A view of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, from the top.
The question Milly was working on
was for herself mostly. No reader had asked her this one. It seemed like an
extremely pertinent matter to her.
So, she made the usual arrangements with Maeve and found herself driving out the old familiar highway 20 route heading for Ralph’s domain. It was an early Saturday morning. Milly relished these drives out into the forest lands. It was a whole different scene from life in and around Milltown. Quiet. It seemed so quiet, even from the inside of the big green Escalade. There was just the strip of pavement, in two lanes, and the endless evergreen trees. Overhead was a misty blue strip of morning sky. Once in a while a crow would watch her from the verge. They reminded her of Maeve, of course.
Colin was still drinking coffee at home in his jammies, enjoying the Saturday. He liked to veg. a day once in a while.
Milly pulled up to the usual wide spot on the verge of the highway and gave a small polite honk. Maeve appeared, flying low and banked right by Milly’s side window. She said something, and took off into the forest.
Maybe five minutes later, Ralph appeared. They often did these interviews in the Escalade because Ralph really like to go for a ride.
“Hey, Ralph. Where would you like to go today? Any ideas?” said Milly.
“Just drive, Milly. It’s all good to me,” he said agreeably, settling into the passenger seat, doing that squinching in thing he does.
“Let’s just follow 20 out to Anacortes. It’s an interesting drive and doesn’t take all day,” said Milly.
“Sure. I’ve never been there. What’s the scene?” he asked.
“Oh, it’s kind of Indian country, rural, surrounded by salt water,” said Milly. “There’s a little place outside of town that sells smoked fish out of a little concrete block building. Might make a nice lunch.”
Ralph kind of made himself a little hard to see clearly, for Milly’s sake. He didn’t want to cause any kind of notice or excitement. They drove on in cheerful silence for a while just watching the world go by outside of the windows.
Finally, Ralph said, “What’s on your mind, Milly?”
“I thought you might be able to help me with something that bothers me. It seems strange. I can’t make sense of it. It’s just me, nobody has written asking me about this.”
“OK. I’ll do what I can,” said Ralph.
“I’m confused, Ralph. Every person who meets one of you people in the woods, or wherever, tells a different story. Sometimes the Hairy Man is terrifying, even if he doesn’t do anything hostile. Sometimes he just acts curious. Then there is the matter of appearance. That’s part of it. Some people report something ugly, or scary looking. There are different eye colors. Head shapes. Some people see an animal. Some see a man, or woman, or child.
“Are the differences actual physical differences, or are they inherent, something in the observer’s makeup that causes them to see what they do? The differences don’t seem reasonable,” she said.
“Oh. Hm. Well, some of that must be just natural variation. Human people are that way too,” said Ralph.
“Right,” said Millie.
“But, like, using myself as an example. You see me as you see me because of who you are. You are open, and wise and kind. Your first impulse so long ago on Camano Island was not fear, but curiosity.
“But, usually when I meet people snooping in the woods, researchers, their preconceived judgment causes them to see a fearful creature capable of tearing them apart. Now, of course, I could, but you and I know that I wouldn’t!” said Ralph. “Their trouble, which they wear like a coat, is that they “know” that they are in danger if they meet me.
“My question is, why do they do it then? Why come searching for what you fear from the bottom of your soul. I don’t get that. Wouldn’t it be better if they stayed home, and maybe watched videos?” he laughed.
“Ah, Ralph. Human beings are conflicted creatures. They truly do not know their own minds, at least most of them don’t.
“I also think there is an element of bravado. But, from the beginning, the best monster to beat is an imaginary monster. It’s safer but still exciting. It blows their cool when they see you!” Then Milly laughed.
“I wonder if it goes the other way too, Ralph! Do you people have conflicting expectations when suddenly meeting a human person?” said Millie, suddenly, as if it was a new thought just then.
“It might depend on who told who what, and who had what experience with a human person, you know? It’s all so subjective! How do you like that? I learned what that meant from Thaga. It’s a good one.
“But we do have a slight advantage. We can tell when you first decide to come out into the forest seeking a meeting, what your unconscious true motives are. It helps us stay out of the way, if we need to,” said Ralph
“Oh, maybe we’ll never figure it out,” said Milly, “and maybe it doesn’t matter that much.”
“Someday, Milly, all questions will be answered. Just not today,” agreed Ralph.
By the time they got to the outskirts of Anacortes it was definitely lunch time. So Ralph waited in the car while Milly went into the smoked fish shop and got a few pounds of the sweet kind of smoked salmon.
She drove on into town, giving Ralph the tour of the waterfront, and the long main street. She showed him the old parts of town, leftover from earlier days.
She bought some bottled teas at the AMPM place.
Milly wanted to get home before late, so they turned around and retraced their miles going east on 20 until they reached the parking spot where she always picked him up and let him off.
“Ralph, give my love to Ramona and thank her for me, will you? Oh, yes, nearly forgot. Chocolate for the ones who stayed home!” said Milly. She was happy that she had remembered the treat for Twigg and Cherry, and Ramona.
“I’ll do that, Milly. Say hi to Colin. Tell him I wouldn’t mind seeing him one of these days,” said Ralph.
