Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Aren't you happy that we've reached another Thursday? We sure are. One reason is that we always look forward to the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge, hosted by Angel Sammy and Teddy.

Each week, our hosts share a photo prompt to help get our creative poetry juices flowing. This week, they shared an incredibly fun retro photo. See?

Every time I see a van even remotely resembling that one there, the first thing that always comes to my mind is The Mystery Machine, the van driven by none other than Scooby-Doo and his gang. As an animal-loving child, Scooby-Doo was indeed one of the cartoon characters whose adventures I often did follow while growing up.

So, indeed, Scooby-Doo inspired my poem this week. To be honest, I must say that I always try to steer clear of directly using copyrighted material in any of my own works, whether they be those with words or doodles. I really just don't want to mess around with the game of copyright infringement. That being said, though, with absolutely no intention of earning any gain off of this, I really felt compelled to let Scooby-Doo take the lead in my poem this week.

Scooby-Doo and Kitty-Too

There's a famous brown hound named Scooby-Doo,

Who solves mysteries with his loyal and bumbling crew.

Scooby was an expert in the field of mystery,

Solving problems spanning all sorts of history.

Yet even the best of the best sometimes need help,

And for such help even once Scooby-Doo did yelp.

You see, there was one dark and stormy night,

When Scooby-Doo was given a bit of a fright.

He had been called to a big and tired old house,

Where he found stirring far more than one little mouse.

It was the butler who had made the call to trusty Scooby,

Telling the hound that in the house was something far too spooky.

The old lady of the house was deafer than deaf,

But haunting noises had been heard by the butler and the chef.

Skittering and scratching and even some yowls,

That was what could be heard even over the wind's howls.

And so Scooby-Doo tiptoed his way into the manse,

Where in every corner cobwebs swayed and danced.

It truly did not take long at all,

Before Scooby-Doo heard chilling sounds in every wall.

There was a scratch and a scrape and even a growl,

Followed by a screech that was fouler than foul.

Quivering and quaking at those chilling sounds,

Scooby-Doo tiptoed on with a yip and a worried frown.

Scooby racked his brain for creatures rare and common,

Searching for ghosts, poltergeists, gremlins, and goblins.

But nothing he did would draw the thing out,

The mysterious being just continued to scream and shout.

 Scooby-Doo even pulled out his book of spells.

In response, the mystery creature just stomped and yelled.

Scooby-Doo simply had to admit,

This case was a tad bit beyond even his wit.

Scooby-Doo dashed out to his van of orange, blue, and green,

And down that old deserted road he did speed and speed.

Scooby-Doo raced along until he arrived at a cottage,

Where lived an old friend filled with all sorts of knowledge.

From the porch he was certain he could hear snores,

And so he knocked as loud as he could on the door.

Finally, the door opened to the sight of Scooby's old pal,

She had black and brown hair and was a whiskered gal.

She chirruped, mewed, and waved a welcome to Scooby-Doo.

The hound declared, "Why, hello there, Kitty-Too!"

After the greetings were said and done,

Clever Kitty-Too put an end to the fun.

"I'm guessing that you need my help," she did say.

Scooby-Doo nodded to indicate his answer was a yay.

And so back in Scooby's van they did hop.
Finally, in front of that haunted house they did stop.
Without an ounce of hesitation, Kitty-Too trotted inside.
Scooby-Doo had difficulty masking his jitters with pride.

To each and every wall Kitty-Too pressed an ear,
All while Scooby-Doo still struggled to hide his fear.
Kitty-Too's nose rose up in the air,
Trying to sniff out the thing making everyone so scared.

The sounds of scratching and growling in the walls hit a crescendo,
So that against every wall the noises did echo and echo.
Kitty-Too looked up at the ceiling and stared with wide eyes,
Until she finally laughed and made Scooby jump back in surprise.

Kitty-Too declared, "Scooby-Doo, you're not hearing a ghost.

That's the sound of this very old, tired house's host!"

