"So, Get This, Ramona!"

 

            Ralph had been up to the meadow inspecting the progress of the Alder Tree House. He was happy to see that the growth of the group was toward each other and that the branches were beginning to interlace into a dome shape. It was looking good. The floor was looking good too.
            But that’s a story for another day. Ralph smiled at the memory.
            His big old cedar log lay between where he had come from and where he was going. So, since it was there and he was there too, he decided to lie down just to see if it still fit. It was a dry day, good for lying on a log and just pondering.
            Soon, down at the Fire Circle, Ramona could hear him snoring. Campground visitors thought what they were hearing was a remote landslide, possibly. Or maybe, one thought, it was possible to have a bit of thunder way up the mountain, even without clouds.
            He started hearing a familiar voice. Someone was speaking to him.
            “Boss! Boss!” said the voice.
            “Huh?” said Ralph. “I’m awake. I think. What’s up?”
            “There’s a hippie with a camera up in the Alder Tree House. She. A she hippie. She’s putting it all on camera and talking like she’s in charge!” said Maeve, nervously.    
            “Oh. I better go talk to her,” yawned Ralph, not nervously at all. “I think I better do something about the perimeter of the meadow, huh?”
            “Yeah, but she’s got it all on camera now!” croaked Maeve.
            “I’m going!” said Ralph. “Want to come along, Birdie?”
            “Yeah! You might need a witness, Boss!” said Maeve.
            So, Raven on shoulder, Ralph walked back up into the meadow, past the Gifting Stump and out to the growing Alder Tree House. He saw that; indeed, someone was there. In fact she was inside the structure recording the floor. She seemed pretty excited.
            “The most evolved structure I’ve ever seen….” The voice inside the building could be heard to say.           
            “I just wiped her GoPro, Birdie. But she might still be able to come back,” murmured Ralph, “Unless I do something.” He stood by the door, considering his next move.
            Right then, the girl popped out of the doorway of the ‘structure,’ got a load of Ralph and Maeve and ran back into the interior. In a couple of minutes, she peeked out from behind one of the alder trunks. She blinked a couple of times.
            “Hey,” said Ralph. “Howdeedo? Anything I can do to  help?”
            “Um. Well. Did you make this structure? I’ve never seen anything like it,” said the girl. “I’ve never heard a Sasquatch speak English either.”
            “With help, I did. I learned English so I could talk to humans. It seemed useful,” said Ralph.
            “But, why did you build it? I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere,” she insisted.
            “It’s a gift. You gotta name? I’m Ralph. This is Maeve.”
            “Ashley,” she said. “I make videos for YouTube. I don’t suppose you know YouTube?”
            “Sure do! Ranger Rick, over at the Ranger Station and I watch videos sometimes. He has this foldup computer thing,” Ralph said. “So, um, what kind of videos do you make, Ashley?”
            “I do short programs to help people know how to approach the forest with the right intentions. It’s almost a Zen thing I teach. Like how a human shouldn’t come out looking for Forest People with a bunch of electronic equipment and a pushy, demanding manner, you know? You must know!” said Ashley. “It’s sort of like establishing relationship with the forest and everything that is there!”
            “That sounds pretty good. But I notice that you are here with a camera!” Ralph raised his eyebrows.
            “But I have to! How else can I get the message out? I need my camera,” said Ashley, coming out from behind the alder trunk.
            “I think your heart is in the right place, Kiddo. But we are a reserved people. Most video about us is so goofy that it would never lead to our discovery-unless we wished it. But, you might be on to something. Hm. You know, you have nothing on your GoPro? It won’t work out here,” said Ralph. “I made sure of that. Sorry, Ashley.”
            “Are you like the chief or clan leader or something?” said a rather stunned Ashley, who was checking her camera as she spoke.
            “Something like that. Others look to me. I judge baby contests and cut cakes, and stuff like that,” giggled Ralph.
            “Oh, come on, baby contests?” said Ashley.
            “It could happen,” said Ralph.
            “Then I can’t put your structure on YouTube?” she said at last.
            “No. Think about it. We would have the world out here wanting to see it, even if you didn’t disclose its exact location.”
            “That doesn’t sound good,” admitted Ashley.
            “Evermore,” intoned Maeve.
            “It talks too!” said Ashley.
            “She. She speaks English too. She’s a lady Raven. My confidant,” said Ralph.
            “Is this place magic?” whispered Ashley.
            “You could say that,” said Ralph. “It’s like a dream. When you get home you will remember us like a dream, Ashley.” He hummed a little tuneless tune.
            “A dream?” the girl murmured sleepily. Then she began walking toward the Ranger Station where her car waited.
            “I left the meadow ‘open’ when Marge was visiting here, but it’s in the Great Forest now, Birdie,” said Ralph. “If she tries to find it again, it won’t work.”
            “In a way, it’s too bad,” sighed Maeve.
            “Ashley will be alright, Birdie. Let’s go tell Mona all about it!”

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