Milly winked and took off as Ralph faded into the forest, as he always did.
So, she made the usual arrangements with Maeve and found herself driving out the old familiar highway 20 route heading for Ralph’s domain. It was an early Saturday morning. Milly relished these drives out into the forest lands. It was a whole different scene from life in and around Milltown. Quiet. It seemed so quiet, even from the inside of the big green Escalade. There was just the strip of pavement, in two lanes, and the endless evergreen trees. Overhead was a misty blue strip of morning sky. Once in a while a crow would watch her from the verge. They reminded her of Maeve, of course.
Colin was still drinking coffee at home in his jammies, enjoying the Saturday. He liked to veg. a day once in a while.
Milly pulled up to the usual wide spot on the verge of the highway and gave a small polite honk. Maeve appeared, flying low and banked right by Milly’s side window. She said something, and took off into the forest.
Maybe five minutes later, Ralph appeared. They often did these interviews in the Escalade because Ralph really like to go for a ride.
“Hey, Ralph. Where would you like to go today? Any ideas?” said Milly.
“Just drive, Milly. It’s all good to me,” he said agreeably, settling into the passenger seat, doing that squinching in thing he does.
“Let’s just follow 20 out to Anacortes. It’s an interesting drive and doesn’t take all day,” said Milly.
“Sure. I’ve never been there. What’s the scene?” he asked.
“Oh, it’s kind of Indian country, rural, surrounded by salt water,” said Milly. “There’s a little place outside of town that sells smoked fish out of a little concrete block building. Might make a nice lunch.”
Ralph kind of made himself a little hard to see clearly, for Milly’s sake. He didn’t want to cause any kind of notice or excitement. They drove on in cheerful silence for a while just watching the world go by outside of the windows.
Finally, Ralph said, “What’s on your mind, Milly?”
“I thought you might be able to help me with something that bothers me. It seems strange. I can’t make sense of it. It’s just me, nobody has written asking me about this.”
“OK. I’ll do what I can,” said Ralph.
“I’m confused, Ralph. Every person who meets one of you people in the woods, or wherever, tells a different story. Sometimes the Hairy Man is terrifying, even if he doesn’t do anything hostile. Sometimes he just acts curious. Then there is the matter of appearance. That’s part of it. Some people report something ugly, or scary looking. There are different eye colors. Head shapes. Some people see an animal. Some see a man, or woman, or child.
“Are the differences actual physical differences, or are they inherent, something in the observer’s makeup that causes them to see what they do? The differences don’t seem reasonable,” she said.
“Oh. Hm. Well, some of that must be just natural variation. Human people are that way too,” said Ralph.
“Right,” said Millie.
“But, like, using myself as an example. You see me as you see me because of who you are. You are open, and wise and kind. Your first impulse so long ago on Camano Island was not fear, but curiosity.
“But, usually when I meet people snooping in the woods, researchers, their preconceived judgment causes them to see a fearful creature capable of tearing them apart. Now, of course, I could, but you and I know that I wouldn’t!” said Ralph. “Their trouble, which they wear like a coat, is that they “know” that they are in danger if they meet me.
“My question is, why do they do it then? Why come searching for what you fear from the bottom of your soul. I don’t get that. Wouldn’t it be better if they stayed home, and maybe watched videos?” he laughed.
“Ah, Ralph. Human beings are conflicted creatures. They truly do not know their own minds, at least most of them don’t.
“I also think there is an element of bravado. But, from the beginning, the best monster to beat is an imaginary monster. It’s safer but still exciting. It blows their cool when they see you!” Then Milly laughed.
“I wonder if it goes the other way too, Ralph! Do you people have conflicting expectations when suddenly meeting a human person?” said Millie, suddenly, as if it was a new thought just then.
“It might depend on who told who what, and who had what experience with a human person, you know? It’s all so subjective! How do you like that? I learned what that meant from Thaga. It’s a good one.
“But we do have a slight advantage. We can tell when you first decide to come out into the forest seeking a meeting, what your unconscious true motives are. It helps us stay out of the way, if we need to,” said Ralph
“Oh, maybe we’ll never figure it out,” said Milly, “and maybe it doesn’t matter that much.”
“Someday, Milly, all questions will be answered. Just not today,” agreed Ralph.
By the time they got to the outskirts of Anacortes it was definitely lunch time. So Ralph waited in the car while Milly went into the smoked fish shop and got a few pounds of the sweet kind of smoked salmon.
She drove on into town, giving Ralph the tour of the waterfront, and the long main street. She showed him the old parts of town, leftover from earlier days.
She bought some bottled teas at the AMPM place.
Milly wanted to get home before late, so they turned around and retraced their miles going east on 20 until they reached the parking spot where she always picked him up and let him off.
“Ralph, give my love to Ramona and thank her for me, will you? Oh, yes, nearly forgot. Chocolate for the ones who stayed home!” said Milly. She was happy that she had remembered the treat for Twigg and Cherry, and Ramona.
“I’ll do that, Milly. Say hi to Colin. Tell him I wouldn’t mind seeing him one of these days,” said Ralph.
Milly winked and took off as Ralph faded into the forest, as he always did.
🍁
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