I have been married for like AGES and AGES according to Shoko. A whole 47 years. Shoko is my only young'un. Bill and I have lived in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada for 34 years. Gardening is my passion and also Shoko's passion. Bill's passion is being included as a member of Shoko's family.
What made us decide on Kale Chips? Well mom and dad like kale and say there is no taste to it so the kale tastes like whatever you put with it.. Mom tends to snack and doesn’t need any more weight on her. Ok…herbed kale chips coming up. Budd will you go pick some kale for us from the raised bed. Sure enough Shoko. Should I wear my mask? Are you going to mew with anyone on the way to the kale? Naw….so I’ll just hustle out there and get some curly kale.
SHOKO…..BLACK BUDD……GRABBING GREEN TYEBE…..ROYAL BLUE
Got it Shoko and I put the kale in the sink. Tyebe can you wash any vermin off the kale. We don’t have vermin…the kale doesn’t need washing.
Tyebe!! Look at the spider running out from the kale. It needs to be washed. Well, geez sis he won’t make a mess. You’re just too picky. OK, ok….I’ll wash the kale.
There you go now what do we do? Now we have to cut out the rib that runs almost to the tip of the kale. On a bread board lay out a leaf of kale and with a sharp knife slice the rib out without losing too much of the leaf. The ribless kale can now be cut in big pieces. I gave the kale to Budd after he washed his paws and he ripped big pieces.. This will give you a fair sized slice of kale, remember the kale shrinks as it dries. The ribs can be saved in the freezer for soups.
When the washing is finished put your ripped kale in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of Italian spice. Then mix ingredients thoroughly.
Geez, the kale looks very wet. Oh well, it’ll dry in the dehydrator.
We didn’t use a whole bunch of kale. Ya, cause we thought it might come out yucky and nobody would eat it. We have 4 small trays of kale. Lay the kale out in the dehydrator tray with the sides just touching. They will shrink.
Ok, they’ve been dried for 4 hours.
The kale still looks wet.
Time for tasting, Tyebe, you and Budd can be the tasters. I’ll lie on the condo by the window in the living room so you won’t feel hassled.
Ohhh Shoko…yuck!! It tastes greasy and bites back. It’s kinda limp too. Really….let me taste too. Cwap!! This is green garbage. Tyebe, you have green in your teeth. How about you Budd? I like it…can I eat yours too. Shoko gives Budd the questioning eye and said “fill your boots.”
This means we must try it again right away but with a few differences. HERBED KALE second attempt
Wash and dry kale. Cut out ribs. Rip the kale in large portions. spread kale out on a flat surface such as your counter.
You will need:
1 spray can of Pam
spice jar of garlic powder
spice jar of clubhouse Parmesan & herbs seasoning
Hold the can of Pam away from the kale so it mists the kale. We used the buttery flavoured Pam. Any excess can be wiped on the backside of the kale cause you’re just spraying and seasoning one side. Sprinkle the garlic powder on the kale. Then sprinkle the Clubhouse Parmesan and herbs. If you like garlic put lots on your kale and the same with the clubhouse. We basically just sprinkled both over the kale. Now, we wait at least 5 hours.
Say, this batch looks much better. No shiny faces. It looks like some leaves got more herbs than others. The leaves are more like chips though.
Time for the taste test. You’re nominated Tyebe. How about me, Shoko? Sorry, Budd but you seem to like even disgusting food. It’s not nearly as wet looking. Mmmm…this is good, Shoks. It’s even crisp. The taste is mild and very pleasant.
ATTENTION: Cats are not vegetarians but carnivores , However, trying a veggie will not hurt them. This excerpt is from mom.
1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
5 slices bacon
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Directions
Instructions Checklist
Step 1
Bring water, grits, and salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan with a lid. Stir in half-and-half and simmer until grits are thickened and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
Step 2
Sprinkle shrimp with salt and cayenne pepper; drizzle with lemon juice. Set aside in a bowl.
Step 3
Place andouille sausage slices in a large skillet over medium heat; fry sausage until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
Step 4
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Retain bacon drippings in skillet. Transfer bacon slices to paper towels, let cool, and crumble.
Step 5
Cook and stir green, red, and yellow bell peppers, onion, and garlic in the bacon drippings until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
Step 6
Stir shrimp and cooked vegetables into the andouille sausage and mix to combine.
