#lovethedells

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

Talk about Touché Turtle setting up a challenge!

Your typically crisp Wisconsin autumnal afternoon. The fall colour is starting to change some, but within due time, things can expect to get a little more noticeable. Not to mention the mornings starting to get cool enough to get the heater on some and soup and chili to be more or less the norm.

Which, at Crazy Claws' retreat beside the legendary waters of Artificial Lake Delton, meant something of an interesting little afternoon trying out the fencing schtick with the help of no less than Touché Turtle and his canine compadre, Dum-Dum. In fact, it was the canine who suggested teaching me a few points about fencing, followed by some light-hearted sparring with the somewhat well-meaning, if screwy, turtle forever ahead of himself, it just seemed.

Even if Touché's foil was bent close to the tip; as he explained it to me once over coffee, he purchased it on the cheap from a Hollywood theatrical prop house.

It may have taken a bit of goading after lunch this particular afternoon, but with Crazy Claws, Yakky and Chopper and Pixie and Dixie looking on in some bewilderment, yours truly received a few well-placed pointers from canine and tortuga explaining some of the basic points of fencing technique. Which, to this lion, turned out being rather different than anything he was aware of (and even though I'm right-handed, for some reason, Dum-Dum was able to find a foil which was balanced equally for both hands; Touché, for his part, can vary his fencing technique to work with either hand, depending on circumstances).

Basically, the techniques Dum-Dum and yours truly practiced were those of the lunge (drawing your foil towards the opponent), the parry (trying to counter the opponent's lunge, hopefully by getting the foil out of his hand) and the parry-riposte (which can easily get to be comically theatrical at turns); at any rate, the aim is to have the foil touch the upper body of your opponent (expect the face, arms or hands).

No El Kabong am I, mind you, but after some practice lunges with Dum-Dum, it was time to put my paces unto Touché himself.

"En garde"--crouching slightly, foil upward, feet flat on the ground, knees bent, weight on the upper leg ...

"Allez!"

Which was pretty crazy, drawing forth my foil in a lunge upon Touché, whereupon, for some reason, Touché's foil slipped from his hand. Perhaps it was the sweat and anxiety on his end that made him sense what was up. Yet Touché "himself" acknowledged I did manage to attempt a good fight, short though it was. Non-professional it may have been, but, as Touché was to explain over grilled-cheese-and-ham sandwiches and tomato soup that evening, "Snagglepuss, I have to admit, couldn't have tried harder with such a teacher as Dum-Dum!"

"And I won't blame you, Touché, for having cold feet in any event."

*************

@warnerbrosentertainment @moonrock1973 @jellystone-enjoyer @groovybribri @railguner34 @archive-archives @themineralyoucrave @thylordshipofbutts @princessgalaxy505 @thebigdingle @screamingtoosoftly @warnerbros-blog1 @a-gang-of-silly-bananas @indigo-corvus @theweekenddigest @iheartgod175 @warnerbrosent-blog

#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #road trip experience #wisconsin dells #lovethedells #huckleberry hound and snagglepuss #touché turtle and dum dum #fencing lessons #fencing practice #hannabarberaforever

[rickymuzick-blog]

Last weekend was out of this world, @rickmonroe band opened for @joenichols @thecrystalgrand #packedhouse #lovethedells #monsterenergy #countrymusicyall (at Crystal Grand Music Theatre) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3hvyaQBIEn/?igshid=1l1upmezdpen

#packedhouse #lovethedells #monsterenergy #countrymusicyall

[yellowhallstudio]

Thanks @brian608wi for your help getting my #axepainting career off the ground! 😂 You are now officially a pizza axe thrower! #handpainted #lovethedells #axethrowing #handpaintedaxe #pizza #asgard (at Asgard Axe Throwing) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3LgCpGF_1M/?igshid=ahdufp8iyex3

#axepainting #handpainted #lovethedells #axethrowing #handpaintedaxe #pizza #asgard

[stahlaphotography]

#fire #campfire ##wisdells #lovethedells #Wisconsin #vacation #s'mores #slowmotion #blackwhite #blackandwhite

#wisconsin #blackandwhite #fire #vacation #lovethedells #s #campfire #slowmotion #wisdells #blackwhite

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

Time to get the motorhome back up and ready

WISCONSIN DELLS, WI: "Getting marooned at the Sand Bar"--something of a coy slogan for a tourist-town bar bound to attract as much locals as tourists, and bound to recall in Crazy Claws' mind the time he was driving the Original Wisconsin Ducks tour, and pulled off a corny number about "crossing the [sand] bar" entering Dell Creek off the Wisconsin River heading towards Lake Delton. "Which I meant as a coy little plug," CC was quick to add, "in the spirit of the Ducks' corny narration."

