October in Honey Hill Country — A Few Things You Might Have Missed

October kept folks fairly busy around Honey Hill Country.

There were apples to gather, pumpkins to consider, roads to wander, and squirrels conducting business according to rules known only to themselves.

Somewhere in the middle of all that, Myrtle Mae baked a cake.

That last part deserves your attention.

If you have not had a chance to settle in with October’s Hearth & Holler, I thought we might take a little stroll back through the month. Autumn has a way of filling the calendar, and a good story will wait patiently until you have a few minutes to yourself.

The cake, depending on who gets there first, may be another matter entirely.

Willow Meadows took us out for a trail ride along the Crimson Ridge Trail in “A Good Day to Take the Long Way.” With Autumn color along the way and geese overhead, it was the sort of outing that makes a person reconsider whether the shortest route is always the best one.

Henry Calder brought us to Old Copper Creek Mill for “The Sound of the Mill,” a visit with miller Will Keller and the steady work behind something most of us scarcely pause to consider when we reach for the flour.

I enjoy those visits. A familiar place becomes a little more interesting when someone who knows it well takes time to show you around.

Of course, familiar places can also become considerably more interesting when Hickory Pinenut gets involved.

In “Hickory’s Pumpkin Predicament,” choosing a pumpkin turned out to involve much more than simply its size and appearance. Hickory had some things to sort out, and readers had the pleasure of watching him do it.

Percy Puddlesniff, meanwhile, found himself dealing with “A Difference of Opinion, with Acorns.” Cheeky and Scrambles had their own ideas about the Autumn business at hand. Agreement was going to take some work.

Fortunately, after all that activity, there was Myrtle Mae’s “A Cake Worth Coming Back For.”

Her Spiced Apple Cider Cake brought a welcome bit of kitchen warmth to the October issue, along with a recipe for readers who would like to carry some of that warmth into their own homes.

A slice had been promised to Ennis Greenlea.

We ought to respect that, although I understand the temptation.

And beyond Honey Hill Country, Felicity Merriweather took us high above the grounds of the St. Louis World’s Fair in “Supper Above the World.” She and her friend Amy Thatcher shared a Ferris Wheel supper with a view few dining rooms could offer.

Some folks prefer to keep their supper firmly on the ground. It is a position I can appreciate.

Those are just a few stops along the way. There are gardens to visit, more neighbors to spend time with, and other October adventures waiting in the issue.

That is part of what I hope Hearth & Holler offers each month — the pleasure of returning to a place where you are beginning to know the roads and recognize the people. You can wonder what they have been up to, discover someone new, and stay a little longer when a story catches your interest.

And if this would be your first visit with us, there is no catching up required. Come on in. We will introduce you around.

Honey Hill Country is our fictional corner of the 1904 Missouri Ozarks, where Little Red Bear and his animal friends live alongside people as neighbors. The Hearth & Holler gathers its stories, humor, recipes, countryside rambles, and small happenings into a monthly online magazine.

Every issue is offered free of charge, as a gift of warmth and good cheer.

Read the October issue of Hearth & Holler here!

November is already up and stirring around the hills, but October has left us some good company to enjoy whenever we please.

We invite you to bring your favorite warm drink, sit down on The Front Porch, and enjoy a few minutes with us here in Honey Hill Country. And we will see about that cake.

Till next time then —

Jim (and Red!)

A Little Red Bear P.S. —

If October slipped past before you had a chance to visit, come on back. We saved the stories for you.

I would like to say we saved you some cake, too, but I was not put in charge of that. Probably a wise decision.

Bring a friend along. There is always room for another reader, and I would be sorry to see you miss out on a perfectly good Autumn visit in Honey Hill Country.