News Of An Old Friend

 

            Ramona was out of coffee, which was uncool. It was close to an emergency. They both loved a cup early in the morning, sitting on those convenient logs by the fire as the sun came up, the sky became blue, or gray, and things began to stir in the great forest.
            Of course, Ralph was a problem solver, so he ran several possibilities over in his mind. How to get Ramona, and himself actually, some emergency coffee. Thaga’s big bag of green coffee beans had been all used up somehow. They were drinking herbal tea over there, so it was no use bothering them. Millicent and Colin had gone to Oregon for a few days, so he couldn’t send Maeve to Millicent for some beans.
            Then he thought of Ranger Rick. Bingo! Rick bought pretty awful coffee, but it was coffee. It was pre-ground and sold in cans at the supermarket. Rick also didn’t like to forage for firewood. He much preferred for Ralph to bring him a moderately sized log of alder once in a while. For this he was glad to trade a big tin of mediocre coffee.
            Ralph knew where there was a stand of modestly sized alders out beyond Ooog’s place. That’s where he went immediately. He knocked one of them with about an 8’ diameter trunk over, pulled off the branches, putting them aside to dry for Ramona, and he knocked off the root ball last. Putting the tree trunk over his shoulder he set out for the ranger station.
            Maeve had been watching him operate on the alder tree.
            “What’s up, Boss,” said she, as she swooped down and sat on his unoccupied shoulder.
            “Ramona is out of coffee, Birdie, Ma’am, which is totally bogus,” said Ralph.
            “Oh! We’re going to the ranger station then!” said Maeve.
            “Yup, now that you’re here, we are,” agreed Ralph.
            So, Ralph with the tree on his right shoulder and the great Raven on his left shoulder made their way through the Home Clearing and out the other side and down the path to the parking lot and the ranger station. Nobody but Rick was parked there.
            Ralph threw the log down in front of the station building and peeked inside. There sat Rick at his desk eating a lunch of crackers and canned chili with a glass of milk.
            “Ramona’s out of coffee, Rick. Do you know Maeve? I never thought to ask. I’ve never seen you two in the same place at the same time,” said Ralph.
            “Did you bring me some firewood, Ralph? No, I’ve never seen that large of a Raven. Why is it on your shoulder?” said Rick, goggling a bit.
            “She, not it. She is a lady Raven. She’s my eyes and ears in places where I can’t go! Of course I brought you a nice alder tree. It’s green, but it will dry,” said Ralph.
            “Thanks, Ralph. Hi, Maeve, how’s it flyin’?” said Rick.
            “Evermore!” said Maeve. Ralph giggled. Rick felt like he was missing out on a joke.
            “I always have a big can of coffee for Ramona, Ralph. No worries,” said Rick. “Say, Ralph, have you ever seen this old film? Take a look.” Rick turned his laptop around so Ralph could see it. “Have a seat.”
            Ralph kind squinched himself in a bit so he could fit in the big oak chair facing Rick’s desk. He watched the figure in the video move along and look back a bit nervously.
            “No, I’ve never seen the film. But I know her. You know how we all kind of know each other, right? She is or was, not sure, a friend of my mother’s long ago.” He watched her walk clear out of the frame.
            “How could she be your mother’s friend? She lived in California, not Washington,” wondered Rick.
            “Well, years before those guys managed to catch her on camera, she did live in Washington. My parents’ and her family lived way up in the remote mountains and had nothing to do with you pinkies.
            “One of our guys who was traveling southward from Alaska wandered by one day and caught her eye. It was love, solid and sure in about five minutes. He wanted to keep heading south and so she went with him. During the years that you guys know as the 60s they lived in California, where that film was made. Later, they kept going. Their kids still live in California, but they are in Mexico. I guess he was just sick of snow or something,” said Ralph.
            “Are you pulling my leg,” said Rick.
            “I am not. My mother told me,” said Ralph.
            “How did your mother know what they did after they left?” said Rick.
            “Oh, you know. They stayed in touch. It’s a thing we do. Too bad you guys aren’t very good at it,” said Ralph.
            “If you say so, Ralph. Hang on, I’ll get your coffee,” said Rick. He got up and went into a closet and brought out a big can of Safeway coffee and handed it over. “I’ll get out there soon and cut up the alder.”
            When Ralph and Maeve left the office with the can of coffee there was a pickup with a couple of guys in western hats driving into the parking lot. Ralph moved off so quickly that if they saw him, with Maeve on his shoulder, they might very well have thought they were imagining things, just the way Ralph liked it.
            At home, after all of that, Ralph gave Ramona the big can of coffee and took a seat.
            “Thanks, Baby! Seems like a lot of work for a cup of coffee, doesn’t it?” said Ramona.
            “It wasn’t too bad. I was due for a walk-about anyhow. And we got to see that old old film of my mother’s friend walking off by that river in California. I knew of it but hadn’t seen it,” said Ralph. “On Rick’s laptop. We got to give a couple of guys in a pickup something to wonder about too.”
            Ramona made a pot of coffee right then.
            “So, anything interesting happen today while I was gone?” said Ralph.
            “Uncle Bob came down looking for you. He’s working on a song about someone named Patty, but not really Patty,” said Ramona, laughing a bit.
            “Oh!” said Ralph.
            “What?” said Ramona, who had noticed something in his tone.
            “Do you remember anything from his song?” asked Ralph.
            “A little bit…

