Ralph woke first for once, while the
dew was still on the leafy ground cover in the Home Clearing. He grinned
because he was first to awaken. He didn’t bother Ramona, but just slipped
carefully out from under the big quilt.
Blue opened her eyes and looked at him. He just said “Shhh” and kind of glided out of the green door, closing it very quietly behind himself.
Outside, he took a big breath of still cool morning air, stretched mightily, and grunted happily. He could see just a few glints of the sun through the trees in the east. He could smell a little smudge from the fire pit. There was just a little column of white smoke ascending from the coals of last night’s fire. It wouldn’t take much fuel to start burning properly again.
Taking an armful of medium sized pieces from the stacked branches and so on, he began to build up the fire for morning. The pitch in the dry fir branch sections made little hot sparks as it caught and began burning brightly. So far, so good.
Ralph had never made coffee before, but he was pretty sure he could do it. How hard could it be to boil some coffee in water? This meant a trip back into the cave, risking waking Ramona, and the whole crew still sleeping in there.
So, he walked as quietly as he could back into the cave. He was looking for Ramona’s coffee supply when he heard some rustling behind him.
“Why are you up, Baby,” said Ramona, still under the quilt.
“I just woke up. You were still sleeping so I went out and got the fire going. I was thinking about making some coffee,” said Ralph.
“I’ll do it,” she said. “Why don’t we go out and not wake everybody?”
Ramona got her blue enameled coffee pot, and dumped a judicious amount of ground coffee from a jar she had on her shelf, thanks to Thaga, into the pot.
Outside, she filled it with river water from her bucket, and put it on the fire to boil.
“Thanks for starting the fire,” said Ramona.
They sat together as the sun came up, watching the fire and smelling the coffee.
“I’ve been thinking,” said Ralph.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” said Ramona. “What’s cooking in there today?"
“I think it’s time to go visit the Alder Tree House. It’s been a while, and I want to see Koba. You know, and how everything is going?” said Ralph.
“I do too,” she said. “I’ll just slice up some of that roast haunch we had last night. That will do. Then we can walk over there and surprise them!” She smiled at the thought.
“I didn’t want them to feel watched, you know?” said Ralph, looking at her with his kind brown eyes shining in the morning light.
Ramona opened the cave door, fetched out the left over roast, and her big knife and some bowls. She called “Wake up everybody! We’re going to go see Twigg, Leely, and Koba today! Let’s eat and get ready!”
They had the cold roast for breakfast, with coffee for Ralph and herself, and water for Cherry and Blue, and the Pumas. Then Ramona combed everyone’s hair, including Blue’s and Bob and Berry’s until they all looked their very best.
About the time they were ready to go, Maeve flew down out of the sky. She decided to go with them. She was curious about Koba too.
The sun was well up in the morning sky when they all set off in a sort of majestic procession. Bob and Berry walked first, tails swinging in unison. Next came Cherry with her hand on Blue’s head. Ralph and Ramona came last, holding hands. Maeve rode in her usual place.
They passed up out of the Home Clearing and into the morning meadow, and all was heart-breakingly lovely. They could smell the earth and all the dwellers therein. As they walked crushing grass and scented herbs, the odors rose up around them. The flowers of midsummer were all in bloom, white, yellow, and lavender.
They stopped at the old first-growth stump where Twigg and Leely had first become friends, and as they did a flight of B’s surrounded them. The B’s seemed to be examining them.
At last, a Betty spoke to Ralph, “Oh, Twigg’s Father and Mother! We will fly to him and announce your coming arrival!” And with that the golden humming cloud of tiny souls flew away as fast as they could fly.
After a few more minutes of walking through the meadow the Alder Tree House came into view. It had leafed out beautifully. Birds called from within its canopy of branches, berry vines spiraled up the trunks of the circled alders. A bit of white smoke lifted skyward from the small chimney. Tall grass surrounded the house. A path led from the open doorway.
Twigg was first to step outside. “The B’s said you would be here soon!” he called to his family. "Please, come in!"
Then, a stately dark haired young woman, who in some ways resembled little Marge, stood in the doorway wearing some of Marge’s Carhartt’s. In her arms was a child. The child, a shining golden haired small person, threw out his arms to Ramona when he saw her approaching. She ran to him and gathered him into her bosom, and it must be admitted that Ramona wept happy tears.
“Come in,” said Leely, and everyone did go in, including Blue and Bob and Berry, and Maeve, naturally!
Leely made a nice big lunch, Koba was finally passed from Ramona’s arms to Ralph’s and then to Cherry’s. Everyone admired him and said how big he was growing and how smart he was. He was even beginning to talk in short sentences.
