The Adventures of Ragweed and Petals in the "Big Apple"

By David D. Schwab and Peter D. Snyder

This is a heartfelt story of childhood innocence and naivety, a story that began out of boredom one very wet and rainy afternoon in Tokyo, Japan.
While on a concert tour of Japan with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1982, cellist, artist, and author Peter David Snyder happened to walk by a local stationary store on a very wet morning and noticed a uniquely packaged set of drawing pens. Wanting something to draw with besides a pencil, he went inside the store and purchased them. Since the continual rainy weather showed no signs of letting up, the pen set would enable him to enjoy the free time in a relaxed and creative manner.
As he began to sketch some arbitrary flowers hed seen outside the hotel in the gardens, some ideas began to take shape on his sketchpad. Gradually as he continued drawing, he realized that their look and color could develop into something very special. The idea of a comic strip featuring two talking flowers came to mind. The thought of two flowers talking to one another about the mundane daily activities that usually occurred in an average garden was interesting and intriguing. Worms, snails, all crawling around them, or the ever-pervasive and creeping morning glory vines would provide constant banter for them in the beginning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496945518

David D. Schwab

Peter David Snyder, musician and cellist, retired from the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the end of 2008 after thirty-six seasons. Long active as a performer and chamber musician, he has been called a renaissance man because of his broad range of creative interests, including those of silversmithing, model trains, and creative writing. The motivation of his first book was based on the love he has for his grandchildren and their shared imaginations!

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© 2014 Peter D.Snyder. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/10/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-4550-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-4551-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014918330

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Table of Contents

The Beginnings Of: Ragweed And Petals

The Adventurous Journey Begins

Chapter One Discovery

Chapter Two Life Span

Chapter Three What Trip

Chapter Four Reflections

Chapter Five News

Chapter Six Taxi’s here

Chapter Seven New York, New York

Chapter Eight Hotel Galaxy

Chapter Nine Curiosities

Chapter Ten Expose’

Chapter Eleven Stormy Weather

Chapter Twelve What’s going on?

Chapter Thirteen Still so much to learn

Chapter Fourteen To the Subway we go!

Chapter Fifteen All Aboard

Chapter Sixteen Where did he go?

Chapter Seventeen What a Town

Chapter Eighteen Dinner with a Chill

Chapter Nineteen The Truth

Chapter Twenty Corel

Chapter Twenty-One What’s Next?

Chapter Twenty-Two A little more History

Chapter Twenty-Three A really big day

Chapter Twenty-Four Gone without a trace

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RAGWEED…. (Ragweedicos Quarkolicos) is the rarest male form of a plant species known simply by its mythical nickname to the inhabitants of Quarkolantica, as a Quark.

The most common varieties of these plants are decorative and very fragrant and are called QUARKOLAI. They are amongst the most popular plants on Planet Q, which is located on the outer most edges of a distant Galaxy, some 400 light years from our Earth. The Quark species are said to have strange and unusual abilities, but historically for whatever the reason may be, no one has ever publicly claimed to have seen them performing in any unusual way until recently perhaps? They are a legendary species in Q culture. Our Ragweed, is usually very direct in his commentary, but has been known to be a bit grouchy at times? He does seem on occasion, to show a warm and understanding side as well. His best and constant companion is Petals (Petalicas Quarkolicas), who generally seems to keep them both focused on the things that matter most.

PETALS ….Petalicas Quarkolicas) is the female variety of the Quarks. She is very inquisitive about most things, and tends to be a bit of a worrier. She has the sweeter disposition, and generally shows more compassion. There is a commonly believed myth amongst the good citizens of Q, that the females have the greatest capacity to generate their extraordinary powers, whatever they may be? Stories have been told throughout Quarkolantican history, that they can fly, or communicate via Telepathy with other life forms as well? But again, no one has ever publically documented anything nor admitted to seeing anything extraordinary? It is believed by many, that they are a mystical and secretive species, which when necessary, adapt themselves to a wide variety of environmental surroundings, possessing similar abilities to that of the Chameleon Lizard found on Earth. Because they’ve been so highly regarded throughout the ages, their well being and protection has been a priority by the Quarkolantican Botanical Service, making it illegal for anyone without a harvesting license to poach them. They will continue to be a mysterious species until the time comes, when their existence will be publically shared.

