A Trip to Pearl Lake State Park

Dear Maia and Isaac,

Last weekend was Labor Day, so I decided to take my dogs camping at Pearl Lake State Park in Colorado.  I have always wanted to take you camping there because that lake is named for your great, great grandma, Pearl Hartt. 

How does a lake get named after someone?

I don't know how every lake gets named, but I do know what Pearl Lake State Park was named after my grandmother.  My grandfather had a huge sheep business in Wyoming in the early 1900's - His name was John Kelly Hartt.  He came west from New England on a train.  He wanted to make it to the West Coast, but he ran out of money so they put him off the train in Wyoming.  To support himself, my granddad learned a lot about helping with sheep and cows. 

Over the next few years, my granddad started buying sheep for himself.  Eventually, he had one of the largest sheep companies in the United States.  He lived in Wyoming in the winter but brought the sheep to the place where the lake is in the summer.  The problem with sheep is they eat the roots of the plants, so the cattleman from Colorado didn't like having Wyoming sheep on their land.  In fact, there was something called a "range war" going on between the Colorado cattle people and the Wyoming sheep people.  My granddad was hunted by a famous cowboy named Tom Horn and hired men who worked for a famous robber, Butch Cassidy. 

Kachina, Maizzy, and Sazi at Pearl Lake State Park

After a few years, grandpa married grandma on a trip back to New England for his mom's funeral.  Grandma always talked about getting off the train in Wyoming (a new bride) and having someone say to granddad "They shot Wilkes last night, sir".  This surprised your great-great grandma because she had never been to the Wild West before.  Eventually, my grandparents built a house near where the lake is now.  My mom spent the summers there when she was growing up. There was still no lake in those years. 

Pearl Lake State Park

After World War II, the sheep business got less busy and my grandpa died.  Grandma kept having her grown daughters come home for the summer.  That is where I came into the picture.  I loved the big family - my aunts, uncles, and cousins.  There was still no lake, but my cousin Patrick and I hunted frogs all day in the creek near grandma's house. 

Kachina, Sazi, and Maizzy taking a rest during our hike

My grandma had a friend who was a Forest Ranger.  He was concerned that if grandma sold all of the extra land from the sheep companies to just anyone, that it would become too commercialized.  He felt nature up there should be preserved.  So, grandma sold the land where all the sheep once lived to the Forest Service and they built a lake near the cabin where I spent summers as a kid.  Grandma kept some of the land for us to live on in the summer.  Part of the deal with selling the land to the Forest Service was that the lake would be named for Grandma. 

Steamboat Lake State Park (near Pearl Lake State Park)

I hiked part way around the lake with my dogs.  I was wishing you were there to tell the story to because this lake is a family legacy.  I hope you get a chance to visit the lake someday.  It would be a dream if we could ever camp there together.  I would love that!

A Tooth Fairy for Maizzy

A Tooth Fairy for Maizzy

Written and Illustrated by Cathy Hartt

Maia-N-Isaac Publishing

Positive Psychology Short Stories for Kids

Video (YouTube) version at bottom of page.

Maizzy had only lived with Granca for a couple weeks when she went for her first vet appointment.  It was just a visit to make sure she was healthy, because she was 8 years old.  And that’s pretty old, for a dog.  It was something like the doctor visit that kids have before school each year.  

The morning came, and Granca loaded Maizzy into her car, Mini Pearl.  Mini was so excited that her horn let out a squeal.  She loves that dog, Maizzy, almost as much as Granca does.  Maizzy, however, was in for a less-than-fun morning.  

The vet was nice enough.  But, Maizzy didn’t really like the exam and shots.  After the vet was finished, Granca waited for the news.  And there was news!  The good news was that Maizzy had a healthy heart and she would probably live a very long life!  

Then, came some bad news; Maizzy needed a dog dentist.  For dogs, that’s the vet, too.  Maizzy had at least six teeth that needed to be pulled, and her other teeth needed to be cleaned very badly. In fact, it probably hurt a lot for Maizzy to chew her food and treats.  When the vet showed Granca the teeth, she cringed just a little.  Maizzy’s teeth looked very sore!

After that, the vet told Granca how much it would cost to fix Maizzy’s teeth.  It was a lot of money because of all those teeth that had to be pulled!  Granca loved Maizzy so much, that she didn’t care a whole lot about money.  But, at the same time, she wished there was a tooth fairy for dogs.  If there was a tooth fairy, then maybe that fairy would leave enough money under Maizzy’s pillow to help pay the vet bill!  “That would be so nice, because I have a lot of pets to take care of with my money,” thought Granca.  

When Granca and Maizzy got home, that pup took a long nap and Granca logged into Facebook.  She wrote a note on there (they call that “posting”) about needing a tooth fairy for Maizzy.  That is when she met that dog fairy – RIGHT THERE ON FACEBOOK.  That dog tooth fairy had a Facebook account all of his own.  And, he even knew how to type people words!!!

