The Amazing Adventures of the Kettlepans and Their Animal Friends

By Sally Parker Frizzell

Have you ever thought about completely changing your life? Maybe circumstances have changed, or maybe you are bored with things the way they are. Whatever the reason, you feel the need for a change. But unlike Mr. and Mrs. Kettlepan, few of us have the chance to make big changes in our lives.

Author Sally Parker Frizzells The Amazing Adventures of the Kettlepans and Their Animal Friends is the story of a New York City couple who, tired of the hubbub of the city, remake their lives. They move to a farm in New Hampshire and soon discover the farmhouse isnt exactly their dream home. With the farmhouse in need of major repairs inside and out, they live in an RV while work is being done. They find wild animals popping up and causing problems around the house. These arent ordinary animals, though. They can talk and drive. But its not just the animals that take them by surprise. One day without warning, the former owners cause a scare when they show up as ghosts while the Kettlepans are in the house. Another day, carpenters uncover a long-kept secret as they rip out walls.

The Amazing Adventures of the Kettlepans and Their Animal Friends takes you on a journey of mystery, excitement, and fun. This isnt your ordinary farm!

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781491756652

Sally Parker Frizzell

Sally Parker Frizzell is a native and a longtime resident of New Hampshire. She and her husband, Leo, have been married for thirty-one years. She has three stepchildren, and they have seven grandchildren and two cats. She loves to read, crochet, and do community service in her spare time.

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CHAPTER 1

Mr. and Mrs. Kettlepan both worked in New York City, where they found their jobs too stressful and tiresome. Their three children were all grown-up and married and had since moved away from home. The Kettlepans noticed that, unless they were off work, they never seemed to have any free time together. One day, Mrs. Kettlepan came home and told her husband that she had quit her job. Not only that—she had been looking at houses and land in New Hampshire. Mr. Kettlepan had quit his job the week before but had not been sure how to tell his wife. He had also been looking at land and houses. Every day when his wife thought he had been leaving for work, he had been looking for jobs and places to live.

Once they’d both told each other how they felt, life seemed to be easier for them. Mrs. Kettlepan had been reading real estate ads in papers for quite some time. She had found a beautiful farm in northern New Hampshire, in a little town called Northnumberland. When she told her husband about it, Mr. Kettlepan chuckled. He couldn’t believe it. He too had looked at the same ad. In fact, he had actually gone to look at the property one day when he was supposed to be at the job he’d quit.

The farm was not in the shape the realtor had told him it was, and the Kettlepans knew they could get the place at a huge bargain. The broker had told Mr. Kettlepan that the farm was in excellent shape, when in fact it was run-down and needed all kinds of work. The house was huge, and on the property were a couple of barns, one that was fairly large and would make a great workshop for Mr. Kettlepan. No one had lived on the farm for years. This—a fixer-upper—was exactly what he had been looking for.

Mr. Kettlepan told his wife what he’d seen when he’d visited the farm, and together they pondered whether they should buy it. They both loved to work with their hands and knew all kinds of friends who would be willing to help.

Mr. Kettlepan had even found a job at a local newspaper, writing and taking pictures. Mrs. Kettlepan worked for a great lawyer; she’d also looked at job listings and had found a job at a lawyer’s office in a town very close to the Northnumberland.

So, within a few weeks, papers were signed and a moving van was at the door of their apartment. The movers hooked Mrs. Kettlepan’s car to the trailer hitch on the back of the van, and Mr. and Mrs. Kettlepan climbed into Mr. Kettlepan’s car. All their friends hated to see them leave but knew if anyone could make it on the farm, the Kettlepans could. The only problem was the condition of the house, which was in a state of disrepair. They hadn’t thought about where to unload all their furniture.

When the Kettlepans arrived, they discovered the house was without both lights and water. The roof was missing a lot of shingles. The poor porch was tilted to one side, the windows were broken, and the house needed a coat of fresh paint. Mr. Kettlepan found a kerosene lamp and some oil in one of the cupboards under the sink. The movers wanted to know if they could unload the van and put the furniture in the house. Mr. Kettlepan suggested that, given the lack of electricity, they leave the truck loaded until tomorrow. Mrs. Kettlepan told the men they could leave the van loaded and she and her husband would pay them to stay in town until they were ready. The men really didn’t care. They were getting paid for as long as the Kettlepans needed them. It was company policy that the van not be left unattended, for fear of damage.

Mrs. Kettlepan took her flashlight and went upstairs to check out the bedrooms. She found a family of raccoons living in the master bedroom. She shined the light on the big raccoon, and the animal chased her along the hall, down the stairs, and right out the front door. Mrs. Kettlepan was screaming at the top of her lungs, "Go away, and leave me alone!"

