Flat Stanley and the Border Patrol

I went this weekend to Tucson. We stayed at a wonderful Radisson Hotel near the airport. But that is not what this is about. Today is about my travels with a friend, Flat Stanley.

Flat Stanley was sent to me by my great-nephew Alex Sanders who lives in Hannibal, MO (you know, the "Show Me" state.) His class is doing a project with their reading of the book, Flat Stanley. Stanley Lampchop is flattened in his sleep one night by a bulletin board given to him by his father. Stanley survives, but he now gets to go on some great adventures because he can be mailed to people. Alex mailed Stanley to us, and we have been showing him around Arizona.

This weekend we went to Tombstone and looked around "The Town That Wouldn't Die." We had a great time, and I was amazed at how many people there knew who Stanley was, and were more than willing to hold him while we took their picture! I felt like I was escorting some kind of celebrity around.

Stanley had is picture taken next to cowboys, stagecoaches, buildings, and even cactus. Folks were very accomodating, with one cowboy even recognizing Stanley as we walked down the sidewalk and insisted on getting his picture taken with him! A shopkeeper posed with him, and another put Stanley inside a pair of cowboy boots... We laughed with total strangers all day.

On our way back to Tucson, we had to stop at a Border Patrol barricade. We were certain that we would have trouble proving that Stanley was an American Citizen and we thought that he might get detained and possibly deported. As we pulled up to the officer and rolled down our windows, he asked, "Are you all American Citizens in the car?" We said we were, but we were not sure about our passenger. The officer quizzed us, "Can I see your passenger?"

I held up Stanley, and the officer got a big smile on his face, and exclaimed, "Stanley! It is good to see you!" We had no problem, and Stanley had his picture taken with the Border Patrol.

On Monday, Stanley is going with me to the Arizona Capitol Historic Museum as I talk to them about volunteering as a docent. I am sure we will have a great time. Next weekend, Stanley is going to Sedona so he can see the Red Rocks and maybe experience the magnetism of the vorteces up there!

Oh, and Alex, I have to tell you that we are going to a Suns game, so he will probably learn to like purple instead of that green the Celtics wear!

Uncle Doughnut