Our Mountain Place

By Robert Sanders

Four young boys ages eight to twelve discover the beautiful country around them in the four corners area of the southwest. Their home in Navajo, New Mexico, is the center of an assortment of red rock and lush green valleys and mountains. There is a sprinkling of caves that they explore not only for safety and shelter but a wealth of mystery that leads them to become heroes as well as discovering their strengths and weaknesses.From their ability to have the knowledge and skills of the vast wilderness and wildlife, they discover from deep within themselves their care and friendship for those around them who may need friendship and help.They learn one another's innermost weaknesses as they search the mountainous landscape and face many objectives that must be overcome. Those of great pleasure are presented to them, as well as challenges that threaten their well-being, pushing them into maturity and extending to them the realization of the wisdom of their parents.They find themselves as heroes in their most devastating discovery where they must work together as a team, then find a daring challenge that threatens their own life. Their most unexpected foe comes to them at precisely the right time, bringing to them the realization of friendship in its finest form.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781662407840

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Our Mountain Place

Robert Sanders

Copyright © 2020 Robert Sanders

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2020

ISBN 978-1-6624-0783-3 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-0785-7 (hc)

ISBN 978-1-6624-0784-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 1

I was four years old when my family moved to this valley, and it is here in the shadows of the Chuska Mountains we built our home.

Mr. Martinez owns the only store in the valley; it’s for necessities only. My mom and dad travel frequently to Gallup, New Mexico, for other needs. It is forty-five miles, but it is a beautiful drive.

I have a younger brother, Rafael, and two sisters, Vivian and Robin. Rafael is eight years old, and Vivian is fifteen. Robin is fourteen and thinks she is the leader of the family when, clearly, I am. My mother works for the government in Fort Defiance as a secretary, and my dad is a teacher here in Navajo. During the summer, Dad works for the high school as a maintenance man.

My best friends are Rick Griego, eleven years old, and Leo Hayes, who is also eleven but three months younger than Rick. I will be thirteen September 15.

Robin is a bit taller than our sister, Vivian, although younger. She believes that gives her the right to boss the rest of us. We pay little attention to her—mood swings as my mom calls her bossy desires. Vivian just ignores her until she goes away.

Today I bought a binding notebook with two hundred pages. I wrote the date, Monday, June 1, 1970, at the top of the first page. Underneath the date, I wrote My Adventure by Johnny Pino.

Rafael and I left the house at six thirty and walked down to Rick’s house. He and Leo were sitting on the front porch talking when we arrived.

Are you guys ready? I asked.

Except for snacks, Leo said.

We’re going to Mr. Martinez store now, Rafael said.

The four of us walk south, down the main road for two hundred feet, to the store. Mr. Martinez is behind the meat counter when we walked in.

What are you boys up to? He asked.

We’re going up in the valley by Finger Rock and do some fishing, I said.

We decided we need snacks because we may be there all day! Rafael said.

That’s a beautiful valley! I used to go there to take pictures before I gained so much weight, Mr. Martinez said.

Is this one of them? Rick asked, looking at a picture showing a deep-green valley with surrounding red boulders and an assortment of evergreens. Two elderly people are shown sitting on a stone about halfway up the valley.

Yes, I named it the Distant Couple, Mr. Martinez said.

Who were they? I asked.

I don’t know who she is, but the old man is George Manycows, Mr. Martinez said.

I wonder where they are going, I said.

I don’t know, and I haven’t seen them for a while, Mr. Martinez said. They were walking in the valley near the lake.

We all looked at the picture and paid for the items we purchased. We told Mr. Martinez bye and left the store.

I’ll see you, boys, Mr. Martinez said as we went out the door.

Along the road on the south side is a massive display of red rock. Some of it consists of individual stones, and some are part of the mountain’s solid stone. The north side of the road has a small stream trickling by in front of a pasture several hundred feet wide. The pasture runs for about three miles before blending into the mountains.

The cattle that grazed here drank from the stream and rested in the shade of cottonwood trees that are plentiful along its banks. The cows laid in the shade and looked at us as we passed by, all the while chewing their cud.

