Sneaky is Missing!

🧡🖤🤎🤍

Dear Book,

          It’s been so long since I wrote in you. I didn’t forget how. There wasn’t much to write about. Me and Sneaky were just keeping house for Joe, making up Ice Cream flavors once in a while. Some of them were winners. But some of them we had to eat ourselves or give to some street guy. I guess nobody wants jerky in their ice cream. It seemed like a good idea to me!
            OK. Sneaky and I were planning to go on a trip to see Ralph. We were going to do it old style, on the train. We went before, with Joe. But this time it was just going to be her and me. I’m sorry about the pet carrier. But she looks like a pet.
            A weird thing happened this morning. Usually, Sneaky is awake first, then she wakes me up. Then I take out garbage and cook and stuff. I do laundry at night usually.
            Today I woke up with no little cat telling me it was time to wake up, and it was late. Morning was halfway gone. I was really scared, Book! I didn’t know what was wrong, but something was!
            I couldn’t find Sneaky. I looked all over the apartment. I even went outside and checked the lawn and the flower beds, and the kid’s playground. No little cat anywhere. Well, not so little. Sneaky had been getting kind of fat lately. You’ll know why in a minute!

            I went back inside to try to figure out where she was. Joe wasn’t home, so he was no help. I did a better search. I looked under the beds. I looked in all the cupboards in the kitchen. I even looked in the dryer.
            Finally, I looked in the bottom of the towel closet in the hall next to the bathroom. I found her in a nest she made of towels in the bottom. And she wasn’t alone! She had four new little baby cats with her, and she wasn’t fat anymore.
            There was a gray one, a black and white one, a tabby, and there was an orange tabby too.
            I was so surprised I forgot how to talk for a while.
            She said she would like a bowl of water and some tuna, so I got her those things right away.
            I guess I’m Uncle Maurice the True Howler to four babies now!
            We’re not taking four babies on the train. Not now anyhow.
            And that’s all I have to say today.

🐺

 

Hard At Work @ Lake Pleasant Regional Park, AZ

             As you can see, Bubble Woman and Business Associates are working hard, or as they say, hardly working on the shores of Lake Pleasant.

            All the info a person could want on Lake Pleasant Regional Park.

            The closest thing to a bubble in evidence is this object. Maybe bubbles don't survive well in Arizona?

            To these PNW eyes it looks much like a small lake surrounded by desert.

                        The surrounding desert part.

            Some sort of bristly plant life, native to the area.

            Charley would like you to know that she is relaxing in the big RV with the factory air running.

 And all is well!

🤍

Happy Birthday! You're It!

 

 

