The old man at the end of the bar hung over his glass of Rock and Rye Whiskey like a wolf guarding its kill. Wearing tattered bib overhauls and an open crown fedora, he reminded me of GrandPappy Amos from the TV series, The Real McCoys. Continue reading
Chasing Tale
My boyhood was full of curiosity, imagination, and adventure. It was fueled by the obsession of my buddies and I to debunk the tall tales spun by our not so reputable peers from town. Continue reading
Sound the Alarm
The Guardian
It made perfect sense to Jake. Who would serve better than the one who illuminated his long dark nights? His guardian angel so to speak, faithfully stationed at his bedside warding off closet hobgoblins and long-legged beasties. With his warm red glow penetrating the night, no spirit dared stir in his light… Continue reading
Do What?!
I’m so stiff in the morning these days…I should have taken better care of myself. Starting a daily exercise plan might be a good idea. Maybe a little stretching or yoga would help. I think I’m going to start off slow though by simply bending over and touching my toes…or a least pointing at them. Continue reading
Us
We met in mechanical drawing class, fall of 1968. She sat at the desk in front of me.
She worked hard on her drawings, usually getting “Cs & Bs.” I shot rubber bands at her butt, blamed it on the guy next to me, and copied her drawings—I got “Bs & As.”
The teacher warned her to stay away from me, telling her, “He’s trouble.” He may have been right. Continue reading
The End Of The Line
After her first two failures she took special measures to assure that this attempt would not be thwarted. She chose the time and location carefully, planned it down to the final minute. This time she would leave no room for heroes. Continue reading
Boys in the Woods
Towering like royalty above the prairie thicket stood a mysterious grove of aged cottonwoods. The area was rumored to hold some kind of curse resulting from spells once cast by nomadic gypsies. Rumor also had it that a nasty old witch toting a black powder shotgun loaded with rock salt kept a nightly vigil over the surrounding area. Continue reading
Forever Fourteen
I was caught off guard by a long forgotten photo album that came toppling off the closet shelf. I hadn’t seen it for…well longer than I care to admit. Continue reading
Tear to Open
The package said, “Easy Open” — I tend to disagree.
Either I am woefully incompetent or it just isn’t all that easy. After failing to pull the tab with my arthritic fingers or rip it open with my teeth, I resorted to more drastic measures — a jackhammer and lightsaber later, I got it. Continue reading