            They called you Patty, but it’s not your name.
            You’re famous but unknown!
            Lovely and swift, just the same…
           A braid in your hair, and a hitch in your step,
           You’ve quick-stepped into fame!
 
            There was more, Ralph, but I can’t remember more,” giggled Ramona.
            “I can’t wait to hear him sing it,” said Ralph. “But I wonder, how in the world did he know the story? Did he see the film somehow?”
            “I guess we’ll just have to ask him,” she said.
            Then she whistled for the kids to come in to the fire and get ready to eat.
            She gave her stew a stir, and stood watching with a hand on her hip, as Twigg and Cherry, with Bob and Berry ran into sight.
            “Her name wasn’t Patty. It was (Saslingua for Poppy) by the way,” said Ralph.

🧡

Willie Ponders A Couple Of Things

 

A Very Serious Cat

            Willie had been sunning himself, but the shadows had shifted, and he was out of direct light. This always made him thoughtful. Light and dark. Right and wrong. His philosophical side came out during these difficult times.
            “Suzy, you might want to note some of this stuff down,” said Willie to his sister.
            “Willie, you goofball. Why’re you talkin’ silly talk. I can’t note anything down, and you know it!” she said.
            “Well, huh, just take note of it then,” said he.
            “So, OK, oh wise one. What’s the story today,” said Suzy.
            “I’ve been thinking. Um, what if a person, or a cat, does the wrong thing, but for the right reason? Is it a right thing then, or a wrong thing?” said Willie.
            “My head is feeling a little woozy. Do you have an example?” said Suzy.
            “OK, I’ll keep it really basic. Say, there is a mother. She wants the very best for her children, or her kittens. But, she has been misinformed about what is good for them. Maybe something as simple as food. So, if she feeds her children food that will not cause them to grow and prosper to their best potential, but she does so out of utter devotion and love, is that a good thing, or a bad thing?” asked Willie.
            “I would say that it depends on which is most important forever. Is their less than optimum physical condition more important than the mom’s constant and faithful love,” said Suzy.
            “Not bad, Suzy, for such a little fluff head! On one level it’s a “bad” thing, and on a better level, depending on the love expressed, it’s a good thing! Ah, life is complicated, and that was a simple example. I shudder to think about more complex possibilities,” he said.
            Willie sat in a perfect loaf position, just thinking for a while.
            “What else ya got, Bro?” said Suzy when she got tired of watching him think.
            He sighed. “Well, OK. I think you and Toots, but not Sammie, or for Heaven’s sake not Charley, or the guys, have gone a little, or a whole bunch overboard about all the things that you are scared of.
            “It doesn’t seem healthy to think about and list scary things,” said Willie.
            “But, but, somebody has to keep any eye open for all the bad things that could happen at any moment, night or day, but especially night!” exclaimed Suzy. “You guys just sleep! Who is going to protect our people or us, Willie?”
            “Think about it this way, OK? Almost nothing that you are afraid of ever happens. You give yourselves worry bumps over guesses and nightmares.
            “The other thing is, if some horrible monster managed to get in the house, what do you think you could do about it? Be realistic! You’re just a small domestic, but not really domesticated, ahem, cat of the pet variety. How could your vigilance count for anything?” said Willie.
            “I’d go wake up one of the people!” she said. “And so would Toots! We could do that!”
            “I’ll give you that. But, staying awake nights, imagining things? Come on,” said Willie. “Be practical. Sleep. Tell Toots what I said. If, by some incredibly small chance an Ozark Howler, a Werewolf or a big mean Stick Indian broke in here, you would notice. Then you could wake up and do your duty! I bet the people would wake up too!”
            “But, Willie, not being on the alert feels irresponsible and lazy,” said Suzy. “Are you sure you’re not just lazy and don’t want us making you look bad?” she said.
            “Of course not. And the other thing is, taking on responsibility which is not truly yours will just end up exhausting you and making you all hissy and weird. I think I may rest my case there! Who do we know who is all hissy and weird?” answered Willie.
            “I can’t imagine,” said Suzy rather huffily and weirdly.
            “Well, talk to Toots. She could use a chill pill too,” laughed Willie, in that cat way.
            Suzy said, “I think the net result of this discussion could be listed as.
1.      It depends.
2.      You might be lazy, or not.
3.      I need to talk to Toots.
4.      I think you’re pulling my ears, Willie!
 
