Vangie led the entourage on, across the enormous tarmac, toward the hangar that sat at the far corner of the 10 acre facility. She could hear the curious chatter behind her. The Scotties were now totally focused, and she had their full attention.

As they neared the enormous hangar, the Scotties spotted the ScotCorde, parked out on the tarmac in front of the hangar, gleaming in the bright, morning sunlight.

"OH, we're GOING SOMEWHERE!" Motley shouted. "COOL!! Wonder where? Where are we GOIN', Vangie?"

"Wait and SEE!" Maddie replied, thumping Motley's shoulder. Laughing, they hurried along with the group.

The eager throng of Guests reached the hangar, all determined to barrel on into the building. Vangie held up her paw. "WHOA, Sportsfans! Hold it a minute!" she warned.

Vangie still held a firm grip on Riley's paw, and turning to him, she tugged, bringing him close. Standing on tip-paw, she whispered into his ear.... for what seemed a LONG time! They watched as Riley's eyebrows shot up, his eyes widened... then, everyone grew very NERVOUS when a wicked gleam appeared in Riley's eyes!

They watched anxiously as Riley trotted off toward the back of the building. He stopped about 20 feet away, turned, and called out, "HEY, Heidi....Bran.....Holly.....Ivy! Come with ME! We're going to have some FUN!"

The Guests watched as Riley and his team trotted off toward the far end of the hangar. The remaining guests grew more uncertain as they watched the five Scottie heads huddled closely together, as Riley excitedly shared some sort of plan, all the while gesturing excitedly as they walked along. It was the perky little HOP that appeared in Heidi's gait and Bran hurrying on AHEAD of the others that drew the MOST attention.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh, this isn't GOOD! This isn't good at ALLLLLLLL!" Kramer Bush warned. "We KNOW the stories. There's ALWAYS a 'twisted hitch' somewhere! Riley and his crew are ENTIRELY toooo happy!" He cocked an eyebrow knowingly. "Mark my words.. something's UP!"

Kramer poked Zip in the ribs and laughed. "This is gonna be FUN! Just watch for that TWIST in the road! It's coming!" Zip grumbled about Kramer being paranoid, chuckled, and headed off, eager to get on with the fun!

With a wave of her paw, Vangie had the entire group sprinting down the length of the building, heading toward the front entrance. Her pace allowed for no dawdling, she was in PowerWalk mode, and would tolerate NO shirkers. Reaching the front entrance, Vangie put her paw on the Office doorknob, turned, and faced her Guests.

"THIS morning, we're going to PLAY.... we have the ENTIRE hangar facility at our disposal." She spread her paws wide, for emphasis.

"We have 3.1 acres under this roof.....a tad over 136,000 sq. feet!!! ALLLLLL for US!"

She watched the eager faces..... then added the 'punch line'.

"And, WHAT are we going to DO in 3 acres of building??? Build, Play Hide 'n Seek, Have a bean bag war, whatever you can IMAGINE! This building is FILLED, to the BRIM, with ...... (sigh)...... CARDBOARD BOXES!!!!"

Vangie had everyone's attention now. She opened the door, then led the way into the cavernous building. Everyone crowded close, as Vangie reached over and turned on the lights. Suddenly, the building was FLOODED with light. Everyone gasped!

Boxes......HUGE boxes, small boxes, LONG boxes, skinny boxes... piled 20 feet high, as FAR as the eye could see!!!!

"ENJOY yourselves!" Vangie announced. "Build your kingdom, EAT your way through a box or two, have a Box battle, knock yourselves OUT!"

And, everyone SCATTERED! Homer Devine immediately began stacking boxes, one on top of another. Announcing his tower would be the highest, he soon had Brindie dragging boxes over, determined to build a TALLER tower. Feverishly, the two Scotties dragged boxes over, lugged them up, struggling as they discovered that even empty boxes had significant weight.

Jaimie and Dewey watched the growing box towers for a minute..... then looked at each other and nodded. "We can SMOKE 'em!" Dewey declared, as the two first-time BASH'ers raced over and began building their OWN tower over near one wall.

Farther ahead, Cher Bear, unable to control herself any longer, leaped into the boxes, followed closely by Morley Reyner. Together, they began working on a castle, grander and bolder than any box castle ever built.

The more mature Scotties in the group looked at each other questioningly. They saw no reason for such exertion. They HAD, however, located a sumptious buffet, set up next to the open doorway and had eagerly homesteaded the site, dragging nearby boxes over to create lounge chairs and long benches. Settling in, they munched on yummy treats, as they watched the excited chaos going on among the boxes.

The 'New Generation' was GIDDY with excitement! There was a flurry of activity, Scotties racing around, building, throwing, eating, ripping holes in ..... boxes! Scarlett began dancing and twirling, making tight circles in her excitement. Making herself dizzy, she accidentally stumbled into ECMick, who was planning and plotting what he was going to do with HIS boxes. He quickly turned, and reached out, managing to steady her just as she began to fall.

"Careful there, Sunshine," Mick commented, still holding her paw in his own. "Ya don't want to hurt that pretty paw of yours." He smiled pleasantly as he continued to hold her paw. Scarlett blushed, then smiled coyly. Mick's brown eyes made her knees weak... then she got hold of herself, shook her head to clear the fog, and tugged gently, trying to reclaim her paw. No luck, Mick held it fast, as he began to share his Box strategies with her.

One thing led to another, and a Team was formed. Mick and Scarlett would build a box fort, strong enough to hold invaders at bay.

Scarlett and Mick were busily rounding up team members, when Jake strolled up, and stood, tapping his paw.

"Mick, m'lad, I think you could get a LOT more done with your building project....... if ya TURNED Scarlett's paw loose!" Jake tried not to smile, he worked hard to maintain a neutral expression... and hopefully, Mick wouldn't see the twinkle in Jake's eye!

ECMick gave Scarlett's paw a pat, then released it. The two scotties were soon busily constructing their box fort, as they were joined by Mac Delli Carpini, Teddy Sheets, Black Jack Fones, Megan Daisy Wilson, and Truman Huckstep. The construction immediately became the center of activity, with boxes being hurled and slung, creating an ever-growing wall of boxes.

