3

June and the Bears’ Camping Trip

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The McBear family had moved into a quiet, mixed-species neighborhood the previous year. Angus T McBear was a large, friendly black bear. However, his size had caused some discomfort at first.

He and his wife Matilda had enrolled their daughters, Ilsa and Heather in the local school. Being the only bears in the school, it took a while for the other animals to become friendly. The one exception was June Longfur. She had a plush Teddy Bear that she loved, and wanted to get to know the “real teddy bears” in her class.

Within a few weeks, the three friends were inseparable at school. They all loved the fish sticks in the cafeteria. They ran around and played hide-and-seek at lunch and recess. Junes’s cat friends were still afraid of the bears, but they let Ilsa and Heather sit at their table.

One morning Ilsa and Heather came to school very excited.

Ilsa: June! June!

Heather: Guess what? We have something to tell you, and it’s totally pawsome!

 

The bear cubs started talking over each other. June was having trouble understanding what either one was saying. Finally, they slowed down.

Heather: “… and Daddy said we could invite you!

June: Invite me to what?

Ilsa: Our next camping weekend. It’s going to be so much fun!

June: What’s camping? Is it a bear thing?

Ilsa and Heather looked at each other. It hadn’t occurred to them that cats might not camp.

Heather: Don’t cats go out into the woods and sleep outside?

Ilsa: And swim and fish and explore?

June: I don’t think so. None of my friends do. I think cats go for more spa-like vacations. You know, lying on the beach or something.

Ilsa: You should try camping. It’s a lot of fun. And it’s the first time Daddy has let us invite anyone.

June: It does sound like fun, but I’ll have to ask my parents.

That evening, June asked her parents if they had ever gone camping.

Mama: You mean go sleep in the open where all the uncivilized animals are?

Papa: It’s not really a cat thing. If I can sleep in a bed in a nice house, why wouldn’t I?

June: Ilsa and Heather said it’s a lot of fun. They get to catch their own fish.

Mama: Ilsa and Heather? Aren’t those the bears that moved in a few months ago?

June: Yes. They’re like real, living teddy bears. They’re my best friends. And they asked me to go camping with them.

Mama: I don’t think that’s a good idea. We don’t really know anything about them. Maybe they’re setting a trap so they can eat you.

June: Papa, tell her they’re not going to eat me. They’re black bears. They don’t eat cats.

Papa: That’s generally true. But we don’t know what they’d do if they were starving.

June: They’re not starving. They live in our neighborhood.

Mama: You’re probably right. I was walking past their house a few days ago. They look like they’re already getting ready for hibernation, if you know what I mean.

June: Mama! That’s just what healthy bears look like. May I go? It’s only one weekend.

Papa: We need to meet these bears. I’m not letting anyone have my princess if I don’t know them.

Mama: Let’s go over there now. They won’t be able to trick us if we surprise them.

The McBears live a few streets over. Mama and Papa spend the travel time imagining how uncivilized their house would be inside. The outside looked nice. Papa knocked on the door.

Angus: Hello. May I help you?

Papa: I’m Jonathan Longfur and this is my wife Cybal. We’re June’s parents. She’s a friend of your daughters.

Angus: Pleased to meet you. I’m glad we finally get to meet the marvelous June. The girls can’t stop talking about her.

Angus turns around and yells.

Angus: Ilsa! Heather! Guess who came to visit.

The girls came running out. June is overwhelmed by a group hug. Angus turns to her parents.

Angus: Please excuse my manners The girls have been having trouble making friends in their new school, and June has been extremely kind. You have no idea how excited the girls are to have her join us in the woods. Won’t you please come in?

Mama and Papa look at each other. This was not the reception they were expecting. The front room was immaculate. The furniture was bear-sized, but otherwise perfectly normal. A bear appeared from the kitchen with a tray.

Matilda: Hello. I’m Matilda, the girls’ mother. I hope you like catmint tea. Heather insisted I get it in case you came over. I have honey from my hives too, if you’d like some.

Mama: That is so kind. Thank you. I’m Cybal by the way. Your house is lovely.

Matilda: Thank you. It’s so nice of you to stop by. It seems that some of our neighbors are afraid of us. One little hedgehog told Ilsa that her mother wouldn’t let her play with them because the mother was afraid we might eat her. Can you imagine?

Mama: I guess animals might be afraid of what they don’t know.

Papa: Speaking of which – we don’t know the first thing about camping. Will June be safe? Are there predators out there that might hurt her?

Angus: Speaking as a rather large bear, I’ve never had a problem. I promise that I will not let anything happen to June.

Mama and Papa looked at each other.

Papa: Then you can count her in. Let us know what we should send with her.

The girls had been listening from a corner of the room. They started yelling and dancing.

All pictures were generated by Gemini AI.

15

Cheeseland Day Camp – Parents Day

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The campers at Camp Muckamac had been working hard all week getting their skits ready for their parents The plan was for the parents to arrive after lunch on Friday and take the young animals home after the program.

It’s finally Friday, and everyone is very excited. There was a hike in the morning followed by cleaning. Finally, it was time for the skits. They always held the end-of-camp gathering in the Chow Hall in case of bad weather.

Ms Kimmy: Hello, everyone! In case I haven’t met anyone, I’m Ms Kimmy, director of Camp Muckamac. I’ve had the pleasure of being with your children for the past two weeks, and I’ve really had a good time. We didn’t have to send anyone home for not following the rules, and there were no major medical emergencies.

The parents applauded. The campers, who were sorted into their skit groups, looked at Ms Cate. They were waiting for the signal that it was time to start.

Ms Cate (whispering): Not yet. She needs to introduce the counselors first.

All of the counselors, except Ms Cate, lined up behind Ms Kimmy. Ms Kimmy introduced them one-by-one to continued applause. After they were introduced, they went back to the campers.

