"Budding Lilacs"

"Just believe you are venerable. Somehow you will make it through the cold of Winter." he said, and did, and continues to be... believe it or not.

A magic lamp glows in the night.

Dancing shadows outside whisper strange stories of hideous alien Bummkopf Dopplgangers that troll for nickels and dimes. Inside the fortuitous optimus plays, Bon Melior Föhn.

"They are looking for fresh blood." says the Mic. They meet and eat, and stab each other in the back for more gore."

"Oh really?" says the lassie Maggie Rowan Applebee, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her right ear as she continues to sip her tea. "Toast and marmalade with the little people for us. Let the dead feed off the dead if that's what they choose."

Micky McHamish of Ireland rests easy. Knowing he may not be welcome at some tables is no concern to him. Stories of what was, what is, and what is yet to come, are gifts given freely. Like the chirping songs of Little Tommy Two Toes, a tiny tuffted titmouse who decided to build his nest in a cracked tea cup left on the tall windowsill. Just how Tommy lost a toe is a long story he hasn't told as yet. Knowing Tommy is touchy about his toes is understandable.

"The Bummkopf's of the world may be uncouth ugly blood-sucking leeches with fork tongues and sharp teeth to bite, but...they are slow, and have not a bit of cleaver wit. Steely knifes stab harmlessly in the shadows of their minds. They smack lips at one another, these are the denizens of the deep. Know the dead ones by their unsmiling faces, cold hearts, and lack of helping hand." Micky's adopted sister, Sarah Finnegan of County Dalmation Pok-a-dot barks back.

Maggie Applebee smiles in agreement with her two four legged friends, "The time tunnel is turning, Spring is here. We must prepare for the future and play our wild card. The days grow longer, and the Bummkopfs will be hard at work sharpening their teeth with stolen files."

"Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!" says Micky McHamish.

"We must protect the BaBa Black s.h.i.p.s from the Dopplgangers." agrees Lady Sarah Finnegan curling her lip to show her own white fangs.

"Who knows, maybe Mary Merkin the Brave will show us her magic wand. Now that would knock a pair socks off any old Bummkopf." says Maggie Rowan Applebee with a laugh.

"Woowhooo!" hoots Lakshmi, the rainbow coloured owl sitting on Maggie's lilac lavander velvet robed shoulder.

And so... as the last of Winter's snow falls on the high mountain tops, an oil lamp burns brightly. Soft light is cast on the many pages that will become the wagging tales of: Micky McHamish, the wirehair fox terrier of County Kern, Sister Sarah Finnegan of Dalmatian Poke-a-dot, Maggie Rowan Applebee, Lakshmi, who gives a hoot, and the magical and mysterious Mary Merkin the Brave, who with one wave of her willow wand, is known to cast love spells on the cold cold hearts of many a frozen human hasbean.