The Bears Of Blue River

Anybody ever read "The Bears of Blue River"?

My father read it to me innumerable times when I couldn’t read yet, and then, as a semi independent, literate child, I read it many more times.

Recently I went to the ancient bookshelf in our house and got the book, which was handed down to me by my father - it was his mother's gift to him of a hardcover copy when he was 5 or 6; so it's old - and I read it.

As it turned out, I just looked at it.

I had it memorized.

There is a chapter about a Christmas homecoming in this book that I have always thought was the prototype for The Waltons.

And the chapter about the fire bear is still hair raising: Mr. Major can tell a spooky tale better than anyone I can think of except Dean Koontz.

And Mr. Major can describe a huge hollow hickory tree to be used as a home away from home during an extended winter hunting trip in such a way that you can smell the squirrel roasting on the fire in the tree’s hollow center.