Ms Kimmy: Now it’s time for our program. Let’s give a big welcome to the first group: Mr Arthur and Forest Safety.

Two young raccoons run in with a banner saying, “Forest Safety.” They stand at the back of the stage. A kitten and a guinea pic walk onto the stage. They take turns reading from a paper.

Kitten: The forest is a wonderful, magical place, but you need to respect it.

Guinea Pig: Yes, you should always pay attention to where you are.

A group of young animals run onto the stage and stop. They start looking around.

Puppy: Do you guys know where we are?

Goat: Not really. We made a lot of turns.

Lamb: It’s kind of dark in here. I don’t like it. I want to go home.

Groundhog: Me too. I’m getting hungry.

Puppy: Should we blow the whistle?

Bear Cub: Don’t be a loser. We’re not lost. I live around here.

Hedgehog: So, which way do we go?

Bear Cub (pointing): That way.

A couple of minutes later.

Bear Cub: I don’t think this is right.

Kitten: I’m hungry.

Bear Cub: Just eat some berries.

Puppy: Wait a minute. Are those safe to eat?

Kitten: I don’t think so. Besides, cats don’t eat berries.

Puppy: That’s it. I’m blowing the whistle.

Two rabbits come out with an easel saying to always know where you are, don’t eat anything you don’t know, and bring something to help others find you if you get lost.

The audience applauded. The young animals bow, collect a few flowers that were thrown, and run off the stage.

Two young wolves run in with a banner saying, “Forest Foods and Medicine.” They stand at the back of the stage. Two meerkats walk on stage with a piece of paper. Mr Joseph stands at the side of the stage.

Meerkat 1: The last group talked about being safe in the forest. We agree you shouldn’t be careless.

Meerkat 2: But if you study the forest, it’s full of tasty things and things that can make you feel better.

A group of young animals come out dressed to forage.

Young Goat: First, you need to know what is dangerous to your species.

Puppy: We can’t eat onions or garlic.

Kitten: Us either.

Bear Cub: But for me wild leeks are delicious.

Young Goat: Pretty much anyone can eat dandelions.

Groundhog: And you can eat almost all of it. Starting with the leaves. They make a delicious salad.

Hedgehog: Did you know you can make wine from the flowers and a hot drink from the roots?

Capybara: You can add broadleaf plantain to your salad or cook them for a side dish.

Lamb: Ostrich Fern can be added to the salad or cooked too. I wonder if anyone cooks them with Broadleaf Plantain.

Bear Cub: Don’t forget wild berries. They are delicious!

Alpaca: Broadleaf Plantain can be used as a poultice for wounds and insect bites.

Kitten: Yarrow can be used for wounds and fevers. It’s not poisonous, but don’t eat too much.

Gopher: We can’t forget all the mushrooms that are safe to eat: morels, chanterelle, hen-of-the-woods, oyster, golden oyster, chicken-of-the-woods, and giant puffball.

A puppy walks in with a sign, “Know what you are eating.”

Kitten: That’s all for us. But we want to invite Mr Joseph out here for a surprise.

Mr Joseph had been whispering with Ms Cate at the side of the stage. Her group was going to do a skit about the Teddy Bears’ Picnic as soon as the current skit was over. Mr Joseph walked out onto the stage.

Kitten: We didn’t know how much Mr Joseph knew about native plants. We had a really good idea, and he helped us do it.

Everyone clapped although no one understood what was going on. The group left the stage. Two young foxes walked out with a banner the said, “Teddy Bears Picnic.” The stood at the back of the stage. A badger walked out and read from a piece of paper.

Badger: There is a song called “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic.” We thought it would be fund to do a skit about a picnic.

A group of small animals came onto the stage carrying picnic baskets and blankets. They spread the blankets on the ground and started to open the picnic baskets.

Lamb: What food did we bring on our picnic, Mama?

Sheep: I’m not sure. I didn’t pack it.

The audience laughed.

Squirrel: That’s weird. My basket is empty.

Ms Cate was not amused. They had rehearsed an entire skit that was not centered on food.

Voice from Offstage: Hello? Hello? Did someone order picnic food? I have an order for a party of teddy bears.

Bear Cub: I didn’t order any food, but I’m a bear.

Voice: That’s good enough for me.

Suddenly, the stage was full of small animals carrying salads, bowls of berries, pots of honey, and other foods. Ms Cate was very confused. Mr. Joseph explained what was happening.

Mr Joseph: The kitten in my group is friends with the kitten in your group. Some of the older campers thought it would be funny to see what happened if they switched up the skit. Sort of a senior prank. The others didn’t agree. My group wanted to help, so they asked if we could actually gather what we were talking about.

Ms Cate: They did an amazing job.

Kitten: Ms Cate, would you please come out.

Ms Cate walked out, trying to avoid the munching animals. There was a group of animals holding bouquets of catnip.

Kitten: We all wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for our program.

They handed her the bouquets, and Ms Cate walked offstaghe.

Ms Kimmy: I’m not happy that a few campers decided to change things around without telling anyone, but all’s well that ends well. It looks like there is still a lot of food if anyone wants some.

Ed Note: The plants referenced are native to Michigan forests.

19

Cheeseland Day Camp – Week 2

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Everyone made it through the first week of day camp. The campers made sand castles and sand candles. They had learned camp songs and how to tie knots. They had been on hikes in the woods and learned how to make simple shelters.

The session on forest plants had been a little rough. No matter how many times the leaders said, “Look but don’t touch.” someone always tried to touch. It wasn’t too bad, except when Felice (a Golden Retriever) got a poison ivy rash on her muzzle. Her brother said she had too much fur to worry about that. He was wrong.

