The silence is intense. It was the first thing you noticed: no cars, no neighbors’ radios, no sirens, nothing but crickets and the sound of wind through leaves. The second thing you noticed were the stars because, without street lights, you can see them. Sometimes, you wish…

Your oversized plastic tote is all packed. You don’t want to think about it, but if you have to bug out, you can. A backup laptop, extra dog bowls, every irreplaceable document, it’s all there, ready to slide into the car. You can never be too careful when it’s…

The elephants were always your favorites. You’d practically grown up with pictures of them, but seeing them in person…? They were bigger than you thought they’d be. Enormous. Gigantic, and yet, so quietly distinguished. Your first circus experience was memorable because of them, and in “Battle for the…

photo credit to Terri Schlichenmeyer All last year, your soul heard a call. It was the outdoors, and while you got out as much as you could last year, it was never enough. You have a lot of catching up to do in your quest for…

X marks the spot. So, it seems like you’re supposed to look over there… or maybe over there, the map isn’t very exact. It doesn’t say if you’re supposed to look up, around, or underground, either, so there’s that, and what if someone already found the treasure you’re looking for?  How…

What a pair! You and your friend, you’re like two peas in a pod. Yin and yang. Where one is, so’s the other. You’ve been pals since forever and you do everything in tandem. Two sides of a coin. Like bread and butter. As in the new…

Your front door opens to the world. It’s the threshhold of a journey, one of a few feet or a few years, a trip that you’ll never take exactly the same again. Open the door and see what’s out there. Open it because you can, and step out. You…

This summer is going to be the best one ever. You’ve got dozens of things planned: time with friends and family, a weekend getaway or two, cookouts, parades, a neighborhood party, your schedule is packed already. Yep, this will be a summer you’ll never forget; as in the new…

Help! Quick, you need an extra set of hands, a couple of strong arms, strong backs, shoulders you can lean on, another brain to pick. You wouldn’t normally ask, but you need assistance; a leg-up for a minute and you’ll be fine. As in the…