Bikkie has the important job of narrating the previous events that brought us to where we are now!
Just a reminder that it is DC Panda Birthday week over at my Substack encampment! Pop on over there if you haven’t already, and read a nice little assortment of ‘toons about the panda kids!
Be the Bear!
Bob T pass me some cake Panda
I don’t even know what is going to happen next!
Bless their hearts!
Stay ‘tooned. Maybe I’ll figure out what is going to happen next? No dull moments at the Panda House!
Panda On
Bob T is on indictment watch Panda
Now where were we?…Oh yes. Josie (Frank and Mikey’s sister and Pookie’s mom) has arrived. Lun Lun and Yang Yang snuck off from the goodbye party for Ya Ya, leaving Six and Sebben at the Panda House in DC (Bless their hearts!) Mei Xiang has been trying to figure out where to put everyone including Six and Sebben.
And then there is the new penthouse suite that Pinky had built for herself…
If none of this makes sense or rings a bell, just go back a month or two in the archives and catch up. What are you waiting for?
Oh no! Six and Sebben hav hacked Pinky’s security system and hijacked her elevator! And Mr. Bun went with them!
Be the Bear!
Bob T is on indictment watch Panda
Oh yes…As we return to our previous story…let’s see…Josie arrived looking for her cub Pookie. Pookie and Bikkie did not want to be separated, so somebody (who knows who…maybe Bikkie?) invited Josie to move in too. We’ll see how long that lasts. Lun Lun snuck out with Yang Yang after Ya Ya’s goodbye party, leaving Six and Sebben behind.
Fortunately, construction was completed on Pinky’s penthouse suite (hey, it’s fiction!) in advance of scheduled completion, so looks like there is room for everyone! As usual, Mei Xiang must make everything work and keep everything from falling into chaos.
I’ve been writing a little Inner Panda Diary over at my Substack home. You could check it out.
Also, I have procrastinated getting these original watercolors from The Panda Cub Swap posted. Rather than bombard you with all of them, all at once, I thought it might be easier to post them in groups.
This group is the small spot illustrations that appear in a double page spread in the book. They are each $95 including US postage. Outside the US (if anyone is interested) postage will be at cost. International shipping has gone up, so be forewarned. If you are interested, use the Contact Me page, and identify the painting by number.
The individual paintings are all about 4″x6″ ish, and are matted at 6″x8″
Be the Bear!
Bob T my house is still standing after the fireworks Panda
Ever since I discovered that Mei Xiang and Lun Lun were half sisters, it opened up all sorts of story lines in the pandasphere. I know Aunty Mei loves her little nieces to death, bless their hearts!
If, like me, you are avoiding all mention of the debt ceiling hoo haa, there is no better distraction than pandas! Turn on the Panda Cam for the 245 hour a day loop!
Be the Bear
BobT the GQP are morons Panda
So as I recall, PPJ showed up, poofed Frank, Mikey, Bikkie, and Pookie into a hot air balloon and off they went. Meanwhile, Josie finally found her way from Alaska to the Panda House at the National Zoo.
Okay! you are caught up.
Meanwhile, Friend to Bears Lucilla suggested that a gathering of pandas to say farewell to Ya Ya as she returns to China would be a fun thing. I immediately pounced (like a cat!) on this as a way to wrap up a story that seemed (like a hot air balloon) to be drifting aimlessly on the breeze.
Maybe don’t stand right under the balloon?
Be the Bear!
Bob T I bet somebody is gonna get grounded Panda
…for all who celebrate!
Sadly, we are destined to be a country without pandas in the next year or two. San Diego’s pandas were sent to China in 2019, and the pandemic, not to mention TFG’s crappy stances on China meant we weren’t going to get a new panda loan agreement any time soon. Noted panda writer Henry Nicholls wrote an opinion piece for CNN about our addiction to domesticated pandas. That might not be quite how he put it, but he does have a point.
Pandas in the wild are different animals, and now it appears there may be some genetic difference between pandas that live in the wild and pandas that grew up on the all you can eat cruise ship model. “Pandas are solitary? Who knew?!!!!” said a group of pandas sitting around the table chowing down on boo shoots while playing Mah Jong.
Any way, now Ya Ya is on her way back to Beijing, alas without Le Le who succumbed to a previously undiagnosed heart ailment.
Stay tuned for further developments!
Be the Bear!
Bob T pass the endless boo buffet Panda
If you haven’t read Henry Nicholls’ The Way of the Panda, you should fix that immediately. It’s a great book about all things pandas, the politics of pandas, and there is a cameo appearance of a ‘toon that was perhaps done by your favorite practitioner of panda satire! My literary claim to fame!
Whatever and however you celebrate, remember, it is always better to celebrate with pandas! Yes, even with Pinky.
I’m sure absolutely no one will be offended by today’s ‘toon. ( I ran it past my spiritual advisor and she said it…um…now what was it she said? Oh well. Here it is anyway!)
Remember! Every time a bell rings, a panda gets a cuppycake! I’m doing a three part Encore Presentation of Beary Poppins over at my Finding Your Inner Panda Noozletter on Substack. Check out the first installment here!
And do check in on Crispmoss Morning here, for an Encore Presentation of The Twelve Days of Crispmoss, starring you know who!
Till then,
Be the Bear!
Bob T I’ve been very good Panda
Pinky holds a staff meeting! Sometimes she says nice stuff!
I’ve checked out of Twidder for now, so you can find me on Heffalump! (okay or Poot’er!)
Be the Bear!
Bob T under a blanket of snow Panda
You know that scary part of the movie when the main character realizes the monster/villain/creepy supernatural being is in the house?
Hopefully by next week I’ll be back on my regular schedule. (if there are no more wind storms where the power goes out for day)
Be the Bear
Bob T keeping my fingers crossed for Democratic control of Congress Panda