Meanwhile, way back in the middle of the cavernous hangar, surrounded by hundreds of boxes, Vangie was happily and joyously entertaining herself with one very LARGE refrigerator box. She'd climbed up, scrambling over boxes, to locate JUST the right box. This one was PERFECT! She'd climbed up a neighboring box, found the top of "THE" box open, and LEAPED inside....

It was the NOISE that attracted Hunter Riches' attention. Scratching, LOTS and LOTS of SCRATCHING, LOUD scratching. He cocked his head, trying to focus his ears toward the sound. Following his ears, he wound a circuitous route through the mountain of boxes. The scratching was louder now, more determined.

Turning a corner in the trail through the box maze, he found the source of the noise. Up ahead, stood an enormous refrigerator box, that seemed to be pulsing! Walking up to the box, Hunter laid a paw against the box, it was WIGGLING, vibrating, and BOUNCING!! The scratching was from the INSIDE!

Thinking that someone must be trapped INSIDE, Hunter scrambled UP the nearby boxes, leaned WAY over, and peered down into the deep refrigerator box. His eyes widened at what he saw!

Instead of a trapped Terrier, he saw Vangie, rolling and rooting, grunting and snorting! He watched as she rolled over on her side, her paws up against one side of the huge box, where she began 'digging' excitedly, both front paws flailing wildly at the cardboard.

Hopping to her feet, she advanced to 'hole digging' at the bottom of the box, her paws making staccato rhythms as she feverishy dug at the bottom of the box. With one final stomp of her paw, Vangie paused to catch her breath... and heard the chuckling.

She looked up, to see Hunter leaning over, watching. "Looks like FUN!" he commented, smiling. "Want some help?"

"Sure! The box is surely large enough! You like to dig?? Jump in, the cardboard is perfect!" Vangie gestured to the bottom of the box, then stepped back to give him room.

Hunter launched himself off into space and managed to slide down the far wall of the box, to land with a thud next to Vangie.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" he asked, as he gave a great shake to rearrange his furnishings.

Vangie glanced around at the wide base of the giant refrigerator box. "Okay, it's a RACE! YOU dig on THAT side wall, I'll dig on THIS side wall.... first one to dig an ESCAPE hole through the box, WINS! READY, GOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Not giving Hunter time to react, or even comment, Vangie dropped down onto her side, and began frantically digging at a side wall of the tall box, just at 'paw height'. Hunter laughed, and followed suit, began an intense paw assault on HIS side wall.

Both scotties were totally focused, the noise inside the box was deafening, the box was pulsing and vibrating with the damange being inflicted to its stability. Happy as clams, the two Scotties continued their attack on the box, determined to bring the enormous cardboard structure down around their ears.

Jake, Sugar, and Alice patrolled the far end of the huge hangar, keeping an eye out for any 'extreme box' antics that might need to be reined in.

They noticed Taylor Burks, Hobbes Devine, Odie Liske, Mason Bruce, Maggie May Bailey, and Clio van Dulken, all lined up atop a large stack of boxes, each one taking a turn to LEAP off into a smaller pile of boxes below. Apparently, the goal was to flatten the entire PILE of boxes, although, new boxes were constantly being added to the landing zone, and the Terriers were now disappearing into the pile with each jump.

"They'll be fine," Alice predicted. "They actually have pretty good FORM, ROLLING when they hit the box, to reduce impact!"

The Guardians continued their patrol, when....

Suddenly, Jake paused... and spun around. Looking at Alice, he blurted, "Where's Adelaide? The BABY? Where's the Scottie PUP? She's only 3-4 months old, 5 tops! Where IS SHE!?!?!"

"Last time I saw her, she was following along behind Phoebe Bruce and Marigold! Let's spread out and find Addie!" Alice suggested.

Jake pulled out his iPAWPhone, and hit speed dial. Immediately, Hans answered. "We've lost Adelaide pup! Spread out... locate the wee toddler! Alice saw her tagging along with Phoebe and Marigold earlier. Find the baby!"

"Got it!" Hans replied. "We'll start from the north end and work our way toward the center of the hangar. You start from the south. We'll find her."

The large dogs spread out across the hangar, and, at a fast trot, began a thorough search of the building... hampered by the thousands of boxes that would dwarf a very small Scottie pup.

Grace's 'all call' to the Guardian frequency stopped the Guardians in their tracks. "FOUND HER! Northeast quadrant, about half way in... you HAVE to come SEE this!" Grace's chuckle reassured the Guardians that the pup was fine, but now their curiosity was aroused, so the Brigade quickly closed on Grace's location.

They located Adelaide, the center of attention, a large crowd of Scotties circling her... all clapping, all bouncing with the rhythm of some tune being played on an iPawPod that Adelaide had swinging from her collar.

"What in blazes is she DOING?" Jake asked.

"Making cardboard confetti!!" Hans answered. "She seems to be DOING it well!"

Grace laughed, and poked Hans in the side. "Silly boys! Look at it this way, she's expending TONS of energy, a VERY good thing for a youngster HER age... she has 2 dozen babysitters surrounding her right now..... this glass is half FULL!"

More shoulder shrugging from the Guardians, as they watched a few more minutes. Spotting Phoebe in the circle of Scotties, Jake sauntered over, and whispered into Phoebe's ear.

"You and Marigold keep an eye on Addie," he said. "Make sure SOMEONE is watching over her."

Phoebe nodded, then turned her attention back to the group, just as the 'watchers' joined the action and began fiendishly shredding boxes of their own. Suddenly, it was 'snowing confetti'.... cardboard shreds flew everywhere, which only served to spur the Terries on to more feverish tearing and ripping and shredding!!

The Guardians backed off, however, when they saw Marigold, Morley, Malleagh, and Sunny ROLLING a 50 drum barrel over to the now enormous mountain of cardboard confetti. Guardian eyebrows rose dramatically as they read the label on the rolling barrel.... "blackstrap molasses"!!!

"GREAT IDEA, SUNNY!" Marigold shouted, as the group began working to unscrew the lid of the barrel. "This will make a SUPER "SYRUP TRAP" for anyone coming through this end of the hangar!!"

