KittyLink™ for Tootsday

 

            “Hey, Buddy,” said Mr. Baby Sir, having finally found Buddy’s coordinates. “Hey! Are you asleep or something?” (Nobody knows how they do this.)
            Buddy picks up his head. Something perturbed his sleep.
            “I hear you, man. But where are you?” he purrmurrs.
            “In jail, man. Washington. Not sure what I did,” said Mr. Baby Sir.
            “Uh, I still can’t see you. Are you a ghost or what?” Buddy asks.
            “You gotta find something shiny to look at. I’m staring at a glass door. It’s dark outside so I can see you! You look like me, man!” laughed Mr. Baby. “Get up and find a window or something, or I dunno. Anything you can look at. Then hook into my link.”
            “I never did that before,” said Buddy, getting up and stretching. But he does go find a shiny window with the dark outside and the light behind him.
            “What’s a Washinton? Never heard of it, by the way,” howled Buddy, fully awake.
            “It’s a place. I could be in the deserts of the great American southwest, but I am here. I don’t know why. Rains all day and all night. Doesn’t really make any difference to me. But I can hear it,” said Mr. Baby. “I’m stuck in the house.”’      
            “Bummer,” commented Buddy.
            “Where are you. I mean IRL. Does it rain all day there?” mewled Mr. Baby.
            “Mnrrrr! No? Sometimes. Mostly not. Come on, it’s California. That’s what he says anyhow. I read over his shoulder,” admitted Buddy.
            “Sounds better than a Washinton. I think they call it that because of the water. You wash with water. Brrr! Horrible thought. The rest of them, that suck-up Charley, my lady, and that guy are swanning all over the desert in a big RV!” yowled Mr. Baby.
            “So, why aren’t you in the RV on the road, man?” asked Buddy, getting right to the point.
            “Reconnaissance. She didn’t appreciate my efforts. That’s all I can think of. They got tired of waiting for my return! Somebody had to do it!” said Mr. Baby.
            “Ah. No wonder you’re stuck there,” said Buddy. “I get it. Anybody else stuck there?”
            “A little fat guy with  short whiskers, Willie, and a really sketchy chick called Suzy Q,” huffed Mr. Baby Sir.  
            “It’s all about getting out, isn’t it?” said Buddy.
            “It really is. Guess I’ll go hit the kitty buffet. Don’t have much else to do,” said Mr. Baby.
            “Take it easy. You’ll get out again, I betcha!” purred Buddy, encouragingly. “Keep your whiskers out! Don’t be quiet, man!”
            “One way or another, Buddy! One way or another…,” promised Mr. Baby Sir.
            “Later…”
            “Later! Over and out,” murrred Mr. Baby.
            KittyLink™ dropped.
            All became silent…

😸

A River Birthday

 

            “It’s hard at this time of year, but if you are very brave and determined, it can be done. And when it is done, you will be in two worlds, not between them,” continued Ralph.
            “How can this be?” said Marge.