Step 7
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour to make a smooth paste. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is medium brown in color, 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully, mixture burns easily.
Step 8
Pour the butter-flour mixture into the skillet with andouille sausage, shrimp, and vegetables. Place the skillet over medium heat and pour in chicken broth, bacon and Worcestershire sauce, cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens and the shrimp become opaque and bright pink, about 8 minutes.
Step 9
Just before serving, mix sharp Cheddar cheese into grits until melted and grits are creamy and light yellow. Serve shrimp mixture over cheese grits.
THIS HAS BEEN A FAVORITE IN OUR FAMILY SINCE I WAS A CHILD.
What made us decide on Kale Chips? Well mom and dad like kale and say there is no taste to it so the kale tastes like whatever you put with it.. Mom tends to snack and doesn’t need any more weight on her. Ok…herbed kale chips coming up. Budd will you go pick some kale for us from the raised bed. Sure enough Shoko. Should I wear my mask? Are you going to mew with anyone on the way to the kale? Naw….so I’ll just hustle out there and get some curly kale.
SHOKO…..BLACK BUDD……GRABBING GREEN TYEBE…..ROYAL BLUE
Got it Shoko and I put the kale in the sink. Tyebe can you wash any vermin off the kale. We don’t have vermin…the kale doesn’t need washing.
Tyebe!! Look at the spider running out from the kale. It needs to be washed. Well, geez sis he won’t make a mess. You’re just too picky. OK, ok….I’ll wash the kale.
There you go now what do we do? Now we have to cut out the rib that runs almost to the tip of the kale. On a bread board lay out a leaf of kale and with a sharp knife slice the rib out without losing too much of the leaf. The ribless kale can now be cut in big pieces. I gave the kale to Budd after he washed his paws and he ripped big pieces.. This will give you a fair sized slice of kale, remember the kale shrinks as it dries. The ribs can be saved in the freezer for soups.
When the washing is finished put your ripped kale in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of Italian spice. Then mix ingredients thoroughly.
Geez, the kale looks very wet. Oh well, it’ll dry in the dehydrator.
We didn’t use a whole bunch of kale. Ya, cause we thought it might come out yucky and nobody would eat it. We have 4 small trays of kale. Lay the kale out in the dehydrator tray with the sides just touching. They will shrink.
Ok, they’ve been dried for 4 hours.
The kale still looks wet.
Time for tasting, Tyebe, you and Budd can be the tasters. I’ll lie on the condo by the window in the living room so you won’t feel hassled.
Ohhh Shoko…yuck!! It tastes greasy and bites back. It’s kinda limp too. Really….let me taste too. Cwap!! This is green garbage. Tyebe, you have green in your teeth. How about you Budd? I like it…can I eat yours too. Shoko gives Budd the questioning eye and said “fill your boots.”
This means we must try it again right away but with a few differences. HERBED KALE second attempt
Wash and dry kale. Cut out ribs. Rip the kale in large portions. spread kale out on a flat surface such as your counter.
You will need:
1 spray can of Pam
spice jar of garlic powder
spice jar of clubhouse Parmesan & herbs seasoning
Hold the can of Pam away from the kale so it mists the kale. We used the buttery flavoured Pam. Any excess can be wiped on the backside of the kale cause you’re just spraying and seasoning one side. Sprinkle the garlic powder on the kale. Then sprinkle the Clubhouse Parmesan and herbs. If you like garlic put lots on your kale and the same with the clubhouse. We basically just sprinkled both over the kale. Now, we wait at least 5 hours.
Say, this batch looks much better. No shiny faces. It looks like some leaves got more herbs than others. The leaves are more like chips though.
Time for the taste test. You’re nominated Tyebe. How about me, Shoko? Sorry, Budd but you seem to like even disgusting food. It’s not nearly as wet looking. Mmmm…this is good, Shoks. It’s even crisp. The taste is mild and very pleasant.
ATTENTION: Cats are not vegetarians but carnivores , However, trying a veggie will not hurt them. This excerpt is from mom.
Enjoy more adventures in Tyeland with our trio of adventurers: This Chapter is taken off of Lucy and Xena Warrior Pup blog. Click on the name and visit for awhile…take your booties off and stretch out.