The Guardians began their retreat.... quietly and hopefully, unobserved! Jake actually shivered at the thought of molasses covered cardboard shreds embedded in his collie fur.

"NOPE!" he said quietly to the other Guardians. "We'll just leave THIS for someone ELSE to clean up! And, with that, the Guardian Brigade made a strategic withdrawl.

Across the huge hangar, chaos reigned. Jake and the Guardians stood for a moment, listening to the racket. Obviously, the Scotties and their friends were having a GRAND time... if the NOISE level was any indication! Boxes being shredded, boxes collapsing in great, rumbling avalanches.... followed by gales of laughter.... It was the "Okay, pile 'em back UP! Let's DO IT AGAIN!" comments that worried the Guardians.

"Okay, Guardians..... let's go earn our kibble!" Jake said, rolling his eyes ever so slightly. "Spread out and make sure they don't KILL themselves!"

Laughter echoed through the cavernous hangar... everyone was thoroughly enjoying themselves. The Guardians maintained a close watch on the partiers, who didn't NOTICE Riley, Heidi, Holly, Ivy, and Bran easing quietly into the hangar, through the executive offices. The BASH'ers didn't SEE the Elder Scotties quietly begin climbing....

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, whatcha think?? COULD THIS BE THAT "Twisted Hitch" that Kramer WARNED us about????????

Chapter 5
Elders PlayTime!

"SHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Riley warned the team as they tip-pawed up the steel 'service stairs' to the narrow catwalk that spanned the entire length of the ScotCorde hangar. He re-adjusted the weight of the large burlap sack he was lugging.... and turned to check Holly, Bran, Heidi, and Ivy. They, too, had large sacks, and some were clanging on the metal stairs with each step. They'd quietly seen that Heidi's bag had the least weight, but its sheer bulk was creating a challenge for the Elder Scottie lass. Riley was about to go help her, when he saw Bran slip behind Heidi, and with a paw on the back of her sack, had steadied her bag enough to make it easier to climb. Riley smiled. He glanced over the flimsy railing, at the chaos below. No one would look up, no one would notice them..... his gaze quickly scanned the enormous hangar, and located Jake, far below. Jake's attention was on the Elders... he'd warned them to be careful, he'd WANTED to send a Guardian with them, but Riley had put his paw down.... "no, indeed! TOOOO large, tooooooo noticeable!" Jake quickly surveyed the Terriers, totally focused on their Box Games.... taking NO NOTICE of anything happening overhead. Jake gave Riley a quick "Paws UP" signal. Keeping one eye on the Elders' ascent, Jake returned to his Guardian duties on the floor of the Hangar... yet, managing to back as far AWAY from the area as possible. Climbing.... climbing.... so many stairs! Riley made a mental note -- ELEVATOR NEEDED TO REACH CATWALK!! FINALLY.. after what seemed DAYS, the Elder Scots reached the VERY narrow catwalk. Looking down the length, it seemed to run on forever.... it's WIDTH, however, was only about 18 inches wide... quite narrow for blocky, Scottie cinderblock bodies!! The Team was glad to have reached their destination.....and plopped their burlap sacks down on the clattering metal walkway... "SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Riley warned again. "Okay, unpack!!! Let's have some FUN!" Locating a prime spot along the catwalk, Riley motioned for the burlap bags to be set down. Heidi's curiosity was aroused, as she peered over Riley's shoulder as he began unloading the sacks and lining the contents along the walkway. Bran and Ivy's noses began twitching. SOMETHING in all of that....smelled GOOD! They watched as Riley laid out several large buckets... each filled to the top with colored sprinkles... red... blue.... green.... yellow. Farther down the walkway stood two 20 gallon buckets of sweet, golden alfalfa honey. "OHHHHHHHH, we're going to have a PICNIC up HERE!!" Holly assumed, her mouth watering. "Well, not really.... just wait a second, and I'll clue ya in!" Riley replied, as he reached into another sack and pulled out a massive package of large, fluffy marshmallows.... a restaurant-sized jar of crunchy peanut butter.... and the biggest bag of 'M&M's they'd ever seen! Their brows furrowed, they watched Riley move to the last sack... producing a dozen plaid 'BEAN BAG LAUNCHERS'!! Bran's eyes lit up first! He SMILED BROADLY!!! Turning to Ivy, Heidi, and Holly.... he relayed his assumptions, "We're gonna have a FOOD FIGHT!!! I ASSUME we're gonna go up against those YOUNGSTERS down below! SURE is a shame, they don't even know we're here.... we have the 'high ground', and the advantage of 'line of sight'!! Everyone grinned, eagerly anticipating the coming fun... Riley's attention suddenly moved to the stairs.... he glanced over, seeing Hans directing Noots, Molly Cleveland, and The Duke up the stairs toward the catwalk. With a salute, Hans turned back and headed off to patrol the hangar floor. Riley greeted the new members of the TEAM, quickly brought them up to speed, then explained further. "NOW, the 'bean bags' today, will be YOUR CHOICE! YOU will either select a MARSHMALLOW, dip it in HONEY, then roll it in colored SPRINKLES!!! ORRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, you can get a paw full of peanut butter, roll it into a ball, dip THAT in M&M's, then dip into HONEY, and lastly, into one of the colored sprinkles!!!" Everyone's eyes sparkled at the idea...... "REMEMBER," Riley cautioned.. "the MORE you layer it, dip it, the gummier it'll be!! The better it'll "SPLAT"!!! THAT is our goal.... SIGNIFICANT SPLAT!!" Reaching down, he grabbed the plaid 'Bean Bag Launchers', handing one to each Scottie. "Watch it when you load.... if you PUSH the glob in too quickly, it'll just JAM up the launcher. Be SURE to 'slide' your glob in gently. The sprinkles, IF YOU COVERED it thoroughly, will prevent the glob from jamming in the launcher, and keep your glob intact...... UNTIL it hits the target.... at which time, it'll turn into a squishy, sticky, ewwwy, gooey, mess!" Noses crinkled at the prospect of having one of the 'Bean Bag GLOBS' embedded in thick, lush FUR!!! EWWW! They grinned fiendishly..... Dusting their paws, they were EAGER to begin!!! "Okay," Riley said. "I've spread the GLOB goo out so we can all get to it without knocking each other OVER the EDGE! We'll each construct 3-4 globs and set them down beside us on the walk.... when we start, we will have enough GLOBS to create a LOT of GOOEY mess before the youngsters can respond!!" At Riley's signal, the Elders trotted over and began pushing their furry paws down into the icky, ewwy GLOB goo.... carefully rolling balls, dipping, sprinkling, dipping again.... and setting them gently along the walkway. Within minutes, the Team was ready. Far below, on the floor of the hangar, the youngsters were having a grand time. Darby and Ceilidh had started building a cardboard swimming pool, filling it with some of the molasses-covered cardboard confetti. THIS, then, drew the attention of Hot Rod Rammbler, Callie and Mandy H, Duncan & Maggie Mae K., Jake & Roxy H., Cooper and Caileigh Fones, Zip B, D'Arcy, William Murdoch, Mason and WCMick, Holly D, Misti, Minnie, and Mitzi R, Alanagh and Monty W, all just ITCHING to leap into the 'ooey gooey cardboard pool'! Holding up a paw, Ceilidh announced a DIVING contest. "BEST dive wins!" she declared. "HOW do we know who WINS?" asked WCMick. With a wicked gleam, Ceilidh glanced down at the contents of the cardboard swimming pool and replied, "EACH diver, upon exiting the pool.. will have a committee to COUNT how many sticky bits of cardboard confetti they have stuck to their fur. MOST bits of confetti, WINS!" THIS drew wild applause. "THINK of it as DIGGING in your backyard!" Darby suggested. "NOW, everyone will jump in at the SAME TIME!" Cedilidh added. "THAT'll give you some COMPETITION!" Without a pause, she shouted, "READY, SET, GOOOOOOO!" The Divers were all caught off-guard. With shouts and squeals, the huge mass of furry contestants LEAPED off the side of the shipping crate that was acting as one side of the 'cardboard pool'. With a giant 'THWAMMMM', 17+ bodies plopped squarely into the large, gummy mass of molasses-covered cardboard confetti. From that point, it became anyone's game. SOME decided that ROLLING across the mass of goo would acquire the most cardboard confetti. OTHERS chose to make 'Cardboard angels', laying down and waving their paws up and down, frantically working to work as MUCH molasses cardboard as possible into their fur. Mason and WCMick decided that digging would provide them with the greatest option for success, so began digging straight DOWN into the enormously, gooey mess. SUDDENLY........ THWAMMMMMMMMM! THWACKKKKKKKK! SPLATTTTTTTTTT! For a split second, everyone on the floor of the hangar FROZE, STUNNED! SPLAT!!!!!!!!!! Harmony took a 'glob' right on the tushy. PLOPPPP!!! Striker got a green 'glob' in the ear. Caileigh Fones was the first to react.... "DUCK! It's coming from UP THERE!" Everyone's eyes followed her paw, pointed toward the roof of the hangar. With mouths agape, the youngsters stared up at their Elders, who'd paused their assault for a moment. With great dignity and decorum, Riley shouted, "FOOD FIGHT!!! Eat our DUST!!!" The Elders gleefully and arrogantly waved down at the stunned youngsters, throwing some creative 'trash talk' into the mix. "GET 'em, ELDERS!" Heidi called, swept up in the game now. SQUEALS and shouts were heard from the floor as the youngsters, immediately congregated, to throw up a haphazard overhead shelter from the globs of goo! Finally managing to create a very flimsy shelter, Nancy Ann Bush raced out from under the shelter, grabbed a gooey glob and boldly THREW it skyward, aiming for the catwalk. The glob, warm from body heat now, only managed to soar laterally, striking Maddie Liske squarely on the shoulder. And with that..... it was EVERY Terrier for themselves!!! The Elders, overhead, were sending sticky 'globs' down into the throng of furry Terriers, gooey globs striking tushies, backs, tummies, heads... the youngsters were grabbing the globs and using them against anyone and everyone. And...... WHERE...... you might ask..... is the GUARDIAN BRIGADE??? Well...... pshaw! They're in the OFFICE, watching through the large, plate-glass window!!! Now..... amid all this chaos, bedlam, and icky, sticky GOO... we have some CREATIVE THINKERS to check in on!!! WAY up on the catwalk, Riley and his team were happily launching globs of marshmallow/honey/peanut butter/sprinkles/M&M/ "GOO" down onto the hangar floor. With their attention focused on the youngsters below, Riley and the Elders failed to notice the 'Creative Thinkers'...... Gromit, Mac Delli Carpini, Allie Graves, Sirius Mathisen, and Clio van Dulken had quickly discovered that the incoming 'gooey globs' were, in fact, QUITE TASTY!! After snacking on a couple of globs, the 'Creative Thinkers' had looked up at the catwalk, and decided that the best place to get MORE 'tasty globs' would be UP there ON that CATWALK! Using boxes to cover their progress, they'd made a wide circle around the center of the action, and had approached the catwalk from the far end. Climbing the stairs had been rather 'iffy', as their paws were slathered in sticky, slippery, gooey GUNK... well, actually, the entire floor of the ScotCorde hangar was now a gooey, 'globby' swamp. With fierce determination, and paws tightly clenching the railings of the stairway, the 'Creative Thinkers' had reached the catwalk, and spotted their goal.... bowls of yummy, 'globby' goodness... with no guards, no elders to watch over it. And, onward they pressed. Riley looked down at his 'globs' on the walkway.... deciding he needed to make some more, he turned..... to see the 'Creative Thinkers', UP on the catwalk, their heads SHOVED down INTO the Marshmallow bags, muzzles squeezed down INTO the enormous jars of peanut butter... shoveling it in with BOTH PAWS! Riley leaned over and poked The Duke in the side. Nodding toward the 'glob' supplies, Riley grinned. He and Duke propped against the catwalk railing, and just watched. Soon, all the Elders had become aware of the 'Creative Thinkers'. Riley strolled over, tapped Gromit on the shoulder, then leaned over, to be 'eye to eye' with the youngster. Startled, Gromit raised his head, marshmallow now ground into his once-pristine beard. He smiled broadly at Riley, although the sticky marshmallow made it hard to produce a GRACEFUL grin. Riley and the Elders gazed down at their 'glob' supplies, bowls empty, peanut jar licked clean... "Looks like this 'food fight' is done...." Riley commented. "Okay, youngsters, let's get down... y'all head on down ahead of us..." Riley patted Mac on the back to get his attention OUT of the empty peanut butter jar.... "DOWN," Riley prompted. The Elders shepherded the 'Creative Thinkers' back down to the floor of the Hangar, where chaos still reigned. The 'Creative Thinkers' had rejoined the mob scene in the sticky gooey pool... laughter echoed across the huge building. The floor was literally a sticky MESS.... molasses-covered cardboard confetti, gooey 'globs' mixed in... there was not a single furry body that was identifiable. Goo, sticky cardboard, covered every bit of visible fur...... Riley and the Elders backed as close to the far wall of the building as possible, looking for a somewhat cleaner floor area... although, their OWN paws were caked with 'glob' makings... they tried not to get any DIRTIER!!! Jake and the Guardians dreaded the inevitable. They had to get this mass of filthy fur OUT of this building..... they had places to BE!!! Another glance out the office window, showed the furry partiers now rolling in the sticky mess, throwing it at each other!!!!!!! He cringed visibly. "Well, SOMEONE has to go clear the Hangar!" Jake said. "SHORT STRAW goes out there! We have a schedule to keep!" The Guardian Brigade all heard it at the same time..... they all WHIRLED, looking out the large, plate glass office window.... "SQUIRREL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" And, with that one word....... the HANGAR emptied!! The Guardian Brigade stood riveted to the spot.... mouths open in shock!!! Past the large, plate glass office window streaked one wide-eyed gray squirrel,  running as if his life depended on it..... out the open hangar door, out onto the wide tarmac. RIGHT behind the squirrel streaked 89 unidentifiable sticky, furry 'globs'.... 89 filthy tushies tore out of the hangar, paws thundering, tracking right along behind the fleeing gray squirrel... The Guardian Brigade poured out of the office, quickly reached full speed as they raced across the tarmac.... chasing the fleeing squirrel......and 89 filthy tushies! JAKE saw it first....... NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Looking for the first safe haven he could find, the gray squirrel spotted a perfect hole..... he climbed the limb and dove into the safety of the large opening of the silver tree..... right into the newly re-designed, totally redecorated ScotCorde. And....RIGHT BEHIND the gray squirrel thundered 89 filthy tushies, 'globby-pawed', and totally unidentifiable... Ohhhhhh, now THIS won't be ANY trouble at ALLLLLLLLLLL, will it!!!!! Chapter 6 "Road Trip"... SORTA! The gray squirrel raced down the length of the plane. He had a definite destination sighted, and was totally focused. HEARING the chaos closing in behind him, he increased his speed. Safety was VITAL! THROUGH the ScotCorde's doorway barreled 89 filthy Terriers. The MINUTE they touched the floor of the ScotCorde, their paws lost traction. A new plastic carpet runner had been laid down... stretching the entire length of the huge jet, creating a slippery surface that provided very LITTLE traction for filthy paws. Scrambling, the entire mass of filthy fur managed to 'bank right', using the unfortunate lounge chair that had been positioned PERFECTLY to aid in making an abrupt change in direction. Piling over each other, skidding into the lounge chair, stumbling and rolling, the 'Filthy Mass of Fur' managed to regain some traction on the slippery plastic runner. Maddie and Kala Liske, Asta and Maggie Cleveland, Mochreigh, and