            “Oh, Suzy! Take it easy. Why don’t you go find something shiny to look at and talk it over with Toots?” said Willie sleepily. “I actually love you two silly girls.”
            “Yeah, go to sleep. I’m going to go talk to Toots. She’ll know if you’re making any kind of sense at all,” said Suzy.
            He did go to sleep.
            And she did go talk to Toots.
            But first she took a good long nap.

🤍

The River Brings A Gift

Stilliquamish River, near Verlot.

 

            I think it may be safely said that the wind signifies change, does it not? For certainly, it changes all it touches, for good or ill. The wind may also appear inquisitive.
            Then, what’s to be said of the river? Manifestation? Appearing? Life hurtling by, and yet, always the same, depending on the time of year, more or less. A matter to ponder, surely.
            One day in the summer of a year in the great forest, Twigg and Cherry went to the river to play in the water. Twigg was a good swimmer, as his people tend to be. Cherry was a pretty good swimmer too, but she mostly flitted over the surface, dipping her toes in the water for fun. They could often be found there.
            The river was at a lowish point. Rocks that were often underwater were showing their heads above the surface. The flow was a little less hectic than during runoff in the spring. The river seemed to be dreaming almost. Sometimes a creature would come carefully to the shallow pools near the bank for a long drink of water and then steal back into the cover of the forest.
            Something upstream caught Cherry’s attention. She went up higher to get a better look. Whatever it was floated on the surface and was coming toward them at the speed of the water.
            “Twigg,” Cherry called out, “Something is coming down the river to us!”
            “Can you see what it is?” he said.
            “It’s not a log or a bush. I can’t tell yet,” said Cherry. “It will be here soon.”
            Twigg waded out into deeper water and stood waiting. Cherry waited aloft.
            “It’s a basket!” she called.
            And so it was. It turned around a few times as it floated downriver. It was round and about the size of an old fashioned bushel basket, perhaps a little bigger.
            Twigg waited until it got to him and then he plucked it out of the water and headed to shore to see what it was that he had caught. Cherry followed right behind.
            He set it down and they looked at it together. It was almost like a tiny boat made of tightly woven green sapling twigs. Someone had gone to a great deal of trouble to make it, for it seemed to be waterproof. There was something moving a little inside the tiny basket boat.
            To their utter astonishment, it was a tiny new infant of their own people. This infant was silent, looking at them gazing in at it, with alert brown eyes. They could see that underneath this child there was a thick layer of clay mixed with moss, with more moss placed under the child. There was no bedding over him. He only had his own hair and the sunlight to keep him warm. Yes, the basket seemed to be waterproof, but it couldn’t have remained that way forever.
            “Take him to Mama,” said Cherry. Twigg nodded silently, staring at the baby in the basket.
            It was a hurried, solemn pair who headed back toward home. Twigg carried the basket on his right shoulder as a man carries any oddly shaped awkward thing, and Cherry drifted along beside him.
            They found Ramona deep in conversation with Constance, of Constance and Ferdie. Ferdie and Ralph had gone somewhere to do something or other which might involve hunting.
            “Mama, look!” said Cherry as her brother approached with the basket boat. “There was a baby in a basket on the river! We caught it before it went away down the river!”
            Ramona and Constance looked at each other in shock and jumped up. Twigg set the basket down before them and the baby began to weep and cry out. Perhaps he sensed that mothers were near. Perhaps he was very hungry.