“You two can stay out of the jungle for awhile. Enough with the hairy visits from reptiles,” scolded Sho.
Tye looked skyward and then at Sho saying, ” We were just goofing around, Sho.”
“Yes,” said Sho with a smile in her voice. “I know you were just having fun.”
“Now we have to get the magic carpet ready for the trip to Canada, Xe and Tye, so let’s pad on down to Aladdin’s Magic Carpets and talk with Gene the Genie about the thruster problem.”
“Sho, look at the new models of Magic Carpets!!” Tye’s blue eyes were wide as dinner plates as she spoke.
“Tye get off that beautiful swirled carpet! Act civilized, you’re not in the jungle now,” Sho said with a smile.
“Look at all the room for my friends, and it’s got my favorite colors! Hey Gene, our thrusters don’t work and they are making sounds like *ouff, puff….poooo-diddle…plop!!* just before they quit. Can you fix them?” asked Tye as she bounced off the new Magic Carpet.
“Not the plop sound too!” Gene said with dismay.
“Yep, and now they won’t work at all,” answered Sho.
“My brother specializes in thrusters, let’s ask him. Gen come look at these thrusters.”
Gen leaped aboard the magic carpet. He listened, then twirled the tassels and spun the rug around twice. Out popped peanuts! Gen hollered “up, up” and the magic carpet purred to life, rising slowly.
“So your problem seems to have been a bunch of peanuts stuck in the thruster mechanism,” he explained. “There are a lot of peanuts here. A few wouldn’t bother the thrusters, but great gobs of peanuts slowly worked into them sure will. The peanuts could have been there for months until they worked down into the chamber.”
PEANUTS!! This was the work of Squash, Squish’s little sister. Sho knew Squish would be horrified if she was aware that Squash was sticking anything in the thrusters, so she decided not to tell Squish.
Sho asked Gene and Gen to check over the invisibility cloak and tune up CADA ( Canadian Activated Device Assistant) because the next trip would be to Canada, the country. “We’ll need first rate advice so Cada should be on her toes, so to speak.”
“We’ll get right at it,” the muscle bound Gen stated. “Where in Canada are you heading, the east or the west?”
Sho got this happy distant look on her face and purred, “West, across the Pacific Ocean this time.”
“Good choice furry face,” said Gen. “British Columbia is what they call that province. There are many forests throughout BC.”
Sho and Tye’s eyes lit up as they imagined a jungle of trees.
Meanwhile, Xe and Tye were taking turns pretending to fly the new round carpet. Xe stated she had to have a Magic Carpet all her own. “I want to get an updated model with all the bells and whistles.”
Xe was imagining herself flying around, visiting sights. She remembered Paris from when her Mommy took her as a puppy.
“Gene says it will take them a day or so to get all the extras updated and checked for a long flight,” said Sho with a sigh of resignation. “So, if you can tear yourselves away from that new carpet, lets go home and talk with Squish about renting out the house while we’re gone.”
Reaching the hut Canada, Sho put the bag of peanuts from the thruster on the backyard table. Tye leaped into her usual seat, followed by Sho.
“Xe, where’d you go? There’s something I need to tell you both,” said Sho.
“I went out front to play ball with King the Cobra. He plays so good, I told him he could be a ‘ball python,’” quipped Xe. “Hi everyone,” said King with difficulty. It’s hard to talk with your mouth full of ball.
Sho and Tye laughed so hard they fell off their seats into the sand. While they wiped themselves off – and helped King get his fangs out of the ball – Sho told them all about the peanuts and swore them to secrecy. Xe, Tye and King agreed to say nothing to Squish. The four friends sat and enjoyed some banana sundaes from the fresh banana trees close to the backyard.
“Here come Squish and Squash….remember, not a word or you’ll upset Squish and when she’s upset the earth shakes,” warned Sho.
Squish noticed the bag of peanuts right away and asked Sho why she had them cause Siamese hate nuts.
“I found them,” Sho stated as she pushed the peanuts at Squish.
Squish said she didn’t like peanuts but Squash – who had stashed them all over their house – was so happy to see more.
