Better When I'm Dancin' !

It's Wednesday spring morning in Hoonah, AK, and I am busy in my kitchen. I feel like experimenting today with new flavors of candies, see what I can come up with. I own "Oh! Susannah Candies" in downtown Hoonah. I've been here a year and a half; between the tourists and the locals, I am a busy girl. I am a self-taught candy-maker; it all started with a recipe for Peppermint Bark in a magazine. I made it for the office Christmas party, and it was a big hit. I went to the local candy-cake make shop, took a class on how to make simple things like chocolate-covered pretzels, and I was off and running.

The most important ingredient in my kitchen is my music; it's how I create, it stimulates me. I always have to have music playing no matter what I'm doing; it's my lifeblood. I sing in a great local band called "Cabin Fever", and we pack 'em in on Fridays and Saturdays.

I have some Joan Jett blasting from CD player. Damn, she is  Fun! Thank God that I have such good taste in my music that my neighbors usually don't care how loud I blast my music; they jam right along with me! I am working on a an idea for a Spring/Summer new flavor...white candy bark with fruit-flavored chips in it called "Summer Dreams".....my toes are tappin', and I'm grooving to the music.... boppin' and singing along.....lost in my own little world...

Or my "la-bor-atory" as my Handsome,  Most Gallant Knight, Sir Noah Brown would call it. He's been called a mad genius; and I'd have to agree. Now HE has a LABORATORY...deer hearts in chloroform, live spiders in glass jars, circuit boards, you name it, he's got it, or it's a trip to the town dump. He's made some amazing things at Browntown, where he lives "wild" with his big family.

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The Brown boys docked their boat the Integrity; they had a list of things to do. When they got to the street Noah said quietly to his older brother Bam, "I have to go run an errand, and I'll be back in a little bit." And he turned right, down toward the side street that led to Susanna's house.

"Hey !! Where's HE  goin' ? We got stuff to do !" oldest brother Matt yelled.

"Yeah! What's up with that?" said his younger brother Gabe, annoyed.

"What's goin' on? Is Noah gonna do somethin' exxxtemely AWESOME ??" MIddle brother Bear piped up, grinning .

They felt sure that Noah was shirking his duties, leaving them to do all the work, and he would show up at the dock, twirling his cane, just when they were supposed to leave.

Bam said, "No, I know where he's going. He'll be back in a bit to help."

Matt and Gabe said, "Well, where's  he goin' then, man?"

Bam knew about Susanna and Noah, but Noah asked him to keep quiet about it so he wouldn't get teased about it. Noah felt it was childish.

Bam's ornery streak suddenly popped up. "You guys really want to know"?

"YES!" Matt, Gabe and Bear hollered.

"Can you guys keep your mouths shut? You're gonna have to be absolutely quiet." said Bam sternly. "We're gonna tail Noah...he's going to see Susanna, the candy-maker, at her house."

"Yeah, I just  bet he's gonna get some candy." leered Matt and cackling his crazy laugh.

"No, guys, just shut up and listen. They've been seeing each other for a while and Noah wanted it kept private. So you guys cannot make ANY noise, you cannot tease him. AT ALL. Got it?" growled Bam.

"Aye, Aye, Sir !" Bear whipped off a a smart salute.

"Us, too!" chorused Matt and Gabe.

"I hear she's kinda cute." said Bear.