Exercise is a love hate relationship with most people. Some folks exercise to stay alive because their doctor told them that if they didn’t they would die. Then there are the body builders who do it to look good. I do it because it makes me feel better. I like exercise although sometimes its boring. Sometimes when I lived near a gym, during the sets on the machines, I would play word games with my daughter. It’s really an online scrabble game. I enjoyed it and it passed the time while I was waiting to do a set. When I was young exercise was unheard of except for Jack La Lane. He was the first real fitness trainer I think in the world that people could view every day in their homes on the TV. When I was young, playing outside was great then because you ran, rode your bike, walked to the store and generally remained physically fit. Today we are too afraid to let our children go out and play unless it’s at someone’s home or in a fenced area. It’s sad that crime has caused parents so much fear that their children don’t have the opportunity to just have fun playing tag, hide and seek, or ball sports that are unorganized except by the children. In the old west the children did all those things and more. Many times they were responsible for feeding the livestock, gardening, walking to the store, lifting and carrying items and general help around the farm or ranch. It was an early type of exercise. Children who live on ranches now still do some of that work today. Going to a gym is unheard of for them. They are physically fit and get plenty of exercise every day helping their families and doing chores. In book twenty-seven, an elephant, “Toby Saves the Day” the children are playing dodge ball on Main Street in front of Mary’s Cafe’ having a wonderful time when a mangy coyote approached the group. Toby did save the day but it also showsed that there were situations in the old west that required adult help and protection. When you are exercising or thinking about physical activities for your children, check out the Good Gus Series. I think you will like the positives in the books. They would also make wonderful gifts for Christmas. I hope you will consider “The Special Gift” as a new Christmas tradition for your family. A donation of a book from the Good Gus series to a child who is sick in the hospital would make both you and a child feel better. The Good Gus Series is available online at Kindle, Nook and Waterstones. Hard copies, personally autographed, are available through our website www.goodgusbooks.com along with past blogs for your reading enjoyment. Now available audio and videos for the Good Gus series on YouTube! Digitizing for all the books are available now on YouTube! “Misplaced Trust” is now available on Amazon in e-book form. It is also available digitally at www.misplacedtrustbook.com. If you are thinking of a Will or a Living Trust, “Misplaced Trust” will give you the information you need to make an informed decision. The Good Gus series, books one through four, are now available at the Morgan Mill Mail/UPS.