This was a clue for her husband to come running. What a sight he saw. His wife’s hair was standing straight up in the air. Her arms were waving all over the place; it looked almost like she was trying to fly. Her eyes were as big as quarters, and her poor face was redder than red. The raccoon was chasing his wife down the front steps and onto the lawn, making all kinds of sounds. Mr. Kettlepan did not know who was making more noise, his wife or the raccoon. The raccoon was afraid that the strange woman would hurt his family, and Mrs. Kettlepan was afraid she would be hurt by the raccoon. When the movers saw the raccoons come running out of the house, they decided it would be worth the wait just to see what would happen next.

Once Mrs. Kettlepan was outside and far enough away from the house, the raccoon went back inside and right up to his family in the bedroom. Mrs. Kettlepan was shaking so badly that her husband had a hard time calming her down.

I think I forgot to mention that both Mr. and Mrs. Kettlepan were brought up in the city and did not know anything about the country or fixing up a house.

Mrs. Kettlepan told her husband that she was not sleeping in the house until those wild animals had moved out.

Where do you plan on sleeping? her husband asked.

Her only answer was, Not in the bedroom. Maybe we should pitch a tent.

This really made her husband chuckle. You are afraid of wild animals, so you want to sleep outside.

Mrs. Kettlepan was not amused. Mr. Kettlepan told his wife they would go into town and stay at a hotel or motel. It didn’t take long for his wife to hop into the passenger side of the car and wait for her husband. The movers decided to follow the Kettlepans into town with the moving van for the night.

When everyone got into town, they were shocked. There were no fancy hotels or restaurants. The best they could find were a few motels and only one restaurant. Mrs. Kettlepan wondered if the move from the city was the right thing to do. Her husband assured her that things would get better. Maybe the children could come to help. They happened to find a cute little motel named Village People’s Motel. The prices were cheap, and the rooms were clean.

Mrs. Kettlepan found that small-town people were very friendly and helpful. Ed and his wife, the owners of the motel, answered any questions they could to help the newcomers feel welcome in their small town.

Ed was a jolly little man, with white hair and the biggest smile in the world. Ed’s wife was about the same height as her husband. She had curly white hair and loved to have a good laugh.

When Ed discovered that the Kettlepans had bought the old Johnson place, he was very surprised and laughed. Ed could tell stories about the old farmhouse but decided he would not speak up until they asked. No one had lived there for five years or more, since the old man had passed away.

Mrs. Kettlepan wanted to know all about the farm and its history. Ed and his wife told them that, when the Johnsons lived at the farm, they would take in stray animals and any animals that were injured. The townspeople always considered the Johnsons to be strange people, so they did not get many visitors. The Johnsons loved animals more than they did people. They also loved being alone most of the time.

Ed mentioned to Mr. Kettlepan that Mr. Johnson had an old truck in the garage that he and his wife had used for transportation. The truck had gotten so rusted that old man Johnson had put on a wooden body. About once a month, Mr. Johnson would come into town and order a lot of supplies that were always delivered. After Mrs. Johnson passed away, everyone in town thought that one of their stray wild animals must have eaten her.

When Mr. Keenan delivered the supplies for Mr. Johnson, he would always hear strange noises coming from either the workshop or the barn. There would be a lot of banging and sawing. From the barn, animal sounds could also be heard, but the noises weren’t always plain enough to be made out.

Mr. Kettlepan wondered what to do with all the furniture in the moving van. Should they check out storage in town or see if Ed knew of some place? Mrs. Kettlepan did not want her furniture eaten or destroyed by wild animals. So her husband asked the moving company men if they could possibly rent a car and leave the van with them in town. The movers told them leaving the van was against company policy. What to do next?

CHAPTER 2

That night, Mrs. Kettlepan could not get to sleep. Her husband, on the other hand, could fall asleep anywhere. After tossing and turning for hours, she decided to get up and go outside, where there were rocking chairs outside of every door. She rocked back and forth, looking at the moon and stars and trying to think of what to do with all their furniture and belongings. Had they done the right thing by moving to New Hampshire? They had quit their jobs and left their grown kids and grandkids for this. It did not take long for her to start crying.

All of a sudden, she felt a fluttering and heard a tiny voice whisper into her ear, Everything is going to be all right. Just wait and see.

Mrs. Kettlepan turned. There, hovering just above her shoulder, its tiny wings fanning her ear, was a little hummingbird. Mrs. Kettlepan asked, What are you?

