Do You Smell That?

It’s funny what smells can do. On this wet, quiet spring morning, I caught a brief scent of woodsmoke–perhaps a leftover from a neighbor’s fireplace–and it brought back a pleasant memory of another springtime, long ago. Down in the hollow in back of the house, Dad was busy cutting out brush, stacking it into piles, […]

Another Year

This morning when I woke up, I was a year older than I was a couple of days ago. Can it be? I certainly don’t feel like an octogenarian plus three but that’s what the calendar says and the calendar must be right! Anyway, I had a happy birthday and I’m very glad to be […]

And So, This Morning…

Bacon and biscuits are in the oven–yes, I sometimes cook bacon in the oven and it turns out great. No one is stirring on my quiet street and I have yet to see a car go up or down the hill, and there’s a chance of rain for tonight and the weekend. I think the […]

Hummingbirds

Has a family of hummingbirds decided my back yard maple would be a good place for a nest? I’ve never seen a cat in that maple, but I’ve seen lots of squirrels. Maybe the tiny birds have attached their nest to a limb that’s too fragile for the weight of a squirrel. One can only […]

Wind and Weather

The wind is blowing this morning, setting the grape vine on the porch swinging. Maybe it’s blowing in the change of weather for this weekend. Saturday and Sunday are forecast to be stormy. Weather fascinates me, whether it is rainy and stormy or cold and snowy. In each of my books, weather plays an important […]

The Hundred Year Old Barn

The Hundred Year Old Barn A Fable By Blanche Day Manos The hundred year-old barn was home to a cow, a rooster, some hens, and a mule who pulled a plow. The days they spent in working; each one did his best, and when the sun sank from the sky, the animals needed rest. But, […]