"Hot. I'm soooo hot! Vinky, I'm HOT!!" Vobble sighed. He'd been gular fluttering for what seemed like forever, but it just wasn't working. "Vinky! You gotta do something! It's hotter than …"

"Don't say it, Vobble. I'll not allow bad language in this box."

"What bad language? What's bad about saying it's hotter than a pizza oven?"

"Oh, I thought you were going to say something else."

"What else? What else is there that's hotter than a pizza oven? Unless maybe it's a blast furnace. Or maybe a potter's kiln. But I think a pizza oven works just fine."

"Never mind, Vobble. Pizza oven is fine. We don't need to discuss other endings to that phrase."

Just then, Zorro popped his head in the door and said, "Pizza?? Did I hear someone mention pizza? It's awfully hot to be making pizza, but if you're gonna serve, I'm your man, I mean mouse, to help you eat it."

Vobble looked at Zorro, shook her head and said …

"Really Zorro!? Is that all you ever think about is food?"

"Uh, YEAH!" Zorro said as he grabbed a handful of circus peanuts out of the candy dish.

"So back to the pizza," Zorro continued with his mouth full of circus peanuts. "Still can't believe you are having pizza when it is hotter than…"

Cough cough, "AHEM!" Vinky cleared her throat.." Please Zorro, no bad words!"

Zorro answer, "But what's bad about hotter than hot yoga?!"

"I signed up for hot yoga at the YMCA (Young Mouse Club of America) and it is really hot!!"

"It's hard for me to concentrate on sun salutations and downward facing dog when it's so hot! You guys should try it!"

Viinky and Vobble pondered that, when…

they tried to imagine Zorro doing yoga with a cheese doodle in his teeth.

"Why don't we just go somewhere cool?" Vobble's feathers were sticking to him from the heat. Vinky looked at Vobble, preened a feather or two for him and replied,

"I wish I knew somewhere that it is cool…" Then she had an idea, she dug out a travel magazine from under the gagshag and began winging through it.

"We could go to the coast! It's just past the redwood forest, just a little northwest of here. This magazine says it never gets to more than 70 degrees! What do you gutz think?"

Vobble looked confused. He said, "Redwood Florist? What kind of flowers do they have?"

Vinky stomped her foot! "Vobble! Would you listen? I said 'forest'. You know those giantginormous trees?"

Vobble said, "Oh. Can Zorro come?"

Zorro said, "What about food?"

"The Redwoods are beautiful, Vobble and the trees are so tall that when we stand underneath them, they will keep us cooler. So, what do think, shall we fly there? We can always stop along the way and check out other sites."

"Ok," Vobble said. "Anything is better than just melting."

So, Vobble and Vinky flew up and out to cooler air.

"Wait a minute, said Vobbble, we forgot one important thing."

"Yes,: sighed Vinky. "Food. We better stop off at CC's diner before we leave here."

"Also," Vobble said, "do you think Zorro would like to go with us?"

After they got food at CC's Diner they thought they saw a familiar sight—an RV with some owl pictures on it. They went to take a closer look, and although they were still so very hot, nearly molting feathers off, they just HAD to see who it was. They saw there was s sprinkler and knew they just had to get closer.

Carlos! They saw the ol' owlbox master and company and they began to play in the sprinker water although, Zorro thought water was just too much and besides, he had cheese doodles and did not want them soggy.

Vobble and Vinky flew to the top of the RV and Carlos looked up with camera, taking more and more photos. Finally he told them to come on down for a chat and as they flew down Zorro zipped by and said…

"You don't have that mouse eatin' Molly on board, do ya?"

Carlos said, laughing, "Molly and McGee flew up north for cooler weather."

Zorro said, "Good! If you don't mind I'm checkin' your ice box for cheese."

Donna came out of the RV. "Not today, Zorro. Last time you ate anything that even resembles cheese. Now scat!"

Zorro pouted and reached for more doodles when…

suddenly there was a cry of "Oops!" Vinnky looked at Vobble and said, "What did you do now??"

The sprinkler seemed to have a bigger output, and Vobble replied, "I think I poked a few more holes in the hose with my talons!"

Zorro and the owlets looked around, and suddenly a whole bunch of critters all poked their heads out from the forest. It had been so dry in the Redwoods, the sight of water sprinkling in such abundance drew quite a crowd. Carlos really had his hands full, trying to get snapshots of them all while driving. Then there was a huge crash, and everybody gasped as...

Carlos swerved into the guardrail and the RV came to a halt!

"Gosh!" Zorro said. "That was totally NOT my fault!"

The largest woodland squirrel stepped forward and said, "Not to worry, lots of two-leggers get in trouble here. If you phone Clint Eastwood, who is not far away in Carmel, he and his helpers will come get you back on the road."

Vinky whispered to Vobble, "Gee, I was thinking of eating some of these critters, but maybe I'd better cancel that plan."

Vobble replied…

"I think you best not - don't wanna anger Clint. Maybe we should continue our journey to the coast while the gettin's good"

Vinky agreed. They said their good-byes, scooped up the munching Zorro and flew off. They could feel the air getting cooler and they started flying faster (much to Zorro's dismay - he was losing every doodle he tried to put in his mouth).