            The outing was based partly on a dare and partly on a birthday wish. Wendy, not her real name, wanted to camp in the National Forest for her birthday.
            Her friends, The Lost Boys, promised to keep her safe in the big forest. The group included, Mark, Jim, Sally, and Robert.
            It was the wrong time of year for camping really. But they were young and enthusiastic. They borrowed two tents, and brought a lot of food and drink. It is possible that no actual sleep was intended. Maybe they would stay up all night sitting around the fire, after the dare part of the occasion. That part of the occasion was a hike into the dark, rainy forest.
            They were completely green, had never camped or spent any time away from streets and buildings. Hard to believe, but true.
            Robert was the driver. It was an old Chevy van. It was packed with supplies and people. Wendy sat in the seat of honor, her birthday, 18 today. Robert was 20 years old, so  he was supposed to know something. He looked as if he knew something. He was wiry, brown eyed, ponytail guy, tall and bossy.
            He parked in their designated area. It was afternoon and already looking like early evening. They were the only campers present.
            “If we’re going to have time to hike in the woods, we better get started,” said Robert. “Soon it will be too dark..”
            While the Lost Boys and Wendy were climbing out of the van and getting prepared  for a damp hike, the camp host came around to greet them. The camp host turned out to be a young woman, approximately their same age. She said her name was Marge and that if they needed help with anything to ask her. She said she was not busy right now and that she lived in the small mobile right over there.
            “Could you suggest a trail for a short hike?” said Wendy.
            Marge pulled a Forest Service brochure with a map printed in it out of her inside jacket pocket.
            “This one is only a couple of miles and loops back here. It should be just about right. Take lights in case it gets dark before you get back,” said Marge. She didn’t know what to think of this group, but figured they were young and strong and even if it got dark and cold, they’d be alright. Robert brought the map along.
            “Thanks, Marge,” Robert said, and rallied his group around himself.
            “Let’s stay together, now. Last guy in a group is the one the bears eat, you know!” he said. “Guy on 411 says that.”
            They entered the forest. The trees were impossibly tall, water dripped from all surfaces, the light was dim. It was actually a little spooky. But they kept going. It was a nicely maintained trail and made them feel confident and safe.
            Somehow Wendy ended up at the back of the line. She kept up though.
            Then things got weird. It went something like this.
            Robert was first in line. Then Sally, the blond, Mark was next, then Jim, then Wendy.
            Something huge and black was in the trail ahead. Robert stopped to look.
            “What’s that?” he said.
            “I don’t see anything,” said Sally. “But I sure smell something! What’s that smell?”
            “It’s making my eyes run,” said Jim, blinking and rubbing his eyes.
            “Something must be dead up here,” said Mark. He retched.
            The big black thing developed red glowing eyes. There they were, about nine feet up in the dim air of the forest trail, right ahead, maybe 50 feet up the trail.
            That was enough. When the thing started giggling, that was too much already.
            Robert, Sally, the blond, Jim, the chubby kid, and Mark, the wisearse, all split. They demonstrated to their best ability the concept of gone. Back down the trail, forgetting Wendy. They ran right past her, the birthday girl.
            She watched them go. Then she looked up the trail at the glowing eyes and all of that.
            “Hey,” said Wendy.
            “Hey,” said Ralph. “Where’d everybody go?”
            “I guess you scared them,” she said. “They’re probably clear back to camp by now.”
            “My name is Delores. They call me Wendy. It’s a silly joke. Who are you?” asked Delores.
            “I’ve been called Ralph for a long time now, my birth name is too hard for you humans to say,” said Ralph. “Why are you guys camping at this time of year? Most humans like a sunny day.”
            “Oh, it was a birthday wish of mine, to camp in the forest,” said Delores.
            “It’s your birthday?” said Ralph with a little laugh. “Tell you what, Delores, if you’re not scared that is, why don’t you come home with me, meet the family and have a little birthday treat with us? What do you say?” said Ralph, who had knocked off the glowing eyes bit, because it was actually not very comfortable to do that thing for long.
            “Yeah, OK, yeah, Ralph. I’d like to meet your family. Those guys can just wonder where I am. They ran right past me and left me!” said Delores.
            So then, Delores and Ralph walked together to the Home Clearing. She met Ramona, who was delighted to meet her. Twigg was home for dinner, so she met him and Cherry too. She also met Blue and the puma brothers.
            Maeve appeared and was informed that today was Delores’ birthday.
            “Evermore! Everyday is your birthday! Happy day!” said Maeve.
            Ramona fried trout, and boiled up a pot of cowboy coffee.
            Cherry demonstrated her flight skills. Twigg told her about the B’s. The cats smiled their secret cat smiles and Ralph beamed over the whole proceeding.
            When it seemed like it  had been long enough, Twigg walked Delores back to the campground. When he saw that her so-called friends were still there, he continued to the camp host’s place to visit for a moment with Marge.
            “Where were you?” demanded Robert.
            “We were about to call the ranger and get a search and rescue started,” yelled Sally, the blond.
            “We haven’t even had dinner,” said Jim.
            “Did you meet someone out there?” demanded Mark.
            “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” said Wendy. But eventually she did tell them, and they didn’t believe her, but had no other explanation, so they had to kind of go with it.
            And since they were there, after all, and young and full of beans, they went ahead and made dinner. Sally brought out a cake she had baked the day before and hidden in Tupperware. They had a little beer, and sat up all night talking and joking around the fire.
            Then in the morning, Robert took everyone to their various homes. They slept all day which was OK because it was a Sunday.