There was also Julius (a bear cub) who ate some nightshade berries because he thought they were a different kind of blueberry. Luckily someone saw him do it and stopped him before he ate them all. He had a very uncomfortable afternoon but was fine by the time his mother picked him up.

 

On the second Monday of camp, everyone was gathered in the Chow Hall.

Ms Kimmy: Welcome back to Camp Muckamac. I’m glad to see you all again. I think we had a very good first week. Did your parents like the crafts we sent home?

Joachim: My mom says we need to use better glue. My macaroni heart fell apart as soon as we got home and some birds ate it.

Ms Kimmy: That is unfortunate.

Kenzie: My sister really liked the friendship bracelet I made for her. Unfortunately, the dumb dog that lives next door got it and ate it. Then he got sick and threw it up.

Benny: Maybe dogs aren’t dumb. Maybe cats are dumb for leaving their stuff laying around.

Kenzie: I didn’t say dogs are dumb. I said that dog is dumb. But I do think dogs are dumber than cats.

Benny: They are not. Dogs are smarter than everyone.

Petunia: That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Pigs are smarter than both of you.

Ms Kimmy: Okay. That’s enough. Let’s keep things moving. I want to talk about Parents Day at the end of the week. We have something special planned that we are going to work on every afternoon. Ms. Cate has some very special talents that she is going to share with you. She has experience in the theater.

Ms Cate: Hello everyone. We thought it would be fun to put on a couple of skits for your parents.

Ms Kimmy: Doesn’t that sounds like fun?

The young animals look at each other. Finally, a small voice speaks up.

Nikki: Ms Kimmy, what’s a skit?

Ms Cate: Skits are like short plays, and they are usually not too serious. I was thinking about dividing you up into three groups. The first group will be led by Mr Arthur, and it would be about forest safety. The second group will be led by Mr Joseph and would be about what kinds of foods and medicines are in the forest. I will lead the third group. I have two ideas: either what happens when you don’t communicate on a walk through the forest or something to do with The Teddy Bears’ Picnic.

Campers (very loudly): The Teddy Bears’ Picnic.

Kimmy (whispering to Mr Joseph): Did she really think they wouldn’t take teddy bears?

Ms Cate: Okay! We have our skits. Let’s divide you up into groups.

Ms Cate stayed at the front of the room. Mr Arthur and Mr Joseph each took one of the back corners. The other camp counselors were split between the groups The campers were split into three groups.

Ms Kimmy: Okay, everyone. Take a few minutes to discuss your skit before we get started on today’s activity. We’re going to learn how to not get lost in the woods.

An Adult Voice: We probably should have done that last Monday. It would have saved campers getting lost on the way to the latrine.

In one corner:

Mr Arthur: Hello, campers. We are going to act out what happens when someone breaks a safety rule. Any ideas?

Charmaine: I know! Don’t touch anything you can’t identify.

Jillian: Don’t eat anything you can’t identify.

Max: If you’re in a strange place, don’t wander off alone.

Steve: Don’t go in the water by yourself.

Mr Arthur: Those are all excellent points. We can start working on them right after lunch.

In another corner.

Mr Joseph: What are some of the things in the forest that are good to eat?

Helene: Berries!

Jackson: Mushrooms!

Clive: Insects!

Mr Joseph: That’s very good. And there are also many kinds of plants that you can use for a stomachache, a headache or other problems. We can talk about it more this afternoon.

At the front of the room. 

Ms Cate: I was thinking that we could put on a little play about the teddy bears getting ready to go on their picnic.

Hazel: What kind of food will we have?

Ms Cate: This is make-believe. There won’t be any real food.

Maria: It won’t be a picnic if there isn’t real food.

Ms Cate: It isn’t really about food. It’s about the teddy bears going out and having fun while the humans are busy.

Maria: How can they have fun if there isn’t any food?

Jesse: We definitely need food. What kinds of games are we going to play?

Ms Cate: We’re not going to play real games. It’s not a real picnic. We’re just pretending so your parents can see how much fun you’re having at Camp Muckamac.

Maria: It won’t be any fun if there are any food or games.

All pictures generated by Gemini AI.

25

Cheeseland Day Camp

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Cheeseland Day Camp was a summer tradition that parents looked forward to every summer. For two weeks, they could look forward to having the days to themselves. Every morning, buses picked up the campers from several drop-off locations and took them to Camp Muckamac for a variety of activities.

The campers were divided by age, and each age group had a leader and a co-leader with several volunteer assistants for each activity. Today is Paint Day. Ms Cate is the leader for the youngest group with Mr Arthur as the co-leader. Three young otters are volunteering: Heather, Suzy, and Emma.The otters meet the bus when it arrives at camp.

Emma: Good morning! Over here, Team Green campers.

A few of the campers go to their assigned color, but most of the small animals continue chatting with their friends. Finally, Ms Kimmy, the Director of the camp, blows a whistle.

Ms Kimmy: Listen up campers! We have a big day ahead of us. e, not all going to be painting today. Please go to your assigned color pole

There are four color poles segregated by age: green, blue, yellow, and red.The assigned color was on each camper’s name tag. It was an unfortunate choice for identification. Some of the animals had trouble distinguishing colors. Someone had chosen the tags online, not realizing it was a human site..

Jasper: Ms Kimmy, my mother said that I couldn’t make a mess. She said I couldn’t do the painting. What else can I do?

Ms Kimmy: Every camper had to have their parent sign the same form. If a camper is not allowed to participate in an activity, it is their responsibility to bring something to do. Or the camper can miss that day.

Mimi (Jasper’s twin): My mom says that’s your responsibility. She’s paying good money to have us here, and you have to find something for us to do.

Ms Kimmy: How many other campers won’t be able to paint today?

She looked around. No one else raised their hand.

