Whose Birthday Party Is This Anyhow?

 

On location!

            As was always the case when Ralph came to the ranger station to talk to Ranger Rick Swanson, he stuck his head in the door, stooping a bit and called out to warn the guy.
            “You in there, Rick? There’s a bunch of us. We need to talk to you. Got time?” said Ralph.
            “Uh, yeah,” said Rick from behind his desk. His laptop had been opened, but he shut it and looked up. “Come in!”
            First Ralph, with Maeve still on his shoulder, then Marge, and last of all Twigg entered the office. Rick waited behind his desk.
            “If you go get that other chair in the backroom everybody can sit down. I assume this will take a minute or two,” said the ranger, as Ralph pulled his oversized chair over in front of the desk, after seating Marge in the regular type chair. Although Twigg hadn’t been in Rick’s office before, he fetched the third chair and sat on it on the other side of Marge.
            Marge wriggled out of her backpack, putting it on the floor between her feet. She took off the rain hat and set it on her pack. She looked all around the office, taking note of everything.
            “Rick, this young woman is our very good friend, Marge. We’ve known her for a couple of years. Ramona vouches for her as do I and Twigg too. Twigg and Marge met in the meadow when they were kids and became friends. Maeve, here, also sees Marge in a favorable light, doncha, Birdie?” said Ralph by way of introductions.
            Maeve made some encouraging raven knocks, but kept her beak shut.
            “It’s Marge who needs to speak with you, we’re just here to help her along if we can,” Ralph continued.
            “OK. So, Marge, hi. They call me Ranger Rick around here. It’s a little bit of a joke, for obvious reasons. Good to meet you. How can I help?” said Rick, cheerfully. His day had been pretty boring so far and this was certainly diverting.
            Rick thought Marge looked like a sensible young thing. He observed her Carhartts with approval. He liked her demeanor  and expression. She seemed, to him, to be direct and at ease in unfamiliar surroundings.
            “Hi, Ranger Rick! I guess that only makes sense, doesn’t it?” said Marge.
            “It’s a little bit of a story, Sir. I am an art major at the community college. I’ve been doing that for nearly two years.
            “Recently it has seemed to me that living in town and doing college courses just isn’t me anymore. I’m only myself in the forest, if that makes any sense. I don’t want to waste anymore time doing something I don’t want to do, you know?”
            “I do know,” said Rick. “I had a similar realization several years ago. But, I was working on a biology degree which was a good enough fit, that I was able to apply to train as a Forest Service ranger.”
            “The reason I’m here is that I was reading up on working for the Forest Service, and it seemed to me that I would like to be a volunteer camp host, possibly. That’s plan A. I don’t really have a plan B. Anyhow, the website advised people who are interested to first talk with a Forest Service  ranger. So, here I am. That’s why I, or we, actually, are here,” said Marge, finally.
            “We don’t really have a camp host right now,” said Rick. “He packed up and went back to Wisconsin suddenly. My trainee has been doing that job in addition to whatever else he is supposed to be doing. I think Dexter would be thrilled if we had a camp host up there in the camping area!”
            Ralph got that look on his face he gets when things are going well, as if, “yes!” things should be going well. Twigg visibly relaxed. Maeve gronked a bit under her breath, but said nothing.
            “When are you available?” said Rick. “You know you still have to apply. I can’t make that go away, but I can sure send in my recommendation.”
            “I’m available right this minute,” said Marge. “Thank you! I’ll try to wait calmly, but wow!”
            Right on cue, Dexter the trainee popped through the office door. He froze for an instant, and then smiled at everyone.
            “Whose birthday is it?” said Dexter.
            “Yours, maybe!” said Ranger Rick.
            “Cool! I never knew! No, really, what’s up?” said Dexter.
            “Well, we just might have ourselves a new camp host,” said Rick. “If the stars line up right. You’re looking at her right now! Marge this is Dexter. Dexter this is Marge, who wants in the worst way to live in the forest. Sensible, don’t you think?”
            “I sure do! I’m here, during the day anyhow! We need a camp host in the worst way, Marge, hello by the way,” said Dexter, who was just about hopping up and down. If anything, he was more excited than Marge.
            “It’s a real shame we don’t have a happy forest cake, coffee will  have to do for now,” said Rick. “But in the meantime, Dexter, why don’t you take Marge up to the campground, Twigg can go too, we don’t have anybody up there today. Show her the little mobile that comes with the job, take the keys so you can get into it. Tell her what a camp host’s duties are and all like that.”
            After the young people took off to explore the campground and the one bedroom mobile home that came with the job, Ralph and Rick had a quiet moment.
            “Thanks, Rick. I feel really good about this,” said Ralph. “And I won’t worry about her with you and Dexter in the area.”
            “I do too. I think it’ll all work out fine,” said Rick. “I’ll go start some coffee and pull out some Oreos. I forgot I had cookies. They’re likely to be out there for a while. We may as well have coffee.”
            And so they did!

🎂