RB-001 20 Fathoms under the Sea

Bill and the boys go deep sea fishing with old salvage man Ben Benson. Ben's son died in a diving accident during a salvage job, and Ben has never forgiven himself for it. An old navy sub gets stuck on the bottom not far from Ben's ship. Navy rescue ships can't arrive in time to save the crew. Ben can help but won't. Will 20 sailors die needlessly in 20 fathoms of the sea?

RB-202 Christmas Pageant with Bill Pearce

Henry and his boys club are putting on a Christmas pageant in the high school auditorium. It will close with a short performance by Christian recording artist Bill Pearce. There are rehearsals and many problems to iron out. Henry learns that one of the boys, Johnny, doesn't believe the Christmas story. Henry takes the time to witness to Johnny, and Johnny begins to believe. Johnny asks Henry, "If the Bible is true, why everyone doesn't believe?" Wally, a key boy in the show, is hit by a car and must stay in the hospital. How will the pageant go on with Wally in the hospital? What will happen to Johnny? And what of Bill Pearce?

RB212 Muscle and Prayer, part 2

Frenchy DeSalle and Boris the Bear want to fight to the bitter end, so Bill jails both of them until they cool off. Boris finally cools down and agrees to leave town, and Frenchy returns to work. But both men still harbor much pain and anger. Frenchy prays for an end to their feud while Boris depends on whiskey for strength. How will the Lord answer Frenchy’s prayer?

Hear any Ranger Bill story again!!!

All of the Ranger Bill episodes that you hear on our HisKids.net player can be purchased at Moody Audio. They are all available as individual downloads or as individual mp3 CDs or mp3 CD sets. I believe that individual downloads are $3 each and a full set of mp3s (over 200 episodes) is only $95.

Bent Creek, part 2 trivia answers

Question #1:
What happened when Bill's gun touched the fence?
Answer: Sparks flew and our rangers could hear music.

Question #2:
What happened in Long Island according to our rangers?
Answer: Bottles fell over and knick-knacks flew around for no apparent reason.

Thanks to all our trivia  participants. And a job well done folks!!!

RB211 Muscle and Prayer, part 1

Frenchy DeSalle fears no one and nothing. But the huge, strapping French Canadian logging foreman, has gone out of his mind with fear. Frenchy and his loggers find a cougar and a bear, both crushed to death. Frenchy knows these are the calling cards of the one man he fears, "The Bear." Who is this Bear? Why does Frenchy fear this man so? And what has happened to Frenchy's faith? Frenchy's boss calls for the one man who may be able to help Frenchy - Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson.

RB210 One Million Years Ago

Huge LIVE dinosaurs are being seen in the Badlands at night and are scaring folks out of the Badlands. Conrad Vlandingum and his assistant Morgan are digging up dinosaur bones in the Badlands, but Bill doubts that they are real archaeologists. Vlandingum and his assistant are the only people who aren't afraid of these dinosaur sightings. Bill intends to find out how extinct dinosaurs have suddenly come to life.

This is another "new" Ranger Bill story that hasn't been aired in recent years. Enjoy this rare treat from Moody Audio and His Kids Radio.

Bent Creek, part 1 questions

Which town is closest to Bent Creek?
This question has two right answers. The best answer is Skutter's Corners. Knotty Pine is also correct because when the Raymonds needed a place for the evening, Knotty Pine (50 miles away) was the nearest town big enough to have a hotel. Skutters Corners is home to Hiram and Thor. It is also where Hiram has his general store where the Raymonds applied for mail service and bought groceries. Hiram used to own the general store in Bent Creek that is now closed.

What is a marble orchard?
Stumpy is the one who called the graveyard next to the Bent Creek Church a marble orchard. Congratulations to the many of you who got this one correct!!! 

RB209 The Church at Bent Creek, pt.2

The boys return secretly for a second night at the haunted church at Bent Creek. Bill is convinced that someone or something is causing the late night lights and sounds at the church – and now a fence that sparks but has no electric power. Could it be Hiram or Thor?  Could the fence spark some ideas in our chief ranger?