🍁

 
             “Is it very hard? What must I do, Sir?” said Marge.
            “Not do. Be. You must be willing to open unseen doors,” Ralph said. “Brave because it’s a cold time of year for your body.” He tipped his head, seeing how she reacted to that statement. She just waited.
            “Being is harder than doing,” said Marge. “I have done many things, but don’t know what I am.”
            “Harder to be taught, but in a way it’s very simple. To be willing is the beginning,” said Ralph. “It’s like a song you can’t hear. But you will. Colors which don’t exist for you, but will. All we Forest Keepers are waits in you too, but unborn.”
            “How can it be born in me?” cried Marge.
            While Marge and Ralph had been talking, Ramona had slipped inside the cave to fetch her drum. She sat with eyes closed by the fire patting it softly with her hands, singing softly in her own language, the language of her mother and the forest.
            “River birth is a Firekeeper’s work, Marge. Not mine,” said Ralph. “I must not intrude.
            “Ramona knows the words, Firekeeper words. I do not.”
            Cherry sat on his knee and looked from person to person without speaking.
            Ramona opened her eyes and smiled. She lay the drum aside and laced her fingers.
            “Are you ready? Now? Are you very sure that you want to see with our eyes, and hear with our ears?” asked Ramona.
            “I want with all my heart to belong in your world, Mother Ramona,” said Marge.
            “Then we must go to the river. Cherry will come because she must learn all the Firekeeper songs and words,” said Ramona.
            “I prayed for an easy birth,” she added. “That was the drum song you heard me singing a moment ago.”
            As she spoke the clouds parted, and the sun shone brilliantly on all below. The air softened a bit. Snow began to slip off of branches, plopping to the ground. A soft breath of wind blew through the Home Clearing. It passed over towards the river.
            Ramona rose and picked up her drum. Cherry floated to her usual position at her mother's left shoulder. Marge stood too, then followed Ramona as she walked through the shallow snow, heading past the rabbit warren, up over a slight ridge and down to the riverside. Ramona sang words unknown to Marge.
            When they got out into the open, near the water, the sun struck them directly. It dazzled Marge. She came willingly, not knowing, but ready.
            Ramona looked down at Marge and smiled. “No one is born covered in cloth are they, Daughter?” she said. “You must take it all off. Put the clothing well up away from the water. You will need it to be dry when we are done.” She put her drum on a rock also, well away from the water.
            Obediently, Marge disrobed. She placed her boots, hat, and Carhartts, and the whole collection on a river boulder. She was cold then, but it could have been worse. The sun did its bit to help her out.
            Ramona had been singing the whole time. Taking Marge by her hand she led her out into the cold running stream. And it was hard for Marge. She felt naked in several ways, and the cold water was numbing her quickly, as it was waist deep where she stood with Ramona and Cherry who didn’t get into the river herself.
            “We will go under the surface together, and when we come up, I will give you a new name,” said Ramona. Marge nodded.
            She clung to the Mother’s hand, and together they dipped down under the shining silver surface, only for a second of time. Then they stood together.
            “In our language I name you Leely. It means “little one” as we speak among ourselves,” said Ramona. “What do you see?”
            Leely was dumbstruck. Openmouthed she looked around herself. First she saw her Mother as she truly was, and her Sister. The air was full of sound. She gasped.
            Ramona brought her out of the river, holding her hand still, in case she was too overcome to make the little walk alone.
            “Leely, put your clothing back on quickly, we don’t want you to suffer,” said Ramona. She spoke in Forest language and Leely understood her.
            “Yes,” said the river born. She hurried to the boulder and dressed herself even though she was damp. The sun continued to shine brightly, which did help.
            “What do you see,” asked Ramona for a second time.
            “I see two worlds together. I didn’t know. Both are close,” she said. “They talk about portals, but it’s not like that, is it. I see as if I could turn a corner and be in another place.”
            “Yes. People who live in your old world say that, because that’s how they see it, like a hole,” said Ramona. She picked up her drum and began patting out a joyful rhythm.
            “Let’s go back to the fire, Leely! Come on Cherry!” laughed Ramona. “You need that fire, and I wouldn’t mind getting dry myself, girls!”
            “I see colors with no names,” cried the girl, Leely. “How can this be?”
            “It just is. They were there all along,” said Ramona, still drumming softly. The Raven design on her skin drumhead winked in and out in sharp relief, as her hand patted.
            “I feel vibrations, all separately!” said Leely, following Ramona back to the forest.
            “You will, yes,” said Ramona. “Each thing has its own song, its own vibration.”
            At the fire, Ralph was chatting with Maeve. He picked up his head expectantly when he saw the women returning. Another word was in his mind, a Saslingua word.
            “Come sit by the fire,” he said. “You will need to warm up quickly.”
            Cherry went back to her father’s knee. Blue settled down by Ralph’s feet. She had been asleep when the three went to the river.
            Ramona brought Leely to the fire, holding her hand, and they both took a seat.
            “She is riverborn as Leely, Ralph,” said Ramona.
            “What do you think about all of this, Leely,” asked Ralph. “What do you hear?”
            “I hear the mountains sigh. I hear the river singing. I hear the silence of the snow. Each thing is distinct. I had no idea,” she said. “I see that there is this place, as always, and another place beyond it and with it.
            “When I look down at myself, I see that I look as I always did. Will that change too?”
            “What I believe is that you will grow somewhat taller, but not as tall as we who are born Forest Keepers. You may well become stronger. But not as strong as Mona. Your hair will grow faster, but I don’t think it will cover all of you. You will be able to be among the people of the land, but you will also be of us.
            “Are you happy, little Leely?” he spoke softly.
            “Yes. I am happy. What shall I do?” said Leely.
            “You must go home to your mother and be Marge with her for a time. It won’t be forever, Leely,” said Ramona.
            “But, when you can, come to us, and I will teach you my songs, and the songs of my mother, and my grandmother before her,” said Ramona.
            “I’m surprised she hasn’t called me. I’ve been gone a long time. I should go, so she isn’t frightened,” said Leely.
            “I’ll go with her, Ramona. Just to make sure,” said Maeve.
            And so Maeve flew along with Leely as she walked the path back through the snowy meadow, past Thaga’s cottage, and out to the end of the dirt road where Enid’s house stood.
            When she saw Leely go in and shut the door behind herself, Maeve flew back to the Home Clearing and the fire.

