Adventure on Apple Orchard Road

By Christine E. Collier

The Forrest family buys a run down house on Apple Orchard Road. Eleven-year-old Ethan is disappointed the house is so old.

Ethan invites his best friend, Tanner, for a sleepover and Tanner brings along a metal detector. At the break of dawn, Ethan and Tanner make a discovery in the old shed out back that will change their lives. This amazing treasure includes a letter from the past owner of the house. Elizabeth Patterson writes that she and her husband have hidden things in the house for years!

Elizabeths old journal is discovered in the attic. What will Ethan do when he reads that Mr. Patterson made his own time capsule? In an old coffee can he placed a 1958 autographed NY Yankees baseball, wrapped in that days newspaper and placed in the floor joists of the attic. Could this baseball still be up there?

The shed will become Ethans bike garage. Who or what is making the huge footprints in the dirt by the shed?

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Apr 27, 2003
• ISBN: 9781462047468

Christine E. Collier

Christine Collier, the mother of three and grandmother of three, lives in Pine City, New York, with her husband Kent. This is the fourth book in her mystery series, which includes, The Writer?s Club, Mystery is Our Shadow, and Christmas at Cliffhanger Inn. Her children?s books include Adventure on Apple Orchard Road and Twelve Months of Mystery.

Book preview

Contents

Apple Orchard Road

Apple Orchard Road, Harvest Time

Apple Orchard Road, A Christmas Adventure

January Blahs on Apple Orchard Road

April Showers on Apple Orchard Road

Summer Fun on Apple Orchard Road

First Anniversary on Apple Orchard Road

Apple Orchard Road

The real estate agent was waiting for them as they drove up to the old run down house.

Is this it? Ethan stared out the window. This house is falling down. I was hoping we would be finally living in a nice house.

Hush, his mom scolded.

They got out and met the young realtor, Jeff Williams. He gave them a guided tour of the house. Ethan looked in closets and tried to get into the attic. Ethan, stay out of that attic. Don’t go into any rooms we haven’t checked out, his father warned. Some of the remodeled rooms were beautiful and others were badly in need of repair.

The realtor explained that the Patterson family owned the house for over fifty years, followed by other owners. This house has great potential and is waiting for the right family to restore it to its past glory. Ethan, you will have many adventures here if your parents decide to buy.

Thanks Jeff, we will consider our options. Mr. Forrest waved as Jeff drove off.

Ethan’s parents walked around the yard with his little sister, Emma. Ethan looked around back. An old shed filled with junk, its door hanging by one hinge was the first thing he saw. This isn’t the kind of house I wanted us to buy. Dad will have to work on this all the time.

Two days later, his parents decided to buy and within a matter of weeks, the Forrest family moved into the house on Apple Orchard Road. It was a hot summer day in August.

Dad fixed the roof leak right away and often worked on the old stonewalls in the basement. When Ethan was five, a rat in his grandmother’s basement frightened him. Just the sight of a cobweb or the damp, mildew smell of a humid cellar triggered this memory. You won’t find me in that basement unless I have to go down there. Tanner Brown, Ethan’s best friend, came to spend the weekend soon after the move. He arrived at their front door with a metal detector, sleeping bag and a box of baseball cards.

Mary Forrest laughed as she greeted him, You like to come prepared, don’t you, Tanner?

Yes, Mrs. Forrest, sorry about that, he said grinning.

Ethan will love it. His room is at the top of the stairs.

Hey, what’s all this? Ethan said laughing. When did you get a metal detector?

My uncle came to visit from Florida; he takes it on the beach and gets all sorts of money and cool things. He said I could bring it and investigate this house.

You should see our old basement; I can’t imagine what’s buried down there.

What about right now?

Well okay, I guess, Ethan stalled. Mom might have lunch or something. I’m not too keen on old houses or smelly basements with things hiding in the corner.

I ate before I came, let’s investigate.

Tanner and Ethan walked down the old stairs; every step they took made the old wood creak and moan. Creakkkkkkk... Creakkkkk.

Are these steps about to cave in? Tanner asked.

Dad says no, they’re safe. We can go back upstairs if you’d like though. Ethan was feeling queasy as he walked into the darkness.

No, that’s all right. Tanner, metal detector in hand, slowly walked around the musty old basement. "This place smells