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.

🍁🧡🍂

    

    

November 28, 2025. A Happy F'lineday Open Thread

            🤍Joyous Configuration!🤍 

            It feels like night, but it's not!

            They say it's Black Friday. Pffft!

I say that it's a perfectly nice and proper F'lineday!

The cats and I, Willie, Suzy and Mr. Baby Sir hope you had a lovely holiday!

Stories are always welcome!

MEOW!

😸

It Was A Thursday Afternoon in The Great Forest

 

            Hugo had been resting and browsing up in the First Meadow under the watchful eyes of Uncle Bob and Aunt Suzie for about three weeks. He was feeling much more cheerful and strong. He liked them so well that sometimes in the evening he would come and sit with them around their fire, gazing soulfully into the dancing flames, just like anybody else when there’s a fire to gaze into.
            They presented quite a sight, as you can well imagine.
            So, it was late in the year. Darkness came so very early that it almost seemed like it was always night or twilight under the almost constant cloud cover. It was the time of year when people and creatures gather for food and comfort and in trust that the sun will be back.
            Accordingly, at the apex of that cloudy day, Maeve arrived at the Stump House to speak to Uncle Bob or Aunt Suzie. She loved a dramatic entrance, drifting down out of the grey light in great swooping circles as if she were the emissary of a king, which she often was.
            When she finally landed she said, “I come with a message! Thaga says would you please come to their house today for dinner, but come early! Bring Hugo too!”
            Uncle Bob said, “We will! Tell her we’ll come and bring Hugo too!”
            Maeve launched into the air to complete her mission. Next she needed to bring the message to Ralph.
            Once arrived at the Home Clearing she did a couple of barrel rolls in the air and more swoops. When all eyes were on her she landed on Ralph’s shoulder.
            “I have a message, Boss! It’s for everybody here. It’s from Thaga and Ooog! They want you to pack up everyone, Hector, you and Ramona, Cherry and Twigg, Blue and Berry and Bob too!
It’s for a dinner at their house! Will you come? All of you? What shall I tell her?” said Maeve breathlessly.
            “Hugo is coming with Bob and Suzie, Hector! Twigg, will you go find Marge and bring her too?” she finished at last.
            She waited patiently, for the return message.
            “Of course we’ll come. We’ll all come! Tell her we’ll be there, every one of us, with the cats and the wolf!
            “Tell her, Birdie!” said Ralph.
            Maeve flew back to Thaga to help as much as she could with her beak, which is a pretty good tool after all.
            Thaga baked four wild turkeys with herb and garlic stuffing.
            Then she baked her rolls, whole wheat, because she grinds it herself.
            She made an apple and walnut salad, quite a large bowl of it.
            Sauerkraut baked with onions, apples and sausages she had made with venison earlier in the year.
            Ooog always wanted mashed potatoes, so she made an awful lot of those, because, after all, he grew all those potatoes in the summer!
                        There was a nut and raisin cake, plain, baked the day before for those will the appetite for dessert.
           
            All of this, plus her cucumber pickles, was on the table when guests began to arrive.
            She uncorked about four bottles of her plum wine too!
            Yes, it was a crowded house.
            Hugo had to be placed first. He sat way back in the corner of the living room. He was happy to see his old friend Hector, of course, but wanted Uncle Bob and Suzie to sit beside him. It turned out that Hugo was a very nice house guest! No problem at all.
            Ralph and Ramona sat together on the couch, which was a sturdy one built by Ooog of course.
            Cherry kind of hung around with the animals on the floor. Blue was right at her elbow as usual. Bob and Berry had parked themselves at Ralph’s feet.
            Twigg came a little later with Marge. He’d had a little trouble getting her attention at home with her mother, without her mother seeing him. He did the old pebble toss to the window thing until she noticed it and opened the window. She told Enid that she was going to see Thaga and Ooog for the evening and that was that!
            It had to be a buffet style dinner. There were too many to sit at the table. In addition, sitting at a table is awkward for wolves, and pumas and moose!
            When everyone had a place to sit, including Maeve, though she didn’t sit. She walked around, mingling like she was the hostess or something.
            Thaga sat down at last on a wooden side chair, folded her hands, and smiled at the houseful of guests.
            At last, Ooog stood and faced the group, standing beside Thaga. He smiled at each face one by one. Everyone was silent waiting to hear what he would say, even Maeve paid attention to him.
            “Welcome,” Ooog began. “We are so pleased and happy that you all could join us on such short notice. Thaga started planning it a couple of days ago, then she made cake yesterday and told me to stay out of it. So, I knew she was serious about a gathering.
            “Now, I know most of you don’t bother with calendars, but this day is a tradition human day of thanksgiving. It’s just more fun with friends around, so, here we all are.
            “We give thanks on this day, though we ought to everyday, to the Maker of All, in whom we live and have our existence!” 
            Then there was a lot of jolly conversation, Twigg and Marge helped by bringing plates of food to Ralph and Ramona. They placed plates conveniently for Blue and the puma bros.
            Since they were working as waiters, Twigg and Marge sat at the table where they could be helpful if called.
            Ooog surprised Hugo with a very large bin of tender grass and leaves, since moose don’t care for human food, except for a piece of cake possibly, if it were offered.
            The adults all had a little glass of plum wine. Cherry and the animals had milk.
            Everyone talked about what a year it had been, and their hopes for the next spring and summer.
            They talked until it was way after dark, but as you know, that’s not a problem for Forest Keepers, and Twigg was there to make sure Marge got home alright.
            The dinner was a great success, it was decided to do it again the next fall, and all slept soundly that night!

