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sohannabarberaesque · 4 years

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Meanwhile, some quality time among the Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera among the World-Renowned and Far-Famed Ten Thousand Lakes of Minnesota

Sunrise unlike any other.

A few stretching exercises for Huckleberry Hound and his Clementine coming out of the pup tent they chose to sleep in ... and before going for the breakfast (never mind such likely being of dehydrated derivation), just a few minutes’ refreshing swim in the chill of the early-morning lake is in order. And chill though the waters are, it couldn’t have been a more interesting swim, including a brief swing underwater ... and some rather wonderful handfasting.

Once back on shore--

“Huck--?”

“Yes, Clementine?”

“I admit it may have been a little chilly this time of the morning ...”

“But--”

“But it sure felt deserving enough to have some coffee out of the way!”

“And who wouldn’t resist some coffee after such a dive?”

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

At your typical old-school resort’s tap room, a somewhat rainy evening seems to have put a damper on the likelihood of a sunset campfire ... but with the blessing of the resort’s management, none other than Captain Caveman decides to regale the guests with a few observations from his own unique standpoint about freediving. Even if his language seems to be a little broken (”Unga-bunga ... Cavey can’t help but feel wonderfully at peace underwater! Cavey’s hairy body keep things confortable!”), such doesn’t seem to stop some of the fellow Funtastics from relating their own diving tales such as--

That time The King and Skids used some rather crude diver’s helmets to find what remained of a Mexican restaurant as submerged when a reservoir came along--and a “treasure” of canned Hatch chili peppers which took some time to dry out and get over. As well as The King and Sheena finding some diving experiences themselves just the other day on the same lake, getting a little playful underwater in the bargain.

Wally Gator once stunning a manatee while diving in some springs somewhere in Central Florida, yet the manatee didn’t manage to show any attempt at reprisal.

In a sleazy-looking motel swimming pool somewhere near Gatlinburg, the Bungle Brothers (George and Joey), otherwise just killing time in the pool late at night, found two of those metal RFID-blocker wallets which guests “must have foolishly let slip into the pool while swimming,” were turned into the office--and whose manager let slip the fact that the guests had somehow sneaked out in the middle of the night days before, and that it “might be rather lucky” if they could locate their rightful owners (who, as the police later explained to them, were Notorious Drug Dealers).

As a subsidiary activity of a fishing trip to the Northwest Angle region of Lake of the Woods, Breezly Bruin (and his new girlfriend, Betty) decided to take up some diving time ... “and what a hug we two had at about 20 feet under the surface!”

“Shaggy” Rogers, perhaps the one closest to the quirks of Scooby-Doo, related a rather crazy episode of when Scooby’s crew were snorkelling off the Florida Keys when Scooby somehow caught his paw on some rather sharp coral trying to feel what same felt like ... but as Shaggy was snorkelling close by, he applied a cloth to the affected paw, and Scooby managed to heal “somewhat gradually.”

And probably a few more like that, well until closing time ensued.

And though there was no offer of a prize indicated for the best such ... Peter Potamus, in closing out the display of diving stories, explained that “nowhere else have I heard such crazier or more lovable diving stories” than exchanged in the snug of the tap room on such a rainy evening! (He should know: Peter Potamus happens to be quite a diver himself.)

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

Speaking of Peter Potamus and his crew of divers, we found them one muggy afternoon on a pontoon close to the deepest spot on the lake (including their underwater photographer, Squiddly Diddly) with some Unlikely Diving Guests in form of the Cattanooga Cats, who, as its leader, Country, explained, “we thought amusing to take up, not so much out of ‘bucket list’ desires than just to try something new.”

Even its female lead, Kitty Jo, and her pet hound, Teeny Tim, “got into the act” to the surprise of the scuba party-loving hippo (”Who said Southern gals couldn’t dive anywhere but Florida way has certainly got to be wrong, explaining my willingness to go along with ‘the boys’ and take up the SCUBA bit”--Kitty Jo) ... which certainly surprised the lupine members of the dive party (as in Loopy De Loop, Hokey Wolf and Mildew Wolf, Hokey adding later “Just be grateful those Cattanooga Cats weren’t wasting their time finding catfish underwater!”--and prompting Scoots, the pint-sized virtuoso of as much insturments as storytelling, to remark “That wasn’t exactly our intent ... we just thought taking up diving might be an occasional experience in killing time!”, with Scoots adding some detail about how he found diving when a certain Amy Catline came into his life).

