RB075 Rabies Scare

Bill and Henry find a sick animal on the road. It's a wolf with rabies. Bill must shoot the wolf to protect townsfolk from the dread disease. The boys must rush to find and rescue young jogger Don who is being attacked by a fox with rabies. Then Bill must protect the grade school nearby and find a way to get the children safely home. More rabid animals appear near the school. Bill has all kinds of problems getting the school children to safety. See how Don finds a way to help Bill and rescue the children.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - planting and digging

Farm News - Planting
Farmers are busy plowing their fields and planting the seed that will yield this year's grain and vegetable crops. The state department of agriculture tells the GAZETTE that 41% of planting has been completed statewide. Farmers in the north end of the state are behind the average because of wet and cool conditions there. The south portion of the state is generally dry and warmer. South farmers are ahead of the average.
Dairy farmers surveyed across the state seem pleased over recent prices for milk and cheese. Knotty Pine area dairymen are planning to increase their herds or hold herds' sizes steady.
None of the local fruit growers in the tri-county area are planting new trees, except to replace old or damaged trees.

Blue Mountain - Digging
Work has begun on the long-anticipated Blue Mountain Tunnel. A railroad track was laid from the main spur east of Knotty Pine to the north side of Blue Mountain. Workers for Big Rock Mining Co. have blasted a entry hole roughly 10 feet into the face of the mountain. The company's tunnel boring machine (TBM) "Big Alice" is expected to begin boring inside the blast hole this week. Big Alice arrived at Blue Mountain by train weeks ago. The TBM came in sections that had to be bolted together for boring. Big Rock president Sam Flemming tells the GAZETTE that Alice's assembly is now complete and she is ready to start digging this week.

Knotty Pine Area Photos

If you like this shot of a local resident, a mountain lion, then stop by our Ranger Bill page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=60851447435). I have posted some shots of last winter's "bit of snow" near Knotty Pine, some other KP residents, and the mountain grandeur of the Rockies. Also there is a photo of the ranger school from the "Ranger Factory".

RB074 The Ranger Factory

Ranger Bill is off to the Ranger School but not to take refresher classes. Bill is taking over for Monty Westfield, commandant of the school, while he is on vacation. Monty has three recruits with fears they can't overcome. Monty is hoping Bill can help these three young men with their problems. Bill has just a month to work with these three while running the ranger school. Will Bill have the time and patience to accomplish everything Monty has for him? Will our recruits make it or drop out of ranger school? Join Bill for all the action and excitement this week.

Knotty Pine Gazette extra - Lost Canyon discovery

Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson and his men have uncovered the mystery of Lost Valley the GAZETTE reported Easter weekend. Hikers and campers near Lost Valley reported seeing what appeared to be huge flying squirrels or bats or even ghosts flying at high speeds near the cliff walls. Lost Valley is home to retired Dr. Margrave and the region's few families of bald eagles. The valley is famous for it's strong "ghost winds" of Indian lore.
Rangers Investigate Sightings
Ranger Bill sent two of his best rangers Stumpy Jenkins and Gray Wolf to the valley to investigate the sightings. The rangers saw no bats or ghosts but did find signs that someone had been on some cliffs and camping there as well. Ranger Bill called the Army's Lt. Larson, who does areal patrols north of Knotty Pine. Lt. Larson informed Ranger Bill that many army parachutists were using suits that look like bat or flying squirrel suits.
Sky Divers Seen
After making several phone calls, Ranger Bill discovered that a couple of sky diving/base jumping organizations were indeed using Lost Valley for jumping on occasion. The Big Sky Jumpers invited Ranger Bill and his men for a demonstration of their skills. The divers showed and explained the use of the bat suits (also known as squirrel suits or birdman suits). Then they showed the rangers their latest gear, strap-on carbon fiber wings similar to hang glider wings. These new wings give the jumpers a longer glide times and the ability to travel many miles before landing.
Ranger Bill told the jumpers that they would need permits to jump in Big Pine Forest or anywhere in his ranger district from now on. The jumpers had been unaware the Lost Canyon region was part of the national forest district.

Happy Earth Day from Knotty Pine

40th Anniversary Earth Day
Ranger Bill, Stumpy, Gray Wolf and Henry want to wish everyone a happy Earth Day weekend. This is the 40th anniversary weekend of the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970. Bill suggests that you plant a tree, clean up a park area, or attend an Earth Day display as a part of this weekend.
Knotty Pine Display
A Knotty Pine's Earth Day celebration and display is in the Big Pine visitors center next to Ranger Headquarters. Ranger Rocky McGuire assembled the Big Pine display. She will be on hand at the Big Pine display from 10AM to 4PM Saturday and Sunday with brochures and fliers for the public. Rocky is showing how rangers protect Big Pine through pollution control, soil erosion work, and through carefully planned tree harvesting and planting.
First Earth Day
U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin announced his idea for a nationwide teach-in day on the environment in a speech to a fledgling conservation group in Seattle on 20 September 1969, and then again six days later in Atlantic City to a meeting of the United Auto Workers. Senator Nelson hoped that a grassroots outcry about environmental issues might prove to Washington, D.C. just how distressed Americans were in every constituency. Interest in an environmental day grew rapidly. Teach-ins were organized in many states. Congress was even closed that week in April 1970 so senators could speak at events planned for their states. The teach-in was a huge, overwhelming success. So were the many grassroots displays around the country.
Today over 140 countries celebrate an Earth Day or Earth Week.