ELLA QUARKLE…. is a Blue-eyed, light Reddish haired very mature 7 year old little girl who possesses a most cheerful and positive disposition. She is the only child of DR’s Mack and Millie Quarkle. She has the distinction of being the first Quarkolantican child to have been born on another planet in another Galaxy. This has been a well-hidden secret kept by her family, until such a time had come for her to learn the truth of her heritage. Her warmth, caring and curious disposition about most things, will lend themselves well for the adventures and experiences in her life ahead. Everyone loves to be around happy people and is also why she has many friends in school.

Dr. MACKEAS (Mack) QUARKLE…husband to Millie and father of Ella was a well-respected Botanist on Quarkolantica. He’s a rather tall man with the appearance of an athlete, with a thinning brown hairline. He is extremely intelligent, and has the distinction of developing several new and exciting varieties of plant and vegetable life over many years. He continues with his research in this field today. His personality however, betrays the usual cool and calculating type that one can usually expect to find in the sciences. He is warm, caring and a sensitive man about most things that surround him in his life. But being a scientist, he doesn’t assume anything, until he has complete and factual confirmation on his projects. In other terminology, he’s a real stickler for all the facts and details!

Dr. MATHILLIA (Millie Quixer) QUARKLE…. wife to Mack and mother of Ella, is also the younger sister of Dr. Billie Quixer, (a brilliant Physicist from the Planet Q). She is of average height and stature for a woman from Q. She has very pretty dark and curly Red hair. Her disposition is amazingly calm as well. Being a very gifted Botanist herself, both she and her husband worked jointly, co-producing some of the most spectacular looking examples of Quarkolai flora on their planet.

Eventually, with the birth of their first baby, a little girl they named ELLA, her time spent in the laboratory would gradually lessen some, focusing mainly on being a wife and mother. As the mother of a very precocious child, her first priority was always given to their little girl.

Before they were married, both she and Mack were senior students in a BIOSPHERE or Growth Factory (as it is called by the younger students), working along side with some of the most famous Botanists as well as Biologists of the time. Both she and Mack specialized in the field of of cross-pollination. Their experiments would eventually lead them to the creations of some spectacular new forms of edible plant life.

DR. BALDASAR (Billie) QUIXER….. Brother of Millie, was a very respected Quantum Physicist on the Planet Q, whose work in the field of hyperspace drive was brilliant and ground breaking. His own secret research would eventually lead him to the creation of a device that could one day allow traveling through the space/time continuum, and explore other solar systems for places yet unknown?

His physical appearance could be a bit intimidating, given his tall stature, broad muscular build and large balding head. His very dark Brown eyes, looking through some very thick eyeglasses didn’t help matters either. However, his disposition was quite the opposite of his physical appearance. He was as warm and caring as his niece Ella and her father. He met his future bride, Miss Tillimina (Tillie) Quizzero, while working in a research facility. Eventually the two would be married, and on their own time, would perfect the transporter device that would change their lives forever. One day, with great confidence, he invited his sister Millie, and her husband and best friend Mack Quarkle, to accompany them on the most incredible adventure they’d ever hoped to experience.

The trip would lead the four young Time Travelers to a new and faraway Galaxy with one large Yellow Sun, and 9 planets and a moon that orbited around the Earth.

Dr. TYWILIA (Tillie) QUIZZERO….. Wife to Dr. Billie Quixer and sister in law to Millie (Quixer) Quarkle is a noted Biologist and Botanist herself. She and her husband are highly regarded scientists on the Planet Q. Her particular study however, involved how the Quarkolai Flora can be best used in the Quarkolantican food chain. She is an authority on the subject of exotic food sources. Finding many different uses for the Quarkolai, as dietary supplements, Medicinal and or drinkable substances, like very fragrant teas, have been her life’s work. Smelling somewhat like freshly cut Roses, when used for tea, the plants becomes a relaxant, usually served on special occasions. Tillie has an unusually high-pitched, almost mouse-like quality to her voice, which immediately can capture the attention of anyone meeting her for the first time.