“Can I please have these Sho?” Squash asked. Young Squash was very polite, as Squish wouldn’t put up with a rude elephant for a sister. For a chuckle, Squish asked little Squash if the peanuts were hers. Squash asked where they were found and Sho, who couldn’t lie, said,” Oh they were found in the Thruster Chamber.” Squash turned a darker shade of grey, ran to the edge of the property, and hid her face – or so she thought.
“I’m so embarrassed sis….I hid them in the chamber so I could keep more nuts. I just love ’em!” cried out Squash.
“You know that the peanuts could have caused the magic carpet to jack knife and dump the occupants out,” Squish said with a soft voice. Squish could see that Squash was indeed sorry and decided to let her little sister be. Squish and Squash hugged and Squash ran over to hear about the new Magic Carpet Tye and Xe were conspiring, er, hoping to get.
Story by Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess and Friends Tyebe and Shoko
Another Sunday has rolled around. This is the last Sunday Selfie for June. It’s hard to believe June is gone already. It’s been so cool up here. Our radishes wouldn’t even fill a tooth cavity. The kale and romaine lettuce are doing well but everything else is struggling. The sun has just come out and its 4pm,
The Cat On My Headis hosting the Sunday Selfies like they have done for eons. Pop on over and visit with all the blog hoppers. Click on their name or badge and voila!…you are there.
I received a wonderful and soft bed from my boyfriend, Cooper Murphy. This pumpkin type bed is the colour of my Gingersnap’
I am so comfy and relaxed in this awesome bed. I get to dream of Gingersnap too.
This is also a reminder that In Purrsuit of Flavours will be out on Wednesday, July 1st. Canada Day here.
We decided to make some snacks. Specifically Herbed Kale Chips. All of us furries decided on kale and we all played a part in it’s completion. Stop by and see how these chips turned out.
Time for Shoko’s proverb of the week.
“If cats had wings, there would be no ducks in the lake.“
Another month approaches and this means its time to choose the dish for In Purrsuit of Flavours. We decided to stay with the summer time fare seeing summers are very short up here in the crazy Northern Interior of BC.
We are also joining Wordless Wednesday at Comedy Pluseven though we chatter a lot. Do pop over and share your site with Sandee and more new friends by clicking on the name or badge.
Tyebe, myself and Da Phenny, Neilson and Katty of Easyblog threw out ideas at each other like beer can chicken, favourite picnic foods. Tyebe thought whip cream would be enough. Have a spray can of whip cream and spray every food that passes with whip cream. It’s summery and fun. Not hard to remember either. Nobody else liked the idea though.
Finally we decided that the choice should be yours. Give us the recipe for your favourite summer time food. Doesn’t matter what it is. Tyebe and I think we’ll focus on a snack for summer. Da Phenny and Nelly won’t say what their momma is making but I’ll bet your treats there is no meat in it, MOL.
The topic is YOUR FAVOURITE “GO TO” SUMMER FOOD” . We don’t have a favourite “go to” summer food so we’ll have to think up something that will stink up your booties. mol
Let’s grab a few winks first.
What a cosy bed that CooperMurphy sent me for my Gotcha Day. I just love it.
We will let everyone know Monday what we decide to prepare.
Today is Thankful Thursday at Brian’s Home. The first thing we are thankful for is the help Zoe is getting right now. Come back to us Zoe….we think you’re beautiful. Go visit Zoe’s family at https://brianshomeblog.com/ and let them know that they have your support. Click on the site and be taken without walking over there.
Zoe you will receive all the positive thoughts we can muster….POTP Zoe is home with her family now and we are so thankful for this.
Where’s Budd, Shoko? Holy nipshoes masked Shoko…why the mask?
This is the new normal wear for the back Lane. We want to keep it virus free.
That makes sense so I’ll get my mask out too. I thought we couldn’t get the virus. Now, they’re not so sure. Dogs have acquired the disease so I’m for covering up.
I see Budd. Wow, he couldn’t get up on the fence when he first came to live with us. He was too fat.
Today is also Poetic Thursday that Angel Sammy started and Teddy is carrying on at One Spoiled Cat. Click on the blog name and visit them whether they want you or not….mol….just kidding guys. Teddy is always up for a good chinwag .
Looks scary.
This is a deep dark forest of old trees that form walls We found it when we were chasing plastic balls See the lovely flowers of red and there’s blue too So the sunlight must give life by shining through.