RB079 The Loudmouth

Bill has his hands full this week with a know-it-all rookie ranger, Jerry Sands. Jerry thinks very highly of himself and doesn't respect the experience of Bill, Stumpy, and Gray Wolf. The fellas get tired of Jerry's big ego and lack of respect for others. Bill and the boys decide to teach Jerry a few lessons about the forest. See what the boys do to try to wise-up Jerry. See what kind of trouble Jerry gets into during these "lessons." Will Jerry ever learn to be a real ranger?

Ranger Bill on Moody Audio CDs and mp3

Moody Audio (http://www.moodyaudio.com/) offers 220 Ranger Bill 30-minute shows on mp3 CDs and as mp3 downloads. CDs #1-4 contain most of the Ranger Bill stories you hear each week right here at the Ranger Bill Fan Club website on our HisKids.net audio player. CD #5 contains several Ranger Bill stories you won't catch here or anywhere else except on this CD. Volume 5 contains the following stories that I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy:
Chief Of The Dakotas - (Gray Wolf's tribe wants him to quit the rangers and become their chief.)
Swinging Tower Of Eagle's Rest - (Visitors stop to see the fire tower that sways in the high winds there. But more goes on there than high winds.)
The Hot Million - (Hot, dry weather combined with high-power lines carrying millions of watts of electricity threaten the forest beneath.)
A Miss Is As Good As A Mile - (Bill and the boys get into some exciting adventures while driving around in their ranger "car" that rides on skis and has a propeller.)
One Million Years Ago - (Live dinosaurs are seen roaming the Bad Lands. A suspicious archaeologist and his assistant are the only people not scared by the huge beasts.)
Muscle And Prayer - (Frenchy is afraid when he finds animals crushed to death. He knows it is Boris "The Bear," the man who killed his father, looking for Frenchy.)
The Spirits And The Spirit - (Bill, Stumpy and a friend take a South American vacation to see the ruins of an old fortress that natives believe is haunted.)
The Church At Bent Creek - (A young parson tries to restart a closed church. But residents think the building is haunted or cursed. See what strange things go on inside the church building.)
The Town That Wouldn't Move - (The state wants to build a new hydroelectric dam. Townsfolk refuse to leave the only place they have ever called "home.")
Also included are these Christmas favorites:
Christmas Bells
Christmas with Bill Pearce

RB-078 The Outsider

Bill's blood is boiling! A gang of boys is killing birds all around Knotty Pine. Bill believes that the gang killed dozens of birds in just one afternoon! Skinny, a lonely boy, is trying to join the gang but doesn't like the bird shootings. What can Bill do to stop the gang and protect the birds and animals? Can Bill help Skinny, an outsider, find friends in Knotty Pine?

Blessed Easter to All!

I would like to wish everyone, old fans and new and especially the RB cast and and crew, "Blessed Easter!!!" May the joy of Jesus' resurrection this Easter season fill your hearts and minds to overflowing and bring you to a closer relationship to your Lord and His Word.

Blessings to you in Christ,

Ranger Dave

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Easter Edition

JOINT EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE
All Knotty Pine area residents are invited to attend a joint Easter worship service at sunrise (7:00AM) Easter morning on the square downtown. A combined choir from the various churches will be singing throughout the service. An organ and other instruments will be accompanying the congregation in song thanks to a special stage with electricity provided by the city utilities department.
All the churches will be having regular Easter worship at various times throughout the rest of Easter 2010 morning.
MAPLE TOWN FARM CELEBRATION
Maple Town Farm is hosting its very first maple syrup festival throughout the month of April. The Chapman family moved to Knotty Pine from northeastern Ohio several years ago. They missed the maple syrup from the sap of the sugar maples that grow so well in the Northeast. So the Chapmans decided to bring the Northeast to Knotty Pine by planting sugar maples in a valley almost identical in climate to their old Ohio home. The trees have thrived and grown and are now providing enough sap each spring to boil into maple syrup and candy. By the way, the Chapmans are distant relatives of John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed.
Mapletown Farm is located 50 miles south of Knotty Pine on Highway "Z."
GHOSTS, WINDS, AND GIANT BATS
Lost Valley is home to some of the state's few bald eagle nests. The sole guardian of the eagles is retired professor Dr. Margrave, who is studying birds as well as keeping watch over them. Dr. Margrave sees only the occasional hunter or camper or fellow bird watcher. But a group of scouts camping not far from Mr. Margrave believe they saw what appeared to be giant bats flying at high speed along the mountains in Lost Valley. Roughly a week later, a group of hikers also passed through the valley, home of the Ghost Winds of Indian lore. The hikers thought they saw ghosts flying near the tops of cliffs in the same general area of the giant bat sightings. Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson said he and his men will visit Lost Valley immediately to check out the two sightings. Ranger Bill assures the GAZETTE that these bats or whatever appear to pose no danger to the public. The GAZETTE will report on Ranger Bill's findings as soon as he returns from Shadow Valley.

RB073 The End of the Rope

Nathaniel Norton sends his son Bart and his son's friend Jeff to Knotty Pine for several weeks of vacation. Bill reluctantly agrees to keep an eye on the two boys. But Bill, Stumpy and Gray Wolf must leave for 10 days of trail work. Henry entertains Bart and Jeff while Bill is gone. Henry has some work to do and must leave the pair for a while. The boys sneak off to go mountain climbing, against orders from Bart's dad. The boys end up stuck on a mountain, Jeff is hurt, and no one knows where they are. How can the boys get help? No one knows they're in trouble or their whereabouts. Catch all the fun and excitement of this week's adventure.