The Star of All Valleys

by Vicki H. Cutler

  Chapter 17

  Willy woke early the next morning. She had expected to spend hours in the night tossing and turning. She had taken Ryan's picture to bed with her to remind herself of her promise to keep him in her heart. Instead she had fallen asleep quickly and slept dreamlessly. Even Jeffy hadn't had his usual nightmares or called for her for several nights now.

  Pondering this fact and wondering about the unusual lightheartedness she felt, Willy gathered clean clothing and made her way to the shower building. Emerging later, she felt refreshed and ready for the day. Her mind was full of plans and ideas and her step was light. She woke up her sleepy sister and the kids and began to prepare breakfast.

  The happy feeling seemed to be part of everyone this morning and there was none of the usual grouchiness and bickering of four people crowded into a small camper. They each had their own ideas for spending the day and sat down after the meal to plan their activities.

  Aggie thought it would be better if she took the kids to the city park for the morning and let them play on the playground while Willy did some of her interviews. The park was in walking distance of the camper so they could come back and play games or read if they got tired.

  Willy appreciated her sister's thoughtfulness. It would be difficult to talk to people with two lively children underfoot. She intended to talk to the mayor and someone in the Chamber of Commerce building she had seen. She wanted to find the library and newspaper office and spend some time browsing for articles and information about the area.

  They separated at the corner of Main Street and Washington. Aggie and the children skipped off towards the park a block away and Willy headed for the city offices. She spent an interesting morning talking with various officials who were happy to discuss their beloved valley but had to be tracked down in their places of business or homes. Being a city officer in Afton was evidently not a full-time job.

  Willy was referred to a very elderly woman who had lived in the valley all her life and was pleased to tell about its history. She remembered details about some of the early inhabitants that would add some homey touches to Willy's article.

  Next, Willy was directed to the library which happened to be open and she spent some time learning about the scientific studies on the enigmatic Intermitting Spring. She wondered why information on such an unusual natural wonder wasn't better publicized to promote more tourism. She put that question to the mayor when she saw him again on the street as she started on her way back to the campground.

  "Well, that's a good question," he boomed, laughing at her. "We have tried to get the word out, but the forest people and the city don't want to spend the money to put a better road up there or some facilities. Tourists want something they can drive right to with no effort. They don't want to have to hike and use bushes for a bathroom. I guess until somebody gets hungry enough to spend the money to fix it up, it will just stay an obscure little spring. Meanwhile, it’s the best kept secret in the state and we like that. Too many strangers littering up the woods and throwing debris into the spring would be a detriment anyway."

  Willy continued on her way. There was a lot to be said for keeping areas as beautiful as this valley in their natural state. She had been too many places where the greed for money brought in by tourism overshadowed people's reason and they had turned their towns into crowded, expensive, counterfeit resorts. She would hate to see this quiet, pleasant place turned into a city thronged with hordes of tourists rushing to see the next attraction, leaving a trail of refuse and damage behind them.

  Aggie and the children had gotten to the camper first. She could hear them inside noisily playing one of the many games they loved. She picked up a stick and scratched on the window with it, then giggled when they looked out to investigate. They welcomed her and told her all about their morning.  After lunch, Willy read them a story and Jeffy slipped off to sleep. Aggie and Allison continued their game while Willy organized her notes. She took a camera out of its case and left them there playing. "I'm going to get some pictures around town," she told them. "I'll be back soon."

  There were potential shots from every angle. Everything about this area was picturesque. Willy joined others who were standing on the median strip down the middle of Main Street to photograph the "World's Largest Elkhorn Arch". She snapped several views of the stores on Main Street and the mountains on both sides of the valley.

  She wanted to go to the office of one of the few factories in town to see if she could take some pictures of their product. It was a small airplane factory that manufactured the little stunt planes that thrill people at airshows around the world. They had watched several of them being tested in the air on their travels around the valley and Willy was glad that she had stayed longer to get some more information on them.