"You mean Old Lady Lou?" Scooby-Doo asked,

To which Kitty-Too shook her head and laughed.

Kitty-Too beckoned Scooby-Doo to follow her then,
And up a flight of creaking old stairs they did ascend.
The entire time Kitty-Too kept her eyes on the ceiling overhead,
Until she stopped just outside of the master bedroom with its canopy bed.

Kitty-Too pointed up at a door in the ceiling,
Which gave Scooby the chills and a scared little feeling.
"If you could just open that, please,"
Was what Kitty-Too said to Scooby and his quivering knees.

Not wanting to appear anything less than brave,
Scooby reached for that door, hoping it wouldn't land him in a grave.
Just before the door swung down,
From it emitted a shriek and a growl.

Scooby-Doo jumped back, far away from the door,
Especially since something jumped from the darkness to the floor.
But, Scooby-Doo could not help but cock his head,
For apparently a simple tabby cat had filled everyone with dread.

Kitty-Too purred and mewed at the freed feline,
Who looked ruffled and let out a grumbling whine.
"How on earth did you get up there?" Kitty-Too asked.
The tabby cat shook out its fur and let out a spat.
Then it replied, "I was simply chasing a mouse,

When I was locked up there by some silly old lout."

That was all the tabby was willing to say,
For it had begun to bathe its fur filled with cobwebs quite grey.
Finally, the cat turned to them its fuzzy rear,

And to the master bedroom it did dramatically steer.

Kitty-Too turned to Scooby-Doo and shrugged.
"Is that all you needed?" she asked with a look quite smug.
Scooby-Doo ruffed, sulked, and nodded his yes.
Kitty-Too then turned to leave, while to Scooby she addressed,
"I'll see you next the time you need me to get you out of a mess!"

***

It's time for the Thimble part of this Thursday! As usual, Thimble is not only gracing you all with her adorable presence, but she's also participating in Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop. Can you guess what Thimble is thankful for today?

Boxes! That box from the store that will be the demise of Thimble's mom's bank account Target showed up all bunged up and worse for wear. So, to make it look 1000% times better, Thimble adorned it with herself! Honestly, though, aren't boxes just the best? Thimble asked for an entire photo shoot on that there box, because it made her feel that grand. So, you'll certainly be seeing more photos of her and her box in the near future.

What are you all thankful for today? In addition to boxes, we're always so very grateful for this wonderful blogging community, and for all of you friends we've made here. Whatever you're thankful for, certainly feel free to share it over at Brian's blog!

***

Tomorrow is Friday. Friday brings about lots of things, one of those being the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Here are the fill-ins that you are indeed welcome to fill in for tomorrow. Ellen of 15andmeowing crafted up the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. _________ brings out the best in me.

2. _________ makes me grumpier than Grumpy Cat.

3. If money grew on trees, I would _________.

4. I have a fear of _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Today's tip in our series on taking your cat to the vet is to be prepared. This may seem strange or vague, but being prepared prior to loading your kitty up in the carrier and taking him or her to the vet can help everyone avoid extra and unneeded stress and anxiety. Being prepared even involves the moments when you're getting ready to head to the vet. For example, before you get your cat into the carrier, have everything ready to go so that your kitty doesn't have to wait in the carrier longer than necessary. Have anything loaded up that you might need at the vet, such as treats, toys, or even goodies such as your cat's fecal sample. Also think of what might need prepped in the car, such as if it's hot outside and the car needs pre-cooled, if it's cold outside and the car needs pre-warmed, or even if you need to pre-prepare a safe seat in the car for your kitty's carrier.

Of course, being prepared doesn't just end with what needs done prior to arriving at the vet. For example, if you have questions to ask or notes to share with the veterinarian, have those written down or otherwise ready to be addressed prior to arriving. This can ensure that the appointment does not last longer than necessary, which is especially important for anxious cats who grow increasingly nervous the longer they're at the vet. So, for the sake of your cat and to reduce any anxiety they might feel during a vet visit, do your best to be fully prepare prior to arriving at the vet for your kitty's appointment.