"Explaining, no doubt, its popularity," Huckleberry Hound was quick to add.

"Is it any wonder that the Ducks have this 'must-see' sort of charm even before the waterparks came along?" was how Crazy Claws replied as all three of us were having the Sand Bar's celebrated steakburgers for lunch.

"Oh, and just as reminder, CC," remarked I, "we were going to get our motorhome out of storage after all this time--"

"Diving with Peter Potamus and crew; I couldn't help but resist just how irresistable the diving experience can get with such a likable-looking hippo." (Brief pause) "And believe you me, the dive videos he shared with me couldn't help but be IRRESISTABLY ADDICTING ... especially wearing just yourself in a coral reef off the Virgin Islands and trying not to look embarrassed!"

At any rate, it came down to the business at hand: Getting the motorhome out of storage, getting rid of any storage-related smells (such as mothballs) and getting such in readiness for the summer ahead. "Starting, I'll have you know," Huck remarked, "Easter Sunday as guests of the Cattanooga Cats in Gatlinburg."

"And let me guess," Crazy Claws asked, "the Easter Parade."

"Which the feline quartet who never purr or meow," remarked I, "will be laying on. Literally impromptu, mainly in some of the back alleys of downtown Gatlinburg and the Parkway towards the National Park Entrance ... and returning to Cattanooga Klatsche."

"Their coffeehouse," Crazy Claws chimed in. "I thought I knew as much."

It took a modest little drive through wet and borderline slushy streets of Wisconsin Dells to find the storage shed where our motorhome was in storage since fall, as turned out to be on the south side in a somewhat ratty-looking metal pole building some yokel hath for the sake of vehicular and camper storage over the winter, and it took about ten minutes to get the manager of the storage building over to assist in unlocking and reclaiming the motorhome. After having to endure quite the garage-in-winter smell and getting some paperwork out of the way, the motorhome--that which we now share these adventures moving forward since last spring--was ours again.

But not without the inevitable smell of mothballs, bound to require some airing out just to make it sane enough to drive in. After an hour and a half or so of having to open the doors of the motorhome in a municipal parking lot just to air things out, as well as get some initial provisions for a couple days' on the road--not to mention air freshener simulating a "new car" smell, and the obvious refuelling with diesel fuel accompanied by the legendary Kwik Trip chicken tenders--

"Why not stay a couple days with me?" was how Crazy Claws parsed it. "Then, we could be on our way ... but not before I find some comfort with a lady bobcat like myself."

"I take it that it's mating season with your kind," Huckleberry Hound remarked.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Crazy Claws added.

*************

@warnerbrosentertainment @ultrakeencollectionbreadfan @iheartgod175 @jellystone-enjoyer @funtasticworld @archive-archives @screamingtoosoftly @thebigdingle @themineralyoucrave @thylordshipofbutts @warnerbros-blog1 @theweekenddigest @groovybribri @zodiacfan32 @indigo-corvus @warnerbrosent-blog

#hanna barbera #fanfic #huckleberry hound #snagglepuss #crazy claws #wisconsin dells #lovethedells #getting a motorhome out of winter storage #over lunch #back on the road #hannabarberaforever

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

Nothing like a bonfire autumnal

It was a dark and slightly damp night at Crazy Claws' retreat for fellow Funtastics in Lake Delton ... and for some reason, Crazy Claws thought it might be worthwhile to set up an autumnal-type bonfire just for the sake of relaxation and maybe swapping the odd story or two over spiced apple cider. (And I mean the real sort of apple cider, not that God-awful Alpine Instant Spiced Cider. Thankfully, by way of some Wisconsin apple orchards.)

