Wisdom Wins Out In The End

 

          “I knew you were going to do that,” said Maeve! “You just had to be your benevolent hairy self!”

            “Hey, she left her iPhone in the car,” grinned Ralph. “I wasn’t worried about her.  I’ve seen her before anyhow. Apparently she was a state runner-up in the Queen of the Forest Access Roads contest!”
            “I don’t know how you know whether she had her camera thing,” argued Maeve.
            “Dear old blackling!  All those little magicks send out wavy signals.  Those signals make me itch!  I can almost smell em,” said Ralph as he was strolling back home, to check on lunch on so on.
            “So, Ralph, are you going to visit the TV crew too?  Give em something to lie about?” said Maeve. Her attitude could be a little jaundiced.
            “Maybe after dark, oh muse of mine, after dark.”  He kept moving on. Morning was long gone, and he was hungry.
            Maeve took off, like she aways does just as Ralph emerged center stage at the clearing. Even for Ramona, his entrances were rather impressive. First he wasn’t there, and then he just was!
            “Have a nice time, sweetie?” asked Ramona.
            “Yeah.  You won’t believe what I saw!  Two ladies decorating a little tree with candy and toothbrushes down at the parking lot! I was so tickled I decided to talk to one of em.”
            “I wonder why they did that,” she said, moving some stew ingredients around in a pot over the fire. She tasted the mixture, frowning a little, and threw in some salt. She kept moving. She got some bowls out of the cave, mostly thinking about lunch, not some ladies at the parking lot. As she worked Cherry floated just above and behind her, like a little blond sleeping cloud.
            Taking a seat expectantly, he said, “the belief among some curious types is that if they leave little gifts out in the woods for us, we might decide to hang out with them.  This attempt was so childish that I decided to reward it by appearing just for a minute.”
            Ramona stopped and looked at him, “was she afraid?” She swooped a lock of her long dark blond hair back out of her eyes, as she talked.
            “Yes, but she wasn’t ruled by her fear,” said Ralph. “I was actually sort of surprised that a human person was capable of that. I did sit down by her, so I didn’t loom.  Looming scares ‘em seems to me. I wonder why they are so small? Never understood that Ramona.”
            “They probably ask why we have to be so big,” laughed Ramona. “That is, if they think we exist at all.”
            “Ah, that little crack in credibility is where we live, and we like it that way,” said Ralph. “Is that done, or shall I go eat raw fish out of the river?” He hadn’t done that in a while!
            “Why don’t you get Twigg and those cats?  It’s done.” He did as he was bidden, and lunch was served. Duck stew in wooden bowls carved by the most agreeable Ooog, that expert carver of all things wooden or stone.

            He decided to ignore the TV crew after all. They actually didn’t need any help from him at all! He really wondered about the nature of their inquiry. Did they expect to find him by making that big noisy fuss in the forest? Or did they really not expect to find anything because they were sure it was just stories told by cynical Indians, old coots, or gullible hikers?
            In any case, their world and his did not intersect at all. Ralph felt like his people were being used as fictional cartoon characters, or maybe horror villains. None of this had anything to do with him. Let them stew in their own foolishness and greed, he thought.
            But then he was tempted, but decided, “nah,” I’m too old for messing with the hairless investigators, even though they richly deserved it. He sighed. Then he got a really good idea!
            “Hey, Twigg!” said Ralph happily, “I have a really good idea!”
            Twigg knew this was going to be good. “Sure, dad!”
            “Hey, I’ll teach you a new trick.  It’s a good one!” said his dad….

The Naming Of Cats Is A Weighty Matter!

 🤍

T. S. ELIOT

OLD POSSUM'S BOOK

OF PRACTICAL CATS

THE NAMING OF CATS

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum—
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover—
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

*Only the very first part in the poem!

** I must insist that this is so very very absolutely true!

Meeting At Last

 

All photos on location in the BSNF.

            Maeve had been out on the wing as usual that early morning, flying north, and then back south, circling through the tree tops, then drifting down here and there to get a better look.  Nobody inspects the forest like her.
            Her bright eye, and inquisitive mind was ever on the watch.  With just her exigent wingbeats she could cover more ground in moments than anyone else could just walking at ground level. It would be ungenerous to use the word “snoopy.”  Well, there it is. Snoopiness has its pragmatism.