Ms. Kimmy: Okay, Jasper and Mimi. You can stay in the meal hall and color. We don’t have the money for two sets of activities.

Jasper: All day? That sounds really boring.

Mimi: Yeah. Can’t we watch TV?

Ms Kimmy: I’m afraid not. I’m not sure why that’s here. There is no signal at Camp Muckamac. Maybe the cook can find something you can help with.

The cook and her assistant glare at Ms Kimmy

Ms Kimmy: Or maybe not.

Jasper: We don’t want to be free help anyway.

Ms Kimmy, Jasper, and Mimi head for the meal hall. Everyone else goes to their place at camp.

Ms Cate: Okay, campers. Find a seat at the table. We’ve placed brushes and paper at each seat. Put on the smock on the seat

Antwan: What’s a smock?

Mr Arthur: It’s like a shirt.

Heather: It keeps the paint off your fur,

Celia: What if I want to paint my fur?

Mr Arthur: Unless you have a signed letter from a parent saying you can paint your fur, you’re not allowed to do it.

Zak: That’s not fair. They didn’t say I couldn’t do it.

Mr Arthur: Sorry, buddy. Rules are rules.

Delilah: I can’t put this on.

Suzy: It’s pretty easy. Just put the loop at the top over your head.

Delilah: I want help. It’s all twisted.

The leaders looked at their campers. A couple had figured it out and even snapped it closed, but several were struggling.

Ms Cate: Let’s get you all situated here so we can get started.

Soon everyone was sitting at the table, ready to go and chattering.

Ms Cate: Okay, everybody. Have you all thought of something to paint?

The small animals nodded.

Ms Cate: That’s great! We have three pots of each color, so we’ll need to share. Everyone will pick one color to start with. When you are done with that color, you can take your next color. Mr Arthur, Heather, Suzy, and I will be walking around if you need help.

After some minor disagreements, everyone has their first color.

Vince: Ms Cate, I want to paint my house, so I need the blue to start. I got stuck with brown.

Ms Cate: There must be something in your picture that is brown. What do you mean stuck? There are plenty of other colors available.

Vince: But I want blue.

Mr Arthur: Then you’ll need to wait until someone is done with it.

Mr Arthur turned around to say something to Ms Cate, when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Emma was leaning across the table for a pot of paint.

Emma: No! Don’t do that!

Josh was tipping a pot of red paint onto the table.

Emma: Why are you doing that?

Josh: I want to paw-paint. It will be amazing!

Emma: We’re not paw-painting today. We’re brush painting.

Josh: That’s no fun.

Emma: We don’t want to send you home with red fur.

The painting progressed well until Mr Arthur saw a small lamb crying.

Bethany: I couldn’t find the green paint, so I painted the leaves on my bushes yellow. Now everyone’s laughing at me.

Mr Arthur: They’re wrong, Bethany. You can paint the leaves whatever color you want. (Louder) Campers, quiet down. I want to show everyone Bethany’s beautiful picture. It’s a house with yellow bushes in front of it.

Clara: Leaves are green, not yellow.

Ms Cate: Actually some bushes do have yellow leaves. And some green leaves turn yellow in the fall here in Michigan. That doesn’t really matter, anyway. Bethany can paint things whatever color she chooses. It’s a lovely picture, Bethany.

Bethany: Thank you Ms Cate.

A bell rang in the distance.

Mr Arthur: Who knows what that means?

Everyone: Lunch time!

Ms Cate: Leave your paintings here, and go with the girls.

The campers ran off with Heather, Suzy, and Emma. Ms Cate and Mr Arthur cleaned up the table and got ready for the afternoon.

All pictures were generated by Gemini AI.

22

Introducing Lightening Kat

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Hi all! It’s Lightning, here for my first blog post! Unfortunately, it has been a bit of a bumpy road. One of my two big humans has abandoned me! Blondie has been admitted into some sort of long term care facility for an “eating disorder “. I’m not really sure what that means; maybe she didn’t have enough prey to hunt? All I know is, she’s been gone for a really long time. And I miss her.

There are only 4 servants to pamper me as it is, and now I’m down to three. And two of the three don’t really count, as they’re human kittens and can’t reach the treat box to spoil me with extra treats. So that leaves one human. And both Onyx and Thunder think he should pay attention to them. So here I am, all alone and abandoned.

But it’s really Blondie who’s been missing out! While she’s been gone, I’ve become a master at Pounce (much to Onyx’s chagrin). I also graduated from kitten chow to adult kibble (this wasn’t really something she planned on. I was supposed to stay on kitten chow for six to twelve months. But the big kitties have endless kibble, so I decided to advocate for myself and start eating theirs. It’s really yummy). I’m also getting really long. I’m going to be a big kitty when I grow up! 

There are some things I miss about her. Like I mentioned above, I’m down to one human (although the younger of the two human kittens is my buddy). This means less cuddles, especially at bedtime, when Thunder steals the big human. I also don’t get nearly enough pets and cuddles with her gone. Our food and treats are not continually full. And I don’t have a constant stream of attention focused solely on me.

But she’s missing out on more. Like seeing me grow, or me learning how to hunt (I’m really good at getting jingly balls and the red dot). And she’s missing cuddles before it gets too hot. If I had known I was coming into a sick household, I would have asserted claim over the remaining big human. Or I would have sat on her for a really long time so she couldn’t leave. But no one warned me, and now I’m down a human. But that’s okay, I’ll just train the little one. 

The other cats are pretty cool. I love playing Pounce with Onyx! She hisses and growls at me, but still engages in the game. Thunder is less fun to play with; she always hides under the bed. But luckily we both fit under there, so she can still play with me! They can also thank me for getting an additional litter box; now there are bathroom options throughout the apartment. 

