It had been a long trek to the back forty. Seems like I had been here for days – – weeks, even. And I reckon that was so. Point is, I was still goin’ to be here for a while and I was gettin’ jus’ a bit lonesome. I was also mighty curious as to what was a goin’ on back at the ranch. Time to find out. I fired up my trusty laptop and seein’ as how the signal was pretty good, I typed out and dispatched a letter to the gang at the ranch – Jeremy, Starsky, Hutch, Jamie, Claire, Vyez, and Scooby Doo, askin’ how things were there. I told ‘em to write back soon.

They must a been sittin’ by their computer cuz it sure didn’t take ‘em long to respond. I don’t know if their quick response was because they were lollygagging instead of working, but in any event, at least I didn’t have to wait to hear the news. I guess they also remembered that I get really antsy and a mite aggravated when I have to wait, so they didn’t want to take any chances. I gotta work on havin’ more patience. Anyways, they sent a regular laundry list o’ stuff and so I settled down to read it all.

Dear Boss,

Hope this letter finds you well. Everyone here is good and working hard behind the scenes to have stuff ready for you when you return. We won’t say as we’ve been busy every minute, but we are makin’ progress. You just keep getting’ your part ready and we will have ours finished by the time you get back.

Right after you left, we got the first proposal out to the land agent and waited (something we know you don’t like to do). Turns out, it wasn’t quite what they were looking for and they passed on the project. Seein’ as how we want someone who thinks the landscape is as promising as we know it to be, someone who knows a good thing when they see it, and someone whose vision matches ours, we were only a little disappointed; definitely not discouraged.

In the meantime, we dug up a good number of other prospects who might be interested in the proposal. Sent out lots of queries. Not much of a response. Then we got the bright idea of doing something totally different – a query in the form of a recipe. We only sent out one of those recipes so far, but that one got an immediate response. We sent the proposal to this second land agent right away, but they too passed on the project. Again, a little disappointed, but not discouraged! One of the extra ranch hands here summed it up real good when they said, “Well, I reckon’ they jus’ weren’t the right people for the project. The right one will come along, you just wait and see.” So, we will send out more queries. Maybe the third response will be the charm?

Also in the meantime, we made a few tweaks to things and are workin’ on redoin’ the first segment and adding a part about all the other animals around here and over there. Vyez, Jaime, Claire, and Jeremy had some right good ideas and as soon as we finish the revisions, we will send to you for review. You keep a thinkin’ on the revisions we sent you before too, and we will lasso it all together. This IS going to be great and it IS going to come about. No doubt about it.

Now lest you think we ain’t been working hard enough, let me tell you that we have been, and here’s the best part: we have drawn up a picture map of the whole landscape project. This was mostly Starsky and Hutch’s idea, but the rest of us added one thing or another. We are puttin’ the finishing touches on it now and we will also send that to you when it is done. You are gonna love it! It includes the whole kit and kaboodle of everything that’s involved: the back forty, our A.O.K. Ranch, the pond, the woods, the alleys, aisles, inroads and backroads, bridges, trails, ah-ha sections, and well, you know, just all the right things to make it all real. Nothin’ like a map to show you the way.  

I guess that’s it for now. We want you to know that we are behind you 100% and then some. We all know it’s a comin’; it’s just a matter of time. I know, I know…that means you have to wait, something that is a mite difficult for you, but you just keep a managin’, a dreamin’, and a believin’ and the right time will be here afore you know it.

Everyone here says howdy and sends their love. By the way, Scooby thinks that maybe we should include a few Scooby snacks in with the queries, but we told him it would have to be in the form of an illustration, not the real thing, since you can’t send real snacks via email.

That’s all for now, boss. We will be in touch and send you our revisions and the map. We are looking forward to seeing you again soon. In the meantime, enjoy the back forty and remember, forward, ho! Onward!

Love from your doppelganger gang at the ranch,

Jeremy, Starsky, Hutch, Jamie, Claire, Vyez, and Scooby Doo

Good day,

Melinda Grohol 9/28/23