Part 53: Going for a Walk

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We had stopped at a TruckStop In PuckerBrush Nevada.

“Bubba, I think I’ll go for a walk. I need to stretch my legs a bit. Would you like to come with me? How bout you Gretchen? Wanna send a Drone?” I asked.

I’d finally broken down and given her a name. Troglodyte didn’t seem appropriate so I named her Gretchen. Oddly enough he didn’t care. I guess one name was good as another.

I was feeling the need for a bit of exercise. We’d come a few thousand miles since the last stop and I needed to get out and about a little bit. This TruckStop seemed to be located in a nice area. I shouldn’t have any problems. I planned to walk out to the open country and let Bubba run a bit, away from all the nasty truckers and confining spaces. It sure was purty out there from what I could see. Really nice white, clean snow. I better wear my warmest duster.

“Meow? Merrrrrt? Chirp? Prrrrrr.” Bubba was all for it. He was that excited. That cat loves to get out and romp.

“Ok. If you promise to be a good boy. You’ve got to wear a leash until we get out away from everyone. You know how you scare the dogs.” I told him.

Bubba didn’t like that. He wasn’t very fond of leashes. He laid flat on his belly on the floor of the truck and put his his front paws on top of his head. “Meowarrr? Grrrrrr. Pzzzzzsssst!”

“Yup. ‘Fraid so, but only until we get out away from the TruckStop. It looks like it might be Nevada out there. Lots of Sage Brush and open spaces. When we get away from people and their pets I’ll take the leash off and you can romp.” I told him. Bubba purely hates the leash.

“What about you Gretchen? Wanna go?” I asked the Road Train.

“Certainly.” She instantly replied “Someone has to look out for you two Colloids. You might spook a rabbit or a field mouse. You might need some protection.”

“Ok...sit” I told bubba.

Bubba was a good cat. He was well behaved. He sat on the floor by my knee and didn’t even wiggle much while I slipped the harness on him. Then I attached the leash to the harness.

“You look so GOOD in that harness Bubba. PRETTY boy!” I praised him. He’d done good.

Bubba smiled. Um..that might not have been such a good idea having him smile.

Yup...Bubba was definitely a carnivore.

I could almost hear Gretchen’s eyes rolling.

We got out of the Truck and walked across the parking lot. Bubba was still pretty much of a big kitten, emphasis on big. He’d been eating like a horse and growing like a weed lately. The growing boy needed some exercise. Bubba was well behaved though. I was proud of him.

I’d been told that I’m too much of a recluse. Too much of a hermit, a lone wolf. I’ve also been told that I needed to be more friendly and speak to people. Now seemed like a good time to try. I’d practice. I was all gussied up. I should make a good impression. I was wearing my best Duster, Stompy Boots on my wolf legs so the talons didn’t show, and a Stove Pipe hat. I had my smoke pole of course, configured as a cane. I’d even trimmed my beard... some.

First thing we noticed while walking across the parking lot was a guy walking a Rottweiler. The Rottweiler's master was a big old guy. Almost as big as me, but shorter since he wasn’t wearing digitigrade bionic legs. He probably weighed 300 pounds. A little chubby but not too bad. Considering he was a trucker.

“Nice day out isn’t I asked him?” I’m no good at small talk. I figure if you don’t have something to say then don’t say it, but I was trying. “Say...what’s that thing there? Up in the air? Sure is bright ain’t it?”

I pointed at Venus with my cane. He flinched a bit when I raised it. His Rottie whimpered and cringed. I’m not sure if the Rottie was reacting to me or Bubba’s smile. I need to talk to Bubba about smiling at people and most especially at dogs. It makes em nervous.

The guy turned and looked. “I dunno, I’m not from around here.”

Then he pulled on his dog’s leash and the two of them slipped by. Bubba raised a paw and waved bye-bye to the Dog. The dog yipped and darted away. He yanked so hard on the leash that the trucker almost stumbled. It was all Bubba could to not to chase that Rottweiler. That’s instinctive for carnivores …something runs, they chase it. Bubba controlled himself however.

Much better than the guy who was walking the dog.

Tubby turned and glared back at me. He didn’t say anything, but if looks could kill I’d be six foot under.

“Meeeert?” Bubba pouted. His feelings was hurt. I can’t say as I blame him. My feelings were a mite hurt also. Just trying to be friendly.

Oh. Well.

We walked on. We passed several other people. Many of them avoided us. A lot of them crossed to the other side of the driveway to avoid getting near. I guess I wore the wrong hat or something.

It didn’t take long before we had strolled out past the truck-stop boundaries. If we weren’t in the middle of nowhere it must be just over the next hill. We could see for miles in any direction. Nothing but snow and snow covered sage brush. The dim reddish sun was getting low to the horizon. We didn’t have a whole lot of time before dark. I slipped the leash off Bubba.

“Ok Buddie.” I told him. “ Have a good run. There’s no one around to be scared of you. Raise some dust…er… kick up some snow.”

I didn’t have to tell him twice. He took off like a shot. He was running fast enough to put a Cheetah to shame. He was enjoying himself. He was running figure eights around me. He was going so fast that when he went by my coat hem flapped in the breeze of his passing. The only way he’d have any more fun was to chase something.

As luck would have it, he spooked a Buck Jackalope.

“There’s that rabbit you mentioned Gretchen. I don’t see a field mouse. Too much snow perhaps?” I teased her. She remained silent. I suppose that remark was beneath her notice.

I’d just thought Bubba was moving before. Nope...he’d only been loafing. Now he had a running partner. The race was on.

“It’s a feral Bubba” I told him via bone-phone. “Around here they consider it to be a varmint. Go ahead and kill it. Bring it back and we’ll have it for lunch”

That suited Bubba just fine.

“Odd looking thing” Gretchen chatted with me over the bone-phone. Her drones were hovering overhead in a reconnaissance pattern. “Is it natural?”

“ Nah…”I told her. It was story time “Some say Jackalopes are mutations caused by the radiation from the Nevada nuclear tests of days gone by. Some say they are an alien creatures that were on the UFO’s at Area 51 and somehow escaped. I have a different theory. I know alien creatures are not possible. “

I paused. I’d set the bait. Would she?

“What do you mean not possible???” she said, right on cue.

“YES...gotcha!” I chortled “I think they are escaped GMO’s. Genies, much like Parlor Panthers and House Lions but developed by someone who had a warped sense of humor.”

“Such as your own Perhaps?” Gretchen remarked.

“yup...guilty as charged.” I said “Whatever their origin they are considered a varmit. Many places have bounties on them. No one will miss this one.”

I let Bubba have his way.

Bubba, being a cat. Liked to play with his food. Can’t say as I blame him much. He had fun. He let the JackAlope run. He must have chased the critter for miles.

“Ok Bubba” I told him “it’s gonna be dark soon. I don’t want to be out here after the sun goes down. That buck has probably got relatives. Fighting off a horde of horn-bunnies isn’t my idea of fun. Finish him off.”

Bubba did that. He killed the horn-bunnie swift and clean. Then he lifted it with his teeth and carried it back to me. I swear, he reminded me of a lion carrying an antelope. Except that Bubba was midnight black, and no mane. He DID have a tail tuff. Odd that.

“sniff I shouldn’t be surprised that you colloids act as you always do. I hope you got it out of your system” I heard Gretchen say. One of her droids was hovering near by. “It really IS getting dark. You were right about there being more where that one came from. If you don’t want a fight you better leave right now.”

To Be Continued
The Next Episode is
Part 54: Then she said “Uh Oh!”…
The Previous episode was
Part 52: A bit of Family History…
the first episode was
Part 1 : Winter Storm

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