Lost or Damaged RB Episodes

Some Ranger Bill stories have been either lost or damaged over the years. The following is a list of some story titles I know about:

RB Damaged Tapes

Typhoid Fever at Storm Point
Ten Hours too Much
The Reckless Driver
Skinner Raises a Storm
The Space Rocket
The Sheriff’s Convention
The Battle of the Lumberjacks
Seeing Eye Dog
The Donner Party Treasure
The Fighting Sissy
The Dog that didn’t forget
The Monkey Chase
Old Three Toes the Cougar

If you have old recordings of these or possibly other RB adventures not on this list please let me know I am hoping to find as many of these lost shows as I can. Copies of complete stories or parts of them are all welcome. Thanks in advanse for any information or recordings you can locate.

"The Town That Wouldn't Move" answers

First, I must say "Job well done." The majority of you got the right answers to both questions. And here are the correct answers:

Question #1: Where will Big Rock's citizens be moved?
Answer: Thompson Mesa

Question #2: How big will Big Rock Lake be?
Answer: It will back up 23 miles

RB208 The Church at Bent Creek (part 1)

Much of Bent Creek is abandoned including the general store - and the church. The reason it's abandoned is because folks there believe that the Bent Creek Church is haunted. Weird things go on at night inside the church - lights go on and off, the bell rings by itself, strange noises come from the tower, and the organ plays all by itself. Young pastor Jeff and his wife Jean are even afraid to stay at the parsonage. Bill, Stumpy and Gray Wolf have no idea what to do about the strange things that go on at the church. How will the gospel ever be preached again in Bent Creek?

This is the 6th "NEW" Ranger Bill adventure from our friends at His Kids Radio and Moody Audio. This is also our very first 2-part Ranger Bill adventure. Don't miss a minute of the action and excitement!!!

RB207 The Town that Wouldn't Move

The small town of Big Rock must move to make way for the construction of a badly needed hydro-electric dam. Not one person in the town is willing to move. The townspeople prefer to fight rather than move. Bill is appointed to be the mediator in this dispute. Bill must decide whether Big Rock stays or goes. No matter who wins this fight, Bill loses.

RB206 The Hot Million

It's hot and dry in the forest as Bill and Stumpy inspect the trees and fire lanes around Big Gap. The fellas also inspect the high tension power lines that run through the gap. A million volts of electricity pass up and down those lines. The boys find a weak line that is about to break. The sparks from a broken power line could start a raging treetop fire.There is a power company repair crew working not too far away. The boys find the crew and ask the foreman Burt Engals to take his crew and fix the badly stressed line, but Burt refuses. What can the boys do now to protect the forest from this high-powered danger?

This is a 4th "NEW" Ranger Bill story thanks to the folks at Moody Audio and His Kids Radio. This program has not been aired in many years. Don't miss out on the excitement of this "new" adventure!

RB205 The Swinging Tower of Eagles' Rest

This is a third "NEW" Ranger Bill story that has not been aired in many, many years. Enjoy this exciting adventure.
Fire tower 10 is one of the highest in the national forest with breathtaking views and a reputation for swaying in the high winds there. Folks from all around the Knotty Pine area like to visit tower 10 and its rangers, Tom and Joe, and to see Eagles' Rest. Young Ken Winthrop has just hiked out to Eagles' Rest when a severe snow storm hits. Ranger Tom slips and breaks his leg, the phone line breaks, and their radio link to headquarters goes down when the antenna blows away. A severely injured ranger and no contact with the outside world - can anything else go wrong?

RB204 Chief of the Dakotas

This week's adventure is a second "NEW" Ranger Bill adventure not aired in many years!!! Enjoy!  
Gray Wolf’s father Chief Black Wolf has died. The Dakotas want to make Grey Wolf their new chief, but he doesn’t want the job. Will he give in to the Dakotas’ demand? Will they take Gray Wolf by force? Will he run away and hide? And what can or will Bill and Henry do to help their friend and fellow ranger?