Why, I am a little hummingbird named Twinkles, said the bird. I was flying by and noticed that you were crying. Please don’t cry.

Mrs. Kettlepan pinched herself to see if she was awake. She did not believe in talking birds, as such animals were only in children’s books. Twinkles, why are you hovering over my shoulder tonight? Are you here to solve our problem with the moving van? I have a million questions and hope you can give me the answers.

I don’t have the answers, Twinkles told Mrs. Kettlepan. But keep your ears open, and you will learn. I have to go now and tend to my flowers.

Mr. Kettlepan woke up, and his wife was not in bed reading. So out on the porch he strolled. There sat his wife with a very funny look on her face. Are you all right, dear? he asked. It’s very late. Please come to bed. Tomorrow is almost upon us.

His wife looked at him. Mrs. Kettlepan wanted to tell her husband about the little bird, but she decided to wait for now. She took her husband’s hand, and back to bed they went.

Morning came more quickly than either expected. Now they had to worry about getting breakfast and where to go. Just as they exited their room, there stood Ed, getting ready to knock.

Good morning, folks. I came to invite you to breakfast with my wife and myself, he said, giving the Kettlepans a smile. She has it almost ready to put on the table. Then I also have news on where you can store your furniture.

The Kettlepans asked about the movers. Have you seen them this morning?

Why, yes, Ed answered. They are eating with us also.

Ed’s wife had everything on the table when the trio returned.

After everyone was seated, Ed told the Kettlepans that a family up the road, the Ryanmars, had a huge barn and would be willing to let the Kettlepans use it. All you do is leave the motel, turn right, and head up the road about three miles. If you accept their offer, I can call the Ryanmars, and I’d be happy to ride with you and show you the way. They never use the entire barn this time of year. They just use it for storage of winter and summer items. So what do you say? Do you want to ride up and take a look after breakfast?

The Kettlepans agreed that this would really help. Mr. Kettlepan also asked Ed, Can we stay at the motel until the house is livable?

Stay here as long as you want, Ed replied. We’ll discuss prices later. Right now, storing your furniture is the number-one priority.

Everyone rode up to the Ryanmars’, and the Kettlepans decided the barn would be a great place to leave everything. The Ryanmars didn’t ask for any money, just a chance to see the Kettlepans’ place when it was finished. The Kettlepans called it a deal. Mrs. Ryanmars suggested a few carpenters, electricians, and handymen, which pleased the Kettlepans very much. So far, the people they’d met had made them happy they’d decided to move out of the big city.

Now that their furniture was in storage, it was time to say good-bye to the movers.

The Kettlepans decided to revisit their new home. Mrs. Kettlepan was afraid to enter the house because of the raccoons, so for now, they checked out the outside. Mr. Kettlepan made notes with a pencil and a pad of paper. His wife went back to the car to get the camera. Maybe pictures would help them decide what to do and where to start. So they split up. One went around one side of the house, and the other took the other side.

Mrs. Kettlepan decided to take a picture of the front of the house. She put the camera up to her eye. When she looked into the camera, she saw a large eyeball looking back at her, and something shouted, Boo!

Good thing the camera was on a strap around her neck, or it would have fallen to the ground. Mrs. Kettlepan let go of the camera and ran screaming toward her husband. Mr. Kettlepan came running around the house, just in time to see a big bear standing in the front yard. When Mrs. Kettlepan caught up to her husband, they both ran to the car and locked the doors. The bear must have stood eight feet tall to both the Kettlepans from where they were sitting. Really the bear was only five feet tall.

When the Kettlepans looked out their front window, they thought the bear was smiling and waving. This cannot be happening to us, Mrs. Kettlepan thought. She told her husband about Twinkles. He had a hard time believing that a little bird could talk.

Mrs. Kettlepan was also having a hard time believing all that was happening. First it was raccoons, which Ed had said were named the Bandits because of the masks over their eyes. Then it was a hummingbird who could talk and now a big bear was waving at something?

The Kettlepans, just for the heck of it, looked up to the bedroom window. And there sat the Bandit family, smiling and waving back at the bear. If Mr. and Mrs. Kettlepan told any of their friends back in New York what they were seeing, they would be locked up as crazy people.

Mrs. Kettlepan looked at her husband, completely perplexed as to what they should do next. Her husband suggested that maybe the animals had come with this place as a freebie.

For now, they decided to head back to town and talk to Ed and his wife again. The couple might know the bear’s name and whether he had a family around here too.

Mr. Kettlepan tried not to laugh in front of his wife because she did not see anything funny about the situation at all. Mr. Kettlepan started