And while the night may have been chill, not to mention (as noted earlier) damp-feeling, what better night for an autumnal bonfire could there have been, come to think of it? Decently-seasoned logs and leaves adding their own aromatic distinction to proceedings which our entire party--even the likes of Touché Turtle and Pixie and Dixie couldn't resist the feeling inherent.

Crazy Claws had me and Huckleberry preparing the apple cider in the former's kitchen, making sure the whole was decently warm and richly spiced in its own distinct way ... and just be thankful Crazy Claws keeps a stock of insulated mugs to keep the whole warm in the circumstances, and as this little bonfire gathering demonstrated, such need not be for coffee exclusively. Tea, even....

And what an enthused sort of gathering there must have been, the sort somehow eschewing the ghost stories of the Scooby-Doo sort as would otherwise be endemic to the season in favour of more interesting stuff. Like "shooting the bull" in a rather lighthearted, animated sort of way you might say.

Like, for example, Pixie and Dixie just imagining the scenes of dazed and confused cats somehow attracted to the genetically-modified catnip they planted to give Jinksie a difficult time and maybe get him to stop chasing "them meeces" all that much. Somehow, catnip can't help but get to be an addicting distraction.

And even Dum-Dum, Touché's Boon Compadre, sharing anecdotes of summers with Bristlehound on a houseboat along the Mississippi River as much "chilling out" as seeking out Friday-night fish fry of the small-town tavern sort. The kind with overly generous, all-you-can-eat portions, and just hope the French fries aren't too greasy and indigestible enough to seek out some Tums afterwards. One place in Minnesota which Dum-Dum recalled took something of great pride in hand-cutting their French fries instead of using frozen such. "Somehow," Dum-Dum remarked, "they turned out especially crispy."

Still, though, with Huck and yours truly, much of our discussion was about fantasies of just wearing wetsuits in the early morning shallows of some lake and just meditating between ourselves, as if plans for the winter dive holiday with Peter Potamus' crew of divers were still simmering like a pot of Grace Cock Flavoured Soup Mix (and I assume you've seen the memes associated with the double-entendre that the name implies, notwithstanding a prominent illustration of a chicken on the front of the packet).

"To be candid with you all," Crazy Claws remarked, "curiosity took hold of this cat and he was able to purchase a few packets of this Grace Cock Flavoured Soup online a winter or two ago, attracted by that rather coy meme playing on the suggestive-sounding name. And mind you, the soup, though a little on the spicy side, turned out to be decent. Even when you had Lipton's and Wyler's instant chicken soups to compare against."

Which certainly warmed our cockles on a misty Wisconsin fall evening sitting by the fireside. Cattanooga Cats, eat your heart out.

*************

@warnerbrosentertainment @ultrakeencollectionbreadfan @theweekenddigest @zodiacfan32 @iheartgod175 @archive-archives @thylordshipofbutts @screamingtoosoftly @princessgalaxy505 @themineralyoucrave @thebigdingle @warnerbros-blog1 @xdiver71 @indigo-corvus @jellystone-enjoyer @a-gang-of-silly-bananas @warnerbrosent-blog

#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #road trip experience #huckleberry hound and snagglepuss #wisconsin dells #lovethedells #crazy claws #autumn nights #autumn bonfires #hot apple cider #mulled cider #misty nights #swapping stories by the bonfire #grace cock flavoured soup #hannabarberaforever

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

The appeal of Witch's Gulch in autumn

It's not just on the Upper Dells boat tour that one can access the legendary Witch's Gulch. It turns out that there's a modest little trail off River Road to the north of Wisconsin Dells as leads to the snack bar and gift shop at same, access into said gulch requiring a separate admission for such not otherwise on the boat tour.

I, for one, mention this inasmuch as our party at the Crazy Claws retreat decided to partake of a lazy midweek afterlunch the other day at Witch's Gulch, ahead of the modest influx bound to ensue with state teachers' convention weekends in Wisconsin and Minnesota translating into an extended autumn long weekend for many in the Dells region. And bound to see some added fall-colour-related business off the boats.

Things, at any rate, must have seemed slow with the crew on what turned out to be a rather bright autumnal afterlunch, somewhat on the mild sort of things but not enoigh to dictate a sweater or wrap at the expense of a T-shirt. But most of us characters dress naturally, so we have no issues for the most part. Or would there be?