🎂

Winter Wishes From KittyComm™

 

            “It’s going to be a busy month for the Pinkies,” said Suzy, in the midst of an evening chat with Toots.
            “The ones with progeny and even grandkittens are the most fussed up and hissy,” observed Toots.
            “My lady does the Festival of Lights, Dec. 14 at sunset this year, but she doesn’t get too carried away. Candles, lots of candles and just gazing into the lights. I quite understand the urge,” said Suzy.
            “Oh my, yes,” agreed Toots. “A candle flame, even one, is a great thing. It’s like a doorway almost.”
            “She, you know, does get a little hissy about figuring out those Christmas presents for four kids, a sister, a niece, four grandkittens, all the usual expected ones. She loves giving gifts but it’s hard to divine what a 21 year old grandson wants. Of course, money or gift cards are easy, but sort of meheow, if you see what I mean,” said Suzy.
            “No. Not very festive, IMO,” said Toots.
            “I wish there was something we could do for our people,” said Suzy. “Maybe get them to feel more Purry, instead of Hissy.”
            “Like always, they need us to Purr together for Peace for them. That’s our real work here, isn’t it Suz?” said Toots.
            “Yes! And I also think we should Purr for snow! Snow seems to make people, and even cats and dogs feel more festive, happy! It looks like a real winter holiday time!
            “Now, personally I would rather be warm and snug, but that change in the weather outside seems to do something for my lady,” said Suzy.
            “It doesn’t snow much down here, Suz. I am not sure my gentleman is crazy about it, but I think he might like to see some snow,” guessed Toots.
            “We must steel our nerves to observe the lighted tree, but not touch it. It’s hard, I know, but we gotta do this one,” said Suzy.
            “True,” admitted Toots.
            “Other than those things, we must distract them with cuteness. It’s kind of embarrassing, but it works every time,” said Suzy. She coughed a slight cough.
            “Some little nips and head butts help a lot too,” said Toots.
            “So, if any humans are reading this, just know that we’ve got this covered! We’re going to take great care of you this winter!” said Suzy.
            “That’s right,” said Toots, firmly, with conviction!

            “That goes for the rest of us cats too,” said Willie, butting in suddenly…..

😺😹😻😸😻😺

Now, Just A Minute, Ralph?

 

 

