Some new friends arrive with a knock at the door. Others come by way of an introduction.
Chewy the Grasshopper flittered in from the field one day in July, found himself a comfortable spot, and apparently decided the accommodations suited him.
He has been hanging around ever since.
If you have visited The Front Porch these past few months, you may have spotted our little green friend in a picture or two. Usually wearing a straw hat. Frequently chewing on a stem of grass. Orchardgrass, preferably. Generally looking as though whatever needed doing could wait until after he finished enjoying the afternoon.
We thought it was time for a proper introduction.
Friends, meet Chewy.
Chewy, meet our friends.
You will have to please excuse him for not getting up. He has just found a comfortable position, and those can take considerable arranging.
When his July visit carried on through August and into September, Red and I decided we ought to put him to work.
Sort of.
It is a little difficult to say whether Chewy is working on The Front Porch, or if he is working on us.
He certainly looks capable when he puts on his striped overalls and railroad cap. Give him a lantern, and you would expect important things to happen.
In his straw hat, leaning against a fence post, his duties are less apparent.
“What are you working on, Chewy?” Little Red Bear asked him one afternoon.
“Somethin’ seasonal.”
“Leaves?”
“Cookies.”
That got our attention.
Apparently, while we were busy writing stories and preparing pictures, Chewy had been developing something called the Meadow Munch Crunch Cookie.
With Autumn arriving, he felt the time was right to expand.
Chewy’s Pumpkin Spice Meadow Munch Crunch Cookies.
Official October Edition.
That is a considerable name for a cookie proposed by someone who can sit comfortably on a fence post.
“What makes it official?” I asked.
“Approved it myself.”
“And have you baked any?”
“Still workin’ on the eatin’ arrangements. Just be ready to mix and stir.”
Red looked at me.
I looked at Red.
Chewy adjusted his hat.
We thought we had acquired a helper. He appears to believe he acquired a staff.
In the meantime, Chewy has been appointed the official Insect Crossing Guard at Willow Bend Junction along the Sugar Creek & Southern Railroad, or as locals simply refer to it as “The Sugar Creek Line.”
And Chewy takes his new position very seriously. He has an engineer’s cap, striped overalls, a red bandana, and even his very own railroad lantern.
What he does not yet have is a train schedule.
We’re working on that.
Regarding the cookies — his plans, as best we can understand them, involve an old-fashioned chewy cookie, something pleasantly crunchy, and enough Autumn goodness to justify a second helping.
He has also expressed interest in a chocolate-and-mint variety for Halloween.
Grasshopper Cookies.
For once, the name came easily.
We will need to do some proper recipe work before inviting anyone to put these ideas into an actual oven. Chewy’s enthusiasm is well established. A grasshopper’s ingredients and measurements are another matter.
So there is no recipe today. If we get the cookies ready to share, you will hear about it first here.
One ingredient has already been ruled out.
Actual Orchardgrass.
Chewy considers that a disappointing concession, but the rest of us are standing firm.
Meanwhile, his duties around The Front Porch remain pleasantly varied. Occasional helper. Companion to Little Red Bear. Observer of passing clouds. Self-appointed head of cookie quality control.
That last position is the one he seems most eager to begin.
Still, he contributes something useful even when he is sitting perfectly still.
Little Red Bear and I can get wrapped up in the next paragraph, the next picture, the next story, and whatever else is waiting on the list. Then we notice Chewy watching something out in the field, and we look up.
A butterfly passes. The grass bends in a breeze. A little bird lands on the fence.
For a moment, we stop working and enjoy being there.
Then Chewy asks whether we have any snacks.
We are glad he stayed. He reminds and helps us to settle. And that’s a good thing.
You can expect to find Chewy popping up around The Front Porch here — lending a hand, keeping Red company, or thinking through the considerable responsibilities of a grasshopper with cookie ambitions.
With Autumn here and Chewy already asking about indoor accommodations, we figured it was time to introduce him properly.
Knowing Chewy, he has already picked out a spot.
Probably near the kitchen.
Till next time then —
Jim (and Red!)
A Little Red Bear P.S.
I brought Chewy a quilt in case the evenings turn chilly. He asked whether breakfast came with the accommodations.
I believe Jim and I have opened a boarding house.
— Red 🐾
A note about images — Original artwork throughout The Front Porch has been created from my concepts and creative direction with the assistance of AI.
