Honey Creek Ranch Adventures

By Gwen Stockbridge

Honey Creek Adventures includes a wide variety of stories and adventures, mostly set in the Texas Hill Country. These stories take you back to a time when children stayed out after dark and no one worried, but you still felt the love of family and friends. Neighbors knew their neighbors and would help in times of need, whether it was sheepshearing, a barn raising, or making a quilt for newlyweds or a new baby.

It takes a look back to when life was freer. Lazy days were spent riding horseback, wading in creeks, fishing, camping, roller-skating, and playing baseball.

There were a lot of good times, but there were also some wearisome and tense times when there might have been some peril involved or challenging situations. That's when grit and perseverance paid off.

You can see how each situation is met, whether it's a possible sighting of Big Foot or trying to stay out of an angry mama hog's way. Each story will take you through a new adventure. Whether it is one that has you smiling or crying, I hope this book will touch you in some way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887312446

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Introduction

Chapter 1: Sam

Chapter 2: The Day I Had to Grow Up

Chapter 3: Dead Man's Hill

Chapter 4: The Night Big Foot Visited

Chapter 5: The Missing Calf

Chapter 6: Aunt Alice

Chapter 7: The Legend of Indian Waterhole

Chapter 8: Fur Babies

Chapter 9: Hog Hunting on Horseback

Chapter 10: Shearing Days

Chapter 11: The Horse Thieves

Chapter 12: As the Wind Blows

Chapter 13: Honey Creek on a Rise

Chapter 14: Girl Scout Camp

Chapter 15: Family Trips

Chapter 16: Slumber Parties

Chapter 17: The Baptism

Chapter 18: Hunting Season

Chapter 19: Holidays and Families

Chapter 20: The Barn

Chapter 21: Cactus Berries and Granny's Herbs

Chapter 22: Sunset

About the Author

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Honey Creek Ranch Adventures

Gwen Stockbridge

Copyright © 2022 Gwen Stockbridge

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2022

ISBN 979-8-88731-243-9 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88731-244-6 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

When I decided to write a book about my life growing up on a ranch, the more I realized how extremely fortunate I was to have lived this life and getting to grow up in the country. It truly was a golden time. I guess there was a part of me that thought that time would go on forever. This was a time before cell phones and iPads. We worked hard during the week, tending to animals or crops, but weekends were full of activities. We had picnics, 42 parties, games, camping at the river, and softball with family and friends. We had a baseball backstop down in front of our house when I was growing up.

I was envious of my town friends from time to time because they could walk to the swimming pool, skating rink, or the local dime store. I would get to go to the pool or the skating rink once a week if I was lucky. That was usually if we had to get groceries or cattle feed. Of course, we went to church whenever the church doors were open. If I wanted the newest Barbie or toy at the dime store, I had to pull grass burs or weeds for a week to earn the money to purchase these items. I am glad I was brought up this way. I think I still appreciate anything I work for. I was also extremely fortunate to have wonderful parents and a close family who had extraordinarily strong values, and their credo was that you treat others as you want to be treated and do not be too judgmental of others.

I would like to dedicate this book to my parents, Homer and Myrtle Geistweidt. They were two of the greatest people I ever knew. My father went through years of pain and difficulties but always had a smile on his face and always looked on the bright side of life. My mother was not only a