They haven’t been great about my missing human; Onyx says she does this a lot, and Thunder offered no advice on how to get her to come home. Maybe I’ll leave a trail of treats leading to our apartment. I miss her. As you can see, my life is pretty stressful without a human! I guess I’ll have to get started on that treat trail in the hope it brings her home. 

25

And Now…A Word from the Cats

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The lady cats decided they needed to talk to Sgt Stripes. Since Gypsy is only one who really gets along with him, she started.

Gypsy: Hey, Stripes. How’s it going?

Sgt Stripes: Not bad. How about you?

Gypsy: We were all wondering why you were getting so much more time in the blog than we are.

Sgt Stripes: Probably because I work in Cheeseland rather than lying around in the sun all day.

Snoops: Everyone knows you only got that job because you’re a tabby.

Sgt Stripes: Tabbies do kinda rock.

Angel: Don’t let it go to your head.

Gypsy: You did do a good job with the Mayor. He sounds exhausting.

Sgt Stripes: Yeah. I’m guessing he’ll be out the door before too long.

Gypsy: Are you going to be his new Chief of Staff?

Sgt Stripes: Not a chance. I need to concentrate on the home front for a bit.

Angel: What’s wrong here?

Sgt Stripes: I don’t want to point a paw at anyone, but the dynamic has shifted a bit in the last few weeks.

Snoops: What do you mean?

Sgt Stripes hesitated.

Gypsy: You know what’s going on. You’re at the center of it.

Angel: What are you two talking about?

Gypsy: After the boys left, we had a pretty good dynamic. You and Snoops had the first floor, I had the second floor, and Sgt Stripes bounced between them.

Sgt Stripes: Yeah. Snoops pretty much deserted the second floor when I first got here and never really went back up.

Snoops: You know that we older cats can get into a rut with our routines.

Angel: And Snoops was sick for a while earlier in the year.

Snoops: I was NOT as sick as Mom thought I was. It was mainly stress. Now I’m back to myself.

Sgt Stripes: You mean trying to rule over both floors?

Snoops: I am the Empress. I go where I please. You notice I don’t have any problems getting up and down the stairs.

Angel: It was kind of funny how Mom put out more litter boxes to make it easier for you.

Sgt Stripes: We all appreciate the new convenience. The new ones are more popular than the old ones.

Snoops: I do like choices.

Sgt Stripes: Now that you’re upstairs at bedtime, we’re running out of bedtime treats. It was bad enough sharing with Gypsy after she came back upstairs. Now Mom needs to order more of my favorite bedtime treat.

Snoops: That’s not my fault. I don’t like beef and liver.

Gypsy: That’s kind of weird, Snoops. They are delicious.

Sgt Stripes: Gypsy, you know those were my favorite. You’ve kind of taken over treat time. And the best seat in the bedroom.

Gypsy: What do you mean?

Sgt Stripes: The cat tree has really good cat TV and you’ve taken it over.

Gypsy: The other window looks out on a bunch of trees. That’s good cat TV too.

Sgt Stripes: Yeah, but it’s not as comfortable. I guess that’s okay because my non-fur sib has really good cat TV too.

Angel: So what is your point? It sounds like you’ve got it pretty good.

Sgt Stripes: Umm. Oh yeah. Gypsy’s taken over my prime treat spot. I’ve been getting nighttime treats on the nightstand for years. Now when she hears Mom coming upstairs, Gypsy races to MY treat spot. Even though Mom gives Gypsy hers on the cat tree SHE STOLE FROM ME.

Angel: Okay. So things have changed a little. Everybody is probably a little cranky from the heat.

Gypsy: The no AC thing was tough this week. We couldn’t even open the windows at night for a couple of days.

Snoops: That was unpleasant. Glad it finally cooled down enough to open things up this morning.

Sgt Stripes: The new windows downstairs are cat-astic! And there’s finally enough room for everyone to have a window.

Angel: Life is pretty good here, after all.

The other cats nod.

17

Road Trip With the Tabbies – Part 3

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Where we are: Thomas Tabby has chosen to be with his family (wife Tina and two kittens) rather than stay in town to attend a meeting Mayor Pauly Porcine is having with the Cheeseland Garden Club. Pauly wasn’t accepting no for an answer. Thomas asked Sgt Stripes to fill in, leaving his departure a secret until he was out of the office.

 

Thomas had asked Sgt Stripes to sit in his office on Friday with his back to the door, thinking that they were both grey mackerel tabbies, and no one would look closely. Sgt Stripes wasn’t sure, but agreed to do it. In fact, the office was almost empty and he left after a couple of hours. He texted Thomas and told him the plan had worked.

 

Thomas was having a great time at the beach with Tina and the girls. They had a cabin on the water. It was the first time the kittens had been on vacation, and they were very excited.

Emily: Ooh, look at the ocean. It’s so pretty.

Eva: And so big! Can we go in the water?

Tina: I guess so. I’m really not a fan of water. Ask Daddy to take you down.

Eva: Please, Daddy! Can we go in the water?

Thomas: Do you even like water?

Eva: I don’t know. I’ve never seen this much. Please???

Thomas: I don’t see any reason why not. Do you want to come Emily?

Emily: Yeah!

The family found a place on the beach. Tina stretched out on the blanket for a nap as Thomas took the kittens to the edge of the water. He swung Eva up and placed her gently in water covering her paws.

Eva: Eww! It’s cold! I don’t like it!

Emily bravely entered the water on her own. She made it a few steps past her sister when a small wave touched her tummy.

Emily: Ooh! I don’t like this. Daddy, get me out, please!

Thomas grabbed the kittens, and they went back to their blanket.

Thomas: I have an idea. Let’s build a castle in the sand.

The girls took their buckets and began piling up sand. Thomas got some water to dampen the sand. They worked while Tina slept. Finally, the girls woke her up.