The family talked for many hours, and the day was perfect.
Blue opened her eyes and looked at him. He just said “Shhh” and kind of glided out of the green door, closing it very quietly behind himself.
Outside, he took a big breath of still cool morning air, stretched mightily, and grunted happily. He could see just a few glints of the sun through the trees in the east. He could smell a little smudge from the fire pit. There was just a little column of white smoke ascending from the coals of last night’s fire. It wouldn’t take much fuel to start burning properly again.
Taking an armful of medium sized pieces from the stacked branches and so on, he began to build up the fire for morning. The pitch in the dry fir branch sections made little hot sparks as it caught and began burning brightly. So far, so good.
Ralph had never made coffee before, but he was pretty sure he could do it. How hard could it be to boil some coffee in water? This meant a trip back into the cave, risking waking Ramona, and the whole crew still sleeping in there.
So, he walked as quietly as he could back into the cave. He was looking for Ramona’s coffee supply when he heard some rustling behind him.
“Why are you up, Baby,” said Ramona, still under the quilt.
“I just woke up. You were still sleeping so I went out and got the fire going. I was thinking about making some coffee,” said Ralph.
“I’ll do it,” she said. “Why don’t we go out and not wake everybody?”
Ramona got her blue enameled coffee pot, and dumped a judicious amount of ground coffee from a jar she had on her shelf, thanks to Thaga, into the pot.
Outside, she filled it with river water from her bucket, and put it on the fire to boil.
“Thanks for starting the fire,” said Ramona.
They sat together as the sun came up, watching the fire and smelling the coffee.
“I’ve been thinking,” said Ralph.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” said Ramona. “What’s cooking in there today?"
“I think it’s time to go visit the Alder Tree House. It’s been a while, and I want to see Koba. You know, and how everything is going?” said Ralph.
“I do too,” she said. “I’ll just slice up some of that roast haunch we had last night. That will do. Then we can walk over there and surprise them!” She smiled at the thought.
“I didn’t want them to feel watched, you know?” said Ralph, looking at her with his kind brown eyes shining in the morning light.
Ramona opened the cave door, fetched out the left over roast, and her big knife and some bowls. She called “Wake up everybody! We’re going to go see Twigg, Leely, and Koba today! Let’s eat and get ready!”
They had the cold roast for breakfast, with coffee for Ralph and herself, and water for Cherry and Blue, and the Pumas. Then Ramona combed everyone’s hair, including Blue’s and Bob and Berry’s until they all looked their very best.
About the time they were ready to go, Maeve flew down out of the sky. She decided to go with them. She was curious about Koba too.
The sun was well up in the morning sky when they all set off in a sort of majestic procession. Bob and Berry walked first, tails swinging in unison. Next came Cherry with her hand on Blue’s head. Ralph and Ramona came last, holding hands. Maeve rode in her usual place.
They passed up out of the Home Clearing and into the morning meadow, and all was heart-breakingly lovely. They could smell the earth and all the dwellers therein. As they walked crushing grass and scented herbs, the odors rose up around them. The flowers of midsummer were all in bloom, white, yellow, and lavender.
They stopped at the old first-growth stump where Twigg and Leely had first become friends, and as they did a flight of B’s surrounded them. The B’s seemed to be examining them.
At last, a Betty spoke to Ralph, “Oh, Twigg’s Father and Mother! We will fly to him and announce your coming arrival!” And with that the golden humming cloud of tiny souls flew away as fast as they could fly.
After a few more minutes of walking through the meadow the Alder Tree House came into view. It had leafed out beautifully. Birds called from within its canopy of branches, berry vines spiraled up the trunks of the circled alders. A bit of white smoke lifted skyward from the small chimney. Tall grass surrounded the house. A path led from the open doorway.
Twigg was first to step outside. “The B’s said you would be here soon!” he called to his family. "Please, come in!"
Then, a stately dark haired young woman, who in some ways resembled little Marge, stood in the doorway wearing some of Marge’s Carhartt’s. In her arms was a child. The child, a shining golden haired small person, threw out his arms to Ramona when he saw her approaching. She ran to him and gathered him into her bosom, and it must be admitted that Ramona wept happy tears.
“Come in,” said Leely, and everyone did go in, including Blue and Bob and Berry, and Maeve, naturally!
Leely made a nice big lunch, Koba was finally passed from Ramona’s arms to Ralph’s and then to Cherry’s. Everyone admired him and said how big he was growing and how smart he was. He was even beginning to talk in short sentences.
The family talked for many hours, and the day was perfect.
💚
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