October is Ranger Bill's Birthday Month

On October 2, 1950 Ranger Bill was broadcast for the very first time. This first Ranger Bill was a 15-minute show. This broadcast was probably made solely from WMBI in Chicago. The story was "The Pendleton Valley Fire" which lasted 3 episodes.
Because Moody and His Kids Radio have shared "A Miss Is as good as a Mile" and since Ranger Bill first aired this month I am declaring October to be Ranger Bill Birthday Month.
Happy birthday Bill and thanks to everyone at Moody and WMBI who brought Ranger Bill and his men to life for us every week.

RB203 A Miss Is as Good as a Mile

We have a NEW Ranger Bill story this week on on our HisKids.net player!!!!

Bill and the fellas are out patrolling the forest in their ranger snow car (with skies and a propeller). While our rangers are in the forest, Knotty Pine is being invaded – by the US Army! Yes it’s time for the army to hone its skills with some war games. The colonel in charge tries to let Bill know about the war games but Bill can’t be reached. Will 20 miles from Knotty Pine is far enough away to avoid problems? My guess is a big fat “NO.”

RB200 Hunt's Place

Mr. Hunt won’t let Bill use any of his property for overnight camp outs with the Knotty Pine Boys Club. Soon Mr. Hunt has several problems with his house. He suspects that Bill’s boys club is responsible. Who is causing all the trouble at Hunt’s place and why?

RB199 Raging Rapids

Henry helps Pete Flory at a Christian camp canoe trip. Two of the boys, Ed and Paul, constantly get into trouble. The boys decide to sneak away and ride the rapids. They get trapped on the rocks in the middle of the river. The river is rising and getting swifter. They can't escape and no one can get to them. Can Bill and Stumpy save the boys before they drown?

RB198 Henry's New Job

Henry gets a job as a bagger in a grocery store. He makes friends with the other kids working there, especially cashier Amy. But Henry soon finds out that Amy isn’t a Christian. Will Henry develop a serious relationship with a girl who doesn’t believe in the Bible or Jesus as her savior?

RB197 - Bill Gets Lost in a Cavern

Bill asks Henry and his boys group to test out the rangers’ new walkie-talkies. The boys’ test takes them deep into the forest where they discover wreckage from a recent plane crash. But the plane’s occupants are missing. The search is on for the missing pilot and passengers.

RB196 - Cotton and Candy

Bill finds an injured bunny and asks Henry to nurse it back to health. Then Bill, Stumpy and Henry visit little Candy who has been in and out of the hospital most of her life. Henry decides to share Cotton with sick little Candy. Cotton disappears. Can our rangers find the bunny? How will Candy react to the loss?

Hearing God to Help the Missionaries

RB195 – Young Ronnie Quiller wants to help the missionaries Barth and Jeannie Ludlow. He finds a diamond ring lost in the street. He wants to sell the ring and give the money to the Ludlow’s. Ronnie must wait 30 days for the ring’s owner to come forward and claim the ring.

Ranger Bill patch Cross-Stitch

We now have a cross-stitch pattern for  the Ranger Bill patch. I have posted the pattern on our Facebook page. The lettering is not visible in the Facebook preview function online. You will have to download the file and open it in Excel to see all the details of the pattern.
The pattern is good for making either the green or the white patch and makes a great craft for younger cross-stitchers. The pattern is designed for 14 count cloth to make a roughly 3-1/4 inch square patch.
Have fun! And let me know how your cross-stitch comes out.

RB194 Rattlesnake Sam

Sam and Danny Smith hunt poisonous snakes for the Florida Reptile Institute. They take Henry’s friend Jack Harris on a snake hunt. Sam loses a bag of snakes, and Jack must protect a school of children from the deadly reptiles.

Ranger Bill Patch Cross-Stitch

I have drawn up a cross-stitch pattern for the Ranger Bill patch which can be used to make either the green patch with white lettering or the white patch with green lettering and tan border. I am working on an Excel spreadsheet of the pattern that I will post on our Facebook page. I will be happy to mail a photocopy of the patch pattern at your request. Email me at rangerbillclub@aol.com for your pattern.

