Story by Caleb Kephart
Parker T. Bear woke to the sound of a rooster’s call, just as the sun was peeking over the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. “COCK A DOODLE-DOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” yelled the rooster. “Eddie, did you hear that?” whispered Parker to his pal Eddie the Owl. “Why don’t you sound like that in the morning?” “That’s a rooster,” snapped Eddie. “You know I am an owl! And yes, of course I heard the rooster. It means that it is time to get up and tend to our garden.” Parker sighed, snuffed, huffed, puffed, and pulled himself out of bed as Eddie shuffled towards the kitchen. “Farming is hard work, Eddie. Can we please eat some breakfast before we go out to the garden?” Before Parker could get his overalls and boots on, Eddie shouted from the kitchen, “Hurry up, Parker! We have some guests for breakfast who are going to help us grow the best fruits and veggies in the world!” Parker was still wiping the sleep from his eyes as he sat down at the table with two new friends who weren’t dressed as farmers, but looked like they came from a science lab. “Good morning, Parker! We are so excited to help you and Eddie with your garden. My name is Sara and I am a botanist and soil scientist. My friend here is Erica, and she is an engineer and computer whiz who specializes in crop production and water conservation.” 4
