When they acquired their cabin building site in Ski Tur Valley in the fall of 1967, things didn’t turn out exactly as they envisioned. Jim and Louise Bennett and their five children thought they were going to build a simple, uncomplicated, leisurely, and totally carefree retreat in the mountains. Most their Valley neighbors felt the same way. But in fact, what they really acquired was forty years of beauty, adventure, excitement and testing. The vision of having a cabin in the mountains was exciting and compelling, but what they actually experienced turned out to be far more so.

There were no phones, no power with television and computers, and only seasonal river water when they built their Castle in the Mountain. In the cold of winter it was two miles over snow just to get to their cabin from their parked car and back.

They experienced this wilderness area as it went through many changes, beginning as a rough “undeveloped” development to its present status as a highly coveted and well organized mountain recreational community. The history of that evolution contains volumes of exciting stories of adventure for residents and visitors alike. Mother Nature with the help of Murphy and his law, contributed to these adventures in many unexpected and unusual ways. Everyone was put to the test!

That evolution was fueled by what the author calls the Spirit of Ski Tur Valley, a Spirit which bonded members of the community into a vital force that overcame many threats to their pristine retreat. Some of those threats came from Mother Nature herself, in the form of blizzards, floods, and avalanches, but others from high powered land developers intent on destroying the Valley as members knew and loved it.

THE SPIRIT OF SKI TUR VALLEY is filled with true stories, some poignant, some of evacuation from flooding, of rescuing ill-fortuned hang-gliders, of bears breaking into left over birthday cake. There are tales of Mr. Bates, and Old Blaze, the truck that rescued his owner after ten years of separation.

Because he was involved in Ski Tur Valley from its inception in the late sixties, and had lived there full time on a couple of occasions, Bennett was asked to collect stories from community members and present them in book form along with other background history. This remarkable book is based on a family log, kept by his wife Louise, along with contributions from the memories of community members and also from the archives of the Community Association , consisting of legal records, minutes of meeting and records of legal activity.

All of these sources combine to unfold the story of THE SPIRIT OF SKI TUR VALLEY.

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And the Prairie Wind Blew… is a story of how Wyoming and its capital city of Cheyenne came to be a part of this great country. Walk down any street in Wyoming and many people will tell you that the most memorable thing about the city is its notorious winds. The wind blows in Wyoming almost every day and in the winter the speeds can reach well over fifty miles per hour. Although the winters can be harsh, the summer temperatures are pleasant throughout the season. The wind can be quite unsettling to those that are new to the area, but the residents feel that it is what makes this place unique. When visitors leave, one thing will always remain…the wonderful prairie wind that shaped this great land will still blow.

And the Prairie Wind Blew… is a story of how Wyoming and its capital city of Cheyenne came to be a part of this great country. Walk down any street in Wyoming and many people will tell you that the most memorable thing about the city is its notorious winds. The wind blows in Wyoming almost every day and in the winter the speeds can reach well over fifty miles per hour. Although the winters can be harsh, the summer temperatures are pleasant throughout the season. The wind can be quite unsettling to those that are new to the area, but the residents feel that it is what makes this place unique. When visitors leave, one thing will always remain…the wonderful prairie wind that shaped this great land will still blow.

African American History Month in Song! is especially designed to enhance celebration programs, library and museum collections, general music programs and regular classroom learning activities. The book contains thirteen original songs in honor of thirteen notable African Americans in history from the colonial period to modern times. They include Phillis Wheatley, Nat Turner, Elijah McCoy, Mary Terrell, Mary M. Bethune, Ralph Bunche, Mahilia Jackson, Jackie Robinson, Leontyne Price, Martin Luther King, and Beatrice Wayne Robinson Godfrey. After a short introduction, a delightful song follows which also tells about the honored person. In addition to being an enriching song collection, the book is a wonderful resource for classroom teachers, as well, with unit study questions/answers and offers suggestons for intergrating the subject with other curricular areas. African History Month in Song! guarantees students of all ages will be singing or "whistling historical happy tunes." (A CD will be available in the near future.)

African American History Month in Song! is especially designed to enhance celebration programs, library and museum collections, general music programs and regular classroom learning activities. The book contains thirteen original songs in honor of thirteen notable African Americans in history from the colonial period to modern times. They include Phillis Wheatley, Nat Turner, Elijah McCoy, Mary Terrell, Mary M. Bethune, Ralph Bunche, Mahilia Jackson, Jackie Robinson, Leontyne Price, Martin Luther King, and Beatrice Wayne Robinson Godfrey. After a short introduction, a delightful song follows which also tells about the honored person. In addition to being an enriching song collection, the book is a wonderful resource for classroom teachers, as well, with unit study questions/answers and offers suggestons for intergrating the subject with other curricular areas. African History Month in Song! guarantees students of all ages will be singing or "whistling historical happy tunes." (A CD will be available in the near future.)

