THREE DAYS!!
And just as many nights!
Mom and Dad were delighted.
The cats and I not so much!
Trying to get news. Or finding a dry spot to do my business. Hard!
But now the rains have left for a spell and dry has come back!
No more padding through mud, or tall wet grass!
No more staying in the house ONLY!
Off Mom and I go, cause, THERE IS STUFF TO SEE OUT THERE!
Boo Berry Betty Brown
“Hey, What’s Up, TLC?”
“I want in.”
“Why? It’s nice out here?”
“I just do. I want to eat a snack or two. Maybe talk Mom into some Kitty Candy. In. I. Want. IN!”
“Well, do what ya gotta. I’m off.”
“MOM!!! Purr, meow, purrow.”
TLC
It started raining!
On Wednesday evening, all day Thursday, into the night, Rain!
(THE HEAT LEFT!!! Mom says Dad was right it WAS a sundog!)
Since I love to go outside (my is right; in my former life, I NEVER got to go outside. Now I can go and come and go. Heaven), I got a tad wet.
And a bit cold.
Oh, well, there is always a warm blanket in the house, just waiting for me.
Mellow Yellow Mr. Hobbs
I have a job.
Well, I have several jobs, but the biggest and best — is barking the Amazon truck into the yard.
Or the UPS Truck.
Or the FedEx Truck.
Or the Mail Lady.
The Ditch Rider.
OR ANYONE OR ANYTHING THAT COMES INTO THE FARM YARD!!!
Yepper! That’s Me!
Loud, Shrill, Doorbell! (Until Dad yells STOP, that is.)
Boo Berry Betty Brown
We are all home now.
Which I like.
I asked the cats if they were glad to be back.
They both meowed YES!
HOME! Hobbes purred.
“That was a rather silly thing we did,” TLC exclaimed
You got that right, I thought.
HOME!!! Only going out on the farm with mom!
YES!!
Epilogue
The Raccoons led us right back to the equipment area, then we all ran together to the haystack yard.
It was at the haystack yard that we all high-fived each other. Promised to meet again. Then went our different ways.
As we watched the raccoons leave us, some of them climbing up onto the haystack, others going behind the corral fence, Hobbie and I looked at each other.
“HOME!” we shouted. “WE ARE HOME!”
Just then we heard way, way over by the house: “HOBBIE! TLC!!! WHERE ARE YOU? MOM NEEDS HER KITTIES!”
Home!
We are HOME!!!
COMING MOM!!
COMING!!
(You know something—-June was a long month. Don’t ya think?” TLC)
Chapter Twelve
We were hiding in the Chico. A great big wide-spreading Chico. Being as still as a cat can be still.
WHEN SUDDENLY! Into the Chico came a porcupine!
“PAUL!!!” Hobbie hissed. “What are you doing here?”
“Saving you,” Paul replied casually.
“How, I asked?” very puzzled I might add.
“Just you watch, House Cat! I have the magic weapons of all time.” Paul snickered.
As we were talking to Paul, two of the coyotes came sniffing around our Chico.
I FROZE!
Hobbie walked over and hunkered down by me.
Paul just looked at us. Picked up his porcupine feet and walked right toward the two sniffing noses.
Turning around— BAM!
I heard the coyotes jump backward. Screaming in pain. The third coyote ran over to the two.
“What happened?” He growled. Then he stuck his nose right where the other two had had theirs!
BAM!!! YIP!! SCREAM! OW!!!! That coyote yelled. “PORCUPINE!!!! RUN!!!!
With that, all three coyotes ran off, faces and noses FULL of quills.
“You are our hero!” Hobbs said. High-fiving Paul each with a front foot.
“You sure are,” I added. “You sure are.”
“Okay, you cats, follow me to the end of the cement ditch, at which point one (or many) of the raccoons will lead you onward.
Once they get you to the equipment area, we are all pretty sure you can find your way home. After all, that is the beginning of the FARM YARD!
