Twirlybirch: To Fernland and Back

Chapter One

A Surprise Prize

It had been a couple of years since Beauregard and Sparkle Snowflake Twirlybirch invented floating. Beauregard sat quietly at his desk in his bedroom. He thought back fondly of how, thanks to a string of circumstances, the family’s lives had been changed.

Those many months ago, Beauregard had been working on a project aimed at improving his Auntie Gertrude’s life. Unbeknownst to Auntie Gertrude, Beauregard and Sparkle Snowflake had moved into her home while she was away on a trip. Back then, Beauregard’s project was building stairs. He built her a set up the steep hill behind her house. They had hopes she would enjoy using them to see beautiful sunsets.

He and Sparkle Snowflake, used their combined determination. Between them they carried and dragged the two benches up that steep hill for Auntie Gertrude. She could sit on it whenever she wanted.

Truthfully, it had been a great gigantic Oops. You see, Beauregard mistakenly thought that his parents were lost in an accident. Thinking they were left all on their own made Beauregard panic. To avoid being taken to an adoption agency, he and his dear little sister, Sparkle Snowflake, had sneaked into Auntie Gertrude’s empty home. Feelings of guilt arose since they had not asked for her permission. On top of that, they were using Auntie Gertrude’s money, also without asking.

So Beauregard had decided to make the stairway up the steep hillside. This entailed a difficult and serious undertaking to be sure. It had taken quite a few weeks of hard work. Not wanting to be left out, Sparkle Snowflake decided that she would help her brother.

She was climbing the stairway to take Beauregard a snack and drink one day, hooking her umbrella into her belt so she could carry the tray. When a strong breeze came whistling up the hillside, it caught the umbrella and lifted her off the ground. She had thoroughly enjoyed floating down the hill that day, and that was how the discovery of floating came about.

Faster than you can say, Beauregard better beware and behave, the two of them were having a marvellous time floating down the hill. When they were spotted by other children, their new sport became popular. Before they knew it, they had a little business with boys and girls coming from near and far to take turns floating down their hill using their umbrellas.

Way back then, one of their first customers was a girl named Mary Alfred. Mary’s parents were Crissy and Bill Alfred, and the whole family was very proud of their First Nation heritage.

Mary was a friendly and warmhearted girl who had gone through public school with Beauregard. She was a star player on their school soccer team, and secretly Beauregard had a crush on her. She was awfully cute with straight, dark pigtails and freckles on her cheeks. Her eyes were as dark as ink, and Beauregard often found himself tongue tied when he looked into them.

Mary had been terribly excited to try floating with the umbrella. When she landed, she jumped in joy, then ran over to give Beauregard a hefty hug. His face had turned red as a beet.

With Auntie Gertrude’s return, the business had grown. In time, Sparkle Snowflake and Beauregard’s parents had even become involved. So it became a family backyard business, and didn’t it take off like a rocket? You bet it did!

The floating sport became popular and the family did well. Beauregard expanded the idea when he introduced the Pedal-Powered-Umbrella, or PPU. His invention sold like hotcakes. In fact, it did so well that his dad and mom didn’t have to work any more.

Beauregard’s dad and mom were quite proud of him. James Twirlybirch had always been handy, handsome and hard-working. His job at the Recreation Centre kept him happy since he worked outside as a groundskeeper in the summer, then inside making ice during the winter. While other groundskeepers moaned and muttered about the work, James felt fortunate to be working on gardens and borders, mowing and edging, or transplanting and watering. The thing he liked best, though, was driving the Zamboni. As a kid he had grown up skating from the age of five. As an adult he was more than content to have the privilege of making ice for figure skaters and hockey players of all ages.

Sara Twirlybirch was an enthusiastic go getter (a characteristic that she had passed on to Beauregard). As a mother of two, she felt that her first job was her children. She actively took part in Beauregard and Sparkle Snowflake’s school activities as a parent volunteer. Each night she read to her children, encouraging them to become lifelong readers.

Sara loved her job at the Recreation Centre as a fitness instructor. Her yoga, Tai-Chi, swimming and cross-fitness-training classes were always popular choices. They filled up faster than most of the others that were offered.

The more time she spent with Auntie Gertrude, the more Sara’s interest in gardening grew. Together they produced gardens filled with organic vegetables for the table, as well as flowers for friends and family. On weekends, they could often be found at the Farmer’s Market, selling or trading their organic produce and flowers. Auntie Gertrude and Sara were known far and wide for their passion for gardening and their green thumbs.

With the success of the PPU sales, the family decided to sell the floating business. James and Sara kept their jobs at the Rec Centre, but on a part-time basis. So they had more time for gardening and other forms of recreation. James was an avid fisherman, while Sara took up hiking and photography. While Beauregard and Sparkle Snowflake didn’t mind hiking with their parents, they both preferred floating.

Auntie Gertrude had slowed down over the years. Although her mind was still as sharp as a tack, she was finding more aches and pains in her joints these days. When Sara invited her to go on hikes, she would most often answer with a slight smile, You go, Dear. I’ll stay home this time and do a little gardening. On occasion, if it was not too long, Auntie Gertrude would tag along with Sara, James and the kids. Her favourite hikes went along a river’s edge or passed by trickling creeks.

As a younger woman, Auntie Gertrude had stayed busy with the yard and garden, hobbies that she’d kept up for decades. Then, just about a year ago, Beauregard had gotten involved with a school photography contest having to do with nature. When the dust had settled, Auntie Gertrude was involved in protecting an endangered little thing called the marbled murrelet, a small seabird that lived in old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. These little treasures were threatened by logging, climate change, oil spills, entanglement, and destruction of habitat.

