A Decision in Favor of the Bench

Freckles:

After considering my choices, I decided to take a chance on the open area underneath the ledge. I planned to stay alert and escape the moment I heard a terrible monster coming. Terrible monsters usually make an incredible amount of noise, so I should be able to know well in advance if one is approaching.

I jumped to the side and hopped under the ledge, settling with my back toward the wall. I waited and listened for the sound of any danger.

Spaghetti and Salad

Deb:

I left Freckles to her exploring and concentrated on stirring the spaghetti noodles and sauce. One of the perks of cooking --a quick taste -- yum, just right. Hunger invaded my every thought, but I decided that I would take the time to make a salad with that new blended dressing recipe I'd cut from the newspaper. I stooped over and pulled the blender from the lower cupboard.

Sanctuary or Dead End

Freckles:

Once I reached the center of the clearing under the tree, I rested and surveyed my surroundings. Looking up, I noticed a large ledge with an open area underneath. This could be a great location to keep track of the comings and goings in the Unexplored Territory. On the other hand, the open area didn’t seem very deep and might be a dead end. If a terrifying monster came after me, I could be trapped in that area and forced to defend myself with no avenue for escape. I would need to think about this decision for a bit.

A Twisting Jump to the Center!

Deb:

Freckles studied the area of the kitchen and dining room. I could see her eying the dining room table. Suddenly, without a sound, she performed sort of a twisting jump into the air and hopped to the table, dashing between the chair legs to get to the center.

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We're taking time out from our story

for an announcement from a

new bunny blog friend.

Katie over at Bountiful Bunnies is requesting bunny pictures to post! Her blog is running out of steam and needs new bunnies to show. You can send your adorable bunny pictures to: tundrakatiebean@gmail.com

Katie's been busy raising money for Anchorage Rabbit Rescue (click on the link at her site to find out more.)

The Safety of a Large Tree

Freckles:

After I finished eating my delicious chunk of goodness, I examined the mysterious scenery of the Unexplored Territory. From the Other World I had heard strange rumblings, screeches, and roaring from this land, but had never found a necessity to enter here. Who knew what wonders (and dangers) lurked in this part of the world.

My scrutiny of the area nearby revealed a huge tree spreading its enormous branches to provide a large amount of shade. I could hop there for safety. I hadn’t seen or heard any large black birds in this land, but the silent, invisible ones could swoop down at any second. I was out in the open and vulnerable to many dangers. I jumped into the air, twisted my body, and dashed for the tree.

Freckles Scrutinizes

Deb:

After Freckles finished her bread, she scrutinized the kitchen and dining room. This was an area she had never explored before. I didn’t want to scare her off, so I returned to tending my spaghetti and allowed her space to examine the kitchen. Soon she hopped over to the dining room table.

Slip-Sliding for Goodness!

Freckles:

Leaping through the portal to the Unexplored Territory was a breeze. It was the landing that caused a bit of a problem. The ground was very slidey! I had miscalculated my approach because of this slippery surface and my body slid right into the high-voiced one’s back paws. But, I was on a mission and I couldn’t let a bit of slipperyness stop me. I pulled myself upright with all the dignity I could muster and glared into the high-voiced one’s eyes. My glare told it to drop the container of goodness

It reached down for me and I was sure it planned to strike me down or grab me and throw my body back into the Other World. But, when the paw reached my nose, I realized it held a piece of the yummy goodness from the container. Maybe Nice Guy wasn’t the only one who could open the Container of Goodness. Maybe the high-voiced one had a talent I had not realized.

I snatched the piece of goodness and backed up.

Beware the Surfing Bunny

Deb:

I untwisted the little wire tie and reached inside the bread sack. The next thing I knew, a blurred bundle of black and white fur flew into the kitchen, surfed across the tile floor, and landed at my feet. When Freckles had righted herself, she looked up at me expectantly. I held the piece of bread down by her mouth. She snatched it from my hand and backed up until she touched the cupboard. With her back to the cupboard and without taking her eyes off of me, she nibbled heartily at her piece of bread.

Saving the Container of Goodness

Freckles:

As I stared at the high-voiced one, I saw it reach down and pick up the container of goodness. I had seen this container before, when Nice Guy brought it to the Home World. That was where I had heard that crinkling sound! It was the container of goodness! And now the high-voiced one was holding it. Wait! I must save the container for Nice Guy. I must get it out of the clutches of the high-voiced one. Without thinking about what I was doing, I took a gigantic leap right through the portal and into the Unexplored Territory.

Whole Grain Bread

Deb:

Freckles stared at me through the doorway. I could tell she was thinking hard about something.

“Hi, Freckles,” I said. “Would you like something to eat?” I opened the bread drawer and pulled out the bread sack again. Freckles loved whole grain bread. I’d rip off a small piece to give her. The sack crinkled as I untwisted the twist tie and reached inside.

Who's Crinkling?

Freckles:

I hopped over to the portal at the entrance of the Unexplored Territory. I could see the high-voiced one in the area just beyond the portal. It was making all kinds of interesting noises. Could it have been the one making the crinkling sound? Nah, not possible. I associated the crinkling sound with something good, so it couldn’t have come from the high-voiced one. I tried to see around the corner to see if Nice Guy or Big Guy were around, possibly fixing me a treat.

The Doorway of Decision

Deb:

The spaghetti boiled away happily on the stove and I dumped the spaghetti sauce into a pan. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Freckles hopping to the entrance of the kitchen. She sat in the living room staring at me from the doorway. She had never visited the kitchen or the dining room, preferring to limit herself to the living room and her bedroom. Was she going to take a chance and explore other areas of the house?

An Enticing Option?

Freckles:

The crinkling sound went on for a bit, and then I heard a creak and a thud. Hmmmm. I knew I recognized that sound and my mouth was watering, so it must have something to do with food. Now that I was thinking about food, I realized that I was starved. I stretched my head out of the cave a little ways and searched the room. Nope, I didn’t see any food plate nearby. Darn. If I wanted food, I was going to have to go all the way down the long tunnel to my home place. Or, I thought, there was another enticing option...

Bread Sacks and Spaghetti

Deb:

I'd moved into the kitchen to make some dinner. The first thing I noticed was a bread sack on the counter, the end of which was wide open. Why couldn’t anyone put anything away around here? I grabbed the sack and twisted the top, wrapping the little wire thingy around and around to seal it. I dropped the bread sack into the drawer, grabbed a large pan, and filled it with water to cook the spaghetti for dinner.

The Unexplored Territory

Freckles:

Resting in my little cave, I took a break from thinking and let my mind go blank. I felt safe here (no black or invisable birds), but I still kept one ear alert to any new potential danger. It must have been that one ear that heard the high-voiced one leap from the Other World through the portal into the Unexplored Territory. It also soon noticed a sound from that land, a kind of crinkling. Where had I heard that sound before?