That dog replied to Granca’s post – RIGHT THERE ON THE COMPUTER!  That dog said he was the tooth fairy for dogs and he would help Granca to fix Maizzy’s teeth.  “If you are the tooth fairy, they what is your name?” asked Granca, suspicious that this was a bad joke. Because dog’s don’t have Facebook accounts nor do they have tooth fairies.

 

“Maison is my name,” said that tooth canine.  Canine means dog.   “Maison is the name of the tooth fairy?” asked Granca.  “Yes it is,” replied Maison, “and I have a Facebook account so I can find dogs that need help with their teeth. It hurts to have bad teeth, and I don’t want other dogs to hurt like that.”

“That is very kind of you, Maison,” said Granca.  “You must have the strength of kindness.”  “Yes,” said Maison, “That is why they promoted me to tooth fairy!  Tooth fairies for dogs have to be kind.”  “OK,” said Granca, “What do I need to do to have you help with Maizzy’s teeth?  I don’t want her to be in pain anymore.”  That kind little fairy dog then sent Granca a message with a date and time that Granca should take Maizzy to a special, extra kind vet.  

Granca got up early the day of the dentist visit and took Maizzy on a walk.  Oh, Granca loved that silly short legged dog and didn’t want her to be in pain any more.  

When they got home from the walk, Granca asked Mini Pearl to drive very carefully to the special vet that the Maison had arranged for Maizzy.  It was a little bit of a drive – all the way to a little town called Delta.  As she drove Mini, Granca wondered if Maison would leave enough money under Maizzy’s pillow to help pay the vet bill.    

Mini Pearl was very cautious that morning.  I mean, she was almost slow.  She was worried about Maizzy, just like Granca was.  “I wish there was a gasoline fairy for cars,” said Mini.  “So do I,” said Granca.  “Every time you lose a gallon, I could use a little money under your pillow!”

With the help of Mini’s GPS, they found this special vet in Delta.  Granca almost missed the driveway the first time, she was so nervous.  But Maizzy seemed happy and did not notice much that Granca and Mini were so worried about her.  

Granca took her into the vet’s office and a nice man with a leash came out and took Maizzy.  It would be 7 hours before Maizzy could come home.  Granca had a little tear in her eye when she handed the leash to the man, who she thought might be Maison’s helper.  She went out to get back in Mini Pearl and that car was so worried that her bumper was in a big frown, I tell you. 

 

The day passed, and it was time to go back to Delta and get Maizzy.  Granca and Mini were both anxious to see that little dog again.  Granca brought the leash, in case Maizzy would want to take a walk.  Maizzy’s favorite park is in Delta, after all!  

 

When Granca got there, a nice woman went back and brought Maizzy out.  Poor little dog looked like her mouth hurt.  But, the woman showed Granca Maizzy’s teeth, and they were white as pearls.  And they only had to pull three teeth!  “I think that Maison is already helping Maizzy,” thought Granca. 

The best part happened when Granca went to pay the bill, though.  Because that vet’s helper said Granca didn’t own very much money for Maizzy.  Granca replied, “I thought this was suppose to cost a lot more.  I know it was only three teeth and not six, but still.”  The vet’s helper replied, “Well, when Maizzy woke up after her surgery, there was enough money under her pillow to pay most of the bill.”  Granca just smiled!  “Maison is the tooth fairy for dogs,” she thought.

Boy, that Mini was happy to see Maizzy, I tell you.  She honked so loud that the vet could hear her clear inside the building.  Then, Granca loaded Maizzy in Mini’s seat and away they went to the park.  Mini drove so carefully that it was like drifting on a cloud, I tell you.

They got to the park, and Maizzy still felt a little tired and her mouth hurt. It was her favorite park, though, because it had lots of crinkly leaves.  Maizzy loves walking through those crunchy things, and that is no joke!  

So, Mini waited patiently in the parking lot, while Granca and that little dog walked all around the lake and visited the dog park.  Maizzy seemed happy, but a little worn out. 

That night, when Granca got home, she started thinking a lot about the tooth fairy that had come for Maizzy.  That Maison was so kind to Maizzy and to other dogs.  Granca thought about how wonderful the strength of kindness was, and that it was a good strength for both tooth fairies and vets to have.  

For the next few days, Granca and Mini took extra especially good care of Maizzy.  Mini drove very smoothly anytime that pup was in her seat.  And, Granca took her for lots of walks and gave her soft treats.  Even the cats tried to tip toe around when Maizzy was sleeping.  

When tooth fairies come for kids, they leave money under pillows.  When they come for little dogs, they leave money to help make hurting mouths healthy, again.  When that Maison came to help Maizzy, Granca and Mini knew they had adopted a very special dog, indeed.  

The end