Darcy and the Pancake Toss

I've been a little busy these past few weeks and I've neglected doing any writing for Darcy. Shame on me. My darling Cecile decided to help me.

 

"I'll write something," she said. "It doesn't have to be long, does it? No? Do you want to look at it before I give it to Darcy?"

I hesitated briefly as I wasn't sure how to respond. Cecile won't look at my stories before I hand them over to my field mouse chum. Says she doesn't want to stifle my creativity and that she trusts me. Could I do anything less?

"Go for it, sweet wrinkle," I said, adding a wide smile. 

So she did.

o 0 O 0 o

Darcy and the Pancake Toss

Hello. I am Cecile Butterglove and I'm married to Jackson. I have a small story I'd like to share with you.

I was at the village store and I met Bridget Fielding. I hadn't seen her recently so we had a nice chat.

"Yes, the Christmas break was lovely," she said. "Darcy had the time to dedicate to his family. I know he loves his job and it's important to the village, but he had been overworking. Months ago I suggested he take on extra staff and he did that. Spreading the workload was necessary and it seems to have worked... mostly."

"Mostly?"

"It's his nature. Sometimes it feels difficult for him to relinquish control, at least when it relates to particular tasks."

"And he's doing that now, is he? Something seems to be bothering you."

"I'm that transparent?" said Bridget, forcing a smile. "Well you're right. You know what day it is next Tuesday?"

"Er... Shrove Tuesday?" I said, with Cake Club activities in my mind.

"Right. Pancake Day. And what does Darcy do every Pancake Day?"

I shrugged involuntarily. "Sorry. I'm afraid you'll have to enlighten me."

"No reason you should know." Bridget sighed. "It's the Pancake Toss. Darcy always goes to report on it. Has done for years."

I was aware of the event. It was a celebratory occasion where (primarily) dogs came and... threw pancakes at each other to catch in their mouths. It is apparently hilarious and lots of pancakes are eaten. The most successful pairing holds the title of Pancake Monarch for the year.

"Right..." I said. "But I'm not sure why that's a problem this year. What's changed?"

"The date. Pancake Day falls on a different day each year. This year it falls on the 17th. I'd wanted to do something special with the family."

I suddenly realised. "February 17th. Darcy's birthday."

o 0 O 0 o

I had an idea based upon an old memory. Something that Bridget may not have known and maybe something that Darcy had forgotten.  

I've been friends with the Cakebread family for years. In our youth, Thaddeus Cakebread was part of my brother's gang of pals - the Burdock Bunch - and I was there when Thaddeus married Lydia. As Lydia and Veronica Cakebread run the Cakery on Mellowdene High Street our connection continues; I am part of the Cake Club after all! Anyway, the point is that I have an independent source of information about doggy activities.

The relevant activity this time? One of my Dandelion Lane neighbours is a former Pancake Monarch. As a consequence, he is particularly familiar with the techniques and strategies involved in the annual Pancake Toss.

Number 23 Dandelion Lane is the residence of Edmund Tailbury. And did you know that this former Pancake Monarch is a reporter for the Mellowdene Examiner? One of Darcy's newer employees!

So. My idea. Wouldn't a reporter, one who is a former champion of the Pancake Toss be the best person to write about this year's February celebration? Together with his brother they could share the insights of a winning team. Comment on strategy or whatever this year's winners bring to the event.

Surely Darcy cannot disagree? Especially as that would free himself to attend his birthday celebrations...

I outlined the idea to Bridget.

o 0 O 0 o

Bridget was happy. The Fielding children were happy. Edmund was happy to have his ideal reporting assignment. I made a birthday cake (happy about that) especially for the birthday boy.

Yes. That's you, Darcy. Now don't you say that you're not happy!

o 0 O 0 o

Editor's note: 

Yes, Cecile. I was happy how my birthday turned out. It does feel a little unusual publishing a story about me; one that I didn't write - but I didn’t miss out when it came to the Pancake Toss. Edmund gave me some pancakes upon his return.

Darcy Fielding

Primrose Evergreen's Winter Forecast

Hello! It's Darcy again. Back at work and quite happy how business has been handled during my extended Christmas break. I hadn't decided what to write for you but inspiration came after a visit from Primrose Evergreen.

Primrose Evergreen in Upper Mellowdene

Primrose Evergreen is Mellowdene's weather forecaster. I understand she's always had an affinity for meteorological predictions but that has been honed over her life so that her accuracy is uncanny. She regularly travels to Upper Mellowdene to observe Coldmount Peak and records movements of ice particles whirling about the pinnacle. She says this helps her long-range forecasts. I've no reason to dispute that. 

 

Anyway, Primrose had visited to bring me a forecast for the next week, ready for inclusion in the Mellowdene Examiner.

"We're going to get some winter snow, Darcy," she had said. "I'm going to see HHG after I've left here. They'll need the heads up to clear the county roads."

"That bad?"

She nodded as she handed over the forecast report.

"Only a smattering of snow in the village - and that is likely to melt within a couple of hours. But further into the county the snowfall will last longer - two to three days - and as a result it will be deeper and take longer to clear. I'll update you in a few days."