As if that weren’t enow, said Cattanooga Cats were named Honorary Divers with Peter Potamus’ All-Natural Diving Company, with the open invitation to join them again when they crossed paths. Which had Lippy the Lion remarking “I certainly hope our diving club isn’t going to the cats all of a sudden!”, bringing quite the laugh over some Sprecher Cream Soda.

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

Talk about father-son bonding: Augie Doggie challenged his ever-so-doting Doggie Daddy to a race of sorts--Augie swimming underwater, Doggie Daddy on a paddleboard--from mid-lake to the resort’s beach, loser to pay for a Friday-evening fish fry at a tavern just up the road. (Still, just to be safe, Augie’s swimming was just beneath the surface and Doggie Daddy kept his distance on the paddleboard.)

At any rate, Augie’s sheer precocia and overactive nature won the race by at least two lengths on his father’s paddleboard, prompting Doggie Daddy to ask “Augie, Son of Sons!! How exactly was it possible for you to swim underwater as fast as you did?!!”

To which the Son of Sons responded, “Dearest Father ... I’ve been taking up some lessons in underwater swimming technique from one Breezly Bruin.”

“BREEZLY BRUIN--?!! Son of Sons, don’t tell me--”

“Yes, Father of Fathers ... THAT Breezly Bruin. He may be a little dumb, but you can get to liking him if only you made the effort.”

“Heh, heh, heh ... that was my son talking there!”

(At any rate, Doggie Daddy covered the fish fry, of which Augie managed to go through no less than four refills just to recover from such energy expenditure.)

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

It’s not unusual for the back roads in the resort country of northern Minnesota to see their share of traffic heading to the resorts ... including an inline-skating run of the Skatebirds (Knock-Knock, Satchel and Scooter) one Saturday morning of some five miles to some chintzy-looking supper club of “the old school” essentially, such as was likely to be found in the resort country, hidden behind some pines from the highway.

And what was that all about?

For a weekend brunch buffet which certainly saw the likes of plenty others as a “surprise” party, including the ilk of Huckleberry Hound, Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole, Snagglepuss, the Hair Bear Bunch, Undercover Elephant and Loudmouse, Penelope Pitstop ... and, for good measure, The Banana Splits, who, by their admission, “were just passing through” on their way to an engagement Somewhere Near Duluth.

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

Amongst some Adirondack chairs set in the shallows of the lake as sunset most vivid and beautiful reflected itself unto the lake, and over some Sprecher Puma Kola (well-chilled, mind you), Snagglepuss and Hair Bear were engrossing themselves in conversation while taking in the sunset and admiring just how spectacular it was.

“I just have to tell you, Snagglepuss,” Hair Bear exclaimed, “if Square Bear can pull off an Invisible Motorcycle, he can also pull off an Invisible Jet Ski!”

“Which,” Snagglepuss chimed in, “is rather rich, rather one for Ripley, even ... and yet, my ursine chum, how can it be possible?”

“I don’t know how he does it, Snagglepuss ... but he can pull it off faster than you can sing ‘The Minnesota Rowser’!” (Pause) “Yet, I admit there are times when Square Bear can get a little ahead of himself on that Invisible Jet Ski!”

“How so, Hair Bear?”

“So ahead of himself that he takes on that look suggesting a long-haul truck driver on amphetamines, supposedly heedless of any danger or risk inherent!”

“I just hope you’re not on amphetamines yourself ...”

“No, Snagglepuss ... we prefer getting our highs from what the French call the old joie de vivre, the joy of life!” (Pause) “Not to mention rather substantial appetites!”

“So I’ve heard,” as Snagglepuss let the last swig of Puma Kola trickle down his throat to appreciate such nuances of decaffeinated flavour in the face of a rather warm evening emergent. “Personally, I’d like to thank the folks who make that cola myself, maybe buy me a case or two even!”

To which Hair Bear chimed in with his own tasteful swig, “Hey, who wouldn’t? After all, the sun is setting rather beautifully ... the evening is barely young ... and what more could you ask for, aside from the thrill of discovering some misadventures from shortwave radio in the summertime?”

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