💙

Suzday Morning Greetings

 

On location in Milltown, WA.

Suzy sends her best wishes this January 4, 2026.

She extends her love to all the cats too!

I, also, wish you a bright day,

and all the best today!

Seriously, she does!

🧡

A Fine And Furry Catfurday to You

 

The word is good from Arizona.

Herein, Bubble Woman's latest work.

In Yuma, the adventure continues.

Ms. Charley savors a bit of desert grass.

She declares it to be drier than grass at home.

Mr. Baby Sir waits at home, growing his whiskers.

He, for one, could use a good brushing!

🌸

Mrrrrup!

A Time Between Two Worlds

            

            Before she opened her eyes, Marge knew that she was awakening in a different place. Again, she knew this. It had been happening ever since she moved home with Enid and Arthur. It seemed a little odd to her that the mobile in the campground should have made such a lasting impression on her memory.
            She had no pressing reason to arise. But, that’s just the way the body is. At some point consciousness returns, and there you are. Awake.
            Enid had gotten a cat since the last time Marge had lived at home. This was a default patterned tabby named Pearl. Well read Marge thought, “pearl of great price,” and laughed because she knew this Pearl was a freebee. Right now, Pearl was asleep between Marge’s chin and shoulder.
            There is always a reluctance to wake a cat for some reason.
            Out in Enid’s territory the TV was banging on about some outrage or other, or some bit of political maneuvering.
            “How did I end up here,” Marge wondered. Maybe Pearl wondered the same thing because she got up and left the room, exiting through a four inch opening in the doorway.
            “Marge,” she told herself, “This would be a very good day for a walk in the forest.” Herself agreed.
            It was too bad that Pearl couldn’t come along. She seemed like a very nice kitten.
            Both Ralph and Ramona had said that she was welcome to come see them anytime, so she bundled up in preparation for a walk in a fair bit of snow. The heavy snow season hadn’t quite started yet in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. That usually happened in February.
            “Mom,” she yelled at Enid in the living room, “I’m going to go out and wade through the snow for a while!”
            “Take your phone!” Enid called back distractedly, just like she always had.
            Once outside, it was chilly and quiet. It was so quiet that it almost sounded like some kind of white noise, just faintly.
            Her car sat at the edge of the dirt road in front of the house with a light dusting of snow on it. It hadn’t been driven in days. There were some bird tracks on the hood. So birds were moving around, even if she hadn’t seen them yet.
            The path hadn’t been walked; there were no prints. Hers would be the first since this snowfall. No flowers. The bushes looked packed away for the winter. Just sticks. It looked like a Wyeth painting.
            Thaga and Ooog’s house was quiet too, but she saw that smoke rose from the chimney and there was light in the windows. Marge could smell bread baking clear out on the path. She wished then that she had taken time to eat before going out.
            A layer of snow on top of tall dry grass is exhausting to walk through, but it wasn’t too far, so Marge marched on. The wind pinked her cheeks, and she started to think about Ramona’s fire with a convenient log beside it to sit on. Snow managed to make its way into her boots. If she had had far to go it might have ended badly.
            But Maeve was watching from high aloft, so in actuality, someone would have come for her if she had gotten too tired.
            When she entered the forest, it was much easier going. As we know, snow doesn’t really pile up in Ralph’s domain. It just makes things look wintery and festive. Once again, the puma bros. found her. They smiled their cat smiles and bunted her gloved hands, as if to say, “Come on! Hurry up, girl!”
            In the distance, a bit further on, she could see flames. Warmth and company were near.
            Before she had even entered the Home Clearing, friendly faces were turned in her direction. She could see Maeve there seated on Ralph’s shoulder. Ramona sat beside him with Cherry on her lap. Blue sat at their feet.
            “Come in,” called Ralph in his basso voice that carries very well indeed.
            Ramona waved toward the fire. Blue stood up and barked a greeting and Cherry grinned.
            It was just like coming home.
            “I missed you all,” said Marge. “So, I decided to visit. There wasn’t a lot going on back at the house. Just the TV and nothing much to do. My room is already neat. I guess I could have read something, but I was lonely for you. Is Twigg around?”
            “Twigg is out following a young buck. I expect to see him pretty soon,” said Ramona. “Come near, warm up. You look frozen, Marge.”
            “I am nearly frozen, you’re right,” she said. She took a seat. The heat of the fire drew her in and she relaxed, just sitting there.
            “Are you well?” said Ralph.
            “I am well, thank you. But I feel as if I am between two worlds,” said Marge.
            “You are between two worlds,” said Ralph. “But you are only native to one world.”
            “It’s not very comfortable. I feel as if there is a veil between myself and where I belong,” said Marge, quietly. “When I told you that I wished that I could be one like yourselves, I was not lying and I still wish that.”
            Ralph looked at Ramona for a moment. Maeve glanced at her and then back at Ralph expectantly. Everyone was very quiet. The fire crackled. Sparks flew up. The sky was white and very low. Blue laid her head on Marge’s knee and looked at her with icy blue eyes.
            “There is a way. Are you sure? You must be sure because, if you’re unsure, nothing will come of it,” said Ralph at last.
            “Oh, more than anything, I wish it!” said Marge.
            “It’s hard at this time of year, but if you are very brave and determined, it can be done. And when it is done, you will be in two worlds, not between them,” continued Ralph.
            “How can this be?” said Marge. 