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Katie Carroll didn’t know she would have to live through the most decisive battle of the Civil War, but she knew the Rebels were coming. She was living in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on June 30, 1863, and the town was full of fear and excitement about the coming invasion by the Confederate Army. Katie’s brother David may be coming north with the Union troops, and Katie is making plans to find him. She has stitched a green regimental flag for him to carry, and to bring him luck in the battle. Now, if she can only find him.

The army marine field is a little known part of the army by both the civilians and the many soldiers. People think of the combat arms (infantry, armor, and artillery) and while they are the heart of the army, there are other branches without which the combat arms would cease to be an effective fighting force. Arguably, the most important element ensuring that the combat arms have “beans and bullets” is the Transportation Corps. The motto of the Transportation Corps is “Spearhead of Logistics” because “Nothing happens until something moves.” In my years as an army mariner, I have had many interesting and sometimes humorous experiences. My experiences are nothing compared with those of other army mariners. This book is not just about my experiences, but of other sea-going sailors as well. Some of the stories are hilarious, and I believe all are interesting. The book is divided into three elements. The heart of the book is the Sea Tales, but Mr. Richard Killblane, the Army Transportation Corps historian graciously provided me with many fascinating interviews of army mariners conducted by personnel in his office. The histories of many army watercraft companies are the final elements of the book and provides the reader with the differences of watercraft units and their missions.I have found my own experience to be very interesting and rewarding. I recall one day working on the engine room logbook, sitting at the galley table and glancing out of the door at the water in Skiffs Creek and thinking of how fortunate I was to be sitting there and not working in an office. I have had a wide variety of duties in my twenty-two year career, but nothing compares with working on the water. I can relate to what Samuel Clemmons wrote in his book, “Life on the Mississippi,” “For I loved the profession far better than any I have followed since.” I feel that says it all. I am now retired, but I have the memories of my experiences.

The army marine field is a little known part of the army by both the civilians and the many soldiers. People think of the combat arms (infantry, armor, and artillery) and while they are the heart of the army, there are other branches without which the combat arms would cease to be an effective fighting force. Arguably, the most important element ensuring that the combat arms have “beans and bullets” is the Transportation Corps. The motto of the Transportation Corps is “Spearhead of Logistics” because “Nothing happens until something moves.” In my years as an army mariner, I have had many interesting and sometimes humorous experiences. My experiences are nothing compared with those of other army mariners. This book is not just about my experiences, but of other sea-going sailors as well. Some of the stories are hilarious, and I believe all are interesting. The book is divided into three elements. The heart of the book is the Sea Tales, but Mr. Richard Killblane, the Army Transportation Corps historian graciously provided me with many fascinating interviews of army mariners conducted by personnel in his office. The histories of many army watercraft companies are the final elements of the book and provides the reader with the differences of watercraft units and their missions.I have found my own experience to be very interesting and rewarding. I recall one day working on the engine room logbook, sitting at the galley table and glancing out of the door at the water in Skiffs Creek and thinking of how fortunate I was to be sitting there and not working in an office. I have had a wide variety of duties in my twenty-two year career, but nothing compares with working on the water. I can relate to what Samuel Clemmons wrote in his book, “Life on the Mississippi,” “For I loved the profession far better than any I have followed since.” I feel that says it all. I am now retired, but I have the memories of my experiences.

The army marine field is a little known part of the army by both the civilians and the many soldiers. People think of the combat arms (infantry, armor, and artillery) and while they are the heart of the army, there are other branches without which the combat arms would cease to be an effective fighting force. Arguably, the most important element ensuring that the combat arms have “beans and bullets” is the Transportation Corps. The motto of the Transportation Corps is “Spearhead of Logistics” because “Nothing happens until something moves.” In my years as an army mariner, I have had many interesting and sometimes humorous experiences. My experiences are nothing compared with those of other army mariners. This book is not just about my experiences, but of other sea-going sailors as well. Some of the stories are hilarious, and I believe all are interesting. The book is divided into three elements. The heart of the book is the Sea Tales, but Mr. Richard Killblane, the Army Transportation Corps historian graciously provided me with many fascinating interviews of army mariners conducted by personnel in his office. The histories of many army watercraft companies are the final elements of the book and provides the reader with the differences of watercraft units and their missions.I have found my own experience to be very interesting and rewarding. I recall one day working on the engine room logbook, sitting at the galley table and glancing out of the door at the water in Skiffs Creek and thinking of how fortunate I was to be sitting there and not working in an office. I have had a wide variety of duties in my twenty-two year career, but nothing compares with working on the water. I can relate to what Samuel Clemmons wrote in his book, “Life on the Mississippi,” “For I loved the profession far better than any I have followed since.” I feel that says it all. I am now retired, but I have the memories of my experiences.

September 11, 2001: A Day in History is designed to provide children ages 7-14 with a sensitive, but factual, account of what occurred on a defining day in our history. Written in plain language with soft illustrations, the book describes the sequence of events as they unfolded from a perspective to which school age children can relate. The book does not speculate as to causes of the shocking acts of September 11 and recognizes that closure may be long in coming. Instead, it enables children and their parents to understand how America changed at home and how our role in the world was forever altered.