If Freddy Parchinee had not been searching for the truth, he probably would not have found it, and we would all have peace and quiet around here. I guess I should blame God, since He made it what it was and because He, in all his off-the-cross glory, was the truth Freddy expected to find, … Continue reading What is There to See on a Sagebrush and Prickly Pear Sidehill?
Category: fiction
The Burning of Morel Brigham
Old Morley wasn’t ashes yet. But he soon would be. The joke was Old Morely was gonna burn twice, once in the Crematory Oven, and again in perpetuity in the Devil’s Workshop. Bishop Odner was not pleased about the joke or the idea of anybody—even somebody as recalcitrant as Morley Brigham—having their God-given body burned. … Continue reading The Burning of Morel Brigham
The Reason is Jimmie likes to Drink Alone. The Rhyme is “Because”
The rhyme is "because." the reason is. . . .
Blundering Revolutionary Union Worker
We rode on the back of a cart pulled by a blue farm truck, which seemed nearly as wrecked as the rest of the farm. Bill Wrangle’s dad, who owned the farm and the truck—in so far as claims to ownership can be made—was driving the truck, and as it was a mild autumn day, … Continue reading Blundering Revolutionary Union Worker
Brick’s and Lou’s Wedding
Ike Dollings sat in the folding chair, his hat balanced on his knee, his face, a worked over canvas, sun washed and crevassed by sixty-five years under sun and weather, a face that showed among its cracks and weathering, evidence of wrong broncs mounted and other accidents any working rancher might find on almost any … Continue reading Brick’s and Lou’s Wedding
Fable of the Eternal Round
What Winter said was so flagrant in its wrongness that Willow leaned away and gave a polite but windy cough. Clover crumpled up her bright face and green hands and turned rusty brown. Grass, like Willow, leaned away. Sheep huddled against the awful wind, turned their fleecy bums and ducked their heads and scurried off … Continue reading Fable of the Eternal Round
The Branding
The way Jody decorated for Christmas is she took a couple of horseshoes and hung them over the doors. She arranged them to suit her moods and tastes, which usually changed a couple of times in the four or five days between their first placement and their removal. On this particular day in late December, … Continue reading The Branding
Managing Dinner at Larson’s
“All I know is he’s an engineer.” Dell said. He was a thick, sprawling man whose hair was beginning to gray. They (Dell, Kit, Amber and Dee) were on the way to a dinner with Larson, a colleague from work, and Dell was driving. He leaned over the steering wheel. He was seriously wondering how … Continue reading Managing Dinner at Larson’s
Hunting Bear with Eric
“There is no evidence of ecstasy in this blood.” Eric said. As usual Eric was saying words that meant about ziltch. Eric is my friend but Eric is not very accurate when he speaks. Eric speaks for effect, not for saying anything you can put in your freezer. The bear was still out there. It … Continue reading Hunting Bear with Eric
Seeing her Safely Home, Part II
The shadow of my goat costume looked strange. It stretched across the street from the lights from the parking lot behind me. I looked across it to see if it was clear. I didn’t see anything. I crossed the street and went into Sallinly’s yard. Then across it in the shadows to Scully's. Their lights … Continue reading Seeing her Safely Home, Part II