An interesting and exciting story that is a beautiful example of how it can happen in nature. Ben's concern for Joe, who is only 14 years old, is easy to understand, especially under these harsh, winter conditions. I think for a 14 year old he was overwhelmed with the situation.
Well told with descriptin and dialogue.
Enjoyed reading the winter tale, elizabeth!
Well that was fun! You painted a picture so perfectly; I could see Ben waiting and worrying for Joe to come home. I could practically feel the cold!
As someone who comes from a family of hunters, I can say that Joe's reactions are spot on. If you wound an animal, you go after it until either you find it or the trail disappears. I love that you showed his tender heart.
All in all, this is an excellent story. I'm glad that you shifted POVs, that was fun to see a whole different side of things. Great job! Well done!
Gillie, Thank you for reading my story and commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed the visual paintings.
Wow! Intriguing and intense story with a hair raising scene in there. I do wonder if there will be a sequel?
Thank you for reading and commenting, Sierras. I've noticed that uninhabited land, whether it is national and state parks or private land, has an unpredictable and suspenseful quality to it. It can be truly a small or big adventure. At least it has that impact on me. I'm glad I could capture some of that in my story.
That was a bit scary having a huge wolf following Joe! I love having hoss, the tracker, out looking for the wolf because he was upset that it had followed Joe. I also love that all of the family are in the story and true to charactor.
daisy, thank you for reading and commenting on what you liked about the story. I think there might be one more story I can construct with the family and the big wolf.
Wolves and winter willies. 175 lbs? Could have been a very different story. Thanks for the read!
Yes, Marla! The truth, Rocky Mountain Wolf, controversial subspecies of the gray wolf. Controversial because it was believed at one time that they were a separate type of wolf completely. At that weight, who's going to argue with them!
Joe and wolves seem to go hand-in-hand. There's almost something about the temperaments of both that seem alike, in a way. I can imagine his anger, and his shock over what the wolf had done. Sure hope he remembers the warnings. Nice winter's tale, elizabeth.
Well, that's an interesting way to think about it, the similarity between Joe and a wolf. Loyal to family, great hunters, misunderstood, territorial. Thank you for reading and commenting, LJN.
Good story. Hope Joe listens to his big brother and learns.
Thank you for letting me know you read the story and liked it, bonanza lover.
Cold, cold, cold... Brrrrr. :)
It appears that Joe had a certain destiny with wolves from a fairly early age. Joe was Joe throughout the story though - stubborn, determined, and a bit hot-tempered. Leave it to Hoss in the end to sort out a lot of the details. I like that.
We all know why Ben had grey hair from an early age. Raising those boys in the Nevada Territory would have done the same to anyone. Nice brotherly interactions...
Fun story. Thank you for writing and sharing.
Sharry, I know a lot about the cold living in a northern state, so it's pretty easy to decribe. This almost is a prequel to "My Brother's Keeper", isn't it? Thank you for reading and commenting.
This illustrates the Cartwrights and a pack of wolves all trying to cohabitate on the Ponderosa for the duration of the winter. But the most interesting aspect is the butting of heads between Pa and Joe. All the C's appear in the story and their interactions are the main aspect of this tale.
Thank you for posting.
Adamant, I'm glad you found the story interesting. The interactions are fun to write. Once the dialogue starts, I never know where it's going to end up. Thank you for reading and commenting.
"Wolves, Winter, and Waiting" is a perfect fit for the winter writing challenge.
Growing young men had so many lessons wiating to be learned. amd this story tells of an important one for teenaged Joe.
The Cartwrights are written true to character, and action is well thought out and told with description and dialogue.
Thanks, Elizabeth, for taking part in the winter challenge for 2020-21.
Hi Tracy, Thank you for hosting the Winter Tales challenge. I hope that it is a fun read, basically. That is all I'm aiming for. I enjoy writing, hopefully the reader enjoys reading.