b"table of contentsDecember 2022 from the Publisher5In Celebration of the National Day I APPRECIATE YOU ALL, THANK YOU!Last month I told the story of the little bird flying of the Horse south for the winter too late, its wings froze up and it fell into a steaming cow-pie in a feed lot. When I went 9Lee Anderson: Did You Know, to breakfast the other day Rene' told me I didnt finish the story, so here it is. The little bird was laying in the In the Old West. cow-pie warm and fed, feeling really good and was so 10A Cowboy Rests in Heaven: 10 happy that it started to chirp out a song. Well, the barn 9 Robert Allen Roloffcat heard the little bird chirping and went to investigate and upon seeing the little bird, the barn cat ate the bird. And now you know the rest of the story.13John Samsill: From the Back of the Box Here we are about to celebrate the birth of our Savior. It seems like every 14 Cowgirl With A Pen: Role Model by Choicecommercial has bypassed Thanksgiving and went straight to Christmas. You would think that Christmas is a holiday we celebrate by spending lots of 17Randy Miller: Your Constitutional Rights money and that it is only a holiday created for retailers, right? Sometimes I think we lose track of what is important. So here is a story that might bring us 1996.3 Real Country Upcoming Concerts a little closer to where we should be. This story does not talk about the birth of Jesus however; it does illustrate how Jesus lived his life. Thank you, Joe, for 20NEW! Bridgette Crosby: emailing this story to me. The December Garden I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a 20 24AZ Road Trip: PrescottArizonas small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also 26Christmas City 19 drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next Crossword / Sudoku / Cowboy Comic to me. Hello Barry, how are you today? H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good. They are good, Barry. How's your 28Arizona Real Country Equine Supply Source Ma?Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time. Good. Anything I can help you with? No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas. Would you like to take some home? 30 Running the Race: Aim for the Moon asked Mr. Miller. No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with. Well, what have 32DIY: Whimsical Christmas Decor you to trade me for some of those peas? All I got's my prize marble here. Is that right? Let me see it, said Miller. Here 'tis. She's a dandy. I can see 34Cowboy Wisdom: The Rope, Milk, and Lesson that. Hmm mmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home? the store owner asked. Not zackley but 37The Apache Junction Mounted Rangers almost. Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble, Mr. Miller told the boy. Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller. Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over 38Bob Boze Bell: True West Moments 24 to help me. With a smile she said, There are two other boys like him in our 40COVER FEATURE: Buckeye Days 2023 community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back 44Bill Roberts: Wickenburg Massacrewith their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an Still A Whodunit, Part 2 orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.46Jim & Bobbi Jeen Olsons Collectors Corner: I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their Cowboy Night Before Christmas bartering for marbles. Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho 49A View of the Zoo: The Gift of Adventure from community and while I was there, I learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, Wildlife World Zoo I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we 51Justin Legler: Little Help, Set It On could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform Fire, and Its Just A Cowboy Soap Opera 37 and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts, all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and 52Glendale Equestrian Ride Report smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty 54Alan Rockman: The Story of Crazylight blue eyes followed them as one by one each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left Horse, Part 1 the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes. Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago 60 96.3 Country Cookin: Festive Flavors and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket saying, Those three 60 62Charity of the Month: young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not Wickenburg Conservation Foundation change his mind about color or size.they came to pay their debt. We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world, she confided. But right now, Jim 65AHSRA Results: State Fair / Taylor 54 would consider himself the richest man in Idaho. With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were 694-H Ranch CampA Swinging three exquisitely shined red marbles. Good Time The Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our 71 News from Copper State Peruvian Horse Club breath. Today, I wish you a day of ordinary miracles. A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself. An unexpected phone call from an old friend. Green 72 Taking Care of Business: stoplights on your way to work. The fastest line at the grocery store. A good Special Advertiser Section sing-along song on the radio. Your keys found right where you left them.74 Advertiser Index It's not what you gather, but what you scatter, that tells what kind of life you have lived! Merry Christmas and thank you to all.75Classified Ads69 76December 2022 Equine Event Calendar 77 Mike Barna, Publisher 77 December Events Around the StateArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com4 December 2022"