Band-aids

Camilia noticed Girl Cat.  Before continuing on their walk, the cat stopped routinely to nibble on blades of green grass. When Girl Cat had finished her nibble Camilia asked, "You don't chew on just any blade of grass, do you?"

The cat smacked her lips, her tongue moved a blade that would not go down.  "No, not just any blade will do."

The woods were high, nearly doubled in height since the cold winter warmed to spring the ferns were as tall as Camilia and towered over Girl Cat.  Both girls walked differently with the near-giant greens.  Girl Cat sniffed at every new sprouted green:  the ferns, the berries, the long spears of tough grasses, and the sweet nibbling grasses, too.  Camilia whistled less for some reason, and paused to notice the thin saplings she and Bean had cleared in late winter making it possible to walk the woods.  Bands of color dull green to near orange-yellow streaked the saplings tossed in piles.  As she pondered, Girl Cat waited licking her coat.  The family of saplings were now twice the size they were in March, leafed-out and whorled the branches were now Archways of Alder.  First to grow in any cut forest, they set root and send the scent of calm back into the crying world of trees once-standing tall.

From her waiting spot Girl Cat said, "Band-aids.  Like the sweet grass I nibble.  Alder is the forest Band-aid."

"Hmm," Camilia thought.  Tears were seeping from behind her glasses as she held onto the curved Arches of Alder.  Never quite sure where Girl Cat came up with her vocabulary, she said finally,"I guess they are."  The cat came closer and said, "Yes, they are."

Play

"Bean is one of my favorites," Girl Cat said stopping in the middle of the trail.
"Mine, too," agreed Camilia.

The two girls love their time on the trails together.

"Where is Bean?"  Girl Cat asked.
"Playing with other beings?"  Camilia said.
"Human beings?"  the cat asked.
"Yes." Camilia answered.
"Do you play with them, too?"  Girl Cat was filled with questions.
"Not usually."  Camilia said.
"You love our time playing?"  the cat asked.
"Yes."

The two girls love playing, and love Bean who plays with lots of others.  Camilia and Girl Cat walked, stopped, stood.  Camilia stopped to hug Doug Fir, her arms barely reaching around his huge girth.  The cat thought, "The girl loves to hug."

"Yes she does," said Doug Fir as he smiled with his tree skin from root to crown.
"She's good at it,"  Girl Cat replied, and waited while Camilia finished playing with the tree.

Away

"You were gone a long time,"  Girl Cat climbed into Camilia's arms and expected.
"No hello, glad to see you?"  Camilia was teasing, but she did like the licks on her hands.  The girl cuddled the cat and did her singy-talk while rocking back and forth on the steps.  Both girls like this, a lot.
"We went to the City, caught the ferry, and Bean drove the car for a very long time,"  Camilia talked and rocked.
"This is something you like doing, this being away?"  Girl Cat was thinking these things and in this place of cuddling and rocking, Camilia didn't need more than thoughts to hear the cat.
"Yeah, mostly we like being away ... for short trips."
"Short, long, how can you tell the difference?"  Cat time and Girl time aren't always the same thing even when the two girls were in the same place.
Camilia smiled, and thought about that.  Girl Cat didn't mind the waiting for thoughtfulness is time well-spent.  Camilia cuddled and stroked Girl Cat's belly and ears, the cat pushed harder into the rubs.
Finally, Camilia thought this might answer Girl Cat's question:
"When you go off from the tiny places alone, and we go into the sleeping place we don't see each other.  The sleeping place and the cooking place stay where they always are.  You are some where.   Bean and I say you're 'away', and then you rattle around on the rails while we're asleep and we know you're back."  Girl Cat continued to purr, and listened to the girl's words. 
"Girl Cat?"  Camelia asked.
"Yes,"  Girl Cat
"Is that a short time or a long time?" Camelia asked.
"Hmmmmm" said the cat.

Other cats

"I met Lily yesterday,"  Camilia said. 
"You sound different,"  Girl Cat stopped bathing herself.
"Pollens."  Camilia mostly managed the on-slot of the blossoming trees and the raining yellow powder, but sometimes she just had to sit things out.
"No trail walks for us today?"
"Maybe not."

Girl Cat knew all about the big, big-eyed She Cat who never stepped beyond the window sills or the front glass door.  She wondered about that kind of cat, but took little time to imagine what it was like to never walk a trail.

"I'm going for a nap,"  the girl said.
"Me too," said the cat.

Things cats know

"I've been to town."   Camelia said.
Girl Cat was sleeping, and didn't raise her head. 
"Visited Sylvia."
Still no answer.
"She's in full blossom with tiny buds like puffed pearls all over the stones below her."

The cat seemed interested.
"Puffed pearl buds.  Sylvia, is a ..."
The girl answered, "Sorry, you haven't met Sylvia.  Yes, she's a very tall Golden Madrona."
Girl Cat knew the family.
"She must be very old to be golden."
"Really?  Gold means 'old'?"
"Yes, when they are old, Madrona's turn gold."
"I never knew that."
Cats know things.

Spring-making sneezes

"Let's go," Camelia was up early.  The girl peeked into the tiny door, beckoning with her hockey stick.  The rain had stopped, mostly.  Not sure about leaving the warm pillow the cat looked.
"I'm going." 
"She can be impatient," thought the cat.

Camelia had her colorful raincoat on, the hood sat loose on her head.  Behind her she heard the tromp of a cat on the run.  "Thought you'd come.  Hoped you would."
"Course you did," Girl Cat said skimming Camelia on the right between stick-fall and right foot.

Tiny misty rain sprinkled around the girls.  Girl Cat stopped, sat.  "Still wet."  She sniffed and sat some more lifting her nose stretching her neck.  "Is it easier to smell things when they're wet?"  Camelia wondered.  The pollens were raging.  The girl's eyes and ears filled with the yellow dust of spring-making.  The cat blinked.  "Can you hear me?"  Camelia was about to repeat herself. 

Girl Cat knew there was a people word for the yellow dusty spring-making thing that made both girls sneeze.  Camelia could hear the cat thinking.  "Allergies.  The word is 'allergies.'"  Life, the cat thought.  That's all.

Talking about Bean

"He moves fast."  "So do you."  The two girls watched the long legs go in and out of the tiny house.
"Why does he move so fast?" the cat asked.
"Why do you?"  asked the girl.
"I have it in me."  Girl Cat said.
"Right," said Camelia.