Anyhow, with the Upper Dells boats pretty much down to only three daily runs as their season winds down, and it was more or less in between port calls, we had Witch's Gulch more or less to ourselves ... and such a clean coolness to be inherent, interspersed with the sound of rushing waters in the stream below and the fall colours in their last hurrah (more or less) on the cliff tops. Oh yes, and Crazy Claws putting in the inevitable cracks about Winsome Witch taking her Saturday-night bath in the Witch's Bathtub, "where else?"

And what better place to relate pieces of ghostly tales than Spooky Lane, let alone imagining a certain Scooby-Doo and crew taking such repose from exposing "spooks" in the first place? Which certainly had Yakky Doodle making much about Fibber Fox and Alfy Gator trying to devour him without Chopper's trusty presence.

With the snack bar our rendezvous, it could just stand to reason how the Hair Bear Bunch could manage to clean out the roller grill of hot dogs (both regular and jumbo sizes), smother them in chili and cheese sauce, and wash all down with a shared half-gallon cup of soda, the snack bar staff unaccustomed to such demand to begin with and with less than an hour besides before the next tour boat makes its call requiring such a hasty preparation of the roller grill just for readiness' sake? (By contrast, Huck and yours truly were content just to sip some cappuccino.)

With that in mind ... heading back, it was thought best to maybe have as a late supper just some cheese, sausage and crackers back at the retreat. Itself quite autumnal, no?

*************

@warnerbrosentertainment @iheartgod175 @theweekenddigest @ultrakeencollectionbreadfan @groovybribri @archive-archives @screamingtoosoftly @themineralyoucrave @princessgalaxy505 @thebigdingle @thylordshipofbutts @warnerbros-blog1 @indigo-corvus @a-gang-of-silly-bananas @jellystone-enjoyer @railguner34 @warnerbrosent-blog

#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #lazy afternoon #fall afternoons #road trip experience #postcards from snagglepuss #witch's gulch #wisconsin dells #lovethedells #snagglepuss and huckleberry hound #crazy claws #hannabarberaforever

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

Homemade Breakfast Sandwiches galore!

And what more could be expected when Crazy Claws got out a microwave breakfast sandwich maker purchased at a supermarket in Wisconsin Dells some while back, some liquid egg, some pre-cooked sausage, ham, Canadian bacon even ... and some English muffins, even? (Apologies there for getting a little too giddy on the "even.")

Or, for that matter, getting into the irresistable sort of breakfast idea as was much better than the same cereals? Not to mention a decent little toaster oven to toast said English muffins quickly and effortlessly in the bargain, with just that sort of crispiness making a breakfast sandwich based on English muffins all the more so?

And let's not forget about the coffee ... or even the light touch of misty fog on Lake Delton, with that obvious smell of the fall turnover of lake waters, where the colder such closer to the bottom rise up to the surface and send the warmer waters nearer the bottom ... even the tint of autumnal brightness on the trees surrounding.

"You know, Snagglepuss," Huckleberry Hound was quick to remark over a ham and sausage breakfast sandwich, "these sandwiches are certainly an interesting change of breakfast pacing."

"How right thou art!" replied I. "And what could make it more interesting if you had some SPAM as part of the sandwich?"

To which Huck remarked, "I never thought of that prospect."

(The coffee, I have to admit, turned out rather decent ... especially coming from Cattanooga Klatsche as it did.)

@warnerbrosentertainment @a-gang-of-silly-bananas @theweekenddigest @zodiacfan32 @restroom @archive-archives @thylordshipofbutts @thebigdingle @princessgalaxy505 @themineralyoucrave @screamingtoosoftly @warnerbros-blog1 @iheartgod175 @indigo-corvus @jellystone-enjoyer @groovybribri @warnerbrosent-blog

#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #postcards from the road #wisconsin dells #lovethedells #crazy claws #breakfast sandwiches #english muffins #microwave egg sandwich maker #hannabarberaforever

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

Pixie and Dixie, trying not to be a problem

Considering such size as mice happen to be, it can be a little chancey trying to stay one step ahead of our mice guests, otherwise known as Pixie and Dixie, so as not to step on them unwittingly.

Which can also call to mind a certain Mr. Jinks, who forever insists that "those meeces" are pests and need to be deciated regardless of the cost or techniques used.