            Milly was still sitting there toasting her toes by the fire. She was in no hurry to get up and leave, and she was thinking, trying to find a flaw in Ralph’s logic, if the truth were known. Not to get the better of him, but to make sure she had it right.
            “But, Ralph, yes, that sounds great and it makes a whole bunch of sense to me,” said Milly.
            “If their overarching rule is a territorial rule, then it makes sense that even very angry, but sane, Hairy Men would be stymied by the ollie ollie oxen free aspect of a person running home to even a flimsy shack and slamming the door.
            “It also makes sense that they would feel free to scare invasive humans out of their home areas, mostly forests I think,” she went on.
            “But there’s a problem with that whole picture of clear dividing lines, who goes where and who is out of line. You know what it is?” asked Milly.
            “I know. But I’m keeping my beak out of it,” said Maeve from her boss’ shoulder, obviously not keeping  her beak out of it. She peered sharply at the side of Ralph’s head, waiting for an answer.
            Ralph put his elbows on his knees and started twiddling his thumbs, probably a sign of thought, Milly reckoned.
            “I bet I can guess,” he said. “You’re talking about something that would blur the lines, aren’t you?”
            “Maybe the lines look blurrier from this side, but yeah. That’s it. One of the constant complaints I hear people making about Sasquatch, et al, is that they steal anything edible that’s available, if they want it.
            “Cattle, sheep, chickens, goats, fruit, vegetables, even animal feed is taken. Ralph, how does this square with the innate territorial mindset of the Hairy Men?” said Milly, falling silent, with her arm around Cherry and gazing into the flames.
            “It seems to me,” said Ramona, “that one of the things we have to remember is that, like Ralph just said, we, the group of Forest Keepers in general, are not all the same thing. Some are quite feral, some get to know human people and are quite comfortable with you, more or less, depending!
            “None of us here in the Home Clearing would go to Ooog’s house and steal a chicken. We know that stealing is animalistic actually. It takes culture to see that it's destructive. We understand that things can still be in a person’s territory even outside the walls. That’s hard for some hunters to realize.”
            “OK, that makes some kind of sense to me,” said Milly.
            “Yeah,” said Ralph. “Remember those four outback type young male Forest Guys who came to Constance’s wedding? Remember how they messed Ferdy up before the wedding, like some kind of primitives? Well, those guys almost would bust in the door of a house, I’m afraid, and to them a chicken in a yard is the same as a wild turkey in the woods. If you look at it from their point of view, it makes sense. Also, they don’t care what humans think about it.”
            “OK. That explains it. I suspect it’s a misunderstanding that is going to continue, isn’t it?” said Milly. “Outdoors is fair game because they don’t understand ownership, only territory.”
            “Hmph,” said Maeve. “I think some of them do understand ownership. It’s just that they think it’s transferable by thievery! I wonder what would happen to a man who went out to the forest and took his goose or whatever back?”
            “He might get clobbered, Birdie, because the guy who stole the goose would figure it was his goose now!” said Ralph, but he was giggling, which is always a little disconcerting to watch, considering the size and awesomeness of himself. “That’s kind of a shifty concept of ownership, by the way.”
            “Well,” said Milly, “apparently there is human nature, such as it is. Think bad monkeys unless they know better! But, also, there is Hairy Man nature, which is just as all over the place!”
            “Pretty much,” said Ralph.
            “Oh, I guess I’d better go on home. Colin will be waiting,” said Milly. “Thanks for the interview, Ralph. I’m not sure if it will translate into a newspaper column, but it might, though I have never heard anybody else ask the question I had for you.”
            “Nope. Nobody ever asked me that one before, Ms. Price!” said Ralph.
            Twigg wasn’t home yet. He was doing something with the bees, probably. So Cherry and Blue were allowed to walk Milly out to the highway. Cherry did some of her famous floating on the way.
            “Thanks for the candy and chips, Milly,” said Cherry before she went back into the woods.
            “You’re welcome, Sweetheart,” said Milly. She watched until Cherry and Blue were safely on their way back to the fire circle.
            Then she climbed into that big old Cadillac SUV, turned it around, and headed back into Milltown. She liked to get home before dark, and dark came so early in November.

🐮

This Was Millicent's Own Question

 

