THE WALKER RANCH

"I want to meet this Khaat. She sounds interesting. Probably not like a lot of the women I ever met," Andrew said, yawning. He didn't realize he was getting sleepy at first, but between the hot chocolate warming him up and the covers in a room that was so happily his, he started to feel that he might be able to go to sleep. "Sounds like a busy day tomorrow. You ready to go to sleep? I think I'm getting really tired." Andrew confessed. "If you are, I'll put out the wand and we can go to sleep."

John saw andrew yawn and followed with his own "yeah, I feel tired too " he looked at todd "it he ok?" he asked Andrew "that storm didn't shake him did it? though i guess being out side there use to it" he lay down the covers pulled up to his chin as he ywned again and slowly drifted off to sleep dreaming of racing todd and winning against bigger frogs. "Mumm, khaats a good lady" he said dreamily suggaling deeper into his pilow.

Andrew put out the light in his wand and laid it beside his bed. He curled up in his bed, his thoughts drifting to the boat shaped bed and what it must be like to fall asleep floating in a boat on the water. He could picture it, from his time swimming in the creek, floating down the creek until it was almost too far to come home. Almost. He fell asleep dreaming about having his own ship someday--maybe a pirate schooner. Captain Andrew.....

John woke to the smell of cooking and the toy dog wrapped in his arms , he threw it off the bed and streached hiting somthing warm sitting up he smiled "hay come on waker up todays the day you get to mee Khaat and dads cooking " he said jumping from the bed and diving to his own room to quickly dress in jeans and a tee shirt with homer simson on.

Walking back he pocked his head around the corner of the door "come on sleepy , it rare dad cooks he must be in a good mood" he walked over to the window and pcked up the jar with todd in "hey i think his legs are coming" he said taking the jar to the bed "see theres lumps on him"

"It'll take a few days," Andrew yawned. He got up and pulled out apair of jeans and a plain red t-shirt. He went over to his pack, took out a jar of bugs and gave Frog a couple, putting the lid back tightly on the bug jar, and shutting the lid on the frog house. He wandered out of the bedroom into the kitchen to see Steven busy cooking breakfast. He looked out the windows. It looked like it was going to be a nice spring day. He wanted to take some time to see the farm before going next door. He understood the farm next door was bigger. Maybe that meant more trees or something. He wasn't quite sure. Andrew wasn't trying to be unsociable. It just took him a bit to wake up in the mornings. His housemates had gotten used to the fact that it took him a bit.

John shrugged and took Todd into the kitchen placing him on the counter and sat down. Steven glanced over at it then walked over to look inside "looks like hes started to get his legs , might take two or three days befoe they come completely" he said smiling at Andrew "morning sleepy" he paced two plates of fesh cooked breackfast in front of them both. John started eating as Steven placed two glasses or fresh juice next to there plates "john slow down its not a race and were not going over till this afternoon" steven said chuckling "sleep well andrew?" he asked seeing by how quiet he was he was not a morning person.

"Yeah, fine," Andrew yawned, going to breakfast. He ate breakfast with them, observing the tadpole every so often. He knew he'd have to get a bit of algae for him to eat today. But not too much or the water would just turn green. John didn't know what a tadpole ate, so he would get it and show John how to find it. Eventually, John would have to be willing to catch bugs for his frog or train his frog to go get his own without running off. "We need to feed Todd after breakfast," Andrew said, still rather quiet. Breakfast was helping, but mostly it would just take a little time.

Steven sat and ate his "john you do know you'll have to figure out what todd here eats " he said smiling knowing Andrew was thinking the same thing, John just nodded as he ate "what do they eat?" he finally said finishing his breakfast "Im sure Khaat will know" he plced his plate into the dishwasher and then headed for the living room to watch TV leaving Todd on the counter. Returning a moment later with a smile to pick up the jar.

"so andrew what you planing on doing today til lunch, read sit in the tree house , check ut the large barn thats empty" he said slipping his own plate into the washer too.

"Nah. Get some algae for Todd. He eats algae. Someday he'll eat bugs, but right now, he just eats plants. Leaves are too big yet. So, I'll get him some algae," Andrew said, taking a drink of orange juice. "Then maybe climb some trees or something. Do you climb trees, John?" Andrew didn't know much about John yet, but it might be interesting in the finding out.

John stuck his head around a corner when he heard his name "I know a good climbing tree " he said back grinning to andrew "ok but rember to come when I call because then we'll be going to Khaats for the barbeque " steven said tidying up the kitchen as he went. Grbbing a cup of coffee he moved to sit in the living room quietly.