There is a crossroad up ahead…which one to choose? The path to the right becomes dull and full of fog I fear if we take this path we’ll soon have the blues. The path on the left shows bright sunlight but it could be a bog The only thing to do is pick up my booties and jog.
Time for Shoko’s weekly Meezerism.
Have you ever seen the cat’s pajamas? No? So if someone says you’re the cat’s pajamas it means he thinks your a big nothing.
Here it is Sunday Selfie time again. The Cat on My Head is the host. Simply click on the name or the badge and be there in a spit of a snakes hISSSSSS I, Shoko, will pose as only I can do this frame justice.
I am completely relaxed in the biggest sun patch I could find.
It’s just that kind of a day, Course I’m frollicking about inside.
Until I crashed that is. Here is Shoko and her Meezerism of the week.
Cats remain ever young because when we get an urge we act on it.
A few facts about that valued toilet paper you have:
The first recorded use oftoilet paper was in 6th Century China.
By the 14th Century, the Chinese government was mass-producing it.
Packaged toilet paper wasn’t sold in the United States until 1857.
Joseph Gayety, the man who introduced packaged TP to the U.S., had his name printed on every sheet.
Global toilet paper demand uses about 30,000 trees every day.
That’s 10 million trees a year.
It wasn’t until 1935 that a manufacturer was able to promise Splinter-Free ToiletPaper.
Seven percent of Americans admit to stealing rolls of toilet paper from hotels.
Americans use an average of 8.6 sheets of toilet paper per trip to the bathroom.
The average roll has 333 sheets.
Historically, what you use to wipe depended on your income level.
In the Middle Ages, they used something called a gompf stick, which was just anactual stick used to scrape.
Wealthy Romans used wool soaked in rose water, and French royalty used lace.
Other things that were used before toilet paper include hay, corn cobs, sticks,stones, sand, moss, hemp, wool, husks, fruit peels, ferns, sponges, seashells,knotted ropes, and broken pottery (ouch!).
70-75% of the world still doesn’t use toilet paper because it is too expensive or there is not sufficient plumbing.
In many Western European countries, bidets are seen as more effective andpreferable to toilet paper.
Colored toilet paper was popular in the U.S. until the 1940s.
The reason toilet paper disintegrates so quickly when wet is that the fibers used to make it are very short.
On the International Space Station, they still use regular toilet paper, but it has to be sealed in special containers and compressed.
During Desert Storm, the U.S. Army used toilet paper to camouflage their tanks.
In 1973, Johnny Carson caused a toilet paper shortage. He said as a joke that there was a shortage, which there wasn’t, until everyone believed him and ran out tobuy up the supply. It took three weeks for some stores to get more stock.
There is a contest sponsored by Charmin to design and make wedding dresses out of toilet paper. The winner gets $2,000.
There was a toilet paper museum in Wisconsin, The Madison Museum of Bathroom Tissue, but it closed in 2000.
The museum once had over 3,000 rolls of TP from places all over the world,including The Guggenheim, Ellis Island, and Graceland.
There is still a virtual toilet paper museum called Nobody’s Perfect.
In 1996, President Clinton passed a Toilet Paper Tax of 6 cents per roll which is still in effect today.
The Pentagon uses, on average, 666 rolls of toilet paper per day.
The most expensive toilet paper in the world is the Portuguese brand, Renova.
Renova is three-ply, perfumed, costs $3 per roll, and comes in several colorsincluding black, red, blue, and green.
The CEO of Renova came up with the idea for black toilet paper while he was at aCirque du Soleil show.
Beyonce uses only red Renova toilet paper.
Kris Jenner uses only the black Renova toilet paper.
If you hang your toilet paper so you can pull it from the bottom, you’re considered more intelligent than someone who pulls it from the top. (Wonder how thiswas determined?)
Koji Suzuki, a Japanese horror novelist best known for writing The Ring, had anentire novel printed on a single roll of toilet paper.
The novel takes place in a public bathroom, and the entire story runs approximately three feet long.
When asked what necessity they would bring to a desert island, 49% of people said toilet paper before food.!
The next chapter from our buddies over at Xena and Lucy. Click on the name in red to pop on over.