And especially so in a milieu such as the retreat of Crazy Claws on the legendary shores of Artificial Lake Delton near Wisconsin Dells, especially with such company as we have at the moment for the autumnal side of things. Including this mountain lion and your genial host being a bobcat ... as well as three dogs, a chivalrous-minded turtle, a baby duck and some rather crazy bears just recovering from the throes of mating season.

As if you thought The Great Grape Ape was a rather substantial problem himself because of his size, not to mention purple table grapes being his weakness....

At any rate, to avoid possible problems with Pixie and Dixie, one or two of us will volunteer to host "those meeces" by having them on their bodies crawling around and being playful in their own way, even if it means having to brush crumbs of cheese and crackers from their fur every so often, meaning "those meeces" were on the proverbial shoulders of giants (for the sake of size) ... and which Pixie and Dixie couldn't resist.

Somehow, it may not be all that easy being "those meeces"--or is it?

*************

@warnerbrosentertainment @ultrakeencollectionbreadfan @jellystone-enjoyer @iheartgod175 @funtasticworld @archive-archives @screamingtoosoftly @thylordshipofbutts @princessgalaxy505 @thebigdingle @themineralyoucrave @warnerbros-blog1 @a-gang-of-silly-bananas @xdiver71 @theweekenddigest @indigo-corvus @warnerbrosent-blog

#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #postcards from snagglepuss #wisconsin dells #lovethedells #crazy claws #pixie and dixie #it's not easy being small #hannabarberaforever

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

What a way for summer to segue unto autumn!

Such, dear and gentle reader, is the sentiment Crazy Claws hath in explaining the, shall we say, rationale behind the Wo-Zha-Wa festival in Wisconsin Dells over the weekend just concluded.

As if our Character Convocation coincident with Wo-Zha-Wa pre-pandemic wasn't interesting and facinating enow (replete with the Cattanooga Cats pulling off a concert in the face of a light rain shower and yours truly being interviewed by Honey and Sis vis shortwave worldcast), I can't help but wait out the fall interlude into the winter ahead here at Crazy Claws' Lake Delton retreat.

Which, this year, also finds my new travelling compadre, Huckleberry Hound, as well as Yakky Doodle, Chopper, Pixie and Dixie and even Touché Turtle and Dum-Dum--oh yes, and the Hair Bear Bunch--killing some otherwise wasted late-summer/early autumn time at the Dells region's autumnal confab. And for some reason, our appearance tends to be one of mixing it up with visitors as much along The Broadway as at the arts and crafts fair at Bowman Park.

For the madcap ursine trio of Hair, Square and Bubi, for some reason "meet-and-greets" seem to be more the fashion with them. Many of you must be amused with their parade appearances in walkabout, posing for photos or selfies and requesting autographs--bear hugs, even!--which can certainly make them crowd favourites. And even if it was over some burgers at the legendary Monk's Bar, the crowds couldn't certainly resist their presence as much as mine.

Or even on Sunday morning at Mr. Pancake; who could find their pancakes and waffles all the more irresistable, washed down with some rather decent coffee, tea even, prior to the parade?! Or even before the parade downtown, when Touché and Dum-Dum pulled off a few sparring matches with the fencing foils to the amusement of spectators?

Yet one rather interesting thing was to ensue out of the Sunday: getting some soup done up in the slow cooker for the sundown dinner, replete with some crusty-like ciabattas to dunk in the soup. How else to kill time on a somewhat autumnal-type Sunday in Wisconsin?

*************

@warnerbrosentertainment @ultrakeencollectionbreadfan @a-gang-of-silly-bananas @jellystone-enjoyer @restroom @archive-archives @themineralyoucrave @thylordshipofbutts @princessgalaxy505 @thebigdingle @screamingtoosoftly @warnerbros-blog1 @iheartgod175 @theweekenddigest @indigo-corvus @funtasticworld @warnerbrosent-blog

#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #postcards from snagglepuss #road trip experience #huckleberry hound and snagglepuss #wisconsin dells #lovethedells #wo-zha-wa #crazy claws #yakky doodle and chopper #pixie and dixie #touche turtle and dum dum #hair bear bunch #summer segues into autumn #hannabarberaforever

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

Preliminaries, preliminaries

Just be thankful in a way for the generosity of fellow Funtastics, and their finding some worthwhile schtick on Amazon.com, for some serious help with the Thanksgiving dinner for such company as Crazy Claws has set up to begin with--yours truly, Huckleberry Hound, Yakky Doodle and Chopper, Pixie and Dixie, Touché Turtle and Dum-Dum, the Hair Bear Bunch and some mystery guests, know.