🍎🦃🍒

A Place Like A Dream, November 26, 2019,

 It is a painting!

By T. Allen Lawson.

It's just like a place I remember photographing.

🍁

So, tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in America.

A good day for a mental list,

or one on paper!

It will also be Purrsday.

Ideal!

🍂

The Conversation

 

            The second meadow, the one with the Gifting Stump, is small and tends to be floral, an enchanting habitat for bees and various birds, during the warmer months anyhow.
            The first meadow, which is actually like an overgrown logged over field from the old days, is the location of Uncle Bob’s Stump House. The field is littered with the detritus of logging. A lot of firewood has been salvaged from that ruin. There are many stumps in areas adjacent to the Great Forest, and indeed, inside the Great Forest.
            The American west and actually many other places are built of the bodies of those giants. Those stumps seem to be their memorials.
            Nevertheless, after Twigg walked Marge to her mom’s house, he walked happily back down his trail, past the Neanderthal’s cottage. There were lights on in the front room and the kitchen, but nobody was outside and he didn’t bother them.
            When he got clear of the trees, near where he and Marge had met, the old Gifting Stump, he stood studying the sky. It was a clear night. A rather rare thing. He could see the very surface of the moon. When he looked around the whole tent of the heavens, the sensation of depth was so dizzying that Twigg had to look down again.
            He passed the berry patches, now resting up for winter, and entered in among the trees, heading for home.
            Under the trees, he heard an owl call. He answered her, she called him back, and he walked on. She wasn’t hunting, or he wouldn’t have heard her calling.
            When he was almost there, within sight of the fire circle, he stopped and looked. Around the fire, seated on the usual logs, were his parents, both of them. Cherry was on the ground at her parent’s feet, snuggled up with Blue, who was getting just about full sized for a lady wolf. The cats were there too, staring dreamily into the fire.
            He knew change had to come, even here.
            Ralph looked up and saw his son standing in the shadows between the trees, partially lit by the fire. He raised his hand in acknowledgement.
            Twigg walked on down and took a seat on the other side of the fire, facing his family.
            A soft evening wind tossed a few leaves across the scene. Twigg yawned, and said, “Hi. It was an interesting day.”
            “That’s what I hear,” said Ralph.
            “Maeve?” said Twigg.
            “The Bear Thing?” said Ralph. He was laughing.
            “I had to come up with a song, so Marge would believe she could be a bear. So, I sang her the only bear song I knew,” said Twigg. “You did sing it to me once, remember?”
            “I don’t think I want to do it again. It’s hard to be a bear without being a bear, if you get that,” added Twigg.
            “Backfired on ya a little, did it?” said Ralph.
            “There are some things about bears that I didn’t know. Like how much they like garbage, how their whole world is a smell world, they just follow their noses around looking for food!” said Twigg. “I had just about enough sense left to get Marge to follow me down here, because I knew the change would change back here.”

            There was a companionable silence for a few moments.
            “You know we love Marge,” said Ramona. “For her own sake, you can’t let her love you too much, son.”
            “Yeah, I know,” he said, as softly as the little wind of a moment before.
            “When she starts work at the campground she will be too busy to think about me so much,” said Twigg.

🍃