Xena’s Story: A Recap and A Cobra Named KingPosted at 1:1 am by Xena and Lucy, on June 5, 2020
Lucy: Xena, I think it might be a good idea to give a quick recap on what’s happened so far in your stories. Not all our readers saw the earlier ones, and that would help a lot.
Xena: Why don’t they just read them? *pout* Oh, OK. But if you have been keeping up, and your memory is good, just scroll down to the first picture to take up where we left off last week. Or go here to read them all from beginning to end.
So, for those of you who missed the earlier editions, or just don’t remember, the first section is simply called Xena’s Story.
Xe the schnauzer took a boat trip to Siam and met the Siamese cats, Sho and Tye. They all quickly became besties, and had a lot of adventures before Xe had to go home. (Click here.)
Tye missed Xe, who had become like a sister to her. Tye stowed away on a boat, where she eventually made friends with the captain by catching all the mice on board and keeping them fed and happy in her cabin. After docking in Texas, USA she got thrown in a detention center, where she only had rotten vegetables to eat, but made friends with a chihuahua. After receiving a text from Tye, Xe left home to rescue her. (click here)
After taking a school bus to Texas to rescue Tye, Xe got caught inside the detention center by a plott hound, who tossed her in a bag labeled “fresh meat”. She was put in the same area as Tye. Xe had remembered to pack a soft bed, a pretty night shirt, and a mouse toy for Tye, which they used while they waited to get out. Xe applied to be Tye’s sponsor and they were finally released. (click here)
Tye and Xe had more adventures on the way back to Xe’s home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. A horse named HoNo (short for horse with no name) gave them a ride to the Tennessee border, where they were picked up by a NICE Plott Hound in her old truck. Sally drove them to the Big White House to meet with the Person in Charge. There, Tye told her tale of the interment camp and all the other Siamese cats who were being held there. The Person in Charge gave them their favorite foods and made a decree to free everyone from the camps. (click here)
In the meantime, Sho decided she had better come help Tye, so she bought a magic carpet and ended up in Newfoundland, where she met a Newfoundland Hound named Buddha. Buddha had heard about Tye’s troubles and told Sho where the detention center was in Texas. Sho flew her magic carpet there where she found HoNo. HoNo remembered the two friends, and directed Sho back up the coast to the Big White House where they were headed. (click here).
Sho finally found her sister and friend when she landed on the lawn of the Big White House. They all climbed onto the magic carpet for a ride to Xe’s home, where Lu was waiting for them. (click here)
Lu and her Dad have arranged a Zoom meeting with lots of the friends that the Xe et al made on their journeys. Siam is renamed Tyeland after Tye’s fame for freeing the Siamese cats held there. Lu informs them about the Shelter in Place edict so they cannot continue on to Canada as planned. (click here)
This next part is called Sheltering in Place. Sho and Lu, as the more mature members of the group, hit it off and spend time relaxing together and enjoying island beverages. The youngsters Tye and Xe continue to find fun ways to spend their days, including a full spa treatment and a hula lesson by Tye. (click here)
Sheltering in Place continues with Sho and Lu taking a tub soak while sipping on Coronas and the youngsters shooting the bird back and forth with old rackets they found in the attic. (click here)
The story takes another turn with Think Canada. The 3 friends decide to hop on the magic carpet and take their chances at returning to Tyeland to finish up their business there before trying to relocate to Canada. By the way, their hut in Tyeland is named Hut Canada. (click here)
Sho is tired by the time they land, so she goes inside to take a nap. Tye and Xe get bored and go off to stuff a mouse down a cobra’s throat. That doesn’t end so well. (click here)
That was what is called a synopsis in writer’s talk for all the episodes so far. The Canadian Cats did a great job of putting these all together. You can click here to go to that page on their blog, where you can begin at the beginning and read straight through. Next is a gratuitous shot of me to let you know we are starting the next story in Think Canada.
While Sho was relaxing outside of the Hut Canada, waiting on Tye and Xe, a large cobra snake slithered up to her, stopped and stared. “You’re not the cat I sssaw in the jungle, are you?” he hissed.
Not knowing what the cobra snake was up to, Sho did not let on that her little sister was in the jungle more than her. “I walk through the jungle from time to time,” she replied. “Why do you ask, snake?” inquired Sho, pronouncing the word snake as if it was a swear word.