Harmony Devine managed the turn, but overcompensated and ended up in a filthy, furry pile under the expensive, velour chaise on the other side of the aisle. Scrambling, they pushed and shoved, eager to rejoin the wild-eyed chase now racing on ahead of them. The mass of fur, their direction altered, was now headed down the center aisle of the ScotCorde, still intent on the squirrel far ahead. Frequent loss of footing on the slippery plastic runner caused numerous pile-ups, accompanied by loud grunts and OOF's !!! Sirius Mathisen, Striker Gamble, and Finn Bailey had worked feverishly to work their way to the very FRONT of the speeding herd of 'filthy fur'... and the three saw 'it' at the same time. Up ahead, a HUGE, gaping HOLE opened up... spanning the entire width of the fuselage!!! Immediately, Sirius, Striker, and Finn began frantically back-pedaling. The momentum from their companions directly behind them, however, guaranteed that they would, indeed, fall into the BIG BLACK HOLE!!! JUST as he reached the "BIG BLACK HOLE", Sirius looked up, one last time.... to see Captain Scotty standing just BEYOND the 'BIG BLACK HOLE'. Leisurely leaning against the galley bulkhead, Captain Scotty had a mug of steaming coffee in his hand....and the gray squirrel sitting QUIETLY on the Captain's shoulder. The Captain smiled pleasantly, nodding at the frenzied Terriers, who were desperately trying to avoid the gaping black hole. Captain Scotty didn't move. He watched as each Terrier reached the hole, expecting to fall into emptiness.... only to discover the SLIDE that extended downward, into the Cargo Hold, directly into the Olympic-sized swimming pool, that'd recently been transformed into a giant BATHTUB! Drained of most of its water, the pool now only contained 10 inches of warm, sudsy water. SPLAT! PLOP! SPLASH! "OUCH!" "OOMPH!!! OWWWWWW!" "MOVE! THAT'S my TAIL!" Rolling and crawling, splashing and paddling.... the 'Filthy Furry' Terriers landed in the Giant Bathtub. As they scrambled to their paws, they looked up....and saw the Guardian Brigade standing around the edge of the pool... handing out long-handled kitchen scrub brushes to each Filthy Terrier. "BE SURE to get those beards, scrub your tummies, your tushies.... and behind those EARS!!!" Hans warned. "We'll have 'Squeaky Clean' Inspections afterwards!" "Ohhhhhhhhhh," Alice added. "And, you MUST pass your 'Squeaky Clean Inspection' to partake of that expensive buffet being set up now up in the Main Lounge. You WOULDN'T want to miss LUNCH, now... would you???" Food driven, as are most Terriers.... the scrubbing began in earnest. Scrub brushes banged and clanked against neighbor's skulls and muzzles, as eager Terriers carelessly waved their brushes, trying to hurry through this... ugh... BATH! In what must have been record time, the pool bathers scrambled out of the pool, shook vigorously, then stood dutifully for a fur inspection. As the bathers were given permission to proceed.... they sped back UP what HAD been the ladder, that had been removed, and now had been replaced by the customary stair access. Within the hour, the pool in the cargo hold had been drained and hosed out (filthy, just filthy!!), the plastic runner down the length of the main cabin had been rolled up and moved back to the Hangar, the BASH Terriers had eaten a delicious Creole lunch, prepared by Emeril... and all had found cozy chairs, perfect for curling up for a nap. JUST as things began to grow quiet.... they heard it. The doorway of the ScotCorde slammed shut.... BANG! Almost immediately, they heard the engines of the ScotCorde roar to life. Everyone sat up in their chairs, eyes sharp, ears pricked, noses twitching, bodies braced.. something was about to happen. "HEY, VANGIE! Where are we GOING?" Sebastian Sheets asked. "Hope it's exciting! WHERE?? WHERE??" Vangie stood up in her recliner, turned around, and draped her front legs over the back of the recliner.... peeking over at her friends who now watched expectantly. "WELLLLLLLLL," she began...... "We're going to a PARTY! We're going to Riley's BIRTHDAY PARTY!" Wild applause erupted around the huge cabin, as everyone began offering their own birthday wishes to Riley. Vangie hopped down, walked over and grabbed Riley by the paw. Leaning well back, she tugged firmly, managing to get him up to stand beside her. She looked up into his rich, brown eyes... and smiled. "Riley, you've had so many exciting adventures in your 13 years.... it's hard to select 'the best one'.... HOWEVER, when I began planning your Birthday celebration, Captain Scotty was contacted by some who consider you and your friends to be their HEROES!! They BEGGED us to have your 13th Birthday Banquet & Ball 'at their home'..." "WHERE? Where are we GOING?" Roxy Henderson asked. Being her first BASH, she hadn't heard ALLLL the legends and daring tales. Heidi Delli Carpini leaped to her paws. "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" she exclaimed. "WAS that, perhaps, the BASH that Great Grandma Inky made such a HUGE impression on a Gorkon?????" Vangie smiled broadly. She had not 'experienced' it......but she knew the 'legends' by heart. "Riley," Vangie turned to him. "Would you tell everyone WHERE you were headed, when GG Inky went 'ballistic' on the nasty Gorkon?" A soft smile spread across Riley's handsome muzzle. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, we'd made a secret night take-off, on an emergency trip to Woobidoor, at the far end of the Galaxy. They were under attack by the evil Gorkons....and had begged for our help." He paused.... memories flashing through his mind. He smiled, looked down at Evangeline, who was smiling gently. "Are we going to..... WOOBIDOOR?" Riley's eyebrows lifted questioningly. "YESSIREEEE!!! We're heading to WOOBIDOOR! They've planned an INTERSTELLAR BIRTHDAY BANQUET FOR THEIR PLANETARY HERO! They have INSISTED that we allow them to honor Riley with this special ceremony... on their home planet!" GASPS were heard throughout the cabin. MOST of these BASH guests had never even HEARD of this Woobidoor adventure. They weren't even AWARE that the ScotCorde was fully equipped for Interstellar travel, capable of HYPER drive and able to travel at Light Speed. Vangie eyes sparkled at the coming adventure. She looked around.... the New Generation was breathless with excitement... this was NEW GROUND! They'd never DONE anything THIS bold and Adventurous! Anticipation was palpable.... Riley glanced over at Heidi, and saw several others that HAD experienced this adventure before.... they smiled. What a wonderful place for a PARTY!! Vangie picked up the phone in the armrest of her lounge chair. "Captain, we're all ready. You may leave anytime." Turning to the BASH guests, Riley warned. "As we leave Earth's orbit, make certain you're tightly belted into your seats. Wait until Captain Scotty gives you permission, then you may enjoy the gravity free cabin. Ohhhhh, and you MAY want to make a QUICK cellphone call to your Moms and Dads, because we'll DEFINITELY be out of 'tower range' shortly!" Riley took his seat, buckled his seatbelt, then stared out the large window, eager to see another interstellar flight. Almost immediately, the ScotCorde gained speed, and sped down the runway. They felt the ScotCorde leave the ground, and the bump of the tires as they were folded neatly into the fuselage. The ScotCorde was now 'sleek' and ready for space. Captain Scotty pointed the nose of the