RB193 - Pink Cloud

Abner Benson is Bill’s friend from the service. Abner is a pilot with a new way to fight fires by dropping pink clouds of calcium borate on grass. His plane crashes while demonstrating his idea and nearly kills him. Abner’s wife Marge wants him to quit flying. Can Abner stay out of the cockpit to please Marge and still lead Bill’s new fire bombers?

RB192 - Fire Bug

Several campfires are left unattended along the river. Rangers Bill and Ralph suspect two out-of-town fishermen are to blame. Mike Demory discovered a fire on the edge of his farm. He suspects that “Old” Buck Sawyer is a fire bug. Mike insists that Bill arrest Old Buck. Bill must find the fire bug before fire destroys the farms and woods.

RB191 Freddy's Fallout Shelter

Freddy gets permission from his parents to build a fallout shelter in their basement. He enlists Henry's help in his grand project. The boys find themselves trapped in the shelter with water coming in and no way out for the water or the boys. The shelter prompts Freddy and his dad to think about death and eternity.

RB190 Runaway

(aka The River Giant) – Bill and Stumpy travel to Central City to meet with Tad Coates to inspect his new tow boat The River Giant. And this tow boat is a true giant, 350 tons with 8,500 horsepower and costing one million dollars. Stumpy can’t wait to chow down in the ship’s galley run by the one and only Maggie Murphy. A barge fire threatens to explode tons of burning gasoline all over the Shady River.

RB189 Ice Jam

Warming weather sends rising waters and huge ice flows toward a railroad trestle. The ice threatens to collapse the trestle. Dynamite won’t clear the flows, so Bill must come up with a novel idea to save the trestle. “Don’t lose your head or you might lose your life” is Stumpy’s theme for this story. And Stumpy gets to read from his crazy seed catalog!

RB188 Forest Fire

Dr. Harris and his assistant Franklin travel to Knotty Pine from New Zealand to study the national forest. There they meet Tower 3’s Ranger Tom. Tom must ask them to leave because the forest has become dangerously dry, dry enough to spark a terrible forest fire. Dr. Harris wants back into the forest, so our two visitors sneak back into the forest only to face a horrific forest fire. Only the hand of God can save them now, and they don’t believe in God.

RB187 - Contentment in God's Will

Ranger John Bishop and his wife Jane are bored with their lonely life in an isolated ranger station. John prays that God would break up the terrible monotony of this lonely job. God answers John’s prayer in some interesting and unexpected ways.

RB186 Tongues of Fire

Frenchy DeSalle’s lumberjacks like to go to Border Town to party every weekend. Frenchy goes to Bill for help controlling his men. Bill soon discovers that a church there has become The Good Times Social Club for Liquor. Then fire begins erupting out of the ground and heading toward Border Town.

RB185 - Duck Call

Stumpy is fooled by a traveling salesman into buying his patented “Supersonic Silent Duck Call”. Bill isn’t convinced that this duck call is so super, so he decides to investigate both the call and the salesman. But Stumpy’s pride won’t let him believe that the call isn’t working. What is Bill going to do with that boy?

RB184 Tom's Otter

Tom is a lonely fire tower ranger. He adopts a small otter as his pet and names him Bright Water. An illegal trapper captures both Bright Water and Tom. Bill and Stumpy must search the national forest for their fellow ranger. Then our rangers must hunt down and capture the illegal trapper before he does any more poaching.

RB183 - Mystery Island, Mystery Man

Bill and Stumpy take a long-needed vacation on a cruise ship. The ship makes an “unscheduled stop” at a “mystery island.” The stop gives passengers an opportunity to get tour this “unexplored” island. But a real mystery develops when a reporter on the cruise winds up missing and a missing millionaire is found.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Wildfires Ravage the West

Here's some news that would definitely be affecting life in and around Knotty Pine:


Extreme heat and drought throughout the west have spawned massive wildfires in at least 8 different states. Hundreds of square miles of forest and grasslands have been burned so far. The forest service's fleet of planes used for fighting forest fires has dropped dramatically from 44 planes down to the present 11 planes. To make matters even worse, many of the remaining 11 planes are so old they are in danger of breaking up in flight because their metal frames are old and fatigued. One forest service plane crashed last year during a wildfire killing the three fire fighters aboard.

