What is there about a soft, summer night, just after the sun goes down and before full darkness tiptoes through the town? Leaves stir with a passing breeze and flowers lift glistening blossoms to feel one last ray of the sun’s warmth. The rabbit who lives under the storage building gives last minute instructions […]

Ned and a Date with a Possible Murderer
We’ve had so much rain this month and last! And, who knows about today? Things look mighty damp out there. Reading, writing–both go much better with rain. So, I’m going to grab a second cup of Folgers and see what Ned is doing over in Ednalee this morning. Last night she was about to […]

The Secret of the Old House
The Secret of the Old House sounds like a Nancy Drew mystery, doesn’t it? However, it isn’t; it’s a Manos mystery, the third one in the Ned McNeil series and although the story is about an old house that has a secret (or more than one secret) that isn’t the title; the title is […]

Saying Good-bye to a Cozy Critter
(Cover picture is by Jane Barron.) We filled the round booth in the back corner of the cafe. A bouquet of flowers sat on the table. Gathered around were five Cozy Critters, Carolyn, Peg, Nancy, Jane, and me. We laughed, took pictures, and ate. But, at the center of it all was a bit of […]

Invaders from an Alien World
Ants are on my cabinet, mosquitoes at the door; Summertime has come at last. Who could ask for more? I don’t know if they are coming in to escape the rain, or if the rain is causing them to multiply. Maybe each raindrop is a tiny capsule filled with baby mosquitoes and ants. Maybe they […]

Idling Into Thursday
A person’s thoughts are never really idle–disconnected, maybe, scattered here and there. That’s what mine are this morning. I look out at my wet, soggy ground and wonder if I’ll have a chance to get the last of my herbs planted today. Yesterday was a wild weather day. Wind lashed the trees and rain poured […]

