"From out of the past came the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver! The Lone Ranger rides again!" booms the voice of the Merita bread announcer, as the coconut shells make the hoofbeat noise on a table in the background. Now if you remember that phrase, then you are old enough to really enjoy this book. We return to the times when a vivid imagination played a very important role in the enjoyment of life, and hopefu lly, we can take you back to some of the good times. I have endeavored to cover a lot of monumental incidents that happened over the years that affected me and, I hope, affected you as well. If you are a young person, you will learn a lot of history. If you are older, you will remember quite a bit of it. If a senior, well, more than likely, you'll remember most of it. It's called a lifetime, and though it seems like an eternity when you are young, it is but a fleeting moment on the scales of time. I have always maintained that if you are writing something, make it interesting enough for people not to have wasted their precious time reading. I sincerely hope that that is the case in this endeavor. As you read through this dissertation, I hope you will remind yourself that through all the stresses in daily living, life is still just a hoot. With kindest regards and a good read.