as they possibly could.....back to the safety of the bonfire. Apparently there were unknown visitors lurking about....

Three year old Wesley, breathless from his run, was the first to say,

"Grandpa, there's a monster in the forest!"

Soon after, the others chimed in about the alarming sound coming from the darkness down by the shop.....a loud, unidentified roar that was certainly a threat to us all......"Can we go in the house now?" seemed to be the consensus of the group; the laughter at the playhouse long forgotten.

I've not yet decided whether to explain the noise to them, or to just let the legend live on. In time, one of them may figure out that it was just the air compressor in the shop, but for now, whenever they ask about the "monster in the forest", I'll simply say, What do I know??