We’re taking the pups outside to the ash-covered backyard. Maya and Murphy race past me and, thinking Gerry’s right behind me, I leave the door open. We can’t leave the door open for long or smoke creeps in, so I quickly look behind me and see he’s not there. ”I thought you were right behind
What if? What if the birds put the word out that three of the past five summers have been different around here? Nests burned fledglings perished and cries from fleeing fauna and flaming flora left indelible impressions on avian brains. So they put the word out. To those who migrate: don’t return. Find another, safer
By the time I finish watering the garden, my head aches, my eyes are sore, and there's that irritation in the back of my throat again. It is a hasty watering. I look past the odd weed and ignore the pruning and thinning and general tidying up I should tend to. Just enough. That's become
To tell you the truth I’ve lost track of what’s burning, what’s out, what's under control, and what’s growing; of evacuation alerts and orders and which of these have been rescinded. Here’s what I know. A whiteboard hangs on the wall in our laundry room between the clothes dryer and the pantry cupboard. We use