            Ramona picked the little one out of the basket. She examined him all over. Saw that he was well, but maybe a little thin and we would say dehydrated. She held him close, and she cried for him. He was a little messy but that didn’t matter.
            “Twigg, honey, take the bucket back to the river and get me a bucket of water,” she said.
            Constance wanted to hold him too. Now, Constance had an infant of her own on her lap. This child had just been nursing, so it was a simple matter to put the new one to the other breast. So, Constance did that day save the little stranger’s life.
            But she said, “I can’t take him home with me. The twins are with my mother and now I have this new one. What shall we do, Ramona?”
            The mothers put their heads together to consider what they might do.
            Twigg came back with the water and Ramona washed the little guy. Then she wrapped him in Twigg’s old baby blanket, holding him until he went to sleep. They waited to show him to Ralph and Ferdie.
            A couple of hours later, Ralph and Ferdie and Bob and Berry appeared with a deer, and a lot of loud boisterous talking. The story was told to them, the boat was examined and admired, and the baby was passed around to Ralph and Ferdie to hold as he slept.
            “What can we do with him,” said Ramona. “He needs a mother and a home.”
            Ralph thought for a moment, and then said, “Benny and Lily have a new one. She could be a mother to this one too. I believe that is the best answer for him. Twigg and I will take him, in his basket to them. I am beyond sure that Lily and Benny will welcome a new son.”
            So, the king of the forest, with his own son beside him, gathered up the basket with the baby tucked inside. Since time must not be wasted, Ralph gave Twigg the basket and went into the cave to the high shelf where he kept the Portable Portal. He brought it out and activated it by shaking it until it hung in the air like a golden circle.
            Ralph took the basket back from Twigg and they stepped inside the circumference of the circle. The last thing Ramona and everyone saw was Twigg’s hand grabbing the portal and pulling it into itself.
            Ramona cried a little more, because she had loved the baby instantly and he was gone.
            By that mysterious method, Ralph, Twigg, and baby appeared near Concrete, WA and Rasar Park. There was a little hike outside of town to Benny and Lily’s house made of living saplings and berry vines.
            When they got there a pleasant smelling smoke greeted them from the open door.
            “Benny,” called Ralph. “I want to talk to you and Lily!”
            So, Benny and Lily, with her baby in her arms tumbled out to meet Ralph and Twigg and the baby. Soon the story was told and the question of the baby in the basket boat was put to them.
            Exactly as Ralph had thought, Benny and Lily were eager to have a second son to grow up together with their own.
            “I wonder why he was put in boat in the river,” mused Lily. “It’s very sad, but in a way it’s wonderful too. He was sent out from some terrible situation, but through the cleverness of his mother and father, he has been allowed to live.”
            “Sometimes we don’t get to know,” said Ralph. “But someday, you’ll be able to tell him how the river brought him to Twigg and Cherry, and Ramona and Constance saved his life, and how we brought him to you. It will be a great story!”
            “By the way, any idea what his name will be yet,” asked Ralph.
            “I think we’ll call him River,” said Benny. “I just can’t think of a better name for him.”
            “I can’t either,” said Lily, with both babies in her arms.
            “You know, I think that’s perfect. I can’t wait to tell Ramona. She misses the little guy, and she hardly met him,” said Ralph.
            Ralph and Twigg had a nice dinner with Benny’s family and then they went home the same way they had gotten there to report on the grand success of their mission.

