Post by Foxy on Oct 7, 2019 9:00:22 GMT -5
Chapter 9
When Laurie opened the tiny door of the SUV, the birds flying around were not in cages, there were no books around, and the evening sun was setting, but the place was not Cousin Jeb’s home. Even though Dr. Rucamont had followed them all the way to the Average Canyon, it felt like they were all one big happy family, and always would be. What happens in a certain place can satiate your feelings for that location, just as strawberry sauce can satiate vanilla bean ice cream. You can eat it, and eat it, and still never forget its delectability, a word which hear means “amazing flavor which made everyone happy.”
“I want to go in,” Larry said. “There are birds living here.”
“I know we want to be here,” Laurie said, “and we have work to do.”
“Work?” Larry asked. “What work?”
Cousin Jeb rubbed his forehead again. “We have work to do,” he said, “that we have been preparing for for many days. We are going to study and capture birds, remember?”
“No,” Larry pointed out. “I don’t remember. Hi, Dr. Rucamont!”
“I know, I know,” Steve said patiently to Cousin Jeb. “The three children are very kind. This overshadows their shortcomings.”
“If only I’d brought those almond butter pouches,” Larry said wistfully. “Then maybe I could use them as bait to catch a pterodactyl.”
“We’ll never know about that,” Laurie said loudly. She looked around at the Average Canyon, which was not terribly big, but also not terribly small. “But if we start walking down the canyon right now, we might trip and fall.”
“It is dark out,” Larry pointed out.
“It is dark out,” Cousin Jeb agreed. “Now, Larry, find the fire proof tent. Let me know when you get it out of the bag.”
“I want to stay here for days,” Larry said, breathing in all the fresh air.
“Well, we only have days,” Laurie said softly. “Mr. Foe is coming back to take us to our next guardian soon. We have to study all the birds at the Average Canyon, and quickly.”
“All right, all right,” Larry said. “I got the tent out of the bag.”
“I’ll help you spread it out,” Cousin Jeb said. “And then we’ll put the tent poles in the holes.”
“Can I straighten the tent poles?” Steve asked.
“Yes,” Cousin Jeb said. “Get cracking with the tent poles, Steve. Lil’ Linda, come away from the edge of the canyon.”
“Gnirob!” Lil’ Linda said, which probably meant something like “No one ever lets me do anything fun.”
Everyone helped set up the large tent. In fact, it was so large everyone had their own room in the tent, except Dr. Rucamont, who had brought his own pup tent. Everyone couldn’t wait to start looking at birds the next day. Even though they knew that had a long day’s work in front of them, they still stayed up late at the campfire roasting homemade marshmallows. Larry sighed, sat back in his camping chair, and as at so many other times when the middle Lotsaluck child did not want to think about anything, he began to daydream.
It is now completely unneccesary for me to use the musical phrase “Oh, what a beautiful morning.” The word “musical” here means “used by Rogers and Hammerstein, and by the time Loney M. Setnick uses it, it is a beloved song.” “Oh, what a beautiful morning” is a song used at the beginning of a musical to open the story in wild pioneer land, and it has nothing to do with a rainy day or tornadoes or with any people who work in offices in urban areas where there are no beautiful mornings, or even with ranch dressing, which when bought at a store typically has all kinds of junky ingredients in it. Here, the phrase “Oh, what a beautiful morning” refers to the beautiful morning Laurie, Larry, and Lil’ Linda awoke to at the edge of the Average Canyon. For as Larry unzipped the front door of the tent in the morning, and Lil’ Linda continued to sleep in, Laurie was up to something I am sure will be of no interest to you, which was brushing her teeth.
Laurie began brushing her teeth, just as her mother had instructed her many years ago so she would not get cavities. As I am sure you know, the secret to good toothbrushing is brushing in small circles for about five seconds on each tooth, and Laurie brushed as loudly as she could, trying to get all the marshmallow off her teeth from the night before.
“Oh, what a beautiful morning!” Dr. Rucamont was saying. “Let’s have breakfast so we have energy for out hike.”
“I see your point,” Cousin Jeb said. “Let’s fry up some eggs and fresh bacon.”
“I’ve got it,” Steve said. “I will fry up the eggs and bacon over the hot coals of the fire.”
“I brought a Dutch oven for just this occasion,” Doctor Rucamont said enthusiastically. “The city laws didn’t allow me to camp and use it in my back yard.”
“I’ve never heard of anyone attempting to camp in their backyard,” Cousin Jeb said.
Laurie stood up, having spent enough time brushing her teeth. Noisily, noisily, Laurie walked out of the tent and to the picnic table by the campfire, where a bowl of fresh fruit was sitting. When she reached the table, Laurie stopped. It was amazing, she thought, how beautiful the Average Canyon was.
--------------------------------------------------------
This is where my writing concludes, in the middle of Chapter 9. Again, if anyone would like to finish this project, I encourage them to do so.