Eva: Look, Mommy! Look what we made.

Tina: You guys did a great job. Let me take a picture to show your friends, then we can go to dinner.

Meanwhile, in Cheeseland…

Pauly: Hey Thomas. Did you have a good weekend. Hope you’re not too upset about missing the family vacation.

Sgt Stripes: From what I’ve heard, he’s having a great time. They’re right on the beach, so the kittens love it.

Pauly: Hey. You’re not Thomas. You’re that other tabby, the one on the Communications staff. Why are you in Thomas’ office?

Sgt Stripes: No, I am not Thomas. He sent you an email about what’s going on this week. Didn’t you read it?

Pauly looks at his phone.

Pauly: Nope, I didn’t get an email.

Sgt Stripes: That’s odd. I saw your name on it. Are you sure?

Pauly: Look for yourself.

Pauly handed his phone to Sgt Stripes. The big tabby looked at his email and started to laugh.

 

Sgt Stripes: Is this the way you always use your email?

Pauly: Of course. How else would I do it?

Sgt Stripes: You have it set to Primary. The phone is only showing you the emails it thinks are important. You need to set it to ALL. Oh my goodness, you have 500 unopened emails.

Pauly: I guess maybe all those folks were right that they had sent me messages.

Sgt Stripes: Here’s what we’re looking for.

Pauly looks over his shoulder.

Pauly: This is outrageous! It says he’s going to be gone all week, and if I have questions I need to talk to his assistant.

Sgt Stripes: That’s me.

Pauly: I hope you’re ready. We meet with the Garden Club in two hours.

When Sgt Stripes arrived at the meeting, everyone was ready to start. Mayor Pauly introduced him.

Pauly: This is Sgt Stripes. He’s sitting in for Thomas who is out of town. My understanding is that you are refusing to let Parks & Rec utilize the corner of Potter Park for a municipal pool.

Cecilia Capybara: That’s been a memorial garden for generations.

Pauly: Can’t you move the memorials?

Ignatius Iguana: With all due respect, do you understand what a memorial garden is? Animals purchase plants and trees in memory of loved ones,

Pauly: Couldn’t they just buy that stuff somewhere else?

Sgt Stripes was beginning to see why Thomas was needed at Pauly’s meetings. Once he made up his mind, it was almost impossible to change it. The other animals began whispering angrily to each other.

 

Sgt Stripes: Maybe I can help. I was looking over a map of the park. It looks like you have open land near the entrance of the park. Could we use that for the pool?’

Pauly: The original space I chose is much more desirable. It’s away from the playgrounds.

Gladys Groundhog: That’s why it’s perfect for the Memorial Garden.

Pauly: I suppose I could talk to Tony over at Parks & Rec.

Ignatius turned to Sgt Stripes.

Ignatius: Sgt Stripes, you seem to understand. Will you please talk to Parks & Rec?

Sgt Stripes looked at Pauly. Pauly nodded.

The ending: The Garden Club kept the Memorial Garden. Thomas and his family had a great time at the beach. And the Cheeseland City Council is interviewing candidates to work as Chief of Staff for Pauly.

All pictures generated by Gemini AI

20

Road Trip with the Tabbies – Part 2

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Where we are: Thomas Tabby was working very hard as the Liaison to the Humans, putting in a lot of overtime. Tina, his wife, was not happy. She had agreed to let him run for office, assuming it would be less stressful than being a Vice President at Cheeseland Savings and Loan.

The mayor, Pauly Porcine, has greatly expanded Thomas’ role since discovering how well he handles negotiations. Tina has book a beach vacation and expects Thomas to be there. Thomas is talking to his buddy, Sgt Stripes.

Thomas: Stripes, I don’t know what to do. Either Pauly is going to be mad or Tina’s going to be mad.

Sgt Stripes: Well, you’re only married to one of them. And Pauly didn’t hire you. You were elected.

Thomas: True enough. But I need to be able to work here for at least the next two and a half years. I really like this job.

Sgt Stripes: That is also true. And Pauly can be pretty brutal when he wants to be. He’s already gone through three assistants since the beginning of his term a year and a half ago.

Thomas: I heard that the cafeteria delivers his meals to his office. I wonder if they’re mad at him too.

Sgt Stripes: One of the lunch ladies, Evelyn, told me that he took a particular liking to the corn stew they serve every Wednesday. He was always the first one to the cafeteria.

Thomas: That’s not so strange. He just wanted to make sure they didn’t run out.

Sgt Stripes: If he’d taken a a serving or two, it would have been fine. He wanted the entire serving tray.

Thomas: Oh. That probably upset a few animals. I never paid any attention. I don’t like corn.

Sgt Stripes: I don’t think he’s a bad guy. I just think he wasn’t taught sharing or listening.

Thomas: That’s too bad. He’s really good at the business side of being mayor, but he really needs to work on the social side.

Sgt Stripes: Still no luck on the vacation?

Thomas: Tina and the girls are leaving tomorrow afternoon.

Sgt Stripes: How’s the self-driving car?

Thomas: I don’t think Tina was meant to drive one of those. There are specific things you need to say to get it to do what you want. It talks a lot. It told Tina that it was going too fast for the road. She ignored it because she was running late and they ended up in the ditch.

Sgt Stripes: That was unfortunate. Was everyone okay?

Thomas: Yes, thank goodness. It doesn’t appear to enjoy being screamed at either. She gave it instructions to make a left turn at the intersection. When it started to turn, she started yelling, “Stop. Turn right. Turn right! Since it couldn’t legally turn right from where it was, it just stopped. The other drivers were not pleased.”

Sgt Stripes: Is it too late to take the train?

Thomas: She really wants the car. She wants me to drive it.

Sgt Stripes: Does it listen to you?

Thomas: I haven’t had any problems with it. I don’t know what I’m going to do.