🌲💚🌲

Just Some Summer Roses at Home

 It's an open thread day.

June 27, 2025, incredibly.

Blessings upon you all.

"Love, and only love."

Most happy Friday wishes.

🤍

A Short Confrontation

 

            Wolvrin Farsukkil, King of the Plaidies was not pleased, to say very little! In fact, he was all worked up about the ousting of his vassals. His countenance had fallen, that was for sure.
            Mikkel Mooch, the head Plaidie in yesterday's attempt, had come dragging his heels in to report that he had failed ignominiously to re-acquire the Golden Portal. He wasn’t sure the King had any business being so fired up. It was his, Mikkel’s, baby after all, not Wolvrin’s. He supposed that it was something in the nature of kingship to be all fat-headed in that way.
            The uncomfortable interview had occurred somewhere in a kingdom on the other side of a pool of standing water. All three Plaidies had been forced to escape by jumping into the shining surface backwards. They were fortunate to have made such a successful escape. Pumas deal with problems by biting them!
            “I will deal with this hairy brute myself,” said Wolvrin. The idea pleased him. He sat around grinning, tiny and mean, hyping himself up and believing everything he told himself.

👑

 
            But back to the Home Clearing, and our friends who live there.
            Berry and Bob padded silently down to the fire circle. Everybody was there, sitting around the fire, while serving sized pieces of those two birds the Puma Bros. had caught earlier in the day sizzled over the fire on Ramona’s grid.
            “Oh, there you are! Anything exciting happen out there?” said Ralph, not really expecting much of an answer.
            Berry emitted a small huff, which is how Pumas snicker.
            “Not really,” said Bob.
            Something in the tone of the exchange made Ralph take more note of them. He didn’t say anything right then, but he realized that something had actually happened out there. They both looked healthy and shiny as usual, so he wasn’t worried or anything, just curious.
            At dinner, Twigg and Cherry compared the flavors of wild turkey and pheasant, finding them not too dissimilar. To go with the birds, Ramona had mushrooms stewed in butter, a very fine dish, which reminded Bob of how much he had desired butter.
            He felt shy about it, but he finally did speak to Ramona.
            “Firekeeper,” Bob said, rather formally, “My heart seems to be set on butter. I hesitate to ask, but, Twigg’s mother, may I have some of your butter?”  
            Ramona was a little surprised, because Bob didn’t usually speak. But she said, “of course,” and went to her little butter crock, which Ooog had made and Thaga often filled with butter in exchange for trout. Nobody knows exactly how Thaga gets butter, but she does. Ramona  dished a good big dollop of it into a wooden bowl for Bob.
            Berry coughed politely, looking at Bob’s serving of butter, so Ramona got him one too in another bowl.
            Ralph began to think that whatever had happened on the Puma’s way home had something to do with butter. “Passing strange!” Ralph thought to himself. He looked over at Ramona watching the Bros. eat butter, and she looked amused too. She winked and kept smiling.
            The sun began to sink toward the horizon, which is obscured anyhow, among all those trees and the forest became dim. Twigg and Cherry became drowsy and wandered off to go to sleep behind the clever green door. Bob and Berry drowsed, full of butter and happy, near Ralph’s feet. Ramona sat beside him.