Finally they spied the ocean—heard the waves crashing—felt the wonderful coolness of the ocean breeze. Even Zorro forgot to eat seeing the wonderfulness of the ocean. They flew straight to the water, anxious to cool off when…

just as their talons touched the wet sand, a wave came rushing in, towering over their heads as it was about to break!

"Yeeks!" yelled Vinky. "The tide's coming in! Everybody back up!"

Vinky and Vobble flapped their wings like crazy, lifting almost straight up til they were clear of the water, then turned and flew back until they were well ahead of the wave.

They flew a little farther, and then landed on the beach. "Whew," said Vinky. "That was a close one. We owls aren't so good at swimming!"

So they waited until the incoming waves almost hit them, then flew quickly into the shallow water and splashed around in the water. When they had backed up quite a bit, keeping ahead of the incoming tide they decided they were thoroughly cooled off, and very tired as well. There were some big rocks up above the tide line, so they went there to rest awhile. But when they got there, they found that…

Zorro had already found the rocks and had lined up what was left of his soggy Doodles on the rocks to dry! They sat down next to Zorro and…

Vinky and Vobble were so hungry they gobbled them up as fast as they dried, except for the two they left for Zorro that were still damp.

Just then Horace the Pelican showed up. He said, "I have a delivery from Miss CC for Vinky, Vobble and Zorro." He opened his beak and a huge watermelon plopped out onto the rock.

Vinky and Vobble looked at each other and Vinky said to Vobble, "Um, no way! Not going to eat that!

They looked at each other and Vobble said, "You think Zorro would eat that?"

Zorro ran over. "Do you think I'll eat what? Of course, I'll eat it… … … eat what?

Vinky pointed to the watermelon. Zorro screamed and took a running start to just dive right into the watermelon. Vobble pushed the melon out of his path. Zorro took a flying leap and …

landed with a splash in the puddle of watermelon juice. He sat up and blinked, then sniffed the air. "Hey, why does this watermelon smell like . . . like sardines?"

Everybody looked over at Horace, who just shrugged and said, "Well, when you dine at the buffet of the seas…"

Vobble spoke up and said, "Yeah, Zorro, that's why I moved it. I didn't think you would appreciate the fish with your fruit!"

And Vinky replied "And we don't want to be smelling fish ALL the way home **mumbles under her breath** or ON us ....

They all looked at each other, and then Vinky said she wasn't really hungry right now, and how about a nice nap instead while they dried off (since owls don't fly so well when their feathers are wet).

So that's what they did (except for Zorro, who snuck a few nibbles). When they woke up they felt much refreshed and decided to set off for home. But just then…

they heard a roar and a whoooooosh and clang and rattle. They looked up and there was the steampunk rocket. The Dude was at the controls. He stuck his head out the window and said, "Next stop Vacaville. Anyone want a ride?"

The all scrambled aboard and Zorro asked, "Dude, how did you know where to find us?"

The Dude laughed and said, "It was easy. I just followed the trail of cheese doodles you left for me. But I gotta get you gutz home quick. There's something you've got to see!"

And with a push on a couple of buttons and a loud "Woooooom!" they were off. They touched down in the Dude's backyard and he said, "All right, y'all. You gotta come with me. I got an email you've GOT to see."

He led them all into his office and pointed to his computer. On the screen was an email announcing a new entry on Carlos' blog. He started off by saying, "This has been a most unusual day."

He then went on to tell about a pleasant little trip he and Donna were taking up the coast in the RV. They had stopped at a little roadside park outside Vacaville and were enjoying some snacks they'd picked up at a little cafe in town. The air in the park was nice and cool because of the sprinklers in the park.

Carlos went on to say, "Just then we were surprised by the appearance of two young barn owlets, still wearing all their white fluff, but flying like veterans. It was most unusual. But what was even more unusual was the mouse riding on the back of one of the owlets! But then it got even stranger! The owlets flew right into the sprinklers and began to play.

"The mouse tried to sneak into the RV. That's when Donna recognized him as the sneaky little Zorro who escaped the owl box. That little guy was carrying a cheese doodle bag and was practically orange from cheese doodle dust. What a sight."

Carlos then went on to tell of his amazement to find that all of these creatures could somehow talk to him and Donna and be understood. It was the most phenomenal thing. As it turned out, the critters were all heading north so he offered them a ride.

In describing the owlets, he wrote, "I was quite intrigued by these young owls. They still had all their fluffy feathers, yet they flew like champs. They spoke and communicated, not like young children, but like those who had been on this earth from several years. It was just uncanny."

Carlos did report a minor accident with a guardrail. He was helped out by none other than Clint Eastwood and his son, Kyle, both sporting those matching dimples (although in Clint's case, they were more like pleats). They continued on their journey. Donna swears that as they drove along the beach she saw two owlets, a mouse and a pelican sunning themselves on a rock. Carlos said, "I told her that perhaps the heat was getting to her a bit and perhaps she should move to the back of the RV and lie down with a cool cloth."

He concluded by saying, "Well, as you can see, it's been a most unusual day. I won't say it's one I'll ever want to repeat again, but Gee, it was fun, and I'm glad I was a part of it!"
 

The End