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.
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.
💚
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