            Circuit completed; she headed straight for Ralph’s locale. She found him in a meditative state stretched out on his famous cedar log. His eyes were shut, but he wasn’t asleep. He was contemplating perfection and asking himself if perfection was round. Or if maybe roundness had preeminence over perfection.  If he kept on like this he would have been asleep soon.
            She landed with a good solid thump on his chest. His eyes popped open.
            “Oh, good.  You’re awake,” said she.
            “Um. What’s the news old bird,” said he, knowing that’s just what he was about to receive.
            “Well. There’s two parties of hairless in our forest.  I think they came looking for you!”
            “You don’t think they’re just camping?” asked Ralph, sitting up.
            “One bunch down on the riverbank has an awful lot of equipment with them Ralph. It looks like a TV crew.”
            “Ouch!” said Ralph. He whistled a long low whistle, looking thoughtful.
            “The other two are just out there, by the park entrance. When I left them they were arranging candies on a little fir.  They were decorating the tree with them!” said Maeve, doing that Raven chuckle. “They are putting shiny wrapped candies all over that tree, and it’s nowhere near Christmas, when people do that.”
            “Hm. Nobody ever did that before. Wait ‘til Twigg finds out. Don’t go tell him Maeve. It could be a trap,” said Ralph laughing. “He could end up all tangled up in that tree being videoed! Then he would be on YouTube! I suppose I better go check them out…”
            “I know you’ll avoid those, um, researchers, down by the river, but are you going to appear to those women at the park?” asked Maeve in disbelief.  She hopped up onto his left shoulder, so she could talk right into his ear. “What if they have mobile phones!”
            “We’ll worry about that when we get there. I’ll be in shhhh mode.”
            “I’ll go tell Ramona!” said Maeve, getting pretty excited about the project.
            “Meet me at the park,” said Ralph. Maeve blasted off to carry the news and Ralph got onto the trail heading for the park entrance.

            ***

            The older lady looked on as the other one tied the last of about 100 wrapped butter scotch candies to the baby Douglas fir, just a bit into the woods from the lot where they had left the Honda. She was pleased at the effect.  Looked very festive.  And tempting. Surely it would attract attention.  Hopefully human hikers wouldn’t see it. It wasn’t on the trail.
            She wasn’t really expecting to make contact today.  She just wanted to leave something to please the little ones. Maybe next time they came to the park, someone would speak to them.
            A particularly large Raven watched from a lower branch just a few yards away. She paced impatiently up and down the branch muttering Raven chatter.
            “Get that bird,” said the younger one. “Wonder what’s biting her?”
            “Maybe she’s waiting for us to clear out of here. She might like candy,” said the first lady. Then she went back to the car and came back with a couple dozen new toothbrushes. They were packaged in little plastic boxes with hooks on them, so they could be hung up in the store. She began hanging them in the tree also.
            “Oh, mom!  Really!” said the younger of the two.
            “Yep!” said “mom.” “Can you imagine how hard it is to find a toothbrush out here?”
            “While you finish up I’m going to get in and get ready to go home,” said the daughter. “Whatever makes you happy! Maybe I’ll take a nap.”

            ***

            “I don’t know if you can hear me,” said the first lady, sitting on a tree trunk. “But some day I’d like to see you and say hi. The candy and toothbrushes are just presents for the kids.”
            While she sat quietly, she thought she heard, “are you sure?”
            “I think I’m sure,” she said aloud.
            “I scare some people,” said the quiet voice.
            “I know,” she said. “I’m shy, but I think I will be okay.” She closed her eyes, waiting.
            “You can open your eyes now lady,” said the voice, right out loud now.
            She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.
            He was sitting  beside her on the tree trunk. He was massive. He was covered in soft looking deep brown wavy hair. His hands were folded in his lap. In his large smiling face, his big brown eyes had smile crinkles around them. He smelled of forest loam and evergreen pitch.
            “Hi,” said Ralph. “It’s nice to meet you.  I’ve seen you around the forest for years you know.” His deep chuckle filled the air for a moment. It could have been mistaken for a burst of wind in the trees, if one wanted to hear it that way.
            “It’s true, I’ve spent a lot of time in the forest,” she said, hardly believing what was happening.
            “It was kind of you to bring presents for the kids. Two of them are mine, but one is still a baby,” he said.
            “I’m glad you approve,” she said. “I hoped it would be okay.”
            “Kindness is always appreciated, but lots of times those looking for us aren’t looking for kind reasons.  You know that,” said Ralph.
            “I do know that,” she said. “I better go now; I have a lot of driving left to do today and my daughter is waiting for me in the car.”
            “My name is Ralph. Use my name if you meet other forest people and they will understand that you are alright with me,” he said. “I hope we meet again.”
            “I do too,” she said, getting up to leave, just looking at him for a moment. She saw only love in his eyes.
            Happily, she walked back to her car. When she got seated and started up the engine, she said to her daughter, “I have a story to tell you.”