How far did you say it is to the path we take up the valley, Johnny? Rafael asked.

It’s just this side of Finger Rock, a quarter mile beyond the Nezes’ house. It’s about three miles, I said.

That will take about fifty minutes to walk, Rick said.

Yes, if we’re walking leisurely, but if we hurry just a bit, maybe a half hour, I said.

I brought some fishing line and bait. Because if there’s a lake, there must be fish in it, Leo said.

Me too, because when I see a lake, I intend to fish, Rafael said.

Dad said it is a beautiful lake and few people know it’s there, near the end of the valley, I said.

Maybe we can catch some big fish, Leo said.

Leo is walking in the middle of the road, where there is a row of gravel thrown from car tires. He kicked a bunch of them with his foot, hitting Rick on the leg.

Oops, Leo said.

Oops, I may have to kick some Leo butt, Rick said.

Leo gestured with his fingers for Rick to come on.

Want some Leo, Ricky boy? Then come and get it, Leo said.

Rick took a step toward him, causing Leo to take a couple away.

That’s what I thought, Rick said.

The two of them laughed and walked beside each other.

Maybe we should have brought camping equipment to stay overnight, Rafael said.

You’d be afraid of night creatures and noises. You can hear a tree limb fall from a half mile when it is silent or an elk’s bellow for five miles, and it isn’t a pretty sound to hear, I said.

Rick said, I was with my dad at Whiskey Lake one autumn morning when a rifle report sounded. Immediately, we heard an elk bellow on the ridge behind us. For the next five minutes, he bellowed as he ran around the ridge before fading in the distance as he went to the other side of the mountain. I couldn’t imagine how long the elk suffered before he either died or recovered from the obvious wound."

I could see the sorrow in Rick’s eyes as he talked about the elk. Most likely, that’s why he won’t go with his dad on hunting trips.

To answer Rafael’s statement, I don’t think I’d like to stay overnight without Dad, but trying to act brave, I said, Maybe we can stay overnight after we become familiar with the area.

I’m not afraid of anything, Leo said.

He stood there flexing his muscles, looking for one of us to agree with him. But we all know he’s afraid of his shadow, so we just nodded.

We walked on, and in a few minutes, we saw a dead coyote beside the road. He was lying in the gravel near the red rock and was all chewed up. We stopped and looked at him.

What do you think ate on him? Rafael asked.

I’m guessing a big dog, Leo said.

No, I don’t think a dog would eat a coyote. I guess a mountain lion or bobcat, I said.

I don’t think a bobcat would be able to catch or kill him, Rick said.

I hope we don’t come face-to-face with his killer, Rafael said.

We’ll sic Leo on him. He’ll rip him to shreds, Rick said.

Yeah, I’m sure a ninety-one-pound stud like you, Leo, isn’t afraid of anything, especially a little cat, I said.

How about a bear, a tarantula, or a rattlesnake like that one? Rafael said.

Rafael pointed to a boulder near where Leo was walking.

Leo looks around frightfully for a few seconds, while the rest of us laugh at him.

I knew you were just pulling my leg, so I put on that little show for you, Leo said.

You didn’t look very brave for a moment, I said.

Are there bears up there, Johnny? Rafael asked.

There are bears up there, but at this time of year, they’re spread out over the mountain foraging for food such as berries, I said.

Didn’t Dad kill one up there a few years ago? Rafael asked.

Yes, he did, but it was late in October, just as they’re looking for a place to hibernate, I answered.

You don’t think we’ll run into one, do you, Johnny? Leo asked.

If we do, I’ll whip him with a switch, I said.

As we walked over a high point in the road, we could see the only house between where we live and the valley we are destined for. People by the name of Nez live there, and they have two big dogs they sometimes let run loose. We’re hoping this is not one of those times.

Is that the Nez house, Johnny, the people who have two big dogs? Rafael asked.

Yes, it is, but maybe they’re tied up, I answered.

Do you think they ate that old man? Leo