Greetings loyal airmen.  We've got some big news this week.  After almost two years, our first children's book is now on sale.  The beautiful cover above is by the book's artist, Gary Kato, a noted graphic artist with over thirty five years experience.  This project began many years ago when my stepson, Alan Horne, began his landscaping business in Fort Collins, CO.   At his urging, I came up with the name, YARD ELVES, and Gary did up small elf pictures for Al to use in advertising his company.  Soon his trucks with the cute elves painted on the doors began to become a familiar sight in the community.  Children loved the elves.

I always saw the entire concept as having much potential to grow, along with Al's business.  Several years ago, Gary and I produced a 20 page Yard Elves Coloring book that was printed up and given out freely to the children of Fort Collins, and the company's customers.  It was a whopping success.  Which only fueled my idea of us doing a full out children's book starring those same elves.  When I approached Al with the idea, he liked it and for the next couple of years, every time Val and I went out to visit him, his lovely wife Nickie, and our grand kids, Cora and Alex, the subject of the children's book always came up.  But Al never felt the time was right, or what tack he wanted to take with the project.

You see, the more Alan became a part of his new hometown, the more he wanted do something for the community.  He's a firm believer in giving back.  Fort Collins had been good to him and his family, then it was only proper that he in turn do something special for the city.  Thus, the tone of our planning shifted drastically to how can we make this book better for the community?  What had started out as a simple children's book was now aimed at doing even more.  The final piece of the puzzle arrived when the city decided to build an amazing new playground that would be accessible to both diabled and healthy kids.  Then Al became associated with a non-profit group called REALITIES FOR CHILDREN that helps and protects abused children in the Fort Collins area.

What if we centered our little story around a make believe playground, much like the real one the city was actually constructing?  And what if our magical elves offered their services in creating this unique and marvelous play area?  We kept nodding our heads like those bobble head figures you see in the back of cars.  And then Al added the icing on the cake by stating he would donate a portion of the profits to charities like Realities For Children and others.

Those were my marching orders.  I wrote the story, Alan, and Val edited it, made suggestions for revisions and over a period of several months it was done.  Gary Kato drew 21 full page color illustrations and Matty Ryan, of Atlanta GA, designed and assembled the entire package into the beautiful book we are all so very proud of.  It went on sale yesterday and already sales have started.  Please, if you would like to be a part of something super special and geared to helping kids, I beg you to go to our AIRFARE page, click on the link next to the book cover and check it out at the sale site.  There is even a free 8 page preview there for you to look at and see how much fun the story and art really are.  This has been a personal adventure for my family, and I hope lots of you will want to come along for the ride.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and the Elves thank you too.   Ron – Over and Out.