A new Peg Quincy holiday short story!
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A new Peg Quincy holiday short story!

It is always fun to be writing this time of year. It’s almost Christmas! This season I dived behind the scenes to give you some backstory on Shepherd Malone and how he got the curmudgeon face he sometimes shows to the world. Shepherd, Peg’s old partner, is retired and feeling a little sorry for himself….

Going against the grain
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Going against the grain

My cat Foxy is small, but fiercely independent. She knows what she likes when she likes it. For this afternoon nap, she chose to sleep crossways in this cat basket with one ear completely covered, even though, clearly, the right way to do it was just the opposite. But who is to say which might…

The not-so-thirsty agave plant
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The not-so-thirsty agave plant

One of the fun things of being a photographer is that you get to go out in the elements when saner folks are at home, staying warm and dry on a stormy day. I did take an umbrella on this rainy afternoon, but gave up when I found it impossible to balance both bumbershoot and…

Halt, stop, cease and desist
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Halt, stop, cease and desist

I stopped to take a picture of this old fire hydrant because I was fascinated by the number of coats of paint covering it. I can see red, yellow, black and blue at least, maybe more. The hydrant’s been there a long time and I wonder if it’s ever been put to the test with…

Come with me on a magical journey
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Come with me on a magical journey

Several years ago I was privileged to be part of a group that did volunteer gardening at a former artist’s home called Eliphante. It wasn’t easy to get to. Here you see us pulling across on a rope tow, from the little town of Cornville in Arizona. For 28 years, Eliphante was the home  for artists…

Tic-tac-toe, free-spirit style
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Tic-tac-toe, free-spirit style

This is one determined, retired school bus, pulling that old pickup along behind. It’s almost as though the decorations of new paint on the bus counterbalance the lack of paint on the truck. I can see in my mind’s eye the fun it must have been to inscribe all of those circles. Now I wish I…

Book Review: THE LAKE MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOKBOOK by Amelia Levin
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Book Review: THE LAKE MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOKBOOK by Amelia Levin

I love reading cookbooks because I get to enjoy all that great food without any calories! THE LAKE MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOKBOOK takes you on a road trip all around Lake Michigan, the only great lake that is entirely within the boundaries of the US. They say the trip, which encompasses parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana…

Book Review: The Fox by Frederick Forsyth
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Book Review: The Fox by Frederick Forsyth

Envision, if you will, an aging, retired Spook and a young, fragile teenage genius. A perfect partnership! Together they lay siege to the bullies of the world, the North Koreans, Iranians, Middle Eastern terrorists. One has the wisdom and the master-chess-player ability to anticipate the opponent. The other has the ability to penetrate multiple, proven-impossible…

The Cat Magician
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The Cat Magician

The platter was small. The ceramic was hard and unbalanced. But my friend, Mackie, knew this bowl would make a perfect nest. Who cared if it was hard? He has enough fur to line it himself. Who cared if it was tippy? A mere walk in the park for a determined cat with four sure feet…

Accepting the inevitable
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Accepting the inevitable

Can you just sense the sinuous curl in the paper as it drifts from the trees? It was breezy the day I took this picture, (and no, I was neither participant nor recipient!) and I shared for a moment in the feeling of exuberance the streamers portrayed. Then I thought about what I’d do if…