  The factory administrator was very cooperative and helpful. He led her on a tour through the plant and showed her the different phases in the construction of the planes. She was fascinated by it all. Jeffy would have been thrilled by this tour, but she was glad he wasn't along. There were too many things a small boy could get into and doubted that they would have welcomed a three year old anyway. She was allowed to take pictures of many of the operations and finished filling her roll of film.

  On her way back to the camper, she stopped at the small Chamber of Commerce building to talk to them about other attractions she had missed in the valley. They told her that she couldn't write a complete story about this region without including the cheese factory in Thayne. "It was a Swiss cheese company for years and years, but they went out of business. They were bought out by a company that makes mozzarella cheese to sell to all the pizza places now. They sell cheese in the restaurant they have there. You ought to go try one of their buffalo burgers. Good food!" the woman had enthusiastically told her.

  Resolving to go there for supper, Willy returned to the camper. They got ready and started on their way to drive the fifteen or so miles to the cheese factory. It was a pleasant little trip. They followed the Salt River through the narrow canyon between the Upper and Lower Valleys and reached the large combined cheese factory and restaurant. This place was a popular tourist spot but they didn't have long to wait until a table was ready for them.

  The buffalo burgers were delicious. "They just taste like regular hamburgers to me," Allison said.

  "They do have a little different flavor," Aggie decided. "It's like beef, but with a stronger taste."

  They sampled the different cheeses on display and bought a package of cheese curds which were soon gone. The mild, squeaky cheese melted in their mouths.

  As they began their return trip, hearts light and stomachs full, the truck began to shake accompanied by a loud noise. Willy's heart sank. She hated to change flat tires. Pulling off to the side of the road, she climbed out. It was a rear tire on the passenger's side. "Great!" she complained.

  The jack was stored under the hood of the truck and the spare tire was underneath the bed of the pickup. Both were hard to reach places and Willy was covered with oil and dirt by the time she had wrestled them out and to the back of the truck. She put the tire wrench on the lug nuts to loosen them and strained against it, but she couldn't get them to budge.  "Aggie, can you come help me try to loosen these lug nuts?" she called, frustrated and hot.

  Both of them using all of their strength finally got four of the resistant nuts loose but the fifth just wouldn't yield to their force. A few vehicles had passed by them without stopping. "We're going to have to ask for help," decided Willy. She climbed back into the cab and turned on the CB radio. After her meek plea for assistance, it wasn't long until two cars stopped. One was full of teen-aged boys who were eager to show their brawn and the other was an older gentleman who gave advice while the younger men did the work. Soon they were on their way again, having given profuse thanks for all the help.

  Aggie was in raptures as usual at the great numbers of cute boys in this area. She couldn't wait to see Kelly and tell her about their
adventure. Willy was just glad they had been able to summon some help.

  It was dark when they arrived back at the campground. A familiar pick-up was parked by the office. As they pulled into their space, Max emerged from the building and walked over. "I was afraid you had deserted me after all," he told them, "but Mrs. Woods said you hadn't checked out yet. Where have you been?"

  The whole story was told in a jumble of voices, each trying to be heard. He had great presence of mind sorting out the tales of cheese curds, cute boys and obnoxious lug nuts. "No wonder you look so rumpled," he heckled Willy. "I haven't seen you with a hair out of place before. You look kind of cute when you're dirty."

  Willy gave him a scathing look and went to wash her hands and tidy up. They sat at the table in the moonlight and made their plans for the big canoe trip on Saturday. Max was very involved in the discussion and didn't make the least show of his feelings for Willy. He treated her just like one of the kids, to her relief.

  The only time he relaxed his restraint was after he was in his truck to leave. He had taken Jeffy on his shoulders to his truck and handed him to his mother when he climbed in. She stood there with her son in her arms. Max reached out a big hand to shake hands with his little friend. "Shake hands with Mama, too," ordered Jeffy.

  "Yes, sir!" agreed Max, offering her his hand. She took it and he enveloped her hand with both of his big ones, squeezing it gently. "I'm looking forward to Saturday," he said, his eyes on her face. "I'll be here by eight o'clock. Sleep well!"