The problem was Billy, you see. Billy’s our town dog, ever since Sally passed away quietly on Doc’s porch, and Billy’s owner, Stewart Simpson, died two weeks later. The people who inherited Stew’s house didn’t particularly enjoy having Billy around, and Billy appeared to feel the same way about them, so he became our dog. [...]
When it’s cold, build a fire in the fireplace, or the wood-burning heater, or maybe just light a candle and look in the flames, look deep in the flames for the answers. I’ve always believed they are there, and this time of year is a time for questions. It is a time to weigh the [...]
Annette George, owner of the Soup ‘R Market, picked up the list of her New Year’s resolutions: 1. Replace cracked glass on the meat cooler. 2. Walk two miles each morning before work. 3. Lose 15 pounds by summer. 4. Take a class in Spanish. She thought about the kind of person she’d be at [...]
‘Twas the morning after Christmas, and all through the Mule Barn truck stop’s philosophy counter … “Happy Boxing Day!” said Herb, settling in and flipping his cup to the upright and fillable position. “Boxing Day?” said Steve. “It certainly is,” Herb said. He’s like that … a lot. We looked at each other. Doc put [...]
When Pop Walker sneaked out the kitchen door the other day, it affected all of us. He’s been a resident of the Rest of Your Life retirement home for several years now. He still remembers who said what during combat in Europe, but has a hard time remembering if he’s had breakfast. The call went [...]
It was Herb who discovered it. He went into the Read Me Now bookstore to ask Sarah if she had the latest “Farmer’s Almanac” (he always plants vegetables in the bowels of something) and found she had hired a Santa’s helper to talk to the children. “Well, that’s good,” Doc said. “Maybe those little nippers [...]
Mrs. Richardson doesn’t often go to the city, but Ardis saw the ad in the big daily paper for the singles group and which church they used for meetings. Mrs. Richardson got all dolled up, and she didn’t forget to take the “magic” fishing fly Marvin Pincus tied for her. It was a bass plug [...]
Coffee always tastes perfect before daylight on the opening day of deer season, Dud Campbell thought as he sat in near-total darkness in his kitchen. He was being extra quiet so as not to awaken Anita. Turning on a flashlight on the kitchen counter, he wrote: “Honey, I’ll be up Pine Canyon, hunting up at [...]
