The Canebrake

The Canebrake

This is a reprint from a few years back. I remember when I read it to my Cozy Critters and they were wondering what sort of animal would begin with the letter Y. Canebrake ABC’s Red ants, black ants marching all together, through a canebrake by the river in the lovely summer weather. Many-colored butterflies drift or dream […]

Spinning Words

Where do they come from, those words that mystery writers spin into stories? Do we catch them like butterflies netted as they fly through the air? Do we snatch them from conversations of friends or winnow them from long ago memories? How can these words be spun into sentences and paragraphs and a story that […]

A Conversation at the North Pole

Mrs. Claus: Are you feeling better, Dear? How about a nice, hot cup of coffee?   Santa (throwing back the quilts and rolling out of bed): Just what I need. The trip was hard this year.   Mrs. Claus: Did the reindeer behave? Was the sleigh over-loaded? Did you face a head-wind?   Santa: Yes, […]

The Christmas Barn–Conclusion

The Christmas Barn–Conclusion

The cold wind blew their leaves away. The three friends shivered and wished for day. “We can’t just do nothing,” the raccoon said. “Come on, squirrel and chipmunk. Let’s go  a bit farther. Maybe we’ll find food.”      Sighing, the squirrel straightened up and took Chipmunk’s hand. On they went, through the cold night. They […]

The Christmas Barn

The Christmas Barn

This is a repeat from last year. I hope you enjoy it. The Christmas Barn The 200-year old barn was empty and lonely. No longer did horses stamp their feet inside his walls; cows didn’t warm the stalls with their breath; no sheep snuggled against each other to sleep the night away.      The barn […]

Little House

Little House

A touch of whimsy this morning, perhaps brought on by September ending. There’s a little house in a shady wood ‘Neath a sheltering great oak tree; It’s a secret place that’s hid away That nobody knows, but me. But if you were to peek inside,  You’d find a welcome there With a cup of tea […]