jet skyward, and the plane climbed up.... higher, higher, higher.... Then, the blue skies disappeared.....replaced by the dark blackness of space. Stunned surprise was written on EACH furry face.... as Captain Scotty flipped the switch... and the roof of the ScotCorde slid back, revealing a ceiling wide, glass-domed view of space. The intercom crackled. "Okay, Wee Ones. We've entered deep space, and are now traveling at 3 times Light Speed. We'll now enjoy some zero gravity, while the movie screens provide you with a history of Woobidoor and the heroic efforts of Riley and the Elders who helped the Woobidoorians! Unbuckle your seatbelts, and be CAREFUL!!!!!!!" Sebastian, Cayenne, and Jason immediately released their seatbelts and pushed off from their seats. Popping the head of the first Scottie they floated past, they shouted, "YOU'RE IT!" Patrick Velez took up the challenge, pushing himself off, floating after Cayenne, reaching his paw out to tag her... only to have Cayenne tuck her paws up close, and roll off across the cabin in a tight ball. Jaimie and Maggie Sugar joined the game. Jaimie discovered that pushing off EACH chair as they floated by would continue to increase 'floating speed'. HOWEVER, it was also discovered that STOPPING was almost IMPOSSIBLE, as Maggie tried hard to back-pedal to avoid the approaching wall.... only to float straight into it with a resounding 'thump'! The GOOD news was.... speed wasn't really POSSIBLE while floating... so bumping into objects were more a case of 'push OFF' the object and redirect your trajectory! Gyppsy Rose Kitty joined Hot Rod Rammbler in a game 'trick floating'... challenging each other to perform the more amazing 'trick'. Hot Rod quickly discovered that GRK was MUCH more agile and MUCH more flexible... while HIS greater size and weight provided for tighter, faster loops. Carleigh Yeager joined the game, followed soon by Jack Henderson. The foursome were soon doing zero-gravity aerial maneuvers such as skydivers performed, to the delight of nearby observers. The great, silver Beast streaked through the darkness of deep space, into the black void... headed to a planet at the far end of the Galaxy.... a planet most of these adventurers had never HEARD of.... into the UNKNOWN! And WHAT in the WORLD is up with these SQUIRRELS???????? VEG Chapter 7 Riley's Birthday Banquet The ScotCorde had crossed the galactic miles with surprising speed, having been specially equipped for events such as this. The BASH guests stared out the view portals in amazement, as Woobidoor and its three moons drew closer and closer. Finally entering Woobidoorian orbit, the ScotCorde hovered just above the surface, then settled gently to the ground. Those who were making their first trip to Woobidoor stared through the windows at the strange, new planet. The entire sky overhead had a rosy glow, and as they looked into the sky, they could see several nearby planets....as well as three moons. The surface of the planet was covered in thick, plush fur in shades of blue, purple, and yellow, and was blowing softly in the afternoon breeze. Everywhere were huge round furry balls, rolling back and forth around the ScotCorde. Riley stepped over to the window to explain, "Those huge furry balls are NOT toys... or tumbleweeds. They ARE, in fact, the Woobidoorians. But, I wouldn't consider them as innocent as your woobies at home. IF you look very closely, you'll notice some very dangerous teeth inside those furry mouths. Enjoy your visit." Riley smiled as he watched the 'Next Generation' of Terriers stare in awe at the huge furry citizens of Woobidoor. Captain "Scotty" stepped into the cabin. "Sir Riley Rambunctious, your party awaits !" Captain "Scotty" led Riley and the BASH partiers to the aft cargo bay, lined them up, then activated the cargo bay doors. The Woobidoorians rolled quickly around to the rear of the huge jet, to better see their old friends as they stepped off the great plane. They squeaked loudly as Riley and the Elders marched boldly forward, followed by the awe-struck youngsters. The entire Earth contingent lined up proudly at the base of the ramp. The Woobidoorian Fuzzident rolled forward, gazed at their old friends, then rolled over to a box on the ground, pushed a button, and began squeaking. Captain Scotty's Interstellar Translator began ...."We welcome you once again to our planet. We once before relied on you to come to our aid. We knew you to be loyal and true friends. Without your assistance, we would now be part of the Alliance....and that was not an option for us!" The furry balls around the Fuzzident rolled back and forth excitedly. The Fuzzident continued, "We owe you our lives. We owe you a huge debt of gratitude. Today, we honor one of the original warriors who came to our rescue... This day marks a celebration of his 13th orbit..... or, in Earth terms, his 13th year." The Fuzzident rolled forward. In one appendage, he held a large medallion. It shone with an unEarthly brilliance, neither gold nor platinum.... but some other-worldly metal. Moving forward, he gestured for Riley to lean down. The Fuzzident then placed the medallion around Riley's neck. The Fuzzident spoke. "Sir Riley Rambunctious, we honor you this day, for your past service, your 13th Orbit Day, and this celebration honors our long-standing friendship. Please, enjoy yourselves." As the Fuzzident stepped back, the entire group of furry citizens began squeaking and rolling around rapidly, clearly excited!!! Captain "Scotty" stepped forward. "Okay, youngsters.....if you'll look to your right, you'll see that the Woobidoorians have arranged an enormous party in Riley's honor. Please, follow the Woobidoorians... and be on your BEST behavior!!" The BASH Partiers broke into wild aroooooooo's, then raced gleefully across the furry meadow to the huge pavilion, laid out with all manner of treats and good things to eat. The Terriers and their friends spent the afternoon blissfully eating all manner of unusual and different edible fare. Riley and his friends had eaten their fill, and had stretched out in the soft fur to relax and nap, when they heard it. The most unusual sounds they'd ever heard... hauntingly beautiful, softly hypnotic, and eerily peaceful. Riley sat up, looking around for the source of the .... 'music'. His gaze settled on five Woobidoorians, huddled together in the center of the Pavilion. Each furry 'musician' seemed to be humming, but the sounds they were emitting more closely resembled a flute, some resembled an oboe. Each creature hummed a different pitch, a different tone.... but all of the 'musicians' were tightly bunched, creating a resonance between them that created a unified 'hum' unlike anything the Earth visitors had ever heard. Riley, Vangie, and the BASH partiers were entranced as they listened to the beautiful sounds. They were quite surprised when the Fuzzident rolled out into the center of the Pavilion and began rolling, twirling, and flipping in happy celebration. Immediately, more Woobidoorians rolled out into the large open area of the Pavilion and began rolling and twirling. Riley smiled. "Guess we're expected to DANCE!" he commented. Immediately, the quiet garden party turned into a dance-fest. The Terriers heartily approved, and the center of the Pavilion was immediately crowded with BASH'ers, dancing and twirling, and celebrating. Riley stood, and made his way through the BASH partiers, located D'Arcy, and held out his paw. "Care