            Without warning Maeve dropped out of the canopy of tree tops, landing on Ralph’s shoulder. She was all in a huffy hurry for some reason.
            “Something’s up, Boss,” she said breathlessly. “Evermore! Ever MORE!” she muttered.
            “Oh, hi, Birdie,” said Ralph, eyebrows up. “What’s the story?”
            “Oh, Ralph! Something wicked this way comes! I saw it!” said she.
            “Really! What can it be? Coming here?” asked Ralph.
            “The worst Plaidie anyone has ever seen! He’s wearing a crown made of coins, stolen no doubt, and he’s stomping this way from the river this very moment!” hollered Maeve.
            Ralph laughed. “Oh, this should be fun!”
            Maeve looked at him all wild eyed and shut up, waiting and looking toward the river.
            Just at the right dramatic moment, a small figure came into view. Much like Mikkel, he wore the regulation plaid jacket, leather pants, bare feet, leathery skin, crazy light blue eyes and grey braid. But this Plaidie wore a crown made of golden coins.
            He strutted up to Ralph’s feet, where he sat, and put his hands on his hips, looking up and squinting in the smoke of Ramon’s dying fire.
            “I’m calling you out, Beast,” yowled Wolvrin Farsukkil, King of all the Plaidies. “You have something that rightfully belongs to me. You will hand it over if you want to live!”
            Berry and Bob woke from their drowsiness and looked at each other. Both were thinking the same thing.
            “You have named me Beast, Plaidie. Do you crave to deal with a Beast?” Ralph laughed. “What could a Beast have that belongs to you? Speak, Shortling!”
            “Don’t bandy words with me, Beast. Hand it over!” spat Wolvrin.
            “It? What’s it? Whose is it? This is all mysterious,” said Ralph, standing at full height.
            “I’m here for the Golden Portal, Beast. Give it to me!” said the tiny monarch. “Let me have it!”
            “You want me, a Beast, to let you have it?” asked Ralph. His eyes shone with laughter.
            “This is your last chance, Beast! I have powers you can’t even imagine!” howled Wolvrin.
            “That remains to be seen,” said Ralph. Ramona had her hand over her mouth and was stifling a flurry of giggles. She had tears in her eyes.
            “Tell that She-Beast not to mock a king! She shall not mock again!” raged the little stinkpot.
            Threatening Ramona was a dumb move. Ralph stopped laughing. A sober, appraising Ralph regarded Wolvrin raging around his feet, and he became heartily sick of the whole performance.
            “Cats,” said Ralph, “This Shortling, this homely, overblown Grimkin, this half-wit, puffed up manikin has threatened your Queen. What say you?”
            “How dare it?” said Bob.
            “Bad idea,” said Berry.
            “Deal with this problem for me, will you? I leave it with you!” said Ralph.
            He turned his back, singing a song called “No Returns,” just to make sure.
            Bob and Berry seized Wolvrin, and marched him, screaming, red faced in some Gnomish language, back to the river for disposal.
            The wind, which is nosy, told the river they were coming and to get busy, and the river made a little whirlpool right near its bank. Berry shook the little king hard, until his crown fell off into the river. Then Bob grabbed him and flung him bodily into the whirlpool. The last of him they saw were the bottoms of his flat paddle-like feet disappearing under the surface. The whirling water stilled, and it was done. The crown made of coins was just visible under the water, lying on river pebbles, but Pumas done care about such things.
 
            When they got back to the fire circle, Ralph and Ramona were there waiting for them.
            “I bet something did happen today, didn’t it, Bob?” grinned Ralph, humor restored.
            “I think it must have had something to do with butter for some reason. But I can’t figure it out!” Ralph said.
            Berry looked at Bob, and then the whole story came out. Bob felt silly, but Ramona said it was alright. Maeve said it would be crazy not to love butter. “Evermore, in fact.”
            “What a day,” said Ralph.
            “Those Plaidies don’t even need the Golden Portal to get around. I don’t understand them,” said Ralph. “Could it be simply greed for gold,” he continued.
            “I believe so, I can’t think of any other reason,” said Ramona.
            They were all sleepy and it was dark, so they all went to bed!

🌸

           

A Cautionary Tale With Butter

 

 