@2002PD.Snyder

THE BEGINNINGS OF: RAGWEED AND PETALS

RAGWEED was a scraggily looking Dandelion looking flower, while PETALS had the more regal look of a Princess Flower. The name Ragweed and Petals seemed to fit his two new and unusual looking creations! This idea became the birth of what was later to be known as "THE ADVENTURES OF RAGWEED and PETALS.

The characters themselves seemed to reflect the authors own past childhood innocence and naivety. Discussing current affairs or political events, as do many comic strips, wasn’t in his plans for the strip. Instead, he wanted to focus on an imaginary garden and the interactions of its inhabitants. By imagining what could possibly take place in anyone’s garden, seemed to bring more intrigue to the original comic and later, the story.

Depending on its content and design, a garden will often be a very special and interesting place! It can offer solitude for some to enjoy a good book, or simply a place to enjoy its visceral charms for meditation or daydreaming.

The casts of characters in the comic strip were simple, containing the usual annoyances found in most gardens. Humans seldom entered into the pictures, but on occasion, there would be a child or two lurking close enough to be threatening to the flowers. Being stepped on wasn’t an experience they enjoyed at all!

PETALS had a particular distaste for Snails. She would often make the comment that they seemed pointless and slow. RAGWEED on the other hand, viewed them as interesting creatures that loved to party hardy and camp!

In this story, the cast of characters had been expanded to include an Alien family that came from a fictitious garden planet called QUARKOLANTICA in a far away Galaxy. It is similar in appearance to our EARTH, but slightly larger. It has 4 continents; each surrounded and separated by huge oceans. The Atmosphere is similar to Earths natural gases, but its two Suns (one with a Reddish tint and smaller then the other and larger Yellow sun), serve to create a Botanical wonderland. The planet has a richer and slightly heavier atmosphere then that of Earths, producing a gravity field that is slightly lighter, enabling the inhabitants to move with a little less physical effort then on Earth. The beautiful and lush forests, the daily heavy rainfall, provide an endless supply of edible vegetation. This environment provides an incredible selection of floral species as well as a wide assortment of mysteriously interesting wild life.

The NEW ADVENTURES OF RAGWEED and PETALS presents a little different and imaginative journey for everyone young and old to enjoy. Its intention was to present a science fiction-like fantasy with a childlike simplicity. Like ALICE in WONDERLAND, our little girl doesn’t fall down a hole in the ground. Instead, she stumbles upon the most fantastic discovery anyone, especially a young 7-year-old girl, could have ever hoped to find in any garden anywhere!

PD. Snyder, started drawing the original characters with such love and fondness, that they inevitably became an integral part of himself, the very fabric which one day would enable him to better understand himself and look at the mundane and daily grind of life with a little lighter touch.

@2002PD.Snyder

THE ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY BEGINS

Dr. Billie Quixer, while setting the exact coordinates on his device, instructs Dr. Mack Quarkle, his wife Millie and sister in law Tillie Quixer, to grasp their hands firmly as he pushed a control button, and suddenly appearing in front of them, was a very large round and misty circle, beginning to open and expand directly in front of them!

Once it had stopped expanding, Billie yelled, jump now, and they all leaped through it in tandem. Immediately, the adventurous scientists found themselves spiraling aimlessly through space and time.

What seemed like an eternity was actually only momentary. Then, the trip was over! At first, they had no idea where they’d arrived, but soon realized that it must be TERRA, judging by their current surroundings and the dirt underneath their bodies as they laid on the ground? They’d fallen through a worm hole in time, and landed on the ground of a new world they’d never imagined possible? Billie determined that they in fact, had arrived on the planet known as Earth, in the Galaxy of the Milky Way,