I've been asked by a few folks if they might "borrow" The Bear Market as a possible location for a story. I don't mind as long as a few rules are followed.

The Bear Market exists in the universe of the Little Kids Kamp, so any story involving The Bear Market needs to obey the Little Kids Kamp rules. The shop contains plush animals, hobby items, and toys. It seems to be larger inside than it looks from the outside. There is only one Bear Market. It has an entrance from The Mall, and an entrance from The Street of Dreams. The Street of Dreams entrance has a way of showing up just about anyplace it is needed. Just how this is accomplished is a mystery known only to the shop's owner, Sarge, and she hasn't told anyone how she does it. (At times Sarge has mentioned a friend of hers, a bar owner named Callahan, but we are not sure how they know each other.)

When a person enters The Bear Market by one entrance, the other entrance is not visible unless that person is escorted by a staff member. There are some exceptions to this rule. Family Members (Little Kids Kamp) can usually see both entrances.

The Bear Market is owned by Nora and Mike Griscom. Nora, better known as "Sarge," is a retired Air Force crew chief. Mike is a retired Green Beret. One wall of the shop is their combined "I Love Me" wall, with pictures chronicling their respective military careers and displays of their awards. (Mike has two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and a Silver Star. Sarge has three Commendation Medals, one Purple Heart, and the Air Medal. Both have served in the Gulf.)

A person entering The Bear Market is usually greeted by Sarge, who is invariably sipping from her coffee cup. Sarge brews Air Force coffee, made extra strong so it won't slosh out of the cup when the aircraft encounters turbulence. There is also decaf, hot chocolate, tea, and sometimes warm cider available free for shoppers.

Jesse James is the Chocolate Labrador Retriever who greets newcomers to the store. He is a gentle giant, one of the friendliest dogs on earth, and loves playing with the Kids. He is extremely tolerant of their playful affection and will always have doggie kisses for his special friends. Sarge usually tells people that if a burglar ever breaks in, Jesse will slobber him to death with kisses until the police come. However, anybody who threatens one of the kids in any way will find that Jesse can be a tough customer.

Although Sarge is a member of the Family, she is not a witch in the sense of the other sisters. Sarge practices a special kind of magic, the same kind Air Force crew chiefs have been practicing since the Army Signal Corps bought its first Wright Flier. Crew Chief Magic consists of getting just the right people and just the right things together to accomplish the mission. How they do this is a secret known only to crew chiefs. That's the magic of The Bear Market, that and the fact that the animals can talk, if you know how to listen to them, and they never lie.

I would ask anybody who uses The Bear Market to send me a copy of the story before posting it just as a courtesy. Thanks and happy writing.