To: The A.O.K. Ranch Hands Jeremy, Starsky, Hutch, Jamie, Claire, Vyez, Scooby Doo, and all my Friends who are a wonderin’ about where I’ve been

Fm: Boss Lady in the Back Forty

Dear A.O.K. Ranch Hands & Friends,

As I told you in my last letter, I’ve been in the back forty for quite a spell now. And, well, it looks as if it’s gonna be a bit longer. I sorta, kinda knew this would happen, but I was hopin’ it might all get settled a bit sooner; a winter harvest so to speak. Instead, it’s gonna be a fall gatherin’ and plantin’ for a spring crop.

You see, I needed to make a third round-about in the back 40 here to see what was what. Forty acres is a whole lot of space, more than I figured, and whereas I thought I had everything together, I found out ‘twere quite a few more seedlings in the brush jus’ waitin’ to be uncovered and tended to. So, I’ve jus’ been a digging up these new-found seedlings and placin’ them alongside all t’other ones from round-abouts one and two. Now I am in the middle of placing all those seedlings, from round-abouts one, two, and three, in a special, handy-dandy greenhouse that I jus’ got done buildin’. I am linin’ up all those seedlings jus’ right so they have room enough to grow strong roots and look real pretty when they bloom. I will have to do some fertilizin’ and minor transplantin’ too over the winter, but not to worry ‘cuz, as sure as I know my name, I know this cold plantin’ season will yield some mighty fine produce come spring like nothin’ y’all have ever seen before! Mark my words.

Now, all this plantin’ and gardenin’ in the colder time frame, the fall/winter, takes a good bit o’ energy. That’s jus’ the way it is. I can’t get around it, I simply gotta go through it. I would like to tell y’all that my energy is boundless, but truth is, it ‘tain’t. Sigh. I’m doin’ my best though, tryin’ to keep up my energy whilst workin’ with less daylight (I really prefer the longer days and warmth of summer), soil preparations, and all them daily chores. I’m not complainin’; just sayin’, so as you know. I figure it’s all in a day’s work and my motto is forward, ho! By the way, forward is the only way to go. If I learnt’ nothin’ else, I have learnt going backward is kinda useless cuz it takes twice as much energy, if not more, it gets you nowhere, and it doesn’t change a darn thing.

So it is on the Back Forty. I’m here, jus’ waitin’, watchin’, and tendin’. I will keep you all in the loop as things develop. Jus’ knowin’ y’all are around, for support and keepin’ up the ranch, makes me right happy and proud. Thanks y’all! I am truly grateful. Keep me in your prayers and let me know how y’all are doin’.

Love, the Boss Lady

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To: Boss Lady, in the Back Forty

Fm: The A.O.K. Ranch Hands Jeremy, Starsky, Hutch, Jamie, Claire, Vyez, and Scooby Doo

Dear Boss Lady,

It is so good to hear from you! We have been a wonderin’ about you and your letter is a fine update. We are all doin’ good and think of you every day. Everyone here says howdy and wants you to know that if’n you need our help out on the back forty, jus’ let us know. Any one of us, or all of us, is ready to be there if, and when, needed.

Here at the ranch, things are stable an’ we are takin’ care of everythin’ around these parts. We are continuin’ to send out proposals to them land agents and whereas, again, several have expressed interest, there have been no takers. It seems though that the new proposal format, the ‘recipe’ idea, is helping to generate interest because it is catchy and different. And, Scooby’s idea of including a few Scooby Snacks with it, albeit in the form of a picture as we said it had to be since sending real snacks is not possible, helps too ‘cuz it makes them land agents smile a bit. Anyways, we are certain that once you have a few more details about the land prospect deal, and considering the produce part you are working on now, well, the right and very best land agent will crop up (pun intended) real soon. It’s like your favorite sayin’ from the Bible, ‘To everything there is a season, a time to every purpose under heaven.’

As you are workin’ on your part, we are workin’ away on ours. We re-figured some of the proposal segments and included some new background information so as to make everything more clear and more appealin’ to a lot more folks. This is gonna be great! We can feel it too! Rest assured we are still, and always, behind you 100%.

Oh yes, and we are sendin’ you a copy, in color, of the map that we made up and talked about in our last letter to you. It includes everythin’ needed to get to Bestseller Mountain from the A.O.K. Ranch and The Back Forty —- Manifestation Marsh; Grateful Gulch; Heart Songs; Visioning Valley; Sunflower Grove of Hope; Re-Envisioning Pond; Photography Gallery; The Yes Current; Field of Dreams; The Backroads; Imagination Woods; Round-About Inroad; Justice for Animals; The Yes Well; The Inroad; Possibility to Reality Pass; The Agent; Books and More Books; and the Contract Bridge.

We will close for now, Boss Lady. Keep in touch. You are in our prayers. Take care and write back soon.

Love, The Ranch Hands at the A.O.K. Ranch

Good day,

Melinda Grohol

11/17/23