The Fringy Chew

Freckles:

The alien stared for a moment at whatever had thudded behind me. Crapola, I thought, has another of these weird creatures arrived? I pondered whether I should turn around to see. I didn’t really want to – one alien was enough to deal with – but I knew I needed to know what I was up against. I performed a twisting jump and turn, landing with my body pointed in the opposite direction.

Relief filled me as I saw Scrambles plucking my fringy chew from the ground. Not another alien, just a stupid object. The relief was followed quickly by a rush of annoyance. I hadn’t touched that fringy chew in ages. I actually hated the thing because it tickled my nose and made me sneeze. But, who did this alien think it was claiming my fringy chew as its own?

Postponing the Showdown

Deb:

Scrambles stared at Freckles while she ate her lettuce. Holding my breath, I waited for the moment when she finished and took action or when Scrambles became impatient and tried to approach her. Something was bound to happen and the suspense was killing me. Tempted as I was to scoop up the little dog and remove him to another room, I knew that this showdown was inevitable. If Scrambles was to be a visitor at our house, he and Freckles would have to find a way to get along.

Maybe Scrambles needed a distraction so Freckles wouldn’t feel threatened by his close proximity. I picked up a chew toy that Freckles never played with and tossed it toward Scrambles. He stared at it for a moment and then rushed over to claim it.

The Thud of Distraction

Freckles:

I continued to eat at my plate and ignored the strange alien creature with the pointy nose and skinny legs. I thought that by pretending it wasn’t there, it would get bored and go away. This was not to be. It continued to stare at me while I ate, but it did not approach.

Suddenly, I heard a noise – a thud – coming from behind me. The noise caught the alien’s attention and it looked away from me for a moment. What in the world could that thud sound be?

Computer Issues

Deb:

We're having a few computer issues today. Hopefully we will be up and running tomorrow!

Who Will Make the Next Move?

Deb:

Freckles hopped over to her plate of lettuce and ate a leaf. Scrambles wiggled and whined, begging to get down to the floor to investigate the rabbit. When Freckles seemed relaxed, my son set Scrambles onto the floor, saying, “Stay back. Leave the bunny alone.”

Scrambles moved near the plate, but cautiously and curiously watched Freckles eat her lettuce. They looked so sweet there together. Somehow I knew it wouldn’t last.

Skinny Legs & Pointy Nose

Freckles:

As I hopped into the clearing, the strange creature saw me approach and stared down at me. Even though it was high above me, I could tell that it wasn’t very big. Burdened with such skinny little legs and a long pointy nose, it didn’t appear to be much of a threat. I even thought for a moment that Nice Guy might be holding it because it couldn't stand up on its own. But, you never know about these situations. It could have some unusual fighting skill of which I wasn’t aware.

I moved to the plate holding my extra green leaves that Nice Guy had given me earlier. The creature continued to watch me, wiggling and making a strange high-pitched sound, as I grabbed a leaf and munched.

Deb's a Dreamer!

Deb:

Freckles hopped down the hall, rushing to see what the noise from Scrambles’ barking was all about. She stopped and stared when she saw the dog. I could tell her mind raced to figure out exactly what this new creature was doing in her house. It didn’t take her long to decide that she would chance an encounter. Maybe things were going to work out okay after all!

Taking a Stand

Freckles:

My first reaction to that thing in Nice Guy’s arms was to wonder what in the world such a noisy, wiggling alien was doing in my world! It hadn’t seen me yet, so I probably could have returned to my Home Place without its knowing I was there. However, this was MY world and I felt I needed to make a stand and let it know who was in charge.

My second reaction was to decide that, since Nice Guy was holding it, the possibility of it being too dangerous was probably low. I decided to take a chance, and I hopped into the clearing, never taking my eyes off of the intruder.

Scrambles

Deb:

My middle son came to visit and brought his Chihuahua-mix dog Scrambles. I wasn’t sure how Freckles would react to this little whirlwind of a puppy. Scrambles can’t hold still. He runs and jumps and barks and plays ALL THE TIME! His energy is unending. Although adorable, he faced quite a challenge winning over Freckles with his energetic antics.

Freckles must have heard Scrambles' barking. She came hopping down the hallway and skidded to a stop when she saw Scrambles in Nice Guy's arms.

The Thing

Freckles:

Nice Guy gave me some delicious leaves, and I scarfed them down as if I hadn’t eaten for a week. Wow! I was hungrier than I’d thought I would be. After I’d filled my tummy, I hopped down the tunnel to my Home Place to conduct my daily ritual. It was while I was sitting in my cage of relief, that I heard the sound that sent chills down my spine. What was the terrible racket that was coming from the Other World? Couldn’t a girl have a little peace?

Suddenly I remembered – MY OFFERING! Had the alien creature returned? Was something else trying to destroy my creation? I jumped in the air and dashed down the tunnel to the Other World with as much speed as I could put into these legs. I pulled to a stop and stared at the thing that was sitting in Nice Guy’s arms.

A New Surprise

Deb:

After Freckles ate the lettuce that my son brought to her, she hopped down the hall to her room. I guess she trusted us enough to figure we wouldn’t do anything to her giant nest. I knew I dare not touch the mess yet. I would have to get her interested in something else first. I didn’t plan on having any company anyway, so the nest could remain undisturbed.

Later that day, however, my middle son came over to visit and he brought something that surprised us all.

Nice Guy Saves the Day

Freckles:

I realized while guarding the offering from under the tree that I had not had anything to eat for quite some time. At least nothing except what I had eaten of the offering itself. So far I hadn't seen anything that endangered the offering, and I wondered whether I could sneak away for a short time to eat and carry out my other business of living. Just as I was about to desert my post, Nice Guy walked toward me with some luscious-looking leaves. YUM!

Fortifying the Bunny

Deb:

When I looked at the nest later that day, I noticed that Freckles had moved away from the middle of the nest and was resting underneath the rocking chair. I realized that she had spent so much time ripping, shredding, and guarding that she hadn’t eaten much lately. Her plate was full of delicious food, but she hadn’t gone to it to eat any.

Well, if Freckles wouldn’t go to the food, it would have to come to her. My son had just come into the house, and I suggested that he offer her something to keep up her strength.

Moving the Guardpost

Freckles:

It is quite tense guarding something, because you never know when you will need to jump up and defend whatever it is you are guarding. It takes a lot out of a bun. I guarded the offering for quite some time before deciding that it was okay to nap. I hadn’t sensed any danger that would require my alert attention.

After my nap, I moved my guardpost to the soft ground beneath my favorite nearby tree. I could still watch for danger, but more importantly I could admire my work at the same time.

DBF in a Nest

Deb:

When Freckles finished ripping and spreading the cloud of paper, she plopped down in the middle of the mess and surveyed what she obviously considered her fine work. Satisfied with the results and quite comfortable in this chosen spot, she performed a DBF (dead bunny flop) among the rubble and promptly went to sleep. She had built herself a huge nest of paper – a nest that extended over half of my living room!