to Dance, Lass?" he asked suavely. D'Arcy placed her paw in Riley's. He led her to the center of the Pavilion, and, together, they improvised a unique dance suited to the 'harmonics' being made by the Woobidoorian quintet... dipping and twirling around the Pavilion. Hunter sauntered over to Evangeline, bowed gracefully, and held out his paw. "May I have this dance, m'girl?" Vangie smiled broadly. "You may, INDEED, Sir!" Together, they joined the growing crowd out on the furry dance floor. Riley proved to be a very busy Scotsman, as over the course of the afternoon, he was seen paw in paw with Holly Grant, and later still, Ivy Grant. Later still, the foursome were comfortably seated near the buffet, nibbling on unusual fare, and comparing adventure stories. Anonymous sources report sightings of several more dancing couples -- ECMick and Scarlett, Sirius and Marigold, Morley Reyner and Cher Bear, to name only a few. Meanwhile, over in a far corner of the Pavilion, Gromit, WCMick, Striker, Callie H., Zip, Katie P., Mac Delli Carpini, and Homer D. were having a very creative conversation with a dozen young Woobidoorians... with the aid of an InterStellar translator, that apparently was on the 'fritz'. Somehow, they'd all agreed to participate in a 'cultural exchange'... of HAIR STYLES! WCMick had built some 'sheers' from 2 dinner knives he'd taken from the nearby buffet table. By the time the GUARDIANS arrived, the dozen young Woobidoorians had been trimmed to show BEARDS.... and the Scotties had begun to more closely resemble BICHONS!!! Adelaide was the center of attention. The Woobidoorians were enthralled. They'd never before SEEN a 'YOUNG' member of this Earth species... and were intrigued watching her as she rolled among the soft fur, nibbled on treats, watched the rosy sky, then bounced off to grab a nearby furry beard in her eager mouth. Captain "Scotty" watched Riley and the youngsters as they rejoiced in their galactic celebration. He glanced around, and was not surprised to see the ever-alert Guardian Brigade sitting on the hill overlooking the party, faithfully watching over their wee ones. The climax of the celebration proved to be quite a shock for the Scotties and their friends. Captain Scotty moved to the center of the Pavilion, where the Woobidoorian Fuzzident stood, waiting expectantly. Captain Scotty stopped in front of the Fuzzident, setting a large case down in front of him. Opening the case, he turned to the Fuzzident. "Earth sends its regards, and in the spirit of friendship and cooperation, we bring you four delegates from Earth. They will act as Earth's Ambassadors to the planet Woobidoor. We look forward to a long friendship between our two planets." Captain Scotty reached into the case, and gently lifted out the first of FOUR squirrels, who eagerly hopped onto the Woobidoorian Fuzzident, chattering happily. The citizens of Woobidoor squeaked and chirped excitedly, causing the squirrels to leap from one Woobidoorian to another, barking and flicking their tails. Captain Scotty wasn't certain how THAT bit of interplanetary goodwill would turn out.....but it'd surely be DIFFERENT! He glanced at the sky, and seeing the rosy glow fading on the horizon, he got up....reluctant to leave this peace and tranquility. The BASH Partiers knew, as soon as Captain Scotty got up, that it was time. They began gathering their things, telling the Woobidoorians good-bye, and heading back toward the ScotCorde. Hans and Sugar trailed the group....they knew what to expect. And they were not disappointed. Hans snuck around a low hill, saw Marigold hiding in the deep fur, took hold of Marigold's collar and escorted the reluctant lass back to the ScotCorde. Sugar had to round up Cher Bear, who was collecting as much ground fur as her little paws could carry. Jake and Alice made one last round of the area, insuring that all of their Terriers had returned to the ScotCorde. Back aboard the jet, a final head-count was made, and finding that all were present and accounted for, the Captain closed the aft cargo bay doors. The legendary ScotCorde rose gently from the surface, made a final, graceful pass over their Woobidoorian hosts, and sped off into deep space. "Youngsters," Captain Scotty said......"let's go HOME!" The ScotCorde's enormous engines rumbled as the great jet leaped forward, taking its wee partiers home. Chapter 8 Down to Earth The legendary ScotCorde streaked through deep space, speeding its Terriers home. Inside, the lights had been dimmed, the Guardian Brigade had managed to settle each BASH'er in a cozy lounge chair, and enforcing a quiet time, soon had everyone contentedly dozing. Captain Scotty had pushed the enormous engines as far as he dared, enabling the ScotCorde to gain greater and greater speed with each passing minute. He leaned back in his seat, glanced at the instrument panel, and nodded his head in satisfaction.  He set the auto-pilot and moved to the nearby 'pilot galley'. Pouring a fresh mug of coffee, Captain Scotty leaned against the cockpit doorway, and looked around the Main Lounge. Scotties and their friends were curled up in every available chair. Soft yips and squeaks revealed that some were deep in the throes of dreams. The Guardians, spaced out throughout the Main Lounge, had stretched out on the floor, each large head resting comfortably on their great paws, eyes closed, but ears pricked and flicking at any sound. Captain Scotty smiled. Those Guardians had surely saved those Terriers' hides more than once... yet, with all the shenanigans, the Guardians had as much fun as the TERRIERS, although they'd never admit it! Seeing everyone quiet and all at rest, Captain Scotty turned back to the cockpit, and eased into his seat. On through the night, the ScotCorde raced. Finally reaching the outer planets of Earth's solar system, Captain Scotty began to throttle back. Passing Mars, the ScotCorde altered its trajectory, and Captain Scotty eased the great jet over to prepare for re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. By the time the ScotCorde descended into a low Earth orbit, Jake and the Guardian Brigade had roused the Scotties and their friends. Beards were patted back into place, furnishings were smoothed down into some sort of order. The BASH guests had enjoyed their adventure, but now were ready for home and Mom and Dad's lap! Captain Scotty made a point to land close to each house, making certain that RETURNING home was much less traumatic than the departure had been. So, our Guests have now returned to their homes......each back in the loving arms of their humans, spinning tales of adventures and bold exploits.... none of which will be believed. The ScotCorde is now safely tucked back in its hangar, everything is back as it was..... and all is well in the Scottie world. So, until the next BASH call, we bid you a fond farewell! We thank you for your participation, and deeply appreciate your creative 'playing along', which makes it SO much more fun, for EVERYONE! We hope you've enjoyed this Adventure....... THE END This ORIGINAL story has been created and written by Carol Johnson . Original artwork is the exclusive property of artist, Karen Donnelly. Neither the story, NOR the illustrations are to reproduced in ANY way without the EXPRESS written consent of the author !!! | Site Map | Links | Banners | Awards | Guestbook | | Email | Tell a Friend | You Are the Sunshine of My Life ©Copyright 2013 All rights reserved.