Especially for the trims that manage to supplement the turkey breast dinner we're managing to pull off on Thanksgiving Day ... in particular such esoteric examples of brands you don't usually expect to find stateside, never mind the arrogance of such calling themselves "Real Americans" too dependent on a certain Wally World for their own best interests and unaware of other choices to begin with.

But at any rate, consider what the proverbial cat dragged in when it came to Thanksgiving dinner preparations: Packets of mashed potato flakes, both traditional and garlic, perhaps adding a little in the variety department for the dinner by combining the two.

Some Gravox gravy mix via Kwicky Koala, for to blend some gravy out of the pan drippings ... and just hope it comes out right.

And some Paxo stuffing mix from England, the classic sage-and-onion sort even ... who said it has to always be Stove-Top? (Not to mention at least one box of the sage-and-onion with lemon added!)

But then again, Crazy Claws was able to get some fresh turkey breasts for roasting at a local meat market in Lake Delton. No doubt beating the ordeal, if it could be called so, of having to get up early and thaw the turkey starting around breakfast time, before the parades start being on the vidiot's box even (during which time the turkey would head for the oven and our company perhaps enjoying coffee and conversation!).

But still, let's hope things don't turn out rather crazy and convoluted once the dinner comes forth....

*************

@warnerbrosentertainment @funtasticworld @theweekenddigest @restroom @archive-archives @screamingtoosoftly @thylordshipofbutts @princessgalaxy505 @thebigdingle @themineralyoucrave @warnerbros-blog1 @iheartgod175 @jellystone-enjoyer @indigo-corvus @warnerbrosent-blog

#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #road trip #huckleberry hound and snagglepuss #crazy claws #wisconsin dells #lovethedells #thanksgiving #thanksgiving dinner #preparations #i got it on amazon #turkey and trims #gravox #paxo stuffing #hannabarberaforever

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

Sleepless on Lake Delton with the Hair Bear Bunch

Another cool, misty sort of November evening in the Wisconsin manner.

Around the fire pit of Crazy Claws' retreat on Lake Delton, with the smell of autumnal turnover in the lake evident as winter seems to want to take its own sweet time approaching. And what a night for some freshly-brewed coffee and the company of the Hair Bear Bunch.

But for some reason ... sleeplessness dictates such a prolonged firepit session. "And let's just hope," Huckleberry Hound remarked, "nobody calls the fire department on our bonfire; after all--"

"--it seems pretty much everybody's back in Chicago, Milwaukee, Kenosha even, for the winter," added I, in explaining how the lake cabins were closed up in the meantime.

"Or may be trying to get back into cabins," Crazy Claws quipped, "after they realised how sour timesharing property went ... let alone trying to get top dollar for getting out, and not getting suckered."

"Suckered enough," remarked I, "to attract the Clue Club's attention."

"But on the other hand, who among us bears has to seriously worry about winter hibernation?" asked Square Bear in his usual sheepish voice.

"I think I read somewhere," Crazy Claws was quick to add, "that bears aren't exactly hibernators of any sort; besides, they've been observed waking up, fully alert, and shaking off their so-called 'hibernation,' all within minutes ... which makes you wonder who got the idea to begin with about bears needing to hibernate."

"Yogi included," as Huckleberry remarked.

"Or even us," Hair Bear chimed in. "Back at the Wonderland Zoo, after all, those rather inept zookeepers were forever insisting that we be up and alert, even if it meant stereotypical zoo-type acting while we had a rather crazy-looking batchelor pad in the guise of a 'natural' bear den in the Hagenbeck fashion."

"Methinks I recall as much."

"But believe you me the clyde, the road trip ever the excitable, ever the wonderful, ever the potential for running into fellow characters like yourselves ..." was how the somewhat excitable Bubi Bear parsed it, adding "Not to mention the occasional show with the old fans out there, sometimes turning up when getting the gas at some convenience store and maybe a burrito!"