Shall We Have An Art Post?

Jōichi Hoshi 

Milky Way, Rhapsody

    I first noticed this work of printmaking years ago, but didn't look into the artist at all. I was just happy to look at it.  I had thought it was a painting. I am enraptured by it.

     LoneStar looked him up, so I had to look at other prints that he made.

    It's so different from his other works that I am surprised that it was done by the same man! It doesn't look like a woodblock print to me.

    I was also surprised to see that it was created in 1970. So long ago.

I find them all fascinating, but that Milky Way one took my imagination. It also challenged me.  It made me think about technique.

    Between this man and Klimt I became fascinated with metallic paint.

Tree Top

Blue Bird

Red Branches, Akai eda

Jōichi Hoshi was born in 1913 in Tokyo, Japan and began studying printmaking in the 1950s. Hoshi is considered a master of the traditional Japanese woodblock print technique, and his work is known for its intricate details and bold use of color, particularly his use of gold in his prints. He has had many solo exhibitions of his work in galleries and museums throughout Japan and internationally.

One of Hoshi’s subjects of interest is trees, which he has depicted in many of his prints. His trees are often depicted in a stylized way, with strong and clean lines, and are known for their elegance and simplicity. He has been able to convey the essence and spirit of the trees in his prints.

Hoshi is considered a part of the sosaku hanga movement, which emerged in Japan after WWII and was characterized by artists creating their own designs, carving their own blocks, and printing the works themselves. He was a member of the Japan Print Association.

Hoshi’s work often features landscapes and cityscapes, as well as images of traditional Japanese culture and daily life. He continues to work as an artist, and his prints are highly sought after by collectors. His use of gold in his prints gives them a special touch of elegance and refinement. He is particularly known for his depictions of trees, which he has captured with great skill and sensitivity. His work has been recognized and exhibited both in Japan and internationally, making him an important figure in the world of printmaking.

*********************************************

Many of his prints are apparently still available at Egenolf Gallery, Fine Japanese Prints.  In case anyone is interested.

The prices are fair, considering the quality. All less than $2000.00 except for the Tree Top print, which goes for $4800.00.

What Does Tuesday Mean To A Cat

 

Meow!

           If I asked Suzy what Tuesday meant to her, she would probably say, always assuming she said anything, “what’s Tuesday. Can I eat it? Can it eat me?”
            I would probably say, “well, Suzo, Tuesday is a day of the week.  Any cat surely knows that.  Don’t they?”
            She might answer, “well, now, ma’am, I have heard the word. I don’t understand how a day has anything to do with being weak.” You can see that this conversation would go nowhere.
            Suzy and Willie both are completely blasé when it comes to what day it is. They probably notice if it’s dark. Or especially light I suppose.
            They seem to possess memory.  They seem to have some habits trained in. They seem to intuit what I am going to do next.
            But mostly, they “sha la la la la la, live for today.” They are in the moment. So, it was a joke title. What does Tuesday mean to a cat. Nothing. Null concept. Even if I rewarded them with some super duper reward, whatever that might be, I am not sure, on Tuesdays for a few months to where they sort of expected it on Tuesday.  They still wouldn’t know or care that it’s what we call Tuesday.
            They are my little “Now-nauts.”
            What do they care about? No questions about that. Full tummies! A warm place to sleep. A sunny spot to lounge in during the day. Somebody to snuggle when they feel like snuggling. A nice clean litter box. Of course, they enjoy a little horsing around, chasing the red dot,  or a  mouse or each other if no other prey is handy.
            Taking a lesson from those two characters, I guess my point is that I mean to let the sorrows of the past fall away, and likewise to stop worrying about times and days, such as Tuesdays, coming up. If I have enough for today I am blessed and cared for. I shall thank Him for daily bread, whatever day it happens to be. Times and days are not my concern.
            In addition, I wish to thank you, my friends, for coming to chat every day. It is such a happiness for me that you do.
            I especially want to thank LoneStar, who has helped me to keep a lid on the number of bloopers, and has written some dynamite posts.