Auntie Gertrude’s latest project was a fund-raiser to help the marbled murrelet. She was a member of an environmental group called ‘Friends of the Land’, and the group had decided that the proceeds from the fund-raiser would be used to protect the habitat of the precious little seabird. Then they went even further. Since Beauregard had recently been responsible for helping protect the habitat of the marbled murrelet, the Friends of the Land had decided to reward him.

There were attractive and valuable prizes to be awarded for the fund-raiser. First prize was a Robert Bateman painting of a marbled murrelet, second prize was a Kodak camera, and third prize was a photography book of endangered birds.

As a special honour, the environmental group decided to present Beauregard with a one-week stay at the Coquitlam Retreat, a well known outdoor-education resort and retreat not far from their home in Chilliwack, BC. The camp was located near the Wigeon Valley National Wildlife Area. The area had wetlands that were home to many migratory and endangered birds. The wetlands were exactly the type of habitat the marbled murrelet preferred. There was a good chance a few might be found there. When Beauregard heard about the generous gift, he was not overly excited.

Chapter Two

Beauregard’s Explanation

It’s not that I don’t want to go; it’s just that there isn’t much to do in a wetlands campground, and I’m not actually a bird watcher, Beauregard explained. As his family sat at the dining room table having supper, they were mystified by his words since his behaviour seemed out of character.

The family was not aware that he was upset by what was going on in his head. He had recently stuck his foot in his mouth with Mary. His aim had been humour but it had ended sadly. He was disturbed that he had accidentally upset Mary and lost her as a close friend.

You should, if truth be told, be very thankful that the Friends of the Land have been so generous, Beauregard, cautioned his mother. They didn’t need to gift this to you, and your attitude is not the behaviour we expected.

Son, added his dad, if you don’t accept their gift, you’ll have to explain why you have turned them down. That could be difficult and embarrassing.

It’s not that massive a problem, Auntie Gertrude added, I’m sure the prize can be given to someone else.

If it were me, I’d do a bit of research before I made a decision, Sparkle Snowflake piped up. While you were all talking, I looked up the Coquitlam Retreat on my tablet. They have plenty of fun things to do, not just bird watching.

Like what? questioned Beauregard with a skeptical look.

It says here the camp has many activities, including kayaking, rock climbing, horseback riding, drawing & design, archery, story writing, hiking, canoeing, fishing, and, of course, bird watching. Those seem pretty awesome to me! Sparkle Snowflake expanded. She was hoping that Beauregard would be gone for the week-long camping trip.

Once again, the family was impressed by Sparkle Snowflake’s problem-solving abilities. James and Sara Twirlybirch smiled at her, while Auntie Gertrude reached over and patted her on the back, telling her, Good job finding that information on the Internet.

Sparkle Snowflake was miffed at her brother and his attitude. She had silently watched as he had been interviewed on TV, radio, and even in newspapers with ‘his’ invention. She thought it completely unfair that Beauregard had gotten to visit Amsterdam and Saudi Arabia with the PPU. Why hadn’t she been able to go, too?

When she thought back to how the floating had started, for many reasons his popularity bugged her. She was the first one to float with an umbrella. She had been the one who suggested putting a propeller on top of the umbrella. Yet Beauregard was always the one given credit.

Sparkle Snowflake had seen how Beauregard had quickly become some kind of hero in school. Boys and girls followed him around, smiling and listening to him at recess or after school, as if he was special. She thought it was disgusting how they made him into something he wasn’t. If he went to the camp for a week, she would not miss him one tiny bit.

That seems like a Tom-Terrific camp to go to! Auntie Gertrude bubbled. They have way more than just bird watching! If I were younger I’d want to go!

Beauregard thought to himself, ‘Actually this camp sounds a whole lot better than I expected.’

That does sound like fun, you’re right, Sparky, Beauregard answered.

Don’t call me that! cried Sparkle Snowflake. She strongly disliked the nickname that Beauregard had started calling her.

Don’t blow your cork! responded Beauregard with a sly little smile. He knew the nickname bothered her.

Calm down, both of you! insisted their dad. If she doesn’t like that name, then don’t use it, Beauregard.

I have decided that from now on I would like to be called Sparkle instead of Sparkle Snowflake. Snowflake seems too childish.

This announcement caught her family off guard, but as usual, they were supportive. Auntie Gertrude smiled, That is fine, Sparkle. When I was younger I decided I no longer liked being called Gertie. Both of Sparkle’s parents nodded in agreement.

All right, all right. I won’t call you Sparky. Anyway, since the camp has so many fun activities, I’ve changed my mind. It sounds great and I’d love to go for a week.

There you go, Beauregard! You’ll have a fabulous time! smiled Auntie Gertrude. And just to be fair, I will pay for Sparkle to go to the camp for that same week!

‘Oh, no’, Sparkle thought to herself, ‘I don’t want to go at the same time as Beauregard, he’ll end up being ‘Mr. Popular’ again.’

She responded, Thank you, Auntie Gertrude, but if it’s all right, I would rather go to camp later on, when some of my friends from school can go. Privately, she hoped her family would let her have her way. She wanted to separate herself from Beauregard and his probable popularity.

With a frown, Sara said, Sparkle, I genuinely think you should forget about going at a later date with your school friends. We’ll be lucky to register you for the camp at all. These camps fill up fast, so some children are just not able to go. Be glad you are included and thank your lucky stars that Auntie Gertrude thought of you!

Her dad then added, "Mom is right, Sparkle. Even if your friends were able to register for the same camp as you, they would most likely