She remained briefly as I went to key the report details into the newspaper's typesetting system.

With Primrose gone my thoughts turned to HHG.

HHG Enterprises' workshops and stores

HHG Enterprises are the brainchild of Magnus Hamilton. Upon moving to Mellowdene this enterprising hamster saw the need for a better organised plan for maintaining the village infrastructure. He also wanted something for his son Huckleberry to take forward should he eventually come to the village; a decision he'd have to make with his fiancée. In the meantime he took on two young partners - Perkin Harvey and Richard Grunt (hence HHG) - and created the company. Whilst these three families form the core of the organisation they have a flexible workforce to service the needs of the village, working closely with the council. Despite the growth of the company, Huck, Perkin and Ritchie were determined that they would not become purely administrators. Their time management ensures they still do plenty paws-on work! At the newspaper, my right-paw critter is Harry Hawthorn and, as Huckleberry Hamilton's brother-in-law, he keeps me updated with HHG's plans.

HHG out on a job

Winter weather provides particular challenges and HHG are prepared to meet them. Although crittizens in the village don't tend to suffer from a cold climate, those living further afield in the county can be affected. Snow cannot be allowed to isolate them. Most live within reach of the three main roads, Mellowdene Road, County Road and Rivercourse Road, so HHG consider it a primary need to keep those roads clear.

HHG clearing some snow

Of course, roads aren't the only routes through the county. Recently, Jackson highlighted our rail connection to the rest of Sylvania. You can be assured that the tracks are always kept clear. Fireglass channels run parallel to the railway lines. The Hunter-Smyth family process this resource in inventive ways and the interaction of rain or snow on a fireglass derivative within those channels keeps the tracks clean, warm and free from ice or snow. The channels are regularly maintained so that the Maple Town Express can keep running to schedule.

 

Reilly Hunter-Smyth takes Formula 4 Fireglass to the rail track

With the main routes clear, we still need to ensure that provisions are accessible to the county dwellers. Fireglass is again used to keep wells from freezing but what about food?

Timbertop Farm, Blackberry Orchards, Buttercup Dairies (with their farming of lactolia plants) all have longstanding plans to combat poor weather. Again, Primrose Evergreen's forecasts give them sufficient notice. 

Bud Timbertop takes out the tractor

Bud shifts some snow

 

Zeb, Taylor and Tyler go shoveling

Tyler Timbertop and Zebediah Cody carry some fireglass

But what about shopping for everyone else?

 

Rocky Babblebrook to the rescue. Rocky is a descendent of our first mayor of Mellowdene, his lineage extending to one of the four founding families of our village. He doesn't share his ancestors' political ambitions. Long ago the Babblebrooks became more concerned about providing food for our villagers. Not everyone can spend their time on farming, fishing and other food production tasks. Babblebrook's Store was born. A few years ago, the store was expanded and rebranded as the Village Supermarket with new managers running the day-to-day business, these being Bert, Joyes and Macey Harvey. Rocky, his father Cliff and uncle Gerald decided that their traditional smaller stores should continue in the form of branches, still bearing the Babblebrook name, peppered about the expanding village. There are three branches in Mellowdene, and one conveniently positioned in the county.

Babblebrook's county store

In bad weather, Rocky not only takes extra care to ensure the county branch of Babblebrook's is well stocked, he is known to take his four-wheel-drive car and personally deliver food to the less accessible homesteads.

 

Rocky and Cliff driving into the county

Rocky on deliveries

 

Actually, Rocky is not alone. There is the community convention where all villagers choose to pile in when there is need. The worst of winter may pose challenges for the county but we are Sylvanians through and through.

o 0 O 0 o

Speaking of the "worst of winter" I had a conversation with Ricardo Porcini about how such conditions affect Chunglewood.

"We don't get snow," he said. "It doesn't get through."

I remembered what Jackson had said about the weird spatial effects above the forest. Rain didn't have a direct path downwards to the clearing, resulting in patchy but predictable irrigated areas and even one sky cascade. There were sky pools too.

"Right," I replied. "The barrier thing. But don't the sky pools ever freeze over? Snow settling and blocking out light?"

Ricardo laughed. "I'd never thought of that. It does sound reasonable now that you mention it. But no, we don't see that happening. The sky lightens a bit from time to time and we get cold rain, that's all."

"Could the barrier be melting it?"

 

"Darcy, you do ask some crazy questions. Maybe it does. We don't think about it. In fact I don't remember snow ever coming up in conversation. Nobody's seen it since they left the Woodzeez realm. Except me, of course. With me able to leave Chunglewood and travel around Sylvania, I've witnessed my fair share of snowy landscapes. Saw a blizzard once."

Ricardo's words made me think. The Chunglewood villagers were still reticent to leave the clearing - for whatever reason, and I have my suspicions - so how would they react seeing a blanket of winter snow after well over a decade of being sheltered from the excess of weather?

Maybe they'd better stay cloistered until Primrose Evergreen gives a favourable weather forecast!

o 0 O 0 o