Tabby Tuesday

Stinky is ready and waiting when the teleportation tunnel shoots Periwinkle right into his paws with that familiar whooshing sound. As they often do, the tabbies begin giggling and then whisker kissing. After a few moments, Periwinkle pulls back and looks Stinky up and down. She asks, “Are you okay? I heard you had a seizure on Sunday!”

Stinky replies, “I am fine. I had all day yesterday to rest, and I am ready to have some fun.”

Periwinkle claps her paws together and says, “Oh goodie, I am too. What’s on the agenda?”

“Do you remember when we visited the caverns in Luray, Virginia?”

“Of course I do. They were so gorgeous!”

“Well, we are returning there to go to the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum. I thought it might be a fun tie-in to an event that occurred on September 27, 1908. That’s when the First Ford Model T was produced.”

“I remember you mentioning we would return to see the cars. Sounds like fun. Let’s go,” says Periwinkle and leads Stinky back into the teleportation tunnel.

They arrive moments later.

Car and Carriage Caravan Museum

“I know that we won’t be able to see everything today, Periwinkle, as there are more than 140 modes of transportation on display, dating from 1725 to 1941.”

“Well, we better get a move on then, so we can at least see a few,” Periwinkle says as she takes Stinky’s paw and marches into the museum.

Stinky tells Periwinkle that the museum opened in October, 1957, and is one of America’s most exceptional displays of rare, vintage vehicles. H.T.N. Graves, the former president of Luray Caverns Corporation built the museum. In the early 1950’s he and his staff set out to find and purchase a collection of modes of transportation important to the history of travel.

1931 Pierce-Arrow

“Stinky, I never heard of a Pierce-Arrow. Do they still make these somewhere?”

“Not anymore, but they were made in America, in Buffalo, New York, from 1901 to 1938. They were best known for large, luxury cars like this one, but they also made commercial trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, boats, camp trailers and fire trucks.”

“Well, this car definitely looks luxurious, and I really like the color and that it’s a convertible.” says Periwinkle. Then she takes Stinky’s paw and leads him to a really luxurious car.

1927 Mercedes Benz

“Oh, Stinky, look at the vintage bride and groom. I think it is amusing how so many of the cars and displays have these mannequins. But I definitely like the looks of this car.”

“It is supposedly one of the rarest in the collection, Periwinkle. Only eight were ever built!”

“Wow, that sure does make it special,” Periwinkle replies.

1925  Rolls-Royce

“Stinky, I wonder why this was called the Silver Ghost Town Car?”

“The only info I could find, Periwinkle, said that the name came about because of its ghost-like quietness. I also discovered that production began in England in 1907 but was stopped during World War I. After the war, a second plant was opened in Springfield, Massachusetts, and a total of 7,874 Silver Ghosts were produced from 1907 to 1936, including 1,701 built in the Springfield plant. Supposedly some 1,500 are still around.”

“Can you imagine a car from today lasting that long, Stinky?”

“Not a chance, Periwinkle!”

“Hey, Stinky, look at this,” Periwinkle says while tugging Stinky toward a different type of vehicle.

1914 Ford Model T Milk Truck

“Stinky, this is so cool, as we are celebrating the production of the first Model T today. And it operated right here in Virginia.”

“Winchester is less than 40 miles from where Teddy lives. I bet they had trucks just like this delivering there.”

“That’s fun to think about, Stinky; though, he and his parents wouldn’t have been around then.”

Stinky rolls his eyes at Periwinkle. He’s lucky she doesn’t see him.

1935 Hispano-Suiza

“Hey, Periwinkle, look at this one. It makes me think of a gangster’s car.”

“Do you think there are any bullet holes in it?” asks Periwinkle.

“I doubt it. I don’t know if there were gangsters in Spain, which is where the company started in 1904 in Barcelona. The brand is owned by four generations of the Suqué Mateu family. They are still making cars today, and they are super cool looking. If any of our readers want to seem them, they should check out the official website.”

1927 Bugatti Grand Sport

Join Periwinkle and Stinky at Comedy Plus for Happy Tuesday by clicking on the badge.

Periwinkle’s Confusion

Periwinkle wanders around the house in confusion. It is Stinky’s day to plan their adventure, but he told her not to teleport to his house. And he didn’t give her any coordinates for the teleportation tunnel so she could meet him somewhere. She asks her mom if she knows anything about it, but Mom Sharon claims she doesn’t.

Periwinkle is on the verge of tears when she hears rumblings from the teleportation tunnel. She runs toward it, but before she can get there, she hears the familiar whoosh, and Stinky comes tumbling out. Without her there to catch him, Stinky slides across the floor right into Periwinkle’s real cat sisfur, Reesie, who has come to check out what’s happening.

Stinky picks himself up and apologizes to Reesie before going to Periwinkle to give her a whisker kiss and paw hug. She accepts them but then whaps Stinky on the head.

“Hey, what’s that for?” he asks Periwinkle, as he rubs his head.

“I thought you’d forgotten all about our adventure when you told me not to come to your house, and you didn’t give me coordinates for my tunnel,” Periwinkle tells him.

Stinky apologizes and tells Periwinkle that since her house is on the way to their destination and he wanted it to be a surprise, he decided to stop and pick her up. Before she can reply, Stinky takes her paw and leads her back into the teleportation tunnel. Moments later they arrive at their destination. Periwinkle looks around and sees only ocean and sand. She gives Stinky a perplexed look and asks him why they have stayed in Florida?

Arriving on Tortola, B.V.I.

“We aren’t in Florida. This is Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. It is my parents’ favorite place to vacation, and I wanted to share it with you. This beach is called Long Bay. It is part of the view from the condo where Mom and Dad stay. If you turn around and look up the hill you can see it,” Stinky explains to Periwinkle.

