Stepping over a threshold.........

Ms. Baggs reporting:

I have been on a brief 9 week break from reporting. It's a wonder the folks around here don't take my little adventuring and reporting job away from me. I did get bit lost in the shuffle of life here and did get a little snippy about such.

It was the snippitty snit that let me to my serendipitous story of today. While having a good pout on I wandered the shelves, boxes and out of the way places of Casa de Cuckoo which is our headquarters. I had never realized that there were other being living here whom I had not had the pleasure of meeting. I dare say some more friendly than others. I also had never been aware that there were "doorways" in and out of most of the rooms. No, I certainly do not mean the ones used by the humans, of course there are doorways in and out of the living spaces of the humans. The ones I am speaking of are those which are used by the extraordinary "others" that inhabit this abode.

Let me preface my interview with just two of the beings by saying that I, Ms. Baggs am a true believer of all things fanciful, fantasy and phenomenal. Why wouldn't I be, after all how many wooden heads reporters are you familiar with in your day to day life? I am sure that is why I was allowed to view many different doorways and the occupants beyond. I also believe, after discussing my story idea with Oma Linda that her belief in the same are the reason why these beings are even here at the Casa de Cuckoo.

It was a lovely and timely meeting with Oliver the Gnome. As I was looking on the shelves of the newly arranged bookshelves in the living room/computer room, I noticed a gap between "Secrets of the Gnomes" and "Father Twilight". I wedged myself into the space and scooted down the width of the books and came out on the other side. There was a doorway and Oliver at the doorway. Tensch was just getting out of her sentry basket. She had been on guard duty and Oliver was calling her in for lunch and invited me to join them. Neither one of them seems too surprised by my arrival and Oliver beckoned me to follow them into the gnome hollow for a honey on nutbread sandwich and strong mint tea.

I did so but I was warned that no photos could be taken in the hollow because any photography would dissolve their reality and none of the over 50 gnomes who live in the hollow could find their way back home. So of course being a concerned citizen I did not step over the boundaries of decorum and left my camera outside the hollow.

Upon entry, there was a smallish rustic room with all manner of drying herbs hanging from nails along the rafters of the hollow. It was in fact, the hollow of a tree. We passed a young male gnome named Elkin as he went out to guard the door and entered a second room. This space was wider, taller and brighter. As I looked up, I could see the sky through the non roof. We must be at the center of the tree.

We sat at rough hewn tables on log benches and ate as we visited. This band of gnome, as they are called, have lived here for the last 76 years. They are mountain gnomes originally and have made a wonderful life here enjoying the benefits of being close to a fae loving family. Taking what they need to borrow from the humans, small snippet of this and that and leaving the commodity for which gnomes are known. Giggles. Yes, they leave giggles behind as payment for what they have used. Oliver explained that's the way it has always been and also let me in on some secrets as to how humans can lure a band to inhabit their homes and lives.

I will finish my article on the gnomes with a more in depth look into gnome life, so come back next time.