The document summarizes the author's visits to Cobalt, Canada after being contacted by a local grade 4 class in 1997 and again in 2002 by the same class which was now in grade 7. The author arranged a visit through the teacher and toured the town, seeing old mines and hanging out with students. The author was later contacted to come back for a book signing after publishing a book based on a story invented during the first visit.

4. Cobalt Cobalt. The World’s Silver Capital

15. It is now 2002 The grade 4 class that wrote me a letter in 1997 and the "Zoodles" invitation 1998 is now in grade 7 and it is their last year of elementary school. SO: They sent me another request to visit! THIS IS MY LAST CHANCE TO VISIT!

16. Here is the picture of the grade 7 and the kindergarten class that did the invitation.

17. They listed all the possible ways I could get to Cobalt.

18. Maybe I should e-mail the teacher and try to set up a visit?

19. June 6, 2002 Well I did e-mail the teacher and arranged a visit. I flew into the North Bay airport and this group was waiting. See the boy in the green shirt? He is Andrew, the Son of Jackie the teacher, who is the lady in the dark blue jacket. He almost died of embarrassment because his mom gave me a big hug when I got off the plane. It was a 2 hour ride to Cobalt. On the way I made up this story for Andrew: EMBARRASSED

20. Then I met lots of kids at the school.

21. I got to see lots of old mines. Jackie the teacher made me climb down off a cliff I was trying to climb. She said that I could fall and get hurt AFTER the school visit.

22. I told lots of stories.

23. I was in some weird pictures.

24. I even got to see the bench where all the teenagers hang out at night. It was a wonderful visit.

25. This is Taylor Jae. She won me in a contest the school at school, so I stayed at her house which is right on Lake Timiskaming. Taylor and her dad took me on a long boat trip and we saw the FAMOUS LAKE TIMISKAMING FLOATING DEAD COW. I was not expecting to see a FLOATING DEAD COW and I was very impressed. Maybe I will make up a dead cow story someday.

26. This is the painted rock that Taylor Jae gave me.

27. It now lives by my upstairs computer.

28. THE STORY I MADE UP FOR ANDREW IS GOING TO BE A BOOK! It is very strange how a letter about a zoodles contest eventually led to a book!

29. August, 2005 Here is the book! It is only in Canada for a while. I think it will be in the USA in a year. Michael Martchenko used lots of photos of people and the town of Cobalt when he illustrated the story. I am going back to Cobalt for a book signing in September. This time I will stay with Andrew.

30. THE END