Periwinkle asks, “Stinky, can we go up the mountain so we can see the view?”

Stinky takes her paw, says, “Of course,” and begins to lead the way.

“We are almost there. It’s the three-story building. My mom and dad stay in the the second floor unit; though, they have stayed on the top floor when they came with friends,” Stinky tells Periwinkle.

“That was a bit of a trek, but well worth the view, don’t you think?” Stinky asks Periwinkle.

“Oh yes, Stinky, I can see why your mom and dad like it. I can hear the ocean waves even up here.”

“That’s my mom’s favorite thing. I could sit and listen all day. It’s so restful,” says Stinky. Before Stinky can say anything else, Periwinkle starts giggling, jumping up and down and pointing at something.

“Look, Stinky, it’s a lizard. I am so exited! We can touch it and play with it as much as we want. My mom isn’t here to stop us.”

“We can, Periwinkle, but they are everywhere here, and we can play whenever we want. I want to show you the view from the roof.”

“Wait, what? The roof. I don’t think so,” Periwinkle replies.

Stinky tells Periwinkle it is an easy hop, grabs her paw and makes the leap. She squeals, but Stinky’s right, it is an effortless jump.

Periwinkle agrees that it is a terrific view. That makes Stinky very happy, and he gives Periwinkle a big paw hug before leading her down off the roof. He tells her that they are going to head to his parents’ favorite beach, Smuggler’s Cove.

Smuggler’s Cove

“Stinky, this is a great beach, so where are all the people?”

Stinky explains that locals mostly come to this beach on the weekends. The others who visit are those staying on this end of the island, the West End. He also tells Periwinkle that cruise ships come to Tortola, but they dock in Road Town. It is a bit of a drive to this beach, so they rarely come here.

“Let’s look around, Stinky,” says Periwinkle. They begin strolling on the beach.

“Stinky, look, chickens and a sand crab. I am not surprised to see the crab, but chickens on the beach are amazing!”

“Mom told me the chickens are super friendly. She brings Cheerios to the beach and they eat them right out of her hand,” Stinky tells Periwinkle.

“Oh, phooey, I wish we had some Temptations. I bet they would like those! My paws are a little tired, Stinky. Do you think we could sit for a bit and watch the chickens and crab and listen to the ocean.”

“Good, idea, Periwinkle.”

Stinky’s Pelican Adventure

As they are resting, Stinky notices a pelican and starts running down the beach after it. As it begins to swoop down toward the water close to the shore, Stinky leaps and lands on its back. The pelican begins to fly away with Stinky.

Periwinkle jumps out of her seat in a panic and starts running down the beach yelling at Stinky to come back. When he disappears from sight, she begins wringing her paws and crying, fearful she has lost her boyfriend forever. Finally the pelican circles back around close to the beach, and Stinky jumps down onto the sand.

Periwinkle runs up to Stinky and throws her paws around his neck, hugging him close before she starts chastising him. “How could you do that, Stinky? You are too impulsive. One day you are going to get hurt really badly or get lost forever. After that dang walkabout you took last year, I think you would be more careful. Don’t you know how much it would hurt me and your mom and dad if something bad would happen to you!”

Stinky wipes the tears from Periwinkle’s cheeks and apologizes for his behavior. He takes her paw and starts walking down the beach telling her that he wants to show her something special in the hope of distracting her from her anger and disappointment in him.

The Coral Tree

“What is that in the tree, Stinky?” asks Periwinkle.

“It’s coral that washes up onto the beach. Visitors pick it up and put it in the tree. Mom told me that when she and Dad first came here nearly 25 years ago, there were lots fewer pieces in the tree.” (You can see a photo from that time on the post, “Caturday Art: Where’s the Cat?”

After looking at the tree and walking back up the beach, Periwinkle seems to have calmed down. She tells Stinky that she is starving and asks if they could get a snack. He tells her that there is a nice restaurant on the beach at Long Bay and they head back in that direction. It is quite a hike, and they are both exhausted when they get there.

Snack Time

Before going up the steps to the restaurant, Stinky and Periwinkle spot a friendly bi-eyed kitty. Periwinkle whispers to Stinky, “Look at that kitty’s gorgeous eyes…one green and one blue. Let’s go say, ‘hi.'” Stinky agrees.

The tabbies have a nice meow with the kitty. She explains to them that there are kitties all over the island. Stinky tells her that his mom has shared lots of photos with him and his fursibs of all the cats she has met during her visits. Then he asks if the restaurant has any good, fresh fish? Their new friend agrees to show them where they can find someone who will give them some yummy morsels.

Sunset

After their snack, Periwinkle and Stinky head back down to the beach for a nap. When they awaken the sun is setting. Periwinkle gasps when she sees it.

“Stinky, that is so beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here,” says Periwinkle. The tabbies hug each other tightly and watch until the sun totally disappears. When it is down, they stroll slowly to their teleportation tunnel. As they walk, Stinky tells Periwinkle that they have only seen a tiny bit of the island, and he promises to bring her back another time to explore other areas.

They enter their tunnel and moments later arrive back at Periwinkle’s house. It is very late and so after a quick “hello” to Periwinkle’s mom and fursibs, the tabbies share some whisker kisses and paw hugs. Then Stinky enters his tunnel and with a whoosh is gone.

The End

If you would like to see more photos from Tortola, enter the word, Tortola, in the search box at the bottom of the sidebar.

Periwinkle and Stinky are participating in the Happy Tuesday blog hop at Comedy Plus.

Note: All photos were taken by Tom Blue and used with permission.