We all smiled big at each other and took off toward the end of the cement ditch.
Chapter Eleven
“Okay, Hobbs. Let’s Go Home!” I firmly stated. “It’s time to be all safe and warm and snuggled up with Mom and Dad.”
Hobbie looked at me and replied. “YES!”
With that, he turned, picked up his paws and started trotting up out of the Back Forty; heading up, up, up along the trail to the top of the Going to the Back Forty hill.
“Ant Hill!” Hobbie yelled over his shoulder. “Go around. Those red ants are hard to get off you once they get on.”
I skirted widely around a HUGE mound of ants.
“Thorns!” Hobbie warned. “Prickly Pear!”
Gosh, danger every which way and where!
I jumped over a huge nest of prickly pear and landed gracefully next to Hobbie.
I was so quick and fast and silent, Hobbie jumped.
“Geez, you gave me a fright!” Hobbie exclaimed.
I just smiled a big cat smile.
“Keep on keep’n on, Friend. We got to get —–”
Suddenly, right at the turn in the road where we either go back toward the horse pasture or we go on to the Upper End, three coyotes appeared.
“COYOTES!” Hobbie and I both screamed
COYOTES!!! OH! MY! WORD!
“TLC!!! DIVE INTO THE CHICOS! QUICK!!!” Hobbie screamed.
“QUICK!”
Chapter 10
It was a long walk!
I MEAN LONG!!!
I don’t remember it being as long when we went out…seems like it was just a few minutes long.
Now it’s hours long.
I’ve been very good and not complained Once!
Although, I sure thought about complaining—like all the time.
Once over the wooden bridge, we were met with DAD!
Dad was in the first Alfalfa field with the HUGE BIG MACHINE!
The raccoons skittered and scattered, running every which way and everywhere.
They just left me standing there…all alone!
Well, never mind, I thought. I know exactly where I am and how to get home.
All I have to do is keep Dad and his great big LOUD machine to my right, turn the corner at the bottom of the lane and trot on home.
I was doing just that when I looked up from the road and saw
MOM!!!
MOM!!! I yipped
MOM!
Mom saw me heading toward her at a fast Boo Berry dash.
“BOO BERRY!!! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!!!? I’ve been terribly worried about you!! RUN! FAST! Boo Berry! RUN! FAST!! Mom wants to pick you up and love all over you!” Mom Yelled.
I poured on the speed.
Suddenly I was there, in Mom’s arms, my heart pounding, my tongue hanging out, a huge smile on my face!
I AM HOME!!!
Chapter Nine
Meanwhile, back at the leveler.
“Hey, Dog! Wake up!”
“Huh, why? It’s nighttime, and I want to sleep. I like sleeping. Makes time go fast.” Boo Berry snorted, yawned, and replied.
“I got a message you wanted to go home!”
“HOME! That woke me up! HOME! Yes! I do!”
“Okay, good… my three brothers are here, and we are ready to lead you back to the farm yard.”
“WOW! Good!!! But, wait, how did you know I needed help? That I needed to find my way back HOME!”
Our cousins sent word by the deer. Our cousins are way, way up at the Back Forty, but the deer move through the whole farm all the time.” Tom Racc pointed over to the six deer standing there staring at me.
“OH! MY! GOSH!” I jumped up! I AM terrified of big-hooved animals. And let me tell you, anything with hooves is much bigger than me.
“It’s okay, Little Tiny Dog; we were just bringing word to you that your cats are over at the Back Forty. They still have to travel to the Upper End before they can even start home. We talked to all the raccoons along the way until we could get here, and yep, there you were.” One of the GIANT HOOVED ANIMALS said to me.
“Come on, Dog. By the way, do you have a name?”
“Yes, yes, I do—Boo Berry works just fine.”
“Okay, Boo Berry, I’m Tom. This is Timmy, and our baby brother, Tony. Gather your paws together, and we will head to the farmhouse.”
