The Author was born and grew up on a dairy farm near the small town of Hebron, Illinois. He was the last of six children . His youngest sibling was a sister, ten years older. His Mother, Beth, was able to spend more time with him than the others. Because of his dog, who was a mixed German Shepherd-Collie, he was allowed a freedom to roam over the farm land not usually granted to children of his age. Speeder's large tail stood above almost everything, with the excep-tion of the tall corn. In addition, his mother had a voice that could carry most every where on the farm. There were many interesting things to be explored. A gravel pit that had tiny pond almost year round. The Back Forty which seemed like it was completely isolated from the farm buildings. The only sounds to be heard were distant tractors, an occasional cow mooing or horse whinny. It was a magic land, where a Gopher snake was poised to strike and carry him to his den. Or perhaps a Crawdad would snap his finger and pull his arm into the ground. The place of childhood fantasies.