Victor's first act of survival was completed out of sight of his forever family. It must have happened sometime during the year or so he had been alive. But that history was lost in the mists of time. Puppy time is mistier than people's time. In any case, he was a stray. And he had been sent to the shelter to wonder what the whole thing was about. It was in the colorful days of October when he got lucky. His Boss-to-be ha...
Two dogs. A rabbit. Four cats. Two parakeets. Nine cedar boxes filled with the life’s ashes of our fur and feathered family for over the last 40+ years. We are down to just one now. Gimley the cat came to us some seven years ago. He was a feral cat who was surprisingly human-friendly. We fed and watered him but it was obvious he was the neighborhood cat that knew which families would give him the most attention. He was we...
The night is cold. Who will be out tonight?The doorbell rings."Trick or treat!"Oops, he's out."C'mon back inside!"Don't scare the tyke. Give her some treats. She smiles, and the door closes.Grinning, I look at him. He looks at me."Okay, you get one, too."The doorbell rings."Trick or treat!" Another tyke. More treats. He looks up at me."Sure."The doorbell rings again and again. He looks up at me each time.Okay, okay. A new...
Randy Thoughts is my paperboy. He may just be the smartest person I know. You wouldn’t think that someone as smart as Randy Thoughts would be content delivering newspapers for a living. But you don’t know Randy.Like, one day several months ago. Randy and I were just laying on our backs in my front yard, looking up at the stars. Randy was chewing on a blade of grass. Since it was February, I had hypothermia.“Mr. Zee,” said...
Billy Chapter Fourteen Easter Sunday Tom was once again on his feet trying to take things easy, as ordered by his Doctor. But to easy for Tom's liking, he was trying to behave himself with the understanding if he followed the Dr. instructions he could be released from the hospital the following day. Faye had arranged for her father-in-law when he ready moved to a room she had prepared for the old farmer on the first floor...
Chapter 10 The morning afterIt was morning, and Kaye had been awake for some time. Her normal drive to start her day early wasn't there. She wanted just to lie in bed a little longer. Sleep had evaded her during the night. The winter storm had passed, and the sun now shone through her bedroom window. Kaye rolled over in bed and pulled the quilts tightly up around her.She found the warm spot on the bed again and curled her...
Chapter 7 A Lost Soul Meanwhile in another part of the county, there was another patient, who was recovering. Tom wanted to go home too. The private room was silent except for the hissing sounds from oxygen fed to the room's elderly patient. Get well cards filled the room. There were some taped to the walls and window frames. A large vase of flowers had been placed on his nightstand. A few family snapshots were scatted ar...
Chapter 6 A Beacon of Hope Kaye fought to keep the car on the snow covered road. The car's wipers made dragging sounds, as they ran over the bits of ice, the Jeeps frozen blades failed to do much. The wipers wore away at the sheet of melting ice. Bits of ice broke away from the main body slowly but left a wet sheen behind. The snow stuck to it, as they swiped across it, leaving it blurred, then clear, then blurred again....
Chapter 3 Billy had traveled all day through fields, crossing busy highways down wood roads and was now trying to find a way across a river. He stopped there looking over his surroundings. He sat for a while took a quick drink then wandered back up the riverbank. Picking up a human scent, he followed it down a path that leads him to a crossroad. His coat was beginning to show signs of his off-roading. He was covered in mu...
Chapter oneThe December morning sun rose slowly over the town, lighting the tops of the buildings while bathing them in the morning soft yellow light. Traffic began to increase, the start of another busy weekend. Steam rising from the sewer grates huddled close to the ground as passing cars caused it to swirl and then settle down again. The plumes of exhaust from the home and factory chimneys were making their way up thro...
She was the last one,The last I'd ever bury. She was my preciousWhom I could never carry,Allowing herself to be heldFor only thirty secondsAnd then she twisted free.But she would lie for hoursUpon my outstretched legsAs we read our books together.She was Antigua Jane the cat. Before her was my buddyWho yearned when I was gone.Lying at the doorwayNose pressed against the sill,Trying to smell my approach,My return from all...
