After the Snowy Day

When they wake in the morning the fire has died, and frost covers the windowpanes. New snow blankets the ground outside.  The woman, her husband, and the boy push themselves out of bed. The man makes a fire while she readies water for boiling.  Soon they drink coffee and hot chocolate, wrapping their hands around…

Grouse

It’s the hard business of being that gets to me.  That’s what I’m thinking.  I’m thinking about the way you get worn down.   The day in and out of work.  Stumbling at the end of a day in the woods, or no woods, the ones cut down and me thrashing through the dog hair…

Ancient

We are ancient, or think we are. Our tired knees and bruised heels tell us so as we climb from the valley floor to the lookout, the one perched high on the ridge above the valley. We spend an hour here before descending to the lake for camp. We make dinner and eat as the…