❄🤍❄

A Day Like No Other

 

 

            Cherry and Blue woke and came out to enjoy the fire in the crispy air of the Home Clearing. They found Ramona and Marge and Maeve sitting together waiting for the fishermen to come home.
            But, the first to arrive were Bob and Berry who had been romping around in the snow out by Uncle Bob’s place. Aunt Suzie had been feeding them snacks of left over turkey deemed a little rough for herself and Uncle Bob, so they were full and happy boys.
            The sun rose higher in the sky. The small flakes of snow drifting down flashed like miniscule mirrors when they crossed a beam. A small wind came to visit for a moment, scattering the snow before its breath. All was peace.
            Just as it began to feel to Ramona as if it was getting to be time to start something to eat, a deep familiar voice was heard from the direction of the river. It was Ralph, himself, of course, singing a song of praise and pure joy. He sang and laughed alternately, as if he knew a secret and could barely contain it.
            Then he appeared. Oh, it’s so hard to express the impression he made on Marge, or even the ones who knew him best. He was very big, but more than that, he embodied something larger than physical size, 9 ft. of greatness. He shone when the sun hit him. Even with the grey in his black beard he was beautiful, but maybe that gray was no detraction, maybe it added to it. Of course it did. An atmosphere of happiness seemed to surround him and travel with him.
            Coming with him was Twigg, who would never reach his father’s height. He was maybe 7ft. tall, and of a lighter color, a rich brown. He had the sack of fish slung over his shoulder.
            Twigg was much like his mother. The overall impression was of sweetness, a kind and thoughtful young fellow.
            “We bring unto you these many fish who rallied to my call,” laughed Ralph. “Do with them as you will, Mona!” Or something equivalent in Saslingua, the love language of Forest Keepers
            Then, “Marge! It’s good to see you! Can you stay for a fishy dinner?” sang Ralph.
            “Thank you, yes! I will,” said Marge, completely dazzled.
            “That’s good! Twigg, your dear friend is here!” said the father.
            “I see!” said Twigg. “Are you all done at the campground for the winter, Margie?”
            “Yeah,” she said. “I decided to pack up and leave a day early, because there was no reason to hang around one more day. I decided to come in and see you all before I took all my junk back to my old bedroom at mom’s house.”
            Twigg gave the sack of wiggly fish to his mother and plopped down right beside Marge.
            “Evermore!” sang Maeve and flew off into the sky, to wherever Ravens go when they fly off.
            “Is there anything I can do to help you, Ramona,” said Marge. “I don’t want to just sit here and let you work.”
            Ramona looked at the girl for a moment and said, “Would you like to help clean fish? I only have one knife, but maybe we can trade off..”
            “Wait,” said Twigg. “I’ll loan Marge my knife. It’s in its bag inside. Hang on.”
            So, Twigg fetched his new Swiss army knife for Marge to use. And Ramona taught her how to clean trout for the pan. Between the two of them the job went very quickly. Each cleaned fish was dropped into the five gallon bucket that was half full of clean water.
            Ramona sang an old Firekeeper song, and Marge tried to follow along a little under her breath. Ramona noticed this, because she notices everything.
            Marge dried off Twigg’s knife with a paper towel she had in her pocket, making sure it was clean and dry before she returned it to him.
            Then Ramona got the big flat pan out of the cave, and put a few more pieces of deadfall on the fire. She laid the pan on the grill over the fire and when it got hot she put a good big lump of butter on it, courtesy of Thaga, of course.
            She and Marge shook the water off of each fish as they laid it in the hot butter. Ramona added some salt to the trout.
            It doesn’t take long to cook fish this way. One flip and in a few minutes they were done.
            It was a good thing the fisherman had caught a lot of fish, because it was fish only this time. But it was very good, and there was lots for everyone, including Blue, and Berry and Bob, of course.