            Berry and Bob, the puma bros. dawdled on the way home. It’s not like they weren’t free to do as they wished. In fact, they could have left home entirely, should they have wished to, and no one would have thought badly of them. Sometimes they even stayed out all night.
            But, this time, they were just fooling around, headed roughly in the right direction. They had each captured a bird. Bob found a turkey; Berry got a pheasant. They were feeling pretty feline. Ralph had taken the birds and split for the Home Clearing at an effective rate of speed.
            To tell the truth, both of them were snooping. Only their tails showed over the tall grass and low vines they were pacing through. It was past midday. Honestly it was warm and muggy. Sleepy weather, for cats.
            Their path homeward passed by the river. It gurgled and swooshed suggestively, but neither one swam if they had no reason to. It was slow going walking over and around those big granite rocks. Some of them were of a manageable size. So, Bob rolled some over. But there was nothing alive under them. That paled quickly. They went on.
            Berry saw something in the corner of his eye. He shook his head. He didn’t believe it. In any case, it vanished around a huge rock. Catlike, he went to look behind the rock. Nothing. It was confusing. Bob saw him and followed.
            “What are you doing,” said Bob.
            “Something red ran around this rock,” said Berry, standing still and checking out his surroundings.
            “Be careful you don’t fall into a rock,” laughed Bob.
            “Not likely,” said Berry. “Unlike some, cats are too cautious to be caught that way!”
            “But curiosity is a species wide weakness, Bro,” said Bob.
            The path led up from the riverbank to the tree line. It was a bit of a climb even for pumas. First Berry and then Bob reached the top. There was shade so they sat down to rest for a few minutes.
            Somebody was singing in a high little voice. Not human, nor anything else familiar. Berry was sleeping, but Bob was listening. It had a calling to it, but the words made no sense to him. If it had been in Welsh, or Gaelic, or Scottish it would have made no difference to Bob.
            Something small and unearthly quick ran down the path in the dim light under the trees. It seemed at least partially red. Bob, who had warned Berry about curiosity, got up to investigate. He padded silently down the path in the direction taken by the small red thing. He still heard the high whispery song.
            He saw what appeared to be a sort of murmuration of fireflies. This was very odd because fireflies do not exist in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Having never seen such a thing, Bob was intrigued. The lights moved on, he followed.
            At last he followed the tiny lights to a place where two trees crossed, creating a type of shelter. There was a sort of berm of earth piled up behind it. The fireflies flew in under the trees, and someone stepped out.
            He was about the size of a Chatty Cathy doll, but the resemblance ended there. His skin was crepey brown, covered in fine wrinkles. His tiny bright eyes were a hypnotic pale blue. He had a grey braid hanging down the back of his head, down to his knees. He wore brown leather pants to his knees and his feet were too big for his body and bare. In addition, on this hot summer day, he wore a red, green, and yellow with black, plaid coat cut in the style of long ago and far away.
            Bob goggled in amazement.
            “I have lots and lots of finest butter down in my house underground, my fine fellow,” said the Plaidie with a sly grin. “If you follow me and my bees down to the kitchen you may have as much butter as you may wish for!”
            “I like butter very much,” said Bob, considering the offer.
            “Come down, then,” said the Plaidie and he resumed singing the strange song.
            Bob’s mind was full of pictures of butter, put there, no doubt, by the song.
            So, Bob did follow the Plaidie down into the hole behind the crossed trees, down into the earth. The burrow was fine at first, but it narrowed soon. Bob had a tough time pushing through, but alas, his mind was full of butter. He saw a light further on and figured it must be the aforementioned kitchen. He could hardly move now, the burrow was so tight.
            Two more Plaidies sprang out of the lighted area with balls of strong line, and they all three trussed Bob up good. He was tied, bundled, fore and aft, like a great spider had rolled him up in her web.
            Bob came to his senses then.
            “Why have you done this thing to me, who never did you any harm,” cried Bob.
            “I aim to retrieve the golden portal from that great lummox who possesses it,” gloated the first Plaidie. “We will bargain with him, for he will surely trade to save you!” it garbled horribly.

            At this point Berry awoke and found himself alone. He didn’t like this at all!
            Berry followed Bob’s scent trail to the crossed trees and the hole dug into the berm of earth. He thought about going into the burrow but then thought better of it. He could hear talking down in the hole and some of it was Bob doing the talking.
            Berry, the more verbal of the two, had been around Ralph since kittenhood and he had learned a thing or two. Bob should have done likewise.
            Berry decided on a song called, “Run it Backward.” He’d never used it before, but he knew the words and it seemed like it should work.
            A puma singing is an awesome sound. There was a lot of high snarling and growling with some purring, and huffing.
            It worked just fine. There was a lot of high pitched shrieking down in the hole. Three Plaidies came up out of there running backwards and disappeared into the forest to wherever Plaidies go when they are not causing trouble.
            After a short time, Bob turned himself around, wriggled out of the lines that had bound him and crawled back out of the Plaidie’s hole.
            “Thanks,” said Bob. “Can we not talk about this at home?”
            “It was curiosity, wasn’t it,” said Berry.
            “That and butter,” said Bob, regretfully.
            “I bet Ramona would give you some if you just asked her,” said Berry. “And yeah, I’m not telling.”
            “Makes sense,” said Bob, cheering up a bit.
            “I like butter too,” said Berry as they walked home, just in time for dinner.