"Though I have to acknowledge," Hair Bear added, "that spicy beef burritos are likely my favourite ... it's probably just my style for this laid-back, somewhat sexed-up bear!"

"I understand you happen to enjoy some diving every now and then," Huckleberry Hound was quick to remark, prompting Hair to admit that "such is something we enjoy the morning after our mating season orgies on whatever lake we've set up Camp Jellystone by!"

"You can say that again!" was how Square Bear parsed it.

By which time it was probably 1:45 in the morning, and about the only campfire of any sort going in Lake Delton, fuelled by coffee and insomnia-driven converse.

*************

@warnerbrosentertainment @railguner34 @funtasticworld @theweekenddigest @xdiver71 @archive-archives @themineralyoucrave @thylordshipofbutts @princessgalaxy505 @thebigdingle @screamingtoosoftly @warnerbros-blog1 @iheartgod175 @jellystone-enjoyer @groovybribri @indigo-corvus @warnerbrosent-blog

#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #postcards from the road #huckleberry hound and snagglepuss #crazy claws #hair bear bunch #lake delton #lovethedells #insomnia #late night campfire #talking around the fire #hannabarberaforever

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

Guess who's coming to (Thanksgiving) dinner!

The news coming by way of a surprise phone call on Huckleberry's mobile phone the other night over snacks at the Lake Delton retreat of Crazy Claws:

"Hi there, all you happy people ... guess who this is?"

To which Huck responded, "We can tell by your somewhat myopic voice ... is it Droopy?"

"You had better believe it!"

"Rather surprising," Huckleberry responded, "that you were able to find us up here in Wisconsin."

"Who do you mean by 'us,' Huckleberry?" Whereupon Chuckleberry "himself" scanned his cameraphone to catch our company so gathered, including the Hair Bear Bunch, yours truly, Yakky Doodle and Chopper, Pixie and Dixie and Touché Turtle and Dum-Dum, so Drooper could get some idea of what Huck was talking about. Which had Droopy responding "How about that?!"

(Short pause to catch breath at what was to follow.)

"You may not know it, fellows ... but Dripple and I have decided to come up your way for Thanksgiving."

"Heavens to Plymouth Rock, Myles Standish even!" responded I. (As well as assorted other rejoinders.)

Bringing Dripple to the phone (and, hence, the conversation), Droopy couldn't help but sense some sort of agreement at the announcement. Whereupon Dripple, Droopy's somewhat half-baked son, joined in the converse: "I was rather surprised how many of you could be in Wisconsin all at one time ... and I thought Wisconsin was all about cheese all this time!"

"Well, I think you'll be surprised when Thanksgiving comes along," Huck was quick to remark. "There's no doubt it'll be rather interesting." To which I added, "Though it's likely for snow to come around Thanksgiving out this way!", prompting Droopy to note that he might consider coming a day or two ahead against unlikely or otherwise surprise changes in weather.

"And," added I, "we hope to have the classic schtick for Thanksgiving. Turkey and all the trims, even!"

"How delighted that will be!" Droopy remarked in his somewhat myopic tone.

And though it may be another couple weeks ere Thanksgiving arriveth, let's just hope we're not getting too over our heads here in the preparations.

*************

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#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #road trip #crazy claws #wisconsin dells #lovethedells #surprise call #thanksgiving plans #droopy and dripple #hannabarberaforever

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

So how did the storytelling around the bonfire go?

As mentioned previously, reader, yours truly and companions of Crazy Claws decided to have a bonfire on a recent cool evening at CC's Lake Delton retreat, drinking on hot mulled apple cider, staying warm--and swapping a few stories. Nothing of the horror sort, know, because with Scooby-Doo getting hackneyed (or so it must seem), we didn't want to muddy the waters seriously.

As well as spoil things with some of the better moments of autumn, Thanksgiving in particular, coming along as well.

(Oh, and did I mention my winter diving vacay with Peter Potamus and His Magic Divers somewhere in the Caribbean?)