            Then Ramona made coffee, for the special occasion.
            “I’ll clean up,” said Ramona. “Twigg, why don’t you show Marge the spot you’ve chosen out in the meadow. The snow isn’t very deep.”
            “Do you want to see?” Twigg asked Marge and she said she did. She had her boots on too.
            “We’ll be back before dark,” Twigg told those around the fire. Bob and Berry wanted to go too, so they let them. What could be better than to tromp through a snowy meadow with a couple of leaping pumas?
            Twigg and Marge visited the Gifting Stump first. It looked a little forlorn there with a cap of frozen snow on top. Twigg knocked the snow off, but then they decided it didn’t look much better that way, and there wasn’t anything to decorate it with. So they had to leave it there without its cap of snow.
            “We could put a small snowman up there,” said Marge, after explaining what that was, but the snow was too frozen to roll anyhow.
            “I’ve been thinking that it was just about time for me to have a home that is mine,” said Twigg. “So, I started thinking about the little house I made for the B’s, and I knew about the Basket House Benny made for Lily out in the forest near Concrete, and I thought, you know, I bet I can do that better and bigger and stronger.
            “So, I looked around here on the edge of the firs for an area of alders, but young alders, so that I could use them for sort of the bones of my house. I would leave their roots in the ground and bend them in a dome shape.
            “Of course, I have to wait until spring to get started. The snow is going to get deeper out here and the stuff I need will be all covered in snow,” said Twigg. “Sounds like a big job, huh,” he grinned. “But I know I can make a living house! Maybe a big one!”
            “I don’t have any doubt,” said Marge. “I expect that you will.”
            “I’m going to try,” said Twigg. And he smiled his sweet smile at her.
            “Maybe as the trees grow taller, you could add a second floor,” said Marge.
            “That’s a good idea!” said Twigg.
            “OK, we better go back to the fire, and warm you up. You’re not weatherproof like I am,” said Twigg.
            So they followed their trail back through the snow and into the Home Clearing and found seats by the fire. It was true that Marge had gotten chilled, so she was glad to sit there and visit with the family some more.
            The sun was preparing a winter sunset. It was beginning to get darker and colder. The wind whispered something through the trees.
            “I think I had better go. This was the best day ever,” said Marge. “I need to move back into my old bedroom. Enid and Arthur are expecting me tomorrow, but today is fine too. So, I better go do it.”
            “You’re always welcome,” said Ralph.
            “Come any time,” said Ramona.
            Twigg walked with Marge to the ranger station parking lot and watched as she fired up the old gray Honda, to make sure she got going. Then he watched as she drove out of the parking lot. At last the sound of the engine faded and she was gone.

💚

Goodbye 2025

 

            How shall we describe the year that has nearly passed?
            It would be easy to make reference to the blind men describing different parts of the elephant in the room, wouldn’t it? And yet, it’s true isn’t it? Does it depend on what is, is, to quote that bad monkey, Bill Clinton?
            Yes, that elephant named 2025 was different for each of us. A lot of it all, out on a global level stunk, really badly. But on a personal level, we had triumphs, progress and happiness, didn’t we? I’d hazard to say that it was mostly good. I think it depends on where the gaze is directed and where the heart resides, on a higher trajectory.
            I had fun this year publishing some really odd books. Hey, if I can do it, anybody can!
            The vision in my mind that has persisted is of high mountain peaks rising from a dark landscape, but with the morning sunlight revealing them brilliantly, in contrast. It is a picture of my hopes for the coming year. A high country, above all else. A metaphor.
            Please do comment!
            You know that the cats will have plenty to say, eventually.

🌸

 

*The photo is by flippantsmeagol on Tumblr.