Pauly walks in the door.

Pauly: Greetings, boys. Anything important going on?

Sgt Stripes: We were just discussing Thomas’ vacation.

Pauly (puzzled): You mean the one his wife is taking to the beach.

Thomas: She still wants me to go. She’s having trouble with the car.

Pauly: She’ll be fine. I need you here when I meet with the Garden Club next week. They’re fighting with Parks & Rec over who gets to use the lot at Carlisle and Vine. Those ladies can be very stubborn. And they love Thomas. Have a good night.

Thomas: That didn’t go well. I guess I better tell my family that I can’t go.

When Thomas arrived home, the kittens ran out to meet him.

Thomas: How are my girls? Did you have a good day?

Emily: Yes, it was really exciting. We helped Mama pack for the trip.

Eva: And we packed for you too, Daddy. Mama said that you probably wouldn’t have time.

Thomas: Did Mama say I was going to drive?

Emily: Yes, she did. She says the car doesn’t like her. Today we almost ran into a cart at the grocery store.

Thomas: Would you be upset if I wasn’t able to come on the trip.

Eva: You have to come, Daddy. It’s a family vacation, and you’re part of the family.

Thomas had an idea. He told Tina that he needed to go to the office for an hour or two before they left. Then he called Sgt Stripes to make sure he would be in early.

Sgt Stripes: Hi, Boss. What’s up?

Thomas: I was thinking. You look a lot like me, right?

Sgt Stripes: Except for my extremely attractive white chest and paws.

Thomas: But from the back we look almost identical, right?

Sgt Stripes: I guess. Why?

Thomas: If you sat in here and worked with your back to the door, no one would think it wasn’t me. The first time we stop, I will call Pauly and tell him that I briefed you on next week’s meeting and you can handle it in my place. What do you think?

Sgt Stripes: It might work.

Thomas: I really need to go on that vacation. Pauly will be fine without me. You can call me if there are any problems. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.

Thomas explained who would be at the meeting and where the problems might be. Sgt Stripes listened. He sat at the desk facing the window after Thomas left. Within an hour, the Tabbies were on the road.

Next week: Can Sgt Stripes keep Pauly happy for a week?

All pictures generated by Gemini AI

17

Road Trip With the Tabbies

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Things are a little tense at home for Thomas Tabby. Thomas had seriously underestimated how much of his time would be needed as liaison to the humans. They had designed the position as a way for the animals address issues with their humans for those animals  who live with humans. Or work with humans. These animals are a small percentage of Cheeseland residents.

The first few incidents had gone so well that the mayor, Pauly Porcine, had started inviting Thomas to sit in on issues that were entirely animal-to-animal. Cheeseland loved Thomas; he was much more popular than Pauly. They also had not foreseen the recent lawsuit by a humans to get a job in Cheeseland. Thomas had been heavily involved in the entire process. And Tina Tabby was not happy.

Thomas: I’m home! Where is everybody?

Tina: The girls are asleep. They have school tomorrow.

Thomas: Rats! I didn’t realize I was that late.

Tina: It’s the second time this week.

Thomas: You remember that human who insisted on working in Cheeseland?

Tina: I thought that was settled.

Thomas: So did I. This morning I had to go over to the plant. Turns out he doesn’t like the smell of manure. He wanted to be transferred to a part of the plant that, in his words, “Didn’t smell like cow @*%#.”

Tina: What did he expect a fertilizer plant to smell like?

Thomas: Apparently, humans make some kind of fertilizer that doesn’t use animals. At any rate, he deeply offended some of his coworkers. We ended up with a meeting between the humans and the supervisor, who happens to be a cow.

Tina: Oh, my. That probably didn’t;t end well.

Thomas: It did not. Yvette, the supervisor, came in and the human started sniffing the air. He told her she smelled like the fertilizer, and he couldn’t stay in a room with her. They called security and escorted him from the premises. He won’t be back.

Tina: Maybe you can spend some time with your family now.

Thomas: Pauly has some things coming up that he needs me for.

Tina: I don’t care about Pauly. I’ve rented a car, and we’re going to the beach.

Thomas: Let me talk to Pauly.

Tina: Talk all you want. The girls are out of school in a couple of weeks, and we’re going to the beach. They want you to come too.

Thomas: That sounds really nice. I’ll see what I can do.

By the time Thomas got to the office the next morning, he still didn’t have a plan.

Sgt Stripes: Morning, Boss. You look terrible. What’s wrong?

Thomas: Tina wants me to go on vacation with her and the girls, but it’s at the same time as the mayor’s big beautification project.

Sgt Stripes: What’s the problem? You’re not involved with Parks & Rec or the anti-graffiti folks.

Thomas: He told the beautification team that they’re less important than the neighborhood safety team, and they’re all angry with him.

Sgt Stripes: Ouch. He can be a little outspoken.

Juana Iguana walked up.

Juana: I couldn’t help hearing what you guys were talking about. Has Tina already planned the trip?

Thomas: She rented a car and reserved a beach house upstate.

Sgt Stripes: I didn’t know Tina could drive.

Thomas: She can’t. She got one of those smart cars that drives itself.

Juana: Is that safe? I’ve heard really scary stories about humans using those things. Maybe they should take a train.

Thomas: She wants to be able to get around after they get to the town. Are they really that dangerous?

Sgt Stripes: New technology is always scary. Especially when it involves humans.

Juana nodded. Thomas went to his office to think. A few minutes later, Pauly Porcine stopped by.

Thomas: Hi, Pauly. How are things?

Pauly: Not bad. I think the head of the Beautification project, Shelly Squirrel is talking to me again. At least she didn’t immediately hang up on me.

Thomas: That is a good sign. Speaking of the project, I may not be able to be here for the kick-off. Tina made reservations at Emerald Lake that week for a family vacation.