At any rate, think of our bonfire conversation as a "bull session" of sorts in the face of a misty autumn's evening, just letting ourselves be ourselves story-wise. And while Crazy Claws really sent us laughing with his pun-driven tales of past romance as went nowhere, yours truly matching such with all the attempts with Lila and the odd run-in with Betty Makaska ... followed by Pixie and Dixie taking things close to off-tangent with their plantings of genetically-modified catnip to give Jinksie disincentive to chase "those meeces" ... perhaps some of the weirdest tales had to come from Touché Turtle, who (as Dum-Dum explained it once) can tend to take things a little too far, and "probably to attract attention," naturally enough.

And perhaps the finest specimen Touché offered was when he was walking casually down the street with Dum-Dum in some seedy neighbourhood, and, noticing a couple of children in distressing circumstances playing outside, was led inside by a girl who could not have been younger than nine years of age ... and for some reason, Touché's bent-tip foil managed to pick through the lock of what turned out being something of a Chamber of Horrors in the form of a rather vile, smelly, unkempt even, bedroom which had no less than six children sharing same. Dum-Dum and Touché led the victims out, pretty much all of them wearing filthy rags, and Dum-Dum arranged for the police to take the children over to the local shelter.

And as it emerged, Touché revealed a "tip of the iceberg" scenario: That particular house they entered was found to be nothing less than a sheer House of Horrors, especially with such adult figures otherwise supposed to be in charge out for some reason and basically leaving the kids in charge. Yet Touché and Dum-Dum were somehow modest about "doing what they had to do," for it emerged later that such was nothing less than an ur-studio for child pornography, and on The Dark Net even ... and were those behind the setup ballistic(!!) when they found "their darlings" removed from the house and the premises raided and plundered, not to mention invoking Ayn Rand!!

(Fortunately, Touché and Dum-Dum were at the offices of Child Protective Services to assist in the enquiries and give details, and soon afterward asked to leave town "to avoid possible reprisals." Followed by a few days somewhere in the Otter Tail Lakes region.)

Touching, I had to acknowledge ... yet I had to wonder how it was possible for Touché Turtle to use the bent tip of his foil as a lock pick.

"You just pick up on these things somewhere," Touché was quick to add.

*************

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#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #road trip experience #postcards from snagglepuss #huckleberry hound and snagglepuss #autumn bonfire #crazy claws #wisconsin dells #lovethedells #storytelling #touché turtle and dum dum #hannabarberaforever

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

"Can it really be soup already?!"

Doubtless you know the tale of The Three Bears, who decided to go out for a walk to let their morning porridge cool off, unaware that a certain Goldilocks was in the neighbourhood bound to cause mayhem.

And, in a way, a certain commercial for Lipton's instant soups where the tagline was "Is it soup yet?"

I bring these up, reader, inasmuch as the other afternoon, notwithstanding the general dampness of the moment interspersed by an occasional episode of misty rain, prompted some of us at the Crazy Claws retreat to do a little walking amongst the colours of autumn in the neighbourhoods of Lake Delton, Crazy Claws "himself" and the Hair Bear Bunch staying behind. No real reason behind the desire to walk as we did save for a desire to just release some nervous energies while Crazy Claws was preparing some soup in a slow cooker he had for dinner, with the Hair Bears preparing some brown-and-serve Italian bread to serve alongside the soup.

And you probably wonder what our crowd was probably thinking all this time ... but you wouldn't be interested, considering.

Yet when all was said and done, coming back in the late afternoon (even if it meant Pixie and Dixie being perched almost precariously on Huckleberry's shoulders) ... things couldn't have smelled more aromatic as a cream of wild rice soup with bits of ham and chicken was cooking away in the slow cooker. And who amonh us couldn't resist such a fascinating soup with some hard crusty bread, to begin with?

Believe you me ... the soup was flowing as generously as the conversation all around, never mind that the rain was becoming a little more obvious as soup was being served. And with us Funtastic types, conversations can get to be especially lively, even with cranberry-orange juice enhanced with mulling spices served in wine glasses adding a sort of sophistication in its own way. With hardly any leftovers, even!

And enough for Crazy Claws to ask "is anybody ready to join Peter Potamus and crew for some diving in the Caribbean this winter?!" ... the which had all of us in some rather hilarious double-takes, but especially so Huckleberry Hound and yours truly.

*************

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#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #road trip experience #postcards from snagglepuss #wisconsin dells #lovethedells #crazy claws #walking in the rain #autumn colours #soup supper #is it soup yet #slow cooker #cream of wild rice soup #hannabarberaforever