One foot in front of the other
Step, step, stumble, step, step
Sunrises, lofty clouds, sunsets
Picnics, bugs, wading in the creek
Hurt, love, joy, loss
Horses, rodeo, win, bucked off
No more, no less, 99 words 
Blizzards, -40, skating, snowballs
Marriage, divorce, first love
Print, cursive, computer
Seedlings, water, sun, harvest
Cozy mystery, novel
Children, grandchildren, nana
Thunderstorm, drizzling rain
Stick men, paint, watercolour 
Write, edit, shelf, write
Flash fiction, 5-word sentence, 
Stories, poetry, haiku
Baking, canning, recipe books
Animals, stories, children’s books
Trails, gravel roads, grounding
Cut up, sew together, quilting
My life’s mixture works 
​Swimmingly!

Ever since Buttons and Norman visited the Saddle Up Saloon at the Carrot Ranch, they have been asking when we would be going back to visit. The 99 Word Story prompt became the obvious opportunity for them to show up unannounced (again) at the Ranch.

“Miss Ann says she's a 49er.”

“She’s older than that!”

“Norman! Watch what you say.”

“Well, isn’t she, Buttons?”

“I’m not asking her.”

“Not asking me what, Buttons?”

“Oh, um, Norman wants to know what a 49er is.”

“No, I said you had to be older than 49.”

Laughing, she patted the Hereford calf.

“Buttons is right, I am a 49er, but it has nothing to do with my age and everything to do with where we live — north of the 49th parallel, in Canada.”

“Oh.”

“And Norman, you’re right, I am older than 49.”

“I told you, Buttons!”