THE WILSON FAMILY PICNIC THAT ALMOST WASN'T

Mr. Wilson woke up to sun shinning through the bedroom window.  His first thought was, what a beautiful day for their annual family picnic.  Mr. Wilson's first name was Burt, he has a wife named Ellen, they had a boy Mark and a girl named Carol.  Every year they planned a special day for a family picnic and this was the day!  The whole family went down to a beautiful lake near their home that had a lovely picnic area with tables and nice shade trees.  As Mr. Wilson slipped on his shoes, the one thing he didn't realize was how this day was going to go.  It wasn't going to be a normal family picnic day...oh no, a lot of things were going to turn out different!

What the Wilson family didn't realize was that last year at their picnic,    there was a little red ant named Bugsly watching them closely.  He was very impressed with the great looking food they had for their picnic.  Bugsly thought to himself that next year he'd be a full grown ant and he planned to work out all winter to get big and strong. 

He started out carrying big rocks to build his muscles.  Did lots of push ups.  He got so good he could even do one arm push ups.  When picnic time came next year Bugsly planned to be strong enough to carry off some of that great looking food!  Bugsly wasn't the only insect or animal that was planning to get some of the left overs.

This lake picnic area was very popular with people and   animals.  When the people left each day there were always eyes watching and waiting for the left overs.  The raccoons, bears and lots and lots of ants. Bugsly planned on being the King of ants this picnic season.  He continued his work outs and improved his strength more and more everyday.

Bugsly gave up on the rocks and got himself some hand weights and   started a running program too.  He was one determined ant.  All those picnic goodies were not going to get away from him this summer.  It was time to start watching for the official sign that picnic season was here.

Everyone was on the look out.  Foxy was watching  from her hole and Bubba bear was peaking from his favorite tree. All the animals knew one thing.  Picnic season didn't start until one thing happened.  Oh my here it came, the sure sign that summer picnic season had officially begun.  There he was in all his glory Burglar Bear complete with the first picnic basket of the season.

See, Burglar Bear had a special ability to smell out the very first picnic basket each year.  It didn't matter if it was in a car, a tent or a RV.  If there was a picnic basket around Burglar Bear would find it!  He didn't mind helping himself to the yummy filled baskets either.  He called it borrowing them.  Thank goodness there was a small town near by so the people who lost their baskets could easily go and get more food.

Burglar would settle in and enjoy his   picnic.  That signaled the season had begun!  Sure enough here came another family.  It just happened to be the Wilson's.  The whole family loved the park by the lake and were really looking forward to a wonderful day.  Unknown to the Wilson family, their was a whole world of unseen eyes watching them and looking for a great day too!

      Bugsly had graduated to full blown bar bells by this time.      Those other ants weren't going to get to the best food before he did this year.  Last year he remembered they were everwhere and beat him to all the good food!  Not this time he was ready for them and here came the first group, the Wilson's.

Mr. Wilson saw the picnic area and pulled the RV in next to a real nice looking picnic table.  They were going to have a great day, he just knew it.  Burt and Ellen set up the table while Mark and Carol went to explore the area.  Ellen got the basket out and Burt set up his bar-b-que grill.  The kids found a nice swing set and came rushing back to tell their parents about it.

Ellen took Carol down to the                  swing set and pushed her for awhile.  It was a beautiful day.  Burt and Mark decided to have a potato sack race.  The winner would have to do the grilling they decided.  They had no idea what was going on while they were having fun!

  Bugsly knew just what he liked.  On a sandwich or hot   dog he liked ketchup and mustard.  While the family was busy playing he started with the things he knew he wanted, the ketchup was first, next the mustard. There was a great looking ham and cheese sandwich in the basket he planned to come back for it later.  He hoped to grab a hot dog after the grill got going good.

Just in case though, off went Bugsly with the sandwich.        If he couldn't get his hands on a hot dog, at least he had this one.   Looked like Burt lost the sack race, he was doing the grilling.  Ellen was beginning to look around and notice she couldn't find some things.  She wondered what had happened to the ketchup.  Could she have left it at home?

  Oh no, a rain cloud was hanging over the picnic area   looking like it could start to rain any moment.  Ellen wondered what else could go wrong.  It had been a nice day so far.  If they could just make it through dinner it would be time to go home and then it could rain.

The whole family enjoyed the picnic even though   several things seemed to be missing.  Ellen just couldn't understand how she had forgotten both the ketchup and the mustard but everything was good anyway.  The biggest surprise was when Mark went back for the last hot dog, there wasn't one there.  He was just sure there had been one more on the grill!  Oh well he'd have a piece of that terrific looking pie his mom had baked.

  Well, maybe not.  When Mark looked in the picnic basket,   guess what wasn't there?  Your right! No pie.  Ellen promised to bake him another one over the weekend when they got home.  Burt suggested they could also stop on the way home at their favorite ice cream shop.  He knew both Mark and Carol loved chocolate ice cream cones.  They were very excited!

     Ellen and Burt toasted each other for a good day and everyone    packed up the RV to head for the ice cream shop and home. Just as they got everything loaded and started for home the storm finally came.  Maybe there was an angel on that cloud that caused it to wait for their special day to finish.  They all felt lucky that it had worked out that way. It really had been a good day after all.  Besides Burt thought, when he was with his family, it was always a good day!

   

SOMETIMES THE SMALLEST THINGS IN LIFE MAKE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE AND WE DON'T EVEN NOTICE!