RB-182 Building Corry's Self-Reliance

Corry Windsor is one of the new rookie rangers under Bill’s command. Corry has no self-confidence. His first assignment with Stumpy makes matters worse, so he quits the ranger service. Then an emergency forces him to act to save lives or cave-in to fear.

RB-181 The Trouble with Gossip

Emilia Perdy starts a rumor that Bill is forcing Stumpy to retire. The rumor spread all over town. KP city council wants to honor Stumpy, so they throw him a retirement dinner. Bill and Stumpy decide go along and play “Tell Me a Story” at the dinner.

RB180 - Roving Wolves

Gunter Neeves runs a rabbit farm outside Knotty Pine. He is losing those rabbits to a pack of hungry, roving wolves. He asks Bill and his men to deal with the wolves and stop the attacks on his rabbits. When Bill doesn’t get the desired results fast enough, Gunter decides to take matters into his own hands.

RB179 - VIPs Visit Knotty Pine

Colonel Anders is bringing a group of Washington dignitaries, as well as the governor, to Knotty Pine just to see the largest herd of wild buffalo in the U.S. But suddenly, the whole herd disappears without a trace. Stumpy, Gray Wolf and the rest of the rangers begin search like mad for the missing buffalo. The boys don’t have a clue as to their whereabouts and Colonel Anders can’t hide this disaster much longer.

RB178 Honest Prayer

Bill thinks Henry may be lacking sincerity in his prayer life. He wants Henry to speak from his heart. Bill and Stumpy share the story of Al Ferguson who wanted to help others avoid empty, repetitious prayers. A storm at a church picnic and what followed helped Al make his point.

RB177 - He Broke through the Ice

It’s well below zero in Knotty Pine, but Henry and Freddy decide to go ice fishing anyway. Bill and Stumpy drive out to see how the boys are doing. Some other boys are playing nearby. Bill drives down the frozen river to check on those boys. His car falls into the river, and he doesn’t come out!!! Henry is bitter, and Stumpy is perplexed. Have we come to the end of Ranger Bill and these stories?

RB-176 Mike's Horse

Mike Baker is a boy in Henry’s club. He has just become a Christian. He loves horses and rides Sheriff Cal’s horses because he doesn’t have his own. Mike’s dad is strongly against this “religion stuff.” Mr. Baker dares Mike to pray for one to prove God exists. Mike prays for a horse and that his dad will find God. How will God answer Mike’s prayer?

Contest Winners

We have two winners of our Ranger Bill Trivia Contest. Cheryl is our first place winner and Emily is second. I asked each winner if they would care to share a little about themselves. This is what they sent.

First from Cheryl:
Dave,
The first Ranger Bill show that I remember hearing was Old Faithful, where Stumpy's horse Matilda gets a broken leg. That was on a cassette tape that my great-grandmother had recorded. For most of my early years, we only had about four or five stories that survived from those cassttes to my day, and I was the one who loved them and listened to them over and over. My five younger brothers and sisters liked them too, but were not quite as devoted to them. I can remember each of those shows well; Hunt's Place, Henry's First Job, and Skiers in the Sky.
Then, for my twelveth birthday, Mom let me pick what I wanted, which is kind of a tradition in our house, the only condition being cost under $25.00, or we make up the extra. On that birthday, I went on ebay and picked out a set of Ranger Bill Discs. I believe they were DVDs, eight discs, with a total of about 108 stories. Something like that. Definately not all the stories, but far more than I had then. Those lasted me several years before they were too scratched to continue, at which point I got a single DVD with 227 stories. After that gave out, I tried to find something more on the Internet without paying anything. That led me to your site, which I have been listening to faithfully ever since. The 'only one story at a time' thing was a little annoying at first, but I am fine with it now. I am now 18, and I think I heard my first show when I was about six or seven, so about eleven or twelve years that I've been listening.
My favorite shows will be so difficult that I will start with favorite characters instead. Stumpy is about my all-time favorite, and then is Bill. Frenchy DeSalle and Graywolf are about the same, and Pat O'Rourke is next. I have to admit that Henry is way down the line, further down in some stories than others.
Now, favorite shows. Hunt's Place, Rattlesnake Sam, 10 Hours Too Much, They Killed Ranger Bill, Patton's Piano, Graywolf and the Tamed Cougar, The Law of the Golden Rule, The 25th Man, Stumpy's Harmonica, The Measure of a Man, River of Fire, Soup Truck, The Gospel Goes to Reform School, well, you get the picture. There are others that I haven't listed, but it would take a long time to read the names, let alone write them.
- - - - -
And now from Emily:
My mom used to listen to Ranger Bill on the radio when she was a kid. One day about 5 years ago, we were at a flee market and she saw some CD's with Ranger Bill on them. We got them and I have liked them ever since. There were only about 20 episodes on the CD's though so we found some to download on line for free! YAY!! (they are not free anymore though)