Pauly: Can’t she change them?

Thomas: Probably not. It’s a really popular place.

Pauly: Thomas, I really need your support on this. You know I’ve offended some of the animals working on it, and I need a smooth start. Talk to Tina and see if you can change her mind.

Thomas walked home in a gloomy mood. He knew he didn’t stand a chance changing Tina’s plans. Suddenly, he heard screeching tires. He looked up in time to see Tina drive past in a bright red car. She was headed for their house.

Next week: Can Thomas make both Tina and Pauly happy?

All pictures are generated by Gemini AI

21

Does Cheeseland Discriminate Against Humans? Part 2

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Where we are: Cheeseland has received notice of its first-ever lawsuit. The city is being sued for discrimination in its hiring practices. Cheeseland is being represented by JJ Gorilla, widely considered the best animal for the job. David (the human) wasn’t as lucky. He’s talking with a couple of friends.

David: Pete, you told me this was going to be easy. “How hard can it be? They’re just a bunch of dumb animals.” I can’t even find a lawyer.

Steve: Why not? It should be simple. Obviously, a human is more qualified than a polar bear to sell tickets at an ice arena.

David: You would think. But apparently that’s not true if the customers are all animals. They say that some of the animals are afraid of humans. I’m not sure, but I think they said rabbits and deer.

Pete: Did you tell them you’re not going to eat the customers?

David: The whole thing didn’t go well. When they said Animal English, I thought it would be like talking to someone with an accent. It was a really strong accent.

Steve: What are you going to do? Give up?

David: No. I think the animals need to see that humans deserve jobs too.

 

Steve: Are you going without a lawyer?

David: No, they’re required to give me representation.

Pete: Are you getting a gorilla too? Or a shark?

Steve: Or a snake? That would be cool.

David: Um, no. The free representation is provided by animals just out of school. And they’re trying to open the profession up to a wider variety of animals.

Steve: So what is it?

David: She’s a French Poodle. Her name is Abbie, and she’s really smart. She’s meeting with that gorilla this afternoon.

David’s friends laughed, and the conversation moved on. Meanwhile, JJ and Abbie were meeting.

JJ: Thank you for coming to my office, Abbie. The judge prefers that the two sides meet before the court date to see if they can find common ground.

Abbie: Of course. I can’t believe I’m in the same court case as JJ Gorilla. Your book on compromise is required reading at law school. You’re a big part of why we have so little legal conflict in Cheeseland, Mr Gorilla.

JJ: Please call me JJ. It’s very kind of you to say that.

 

Abbie: Do you think we can find a compromise? My client wants either a job or money.

JJ: Sounds like a human. Does he know that money isn’t really used in Cheesland the way it is in human cities?

Abbie: I tried to explain that working in Cheeseland probably wasn’t a good move financially because we do a lot of barter here, so he may not find a job in his expected compensation range.

JJ: And even if he wins his suit, he isn’t going to get a lot of money.

Abbie: Do you have any idea what he might Goget if he does win? I don’t think he’s really qualified to get a job where he talks to animals. I’m having a lot of trouble understanding him. He uses some type of human translator that isn’t very good.

 

JJ: Then he’s not actually qualified for customer service positions. We’ll assume he’s doing that human thing where they expect us to pay to have him not go around telling everyone how horrible it is to be a human in Cheeseland.

Abbie: You are correct. So how much would Cheeseland be willing to pay him?

JJ: He wants $500,000, which is totally ridiculous. We don’t really care if his human friends don’t want to come here. Luckily for him, animals are a little more ethical. We try to do the right thing.

JJ starts to work on his laptop while Abbie looks at the books in his office. After a few minutes, he invites Abbie over to look at his screen.

JJ: Since your client doesn’t really have a case, here’s what we can do. Fifty thousand dollars in cash, one year’s free pass to all Cheeseland municipal events and parks, and a lifetime supply of fertilizer.

 

Abbie realizes that she will need to speak to her client, and he will not be happy. She goes outside to present the offer. She comes back a few minutes later.

Abbie: My client has refused your offer. He says it’s either a job or he’s going to sue for $1 million.

JJ: Any type of job?

Abbie: Yes. He says that he has to have a job or he’s suing in human court.

JJ: That would be very unfortunate. Let me make a couple of calls. You’re sure he would take any job?

Abbie: That’s what he says.

JJ talks to a couple of animals while Abbie waits outside. She returns after JJ opens the door.

JJ: I have two job opportunities for your client. Can we call him together? I’ll link him into AnimalView.

Abbie called her client and nodded to JJ.

JJ: Hello David. I’m JJ Gorilla, and I’m representing Cheeseland. Can you understand what I’m saying?

David: Yes…you hear me?

JJ looked at Abbie. She nodded again.

JJ: I understand that you want a job in Cheeselabnd and will sue us if you can’t get one.

David: That’s correct. It’s my right as a human being.

JJ: Okay. I have two offers to choose from. If you take either of them, you need to sign a form saying you will not sue Cheeseland. Do you understand?

David nodded.

JJ: After reviewing your qualifications, we’ve found two jobs that match. You have to choose one of the jobs if you want to work here. You want to be treated exactly the same as the animals, correct?

David nodded again.

JJ: The first job is at the fertilizer plant. Your job would be in client relations for the human accounts.

David: That sounds pretty good. What’s the other job?

 

JJ: That one is on an apple farm. You would be responsible for building maintenance. It’s a pretty physical job, but you don’t really have to worry about talking.

David: The first job, definitely. Thank you for straightening everything out, Mr. Gorilla. Thank you, Abbie.

After the details were ironed out, JJ called Angel Cat to tell her she could report on the outcome of the lawsuit.

Pictures generated using Gemini AI