            “Wouldn’t it be convenient if Ralph and I could mindspeak back and forth,” thought Milly, sitting upstairs in the newspaper building. Sending messages and invitations by Raven was certainly slow, compared to telepathy, she thought.
            She had a question for Ralph. It was something she had been puzzling about today. The internet wasn’t helping either. Nobody online was talking about this one. They skirted around her question but never gave a reason or even a mechanism for it.
            She needed to talk to Ralph.
            It doesn’t sound like a whole lot, but this is what was puzzling her. She had seen a lot of videos where people described their interactions with various kinds of Bigfoot people, for lack of a more precise term. When dealing with more hostile cases, such as in Alaska, people would flee to the shelter of their little plywood fishing shack, or whatever, and be safe from the Hairy Man, having gotten inside the shack.
            What didn’t make sense to Milly was this; why didn’t the pursuing Hairy Man just tear the tickytack shack down and capture the inhabitants? They certainly  had the strength to do so. Why not do it? Something was at work in this situation, and she didn’t know what it was, but Ralph would.
            Truthfully, a ten foot Sasquatch in any community should be able to tear any house open. Why didn’t they? What stops them?
            When Maeve got to Milly’s window, she asked Maeve to carry a message to Ralph. Could she, Milly, come to the Home Clearing the next day, midday, to ask a question. She and Maeve had an arrangement to save Maeve some wing flapping. If the answer was yes, she wouldn’t come back, it could just be assumed to be yes.
            On the following morning, 10 ish, Millicent drove up to the wide spot on Highway 20 and parked the Escalade. She waited to see who would escort her into Ralph’s home domain. In this case, it was Bob and Berry who wanted the honor of escorting Milly in. They appeared to her, and waited. She got out of the vehicle, grabbed the usual bag of treats, ostensibly for Twigg and Cherry, then she followed the cats. They marched before her in fine style, like a circus act.
            “Have a seat, Milly,” said Ralph when the cats had delivered her to the fire circle.
            “Hey, Ralph! Hi, Ramona,” said Millicent as she settled down by the fire. Cherry sat down beside her, with Blue at their feet.
            “Maeve tells me that you have a question,” said Ralph.
            “I do. It’s just something that doesn’t make sense to me, Ralph. I figured you were the one to ask,” said Milly. Then the whole story came out, how she wondered why the more aggressive Hairy Men didn’t just tear shacks down, or also break into houses when they easily could.
            “Oh. I see,” said Ralph. “I’ve never heard that question asked before. Hm.”
            “Milly, shall I make a pot of coffee?” asked Ramona while Ralph was thinking.
            “I’d sure like that, thank you,” smiled Milly. Cherry grinned up at her, and she grinned down at Cherry.
            “OK. I’m not sure but this is how I think of it,” said Ralph. “I assume you’ve heard of Isaac Asimov’s rules for robots. It’s only the same in this sense, he posited that robots should be made with certain rules built into them, such as that they couldn’t harm any human person.
            “Now that I think about it, it seems to me that the overriding rule we are made with is territoriality. It is at the root of our minds. Everything is understood by most of us, in terms of where he belongs or does not belong.  OK, so far,” Milly?
            “Yup. I know Asimov, and I know his rules for robots,” said Milly. “I’m pretty intrigued that you do however, Ralph,” said she.
            “Oh, Ranger Rick and I got to watching I Robot, and then we got to talking and all of that came out. You know how that happens,” said Ralph.
            “Now, all but the most rogue of us, are ruled by this subconscious knowledge of where we belong and where we don’t belong. We know where  you people belong too, BTW.
            “The simple answer is that inside the building is not our territory, but it is yours. So, there is an invisible line there that most sane Forest Men with not cross, even if they are very angry.” Ralph crossed his legs just like a college professor after his lecture, grinned, and laced his fingers over his tummy.
            “OK. Thanks, Ralph. That makes sense. I must say that I had no idea,” said Milly.
            “Coffee’s ready,” said Ramona.
            As they were having a companiable cup of coffee, Ralph sat thinking about the ramifications of the interactions between his people and the Hairless people.
            “Milly, the odd thing, or maybe not odd at all, is that we are just like you people in this way. There are all kinds. Some are kind, some are angry. Many just want to be left alone completely. To stretch another metaphor to death, it’s like a box of chocolates!”
            “I knew you would have the answer,” said Milly.

🍀

We Went The Other Direction on Black F'lineday!

         On the way out of town yesterday morning, we stopped for espresso first thing as all proper PNW women must do, As usual the girl in the booth asked us if we had any Black Friday plans. I said, "Nothing special," and I smiled at her.

        I had smiled, more than usual, because I was seriously considering telling her that we were going Squatching. I'm pretty sure she would have known what that was, but I just thought about it.

        It is much more our style to not go shopping! Instead, taking advantage of a day with mostly sunshine, we went out to take a look around.

Driving the bridge to Marysville. RB

A brief revisit to Tulalip Bay. RB

The old place, minus the house.

Distressed barn!

Skagit Valley, Mt. Baker on the horizon. RB

Twin Sisters, subrange of the Cascades. RB

There's Mt Baker again. We seemed to be circling it!

        And yet, sigh, the Hairy Man remained obscure in his secret lair, in spite of our efforts.

🍁🧡🍂