Millicent Price Reporting

 

!🔥!

            The skies in Milltown had been grey with smoke from the east for quite a few days. The light was strangely orange at both sunrise and sunset. Some people could smell smoke quite strongly, and some had burning eyes. It looked exactly like what it was, a sky pretty near several smallish wildfires. One of the fires was not so small and it was the closest to the home clearing.
            Millicent sat at her desk up on the third floor of her building thinking.  She frowned. She had been monitoring the weather news. She was concerned for her friends up in the Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. But, of course, there was no way to check on them except in person.
            She wished that Maeve would call on her and at least give her a quick situation report.
            Of course, this type of investigative reporting was just what Millicent was born for. She could feel a story growing in the back of her mind. So, she wandered off down the hall to her boss’ office to square the project with him. It didn’t have a lot of direct impact on Milltown, just some health issues for some citizens. But that would have to do. She wasn’t going to explain to him the true nature of her interest.
            After listening to her, with one eyebrow up a little, because he knew things could get a little strange if Millicent was the prime actor, he said “alright, do it.” He also knew she wouldn’t stop chewing on the idea anyhow.  May as well let her go.
            Therefore, since it was still early Monday morning, she decided to go home and change into jeans and grab some supplies and drive right up into the Cascade Range foothills immediately. She was wracking her mind to try to imagine what they could need up there at a time like this.  Nothing really concrete came to mind.
            But just in case hunting was difficult in these conditions, she went to Safeway and bought a couple of bags of picnic type food. Sausages, cheese, baguette, butter, chocolate, and some bottled fizzy waters. It seemed like even if they were fine, that they might like some goodies from the store, something Ramona wouldn’t need to cook. Most everyday cooks like a break, even one as dedicated as Ramona.
            She put everything in the trunk of her Passat and started up into the hills. She drove north to Arlington, then took 530 to Darrington. She stopped for coffee at the one coffee stand in town and discussed the smoke with the girl working the stand. This girl said they were pretty tired of smelling smoke night and day; they were just waiting for the rains to start.
            Now, the way to Ralph’s forest enclave can be a bit mysterious. Always before Millicent had a guide in the form of Maeve, or some written directions which read more like a spell. So, this time she was kind of on her own.
            What Milly didn’t know was that the written directions had been intended to keep things mysterious. But as we know, she is nothing if not a Pro investigator. She thought she would kind of follow her nose, and her nose hadn’t really ever let her down yet.  Nor did it this time.
            She was several miles north east of Darrington when she decided to just park the Passat beside the highway and think about where she was going for a minute. She had an intuitive sense of where Ralph and family lived, and it did not comport with the way she had been directed to get there before. She felt very near them right where she was.
            Just as she sat there finishing her coffee, a large Raven drifted down out of the tree tops and landed on her hood with a solid thump. Millicent turned the key partway and rolled down her window.
            “Maeve?” said Millicent, “is that you?”
            “Of course it is,” said Maeve. “I saw the car and figured it must be yours. So, I came down to inspect.”
            “I drove up here through all this smoke to see if Ralph and his family are okay,” said Millicent. “I brought a picnic, just in case you know. Am I very far from them?”
            I don’t know if Ravens laugh exactly, but they do chuckle. A kind of sound like someone hitting an empty wooden cupboard with a stick. Something like that.
            Maeve said, while Raven-knocking, “no, you’re as close as a car can get.  The path is right here.  In fact, you’re parked right where Billy O’Dear and those yahoos were parked a while back. It takes me about fifty wing beats to fly there!” This might have been a slight understatement of fact.
            “Great!” said Millicent. She was ready to roll.
            “You just follow the path, and I will go tell them you’re coming,” said Maeve, who then took off straight into the forest.