I think my favorite character other than Bill is Stumpy!
I like "Lover Boy" because Stumpy and Henry are so funny in it! I also like the very beginning of "The Deep Country" because of Bill and the paperwork. My favorite whole episodes are "Stumpy Gets 30 Days," "If the Lord Is For Us," "The Prehistoric Monster," "Charlies Nightmare," and "Terror on Finger River."
As for my interests, I play the violin. I really like Tennis, I do Triathlons, camping, and traveling.

Trivia Contest update

We have two winners in our Ranger Bill trivia contest. I have contacted them and am waiting to hear back from them. Our first place winner and answered every question correctly and have the most complete answers. Our second place winner was not far behind. Congratulations to both of our winners.
I'll say more when I hear back from both of them.

RB175 Water Tank Rescue

Knotty Pine’s new water tower has just been built and is ready fill with fresh water for all the thirsty townsfolk. But Henry and his buddy Alec want a closer look at this new behemoth before it begins its work. Out of curiosity, the boys decide to climb to the top of the tower. Then curiosity gets them into some real trouble, and they don’t know how to get out!

"Legal Rights" trivia

A big "Thank You" to everyone who participated in the "Legal Rights" trivia questions. Nearly everyone got the questions correct.

How much did Ken pay for Mr. Prince? What was Prince worth?
Ken paid $20, but Prince was worth $50. Mr. Nickles wanted Prince to go to Julie because she would give him a good home.

Who is Black Thunder?
He is Conrad Phlum's wild horse who almost manages to kill Conrad.

RB173 - (Marty) Patton's Piano

Stumpy recalls his younger days when he was studying to become a ranger. The Patton’s were his upstairs neighbors in the boarding house where he was living. The peace and quiet Stumpy needed to study was broken when Marty Patton began taking piano lessons and was practicing EVERY day. See how Stumpy managed to survive this terrible ordeal.

RB172 - Ashby's Folly

Stumpy runs into old friend Miles Ashby at the bank. Miles was just turned down for a loan. He needs the money so he can keep drilling for oil on his property. He thinks there is oil on his land even though no one has found oil anywhere else in the area. Folks call Miles' well "Ashby's Folly." Tully Philmore offers to buy Miles’ land and his oil drilling supplies. Stumpy wants desperately to help Miles but how?

Ranger Bill Trivia Contest

Our Ranger Bill trivia contest runs until Easter 2012. The top three winners will receive a Ranger Bill cross-stitched patch (3 inches square).
Here is the first group of Ranger Bill trivia questions:


What Ranger Bill shows were in Alaska?
Big Brute was in which shows?
Where did Houseboat Charlie live and what did he do?
What is the soup truck?
What is Bill's alma mater?
What did Bill do in the military?

Give the show title that goes with each question. Be as specific as you can. Describe the story if you can’t remember the title.

Email me with your answers: rangerbillclub@aol.com

RB171 - Legal Rights

Ken has a real problem. Neighbor Conrad just shot his daughter’s dog, Mr. Prince. Conrad fears and hates dogs after some attacked his horses. Prince is barely alive. Both Ken and daughter Julie are bitter. Is there anything Bill can do to mend fences between these angry neighbors?

