“There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.”—Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

                     Chapter 11

Morning came all wet and dreary.

Dreary and wet.

And cold.

I felt all shivery inside and hungry.

I mean, after all, I NEVER sleep outside unless I just want to. I sleep inside on my really soft orthopedic bed!  And if I get cold Mom will cover me up with a blanket!

If I DO decide to go outside and sleep, it’s in the SUMMER TIME and it’s HOT in the house.  Then I sleep in my really comfy dog house on a nice fluffy bed.

This morning I was all a tremble because I have very short fur, and not so furry tail and I have very short fur, which is really HOUSE fur…not outside fur.

I have decided this doing nothing is getting real old.

And on top of all this there is no BREAKFAST!

None!

No cereal and no turkey sausage.

NOTHING!

Okay.  I didn’t say this to Momma Fox and Kit, because, after all they stay out here ALL the time…wind, rain, snow…sunshine…you name it.  I really don’t think they would understand or even CARE if I told them about my beds or my food.

BUT I did think it…I really did.

“HEY, Boomer! Let’s go down and look at the creek, I can hear it roaring and crashing and thundering …maybe there will be breakfast down there.”

Breakfast…my tummy growled and my ears perked up.

“Okay, breakfast sounds like a very good idea.”

Kit and I took off up the hill, down the hill, over the hill with all the ant piles to the creek.

“WOW! That’s huge!  That’s a HUGE amount of water!”  Kit just stopped and stared at the little tiny creek that was now a HUGE RAGING amount of water.

I stopped and stared with him.

It’s huge and swift and just amazing.  I don’t think I have ever seen so much foamy water in that little creek ever!

I stood there mesmerized.

Gosh…how am I ever going to make it home to mom?

I wonder how long it will take before the raging river will become the little creek I like to paddle around in.

I just stared.

Turning to Kit I started to say something when I saw him stop, jump and bite down on something…

“BREAKFAST!” Kit hollered at me with his mouth full.  “Mice! Grab a couple!”

I just looked at kit with the mouse tail hanging out of his mouth…for all the world and a day he looked just like Mindy cat.

“Okay,” I replied.  Putting my nose to the ground.  I started sniffing around, but to be honest with you…I really didn’t try to find any mice.

While I was sniffing around I got this idea that I maybe, just maybe I could find a way to get over this raging water and find my way back home.

Taking my nose, my paws and my brain I headed down the creek thinking if I could get to the area where the creek narrows down I could maybe jump over to the other side.

“Hey, Kit! I’m going to go see if I can find a way to get over the creek and then maybe get to the other side.” I yelped.

“You go ahead, Boomer.  I’m not in any hurry to leave here.  The snacks are plentiful.  I’ll just stay with Mom.  See you around sometime, Boom!”  Kit went back to pouncing and eating.

I put my nose to the ground and started sniffing my way along the edge of the creek searching for a narrow spot which would allow me the chance to get on-too the other side.

And on the way home!