            So, Millicent got out and opened the trunk, donning her backpack and taking a grocery bag in each hand, she locked up her car. The trail head was right on the other side of her car, so it wasn’t hard to find at all. She squared her shoulders. She took a look at the smoke drifting all through the trees, smelled the heavy scent of burning evergreens, shook her head and started walking.
            The path was not well worn, but it was clear enough. It took her into deep forest immediately. It was dim and primordial looking. She had a sense of transition as she walked along. Something which she couldn’t quite put her finger on changed as she walked into Ralph’s domain. Maybe it was a sense of timelessness. Or, maybe her sense of location drifted away.
            Soon, she saw a familiar large dark figure coming to meet her. He moved with massive grace. As soon as he got close, he smiled, as he always had.
            “Milly! Maeve says you are worried about us,” said Ralph, taking the bags from her.
            “Thanks, Ralph. Yeah, I kept looking at the smoke blowing through town, and I wondered what it was like up here. It seems even smokier, of course.”
            “Why don’t we just go on up to the clearing and see Ramona and we’ll tell you about it,” rumbled Ralph in his calm basso voice. “We’re nearly there.”  And they were nearly there all of a sudden.
            Just like in a stage setting, the brush parted and there it was.  The cave, the fire circle, the conveniently place seating logs, all of it just as she remembered it. The smoke was very greatly diminished here. In fact, she wasn’t sure she could see any smoke there at all.
            Ramona was sitting by her fire, holding Cherry, who was getting to be nearly a year old and was still platinum blond. Twigg and the puma bros were just off the scene a bit, but she could hear them well enough.
            “Hi, Millicent. Thank you for coming,” said Ramona. “You are always welcome here. Will you have a seat by me?” Ramona patted her log and smiled.
            “Yes, I will,” said Millicent Price, thrilled to pieces at the welcome. “As you see I brought some things you might enjoy, just in case, you know?”
            She sat beside Ramona, looking around. “May I hold Cherry for a moment,” she asked. “I never get to hold a baby. No one I know has one!”
            “Of course,” with a bit of a giggle. “There you go Cherry, go see Millicent.” With that, Cherry lifted up out of her mother’s arms as if gravity had no hold on her. Lightly, she settled down in Millicent’s lap. She looked up, smiling at the sensation she had caused.
            “I thought I had seen everything….” Millicent’s voice trailed off. “Cherry, you take the prize!” But here, in Ralph’s world this didn’t seem beyond the bounds of believable.
            “She doesn’t walk yet, but she does that,” said Ramona, laughing. “We noticed soon after she was born. She stays near. It’s like she’s tied to me somehow.”
            Ralph sat down opposite Ramona and Millicent. “Yes, there is a fire not too far away, but it doesn’t really affect us here. Fires and weather come and go, but we abide, Milly. I don’t know how to explain it to you.”  He smiled his huge angelic smile.
            They ate the picnic together by just a small fire. Ralph and Ramona and Twigg enjoyed the unfamiliar treats. Cherry had a bit of bread and butter and a little cheese. The fizzy drinks were a great hit. Berry and Bob each had a big sausage.
            Millicent said she had better go. They said their farewells, all promising to see each other again some time. Millicent walked back down the path to the highway.  It took longer going out than it had going in.
            She drove back to Milltown, that smoky place. She heard on her radio that the wind was going to shift the next day and blow it all to the east. Her heart was at peace.

All Ralph All The Time

Good Morning! Sunday Open Thread!

 The Great Escape Artist

It was one of those days yesterday. I didn't get very much done. I guess that's alright. I have been meaning to take Shabbat off from doing anything much.

There was a cat rodeo. She enjoyed it very much. Mercifully, she was shooed into the house by my son.

Sam and I dumped out the potato pot to find out if there were any spuds at all in it.  Not very many! And they were small.  There must be more to growing potatoes in a large pot!

The fires continue east of us.  Lots of smoke coming our way.  Seems like this happens every year lately. Very soon Ralph will be reporting in on the subject, since that's in his own bailiwick. 

I pray the Lord bless you all, in ways you haven't even dared to dream of yet!