*Hisssss*. “My name is King,” he said, not bothering to answer Sho’s question. Continuing to quiz her, he asked, “Do you have a schnauzer friend? I sssmell her. *Hiss* I’ve ssseen a schnauzer in the jungle, and I would like to *hiss* say hello.”
At this point, Tye and Xe ran out onto the porch, completely unaware that danger lurked in Tye’s own front yard. When they heard hissing, they looked out to see someone they never wanted in their front yard. They’d been found!
“We have to do something,” whispered Xe.
“One of us has to let Sho know not to tell him we’re here,” replied Tye. “I’m a bit smaller, so I guess I’ll try to sneak down there.”
Even though Xe was shaking like a rattler’s tail, she knew that this was mostly all her fault, and she couldn’t let her friend do this. “No, I’ll go,” she whispered with only a slight quaver in her voice.
Xe ran like she was in an agility trial, zip, zip, and ended up behind the bush near Sho. “Don’t tell him we’re here,” whispered Xe. “He’s mean.”
“Why don’t you rest your scales and I will go inside and make us a nice cup of mulberry tea?” suggested Sho, without ever looking over at Xe.
Before anyone could turn back towards Hut Canada, Tye leaped off the other side of the porch and ran full out into town, looking for Squish, their elephant friend. It’s rumored that elephants are afraid of mice, but that snakes are afraid of elephants is known as a fact.
Tye tore through the town looking for Squish until she ran headlong into a tree, bouncing off it and landing on her back. Blinking hard, she looked up and saw it wasn’t a tree after all. It was her friend Squish’s leg.
“Why such a hurry?” inquired Squish. Tye quickly related to him what trouble they were in, and that she feared for Xe’s life. “No one hurts my friends!” trumpeted the elephant as she took off full speed toward Hut Canada.
Xe was now hunkered down behind the bush, afraid to move.
“There you are, you slimy piece of shnake!” Squish said with disdain. (shnake is a swear word in elephant-speak.) “You may be King the Cobra in the jungle, but here you’re going to be…”
“Wait, pleasssse!” pleaded King. “I know who you are, too. You’re the mighty Sssquish, who sssquishes snakes until they pop like balloonssss! Pleassse, let me go, and you and your friends will never ssssee me again.”
Squish knew that you had to be dumber than mud to believe a promise from a snake. She thought about the pedicure she had just come from when Tye found her and didn’t relish messing it up with snake guts. But she would do whatever needed done to keep her dear friends safe. Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw a mouse. And not just any mouse, but Missy, who had helped her in the past. Missy, had brought her oboe. As she began to play a mesmerizing tune, Squish sneaked around King, whispering, “King, the Snake, you will never hurt or eat a mouse or a schnauzer or a cat again. You will be kind and gentle to all you meet.”
By this time King was softly swaying back and forth in rhythm to the music. He was being charmed and was open to all suggestions made to him. “You do all these things,” the elephant continued, “and I will let you live.”
Missy stopped playing. Xe stopped shaking. Squish stopped talking. King stopped swaying. It was as if, just for a moment, they were frozen in time. Then King shook his head, looked around, and whispered, “Weren’t we all invited for tea? I do hope there’s a drop of honey. I just love honey with my tea, don’t you?”
Xe stepped out from behind the bush. King looked at her quizzically and said, “Why, what an adorable little dog. Will you be joining us for tea? I do hope so, and perhaps there will be some biscuits as well. I just love biscuits with my tea and honey, don’t you?”
Sho, absolutely shocked, still remembered her manners and hurriedly set the outside table for everyone to have tea with honey and not just one, but two plates of biscuits as well.
From that day on, King never hurt another living thing, and Squish didn’t kill him. In fact, they made up a game called, “don’t step on the snake,” which they had to play every time King came to visit. Squish and Missy often accompanied him, and Sho always made tea with honey and biscuits for everyone. (She is a very good hostess.)
The End. (Well, just the end of this part of the story.)
I am Xena, with Shoko and Tybe playing supporting roles.
Lucy: Xena, this isn’t a play. Nobody is playing any roles.
Xena: I’m getting ready for when it is turned into a Broadway play. I want to be the star, like Angel Lexi.
Lucy: *sigh*
