His name is Ralph and his stories are true. This is an engaging book of memoirs, collected from letters submitted to local newspapers. Lavishly illustrated with 101 vintage and contemporary photographs, these entertaining and heartfelt stories reflect an ordinary man's extraordinary observations. Enjoy the good ol' days as Ralph revisits his youth growing up in rural Pennsylvania. Ralph relates episodes from school days in a one-room schoolhouse, farming and starting a business during the Great Depression, plus dating in the 1940s. There are lively accounts of parenting from the 1950s through the 1980s, as well as current chronicles and anecdotal observations of life. And there are tales of unusual pets, truncated vacations, and clever inventions narrated by a man whose life seems to continually offer up entertaining material. Follow Ralph's adventures as he describes his money-making schemes as a child during the Great Depression, trading his cantankerous horse for a bicycle, keeping kids in line on his school bus, and rescuing his grandson from the top of a fire tower. Enjoy witty insights into the life of a landlord. Share Ralph's enthusiasm for his new career as a writer for the local newspapers, begun when he was 81. These great stories are sure to stimulate your own personal memories and recollections and inspire many intergenerational conversations.