RB170 The White Buffalo

Lloyd Adams is building tourist cabins outside of town near a rare herd of buffalo. The lead buffalo is an even rarer white buffalo! Lloyd used to be interested in God and church but now is only interested in money. The buffalo could mean even more profit for Lloyd. Can Bill and Stumpy find a way to rekindle Lloyd’s faith?

RB Trivia Contest

Over the course of the next few weeks and ending right around Easter 2012, we are having a Ranger Bill trivia contest. Three persons who get the most correct answers will each win a hand-made cross-stitched Ranger Bill patch. (There are a green and two white patches to give away.)
A photo of the patches is on our Facebook page. Just follow the RB Facebook link on the right side of this page to get there.

Here is question #1: Who are Martha, Betsy and Matilda to the Old Timer?

Email me with your answer.

RB169 Ranger Bill Times Two

JoeJoe Jones and his mom go shopping in Central City. They see someone who looks like Ranger Bill. JoeJoe sneaks away from his mom to follow this man and see if it is Bill. When JoeJoe doesn’t show up after several hours, Mrs. Jones starts to worry. She decides to make a call to ranger headquarters in Knotty Pine. She couldn’t believe her ears and neither will you!

RB168 The Second Heart

8-year-old Leo Foster faints while taking a walk. Officer O’Roark sees the boy collapse and calls an ambulance. At the hospital, X-rays confirm the worst. Leo has a serious heart defect requiring major surgery. The surgery requires stopping Leo’s heart and tapping into another heart during the surgery. Leo has a rare blood type and needs someone whose blood matches his. The hunt is on for Leo’s second heart!

RB167 - Next in Line

RB167 – Next in Line – Ralph is hurt and angry when he is passed over for promotion. The rest of Bill’s rangers don’t like the situation either. To top things off, the newly promoted boss ranger is sent to Knotty Pine for training. Will Ralph quit? Will the new boss ranger survive?

Note: This show was produced in 1955 and is either a first or second season show. Listen to the differences in both Stumpy's and Gray Wolf's voices in this show compared to the last few week's shows which were made 5 or 6 years after this one. Both Stumpy and Gray Wolf speak slower and have raspier voices here compared to those later episodes.

RB165 - The Sail Sled

Bill is flying to San Francisco. He meets a heart doctor on his way to operate on a critically ill patient. The plane is forced to crash land in a snowy mountain pass. Bill must come up with a way to find help and deliver the doctor to San Francisco.

This story is a favorite of mine. There's a great gospel presentation and lots of adventure.

Dave

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Groundhog Sees His Shadow

Yes, the groundhog did see his shadow. And that means at least six more weeks of winter for 2012. But this prediction concerning winter does not come from Punxsutawney Phil or Buckeye Chuck, or any of a host of other rodent prognosticators. This one and only forecast comes from Knotty Pine's own Big Piny.

Everyone in Knotty Pine knows that groundhogs are not native to the mountainous regions around Knotty Pine. But 3 years ago Phil and Freida Friend moved to Knotty Pine from Ohio. Phil is a ranger in Big Pine National Forest. Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson is his boss. The Friends brought their pet groundhog Piny with them to our fair town. Piny became a big hit around town and can often be found in the square with one or more of the Friend family.

Ranger Bill's ward Henry Scott is in charge of one of the after-school kids clubs. Henry's club has adopted Piny as their mascot. They also got the town fathers to sponsor Knotty Pine Ground Hog Day. So as the sun rose over Knotty Pine Thursday, Knotty Pine's own Big Piny came downtown and saw his shadow.

Townsfolk commented how much Big Piny looks like ranger Stumpy Jenkins!

RB164 - Freddy's Story

Freddy Burns tries to get a job as a cub reporter at the Knotty Pine Sun. His family needs the extra income to survive. The secretary sends Freddy out to find and write a story to show his talent. Bill and Stumpy send Freddy to meet Old Ben, an old prospector who never found any gold.