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Tootsday Log: 6.24.2025

 

            “Looks like it’s time,” said Suzy.
            “So. News of the day as pertains to CautiousCats™,” added Toots, in her best announcer voice. “What do you have, Suzy?”
            “Yesterday they were gone for hours. No explanation was given. They just waltzed right out of the door, got into that orange box thing and they left me here. They also told Willie that he was in charge!
            “All he did was sleep and eat. Never once did he lift his head and listen! Do you know who does all the surveillance around here? I’ll bet you do!” said Suzy.
            “Of course I know who. It take special attention to detail, none of which will be on the radar of a fat, lazy, smartyarsed tomcat!” agreed Toots.
            “I know that you’re the best at this, Toots. Nobody keeps an eye on a window as well as you do!” said Suzy.
            “Thanks, Suzy. I do it for my gentleman, and Sammie of course. They need to sleep! I do not!”
            “In that case, Dear, will you state your recent findings?” inquired Suzy.
            “Of course. From my window I saw the usual assortment of night creatures, both natural and, ahem, other. That rotten tomcat! Also something rattled something outside! I tell you my blood ran cold! It was not the wind! It almost sounded like some kind of voice!” insisted Toots.
            “How can you bear it!” asked Suzy with a gasp.
            “I can’t! I went to my secure area for a few hours, just until I felt more serene!” said Toots. “I must also mention that I was informed of an incursion by a fox recently. It pounced at my gentleman! Ooo! If I had been there that fox would have regretted his impertinence!”
            “Quite right!” said Suzy. “There are limits!”
            “I grow weary of monsters,” sighed Toots. “And I know that the biggest monster of all is still out there, and one night! I tell you, one night I will catch him slinking by!”
            “Ew,” said Suzy.
            “So, Toots, since we’re here and reporting and all, would you care to expand on the special skills of CautiousCats™? You know, to explain the pressure we are under?”
            “Very well. I think I can do that without getting the wimwams. Pretty much.
        1.      We have exquisite hearing. We hear danger no one else even guesses at.
        2.      We know, absolutely, that the world is a treacherous place. Never let your guard down! SURPRISE is the enemy of cats! Absolutely!
        3.      Our eyes are special. It’s a form of second sight. WE see things others can’t even guess at. (We, however, are not guessing!)
        4.      We are profoundly suspicious. There is no substitute for this!
        5.      We understand that the responsibility to seek out danger is ours alone.
        6.      We NEVER let our guard down!”
 
        “Oh, Toots! This is why you are the best! No one else has such a clear understanding of the situation,” said Suzy. “I agree with you in every particular!”
            “Thank you, Dear. I think that your depth of understanding is at least as deep as mine. Perhaps, having heard from us, those we protect will gain some further respect. Maybe they will not laugh and refer to Fraidy Cats!” said Toots.
            “One can hope,” said Suzy. “But the way of virtue is often hard and lonely, not entirely understood by others!”
            “I’ll Purr to that!” said Toots, with a look of kindly wisdom on her face.
            “I think that’s enough for today, Dear,” said Suzy.
            “I quite agree! Watchful Seeking, Suzy, until we meet again!” said Toots.
            They broke the PurrLine™ connection, and each went to her appointed duties, and a good long nap while it was still daylight out.

🙀

Monday Monday Greetings & Peace To All

         It's going to be one of those days for me. I-5, but coming from the north not the south. Busy day with errands.

        I pray that everything goes well for all of you, whatever your pursuits may be.

        Here is the type of highway driving I would prefer, but not to be today.

        I hope we get home before it looks like this! Oh, surely we won't be out that late!

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