The "Mini" Mission

Dear Uncle  George, May 15, 1907: Crooked River.  It is true to name.  Mr. Thompson carrying the instrument part of the time.  Mr. Ray McCollough is name of the boy, I talked to him about smoking.  Only seventeen years old and has an old pipe between his lips often. Sent my instruments to Far West, with Mr. Ruben Sloan.  Passed some places with fat stock, sheep that had just been shorn, hogs, goats. Val May 15, 2013: Got to the Crooked River in Ray County.  Forgot my camera. Had to go home, 75 miles out of my way, to get it.  Feel cranky.  May or may not have cussed. If I had a Sherpa like you did, I bet he would have remembered to bring my camera to the PHOTO shoot. I have met a Sherpa in real life.  His name is Pem.  He is so amazing that Glamour Magazine would say he is "bad ass." He has climbed Mt. Everest.  Twice.  Without oxygen. The second time he did it, his fiance and a friend climbed with him....

Dear Uncle George, George May 10, 1907: I rose early and found directions to Edwin Whitmer, son of John C. Whitmer. Anxious to get through, so went to without breakfast.  Mr. Whitmer said he could not give me information I desired.  He did not believe things that were taught by the Whitmerite Church, so he had not taken an interest in them.  Met Mrs. Miller who was popping corn and preparing to entertain some children in the evening. Val May 10, 2013: Had some yummy Life cereal, with a side of fiber.  Fixed the vacuum.  Check on dead fish. Good lemonade, although not hard.  Lunch at a saloon.  Found some $1 store pregnancy tests (ekk!).  Graves made of cement tree trunks.  Matt broke up a fist fight at the Wendy's in Grandview.  Stopped at the jail site that is now a thrift store and bought cheap pearls for the Great Gatsby party.  This is the cemetery that Bob Ford is buried in, who shot Jesse James, otherwise known as the co...