Knotty Pine Gazette

Knotty Pine Local News


Skiing
Skiiing is good to excellent on all hills of the Big Six Ski Lodge. There are several hills ranging in difficulty from novice to expert levels. The Big Six Lodge is at near full capacity at this time, and reservations are required at least three weeks in advance.

Ice Fishing
Ranger Bill reports that ice fishing is not permitted on the Shady River anywhere in Canyon County at this time. The extreme cold then warmth in recent weeks (caused by Chinook winds) has made the ice on the river thin to broken over the majority of the river's surface. More seasonal cold is expected over the coming weeks, and Ranger Bill predicts ice thicknesses should reach safe levels in about two weeks.

Winter Ice FestivalRanger Gray Wolf tells the GAZETTE that the Winter Ice Festival is still scheduled for mid-February. Should the Chinook winds cause more problems with the Shady, all river events will be cancelled but all other events will remain.

Tech Center at Ranger Headquarters
Ranger Roxanne "Rocky" Mcguire would like to remind all Knotty Pine residents and schools in Canyon County and surrounding counties that the Tech Center addition to Ranger Headquarters is up and running and available for school and group tours by reservation during regular business hours. The center highlights how technology is now in use in the Forest Service to improve monitoring of the forest - fire fighting, animal counts, disease control, in all aspects of communication, and much more. The Center also includes educational material on identifying the trees, plants, and animals of the forest. Please contact Ranger Rocky for more information or to make a reservation.

Jr. Ranger Hike
Ranger Stumpy Jenkins and Henry Scott are getting their Junior Rangers ready for their annual Winter Hike. The hike is an all-day educational event including hot meals. The main hike is preceeded by several weekend of shorter hikes to prepare the Junior Rangers for the main hike. The hike is not limited only to Junior Rangers. The public of any age may join the hike, provided they can show they are fit for the hike. The hike will conclude at Ranger Headquarters where hikers will get to see the night sky through the telescopes of the members of the Knotty Pine Astronomy Club. Stumpy and Henry would like to thank the club for its participation in the hike.

RB163 - The Lost Pig

Young Jody and Jill’s family has little money. They hope their pig Tangerine will win the cash prize at the fair. But Tangerine has other ideas. She escapes from the fair and hides in a herd of pigs stranded when their delivery truck crashes. The pigs are headed for the butcher. Will Tangerine end up on some family’s dinner table instead of the winners’ circle at the fair?

RB162 - Rules

Little Norman Clark doesn’t want to listen to his mother. She is trying get Norman to obey a few simple rules such as “Clean your room”. Norman refuses to mind and runs away to teach mom a lesson. Meanwhile, Bill gets a visit from a fellow ranger from England, Hugh Fitzhughvits. What a way to spend a vacation – on the hunt of a missing child.

Ranger Shot and Killed at Mt. Rainier

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash. — A Mount Rainier National Park ranger was fatally shot following a New Year's Day traffic stop, and the 368-square-mile park in Washington state was closed as dozens of officers searched for the armed gunman over snowy and rugged terrain.


Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said late Sunday afternoon Benjamin Colton Barnes, a 24-year-old believed to have survivalist skills, was a "strong person of interest" in the slaying of Margaret Anderson. A parks spokesman said Barnes was an Iraq war veteran. Authorities recovered his vehicle, which had weapons and body armor inside, Troyer said.

Barnes was also a suspect in the early Sunday morning shooting of four people at a house party south of Seattle, police said.

Authorities believed the gunman was still in the woods, with weapons. They asked people to stay away from the park, and for those already inside to leave.

"We do have a very hot and dangerous situation," Troyer said.

(This is an excerpt of an article by the Huffington Post.)

Blessed New Year!!!

A joyous and blessed to everyone from all the folks in Knotty Pine!!!!

Bill and the gang will be helping with a New Year's lunch held at Forest Road Church. Later the boys plan to settle in at Bill's house to enjoy some time with Mom. Monday morning the fellas are participating in a hike for hunger.

Bill and Henry plan to read through the Bible this year. Henry intends to learn a little Biblical Greek.