When Laurie opened the tiny door of the SUV, the birds flying around were not in cages, there were no books around, and the evening sun was setting, but the place was not Cousin Jeb’s home. Even though Dr. Rucamont had followed them all the way to the Average Canyon, it felt like they were all one big happy family, and always would be. What happens in a certain place can satiate your feelings for that location, just as strawberry sauce can satiate vanilla bean ice cream. You can eat it, and eat it, and still never forget its delectability, a word which hear means “amazing flavor which made everyone happy.”
“I want to go in,” Larry said. “There are birds living here.”
“I know we want to be here,” Laurie said, “and we have work to do.”
“Work?” Larry asked. “What work?”
Cousin Jeb rubbed his forehead again. “We have work to do,” he said, “that we have been preparing for for many days. We are going to study and capture birds, remember?”
“No,” Larry pointed out. “I don’t remember. Hi, Dr. Rucamont!”
“I know, I know,” Steve said patiently to Cousin Jeb. “The three children are very kind. This overshadows their shortcomings.”
“If only I’d brought those almond butter pouches,” Larry said wistfully. “Then maybe I could use them as bait to catch a pterodactyl.”
“We’ll never know about that,” Laurie said loudly. She looked around at the Average Canyon, which was not terribly big, but also not terribly small. “But if we start walking down the canyon right now, we might trip and fall.”
“It is dark out,” Larry pointed out.
“It is dark out,” Cousin Jeb agreed. “Now, Larry, find the fire proof tent. Let me know when you get it out of the bag.”
“I want to stay here for days,” Larry said, breathing in all the fresh air.
“Well, we only have days,” Laurie said softly. “Mr. Foe is coming back to take us to our next guardian soon. We have to study all the birds at the Average Canyon, and quickly.”
“All right, all right,” Larry said. “I got the tent out of the bag.”
“I’ll help you spread it out,” Cousin Jeb said. “And then we’ll put the tent poles in the holes.”
“Can I straighten the tent poles?” Steve asked.
“Yes,” Cousin Jeb said. “Get cracking with the tent poles, Steve. Lil’ Linda, come away from the edge of the canyon.”
“Gnirob!” Lil’ Linda said, which probably meant something like “No one ever lets me do anything fun.”
Everyone helped set up the large tent. In fact, it was so large everyone had their own room in the tent, except Dr. Rucamont, who had brought his own pup tent. Everyone couldn’t wait to start looking at birds the next day. Even though they knew that had a long day’s work in front of them, they still stayed up late at the campfire roasting homemade marshmallows. Larry sighed, sat back in his camping chair, and as at so many other times when the middle Lotsaluck child did not want to think about anything, he began to daydream.
It is now completely unneccesary for me to use the musical phrase “Oh, what a beautiful morning.” The word “musical” here means “used by Rogers and Hammerstein, and by the time Loney M. Setnick uses it, it is a beloved song.” “Oh, what a beautiful morning” is a song used at the beginning of a musical to open the story in wild pioneer land, and it has nothing to do with a rainy day or tornadoes or with any people who work in offices in urban areas where there are no beautiful mornings, or even with ranch dressing, which when bought at a store typically has all kinds of junky ingredients in it. Here, the phrase “Oh, what a beautiful morning” refers to the beautiful morning Laurie, Larry, and Lil’ Linda awoke to at the edge of the Average Canyon. For as Larry unzipped the front door of the tent in the morning, and Lil’ Linda continued to sleep in, Laurie was up to something I am sure will be of no interest to you, which was brushing her teeth.
Laurie began brushing her teeth, just as her mother had instructed her many years ago so she would not get cavities. As I am sure you know, the secret to good toothbrushing is brushing in small circles for about five seconds on each tooth, and Laurie brushed as loudly as she could, trying to get all the marshmallow off her teeth from the night before.
“Oh, what a beautiful morning!” Dr. Rucamont was saying. “Let’s have breakfast so we have energy for out hike.”
“I see your point,” Cousin Jeb said. “Let’s fry up some eggs and fresh bacon.”
“I’ve got it,” Steve said. “I will fry up the eggs and bacon over the hot coals of the fire.”
“I brought a Dutch oven for just this occasion,” Doctor Rucamont said enthusiastically. “The city laws didn’t allow me to camp and use it in my back yard.”
“I’ve never heard of anyone attempting to camp in their backyard,” Cousin Jeb said.
Laurie stood up, having spent enough time brushing her teeth. Noisily, noisily, Laurie walked out of the tent and to the picnic table by the campfire, where a bowl of fresh fruit was sitting. When she reached the table, Laurie stopped. It was amazing, she thought, how beautiful the Average Canyon was.
--------------------------------------------------------
This is where my writing concludes, in the middle of Chapter 9. Again, if anyone would like to finish this project, I encourage them to do so.