The accident It was the noise of the tires hitting the gravel at the side of the road that made me open my eyes. I was driving, and the car was speeding directly toward a concrete barrier at the side...
Category: Stories
These are blog posts I wrote as short stories.
Lessons from a pig
On a sunny afternoon in early June, I was feeding our pet kunekune pigs when I thought I saw something odd about our pig Kowhai. It looked as though there might be a bit of swelling around the left side...
This pandemic is my teacher
I woke up yesterday morning with my stomach in knots. I went straight to my phone and started obsessively checking the latest news on this horrible global pandemic. Big mistake. I couldn’t stop. I even forgot to make coffee. You...
Stalking celebrities at the library
What do you do when you have a free morning in New York City–one of the most vibrant and exciting cities in the world? You go to the library, of course. I’d heard there were five hugely famous celebrities at...
Jam sandwiches for a sick pig
We were sitting in a cafe in Sydney when the image of our pet pig came through on my phone. There she was—Mrs. D, one of our three pet kunekune pigs back home in New Zealand—with a jaw that was...
Alien in the olive grove
It was dark when I got home. Standing on the front deck, I looked out into the pitch blackness towards the olive grove. I knew something was out there. I grabbed a flashlight and went down into the grove. (more…)
Publisher comes to visit
My publisher was coming to lunch, and I was nervous. She wanted to see the property and meet CJ and me, but she wanted something else as well. She wanted to talk to CJ about changing his name. What if...
A cow portrait for the neighbors
When our neighbors John and Aussie Bronwyn announced that they were selling their property and moving away, CJ and I were mortified. More than anyone, those two have taught us how to live on 20 acres. How could they abandon...
Boar tusk trimming party
Kowhai the kunekune boar We’d just finished our Thanksgiving meal, and we headed out with some of our guests to the top paddock. Kowhai, our pet kunekune boar, was out there wandering happily through the grass. I felt bad. The...
Pig tusks and Thanksgiving
Kowhai loves grapefruit The first time Kowhai jabbed me in the leg with his tusk, it hurt. The second time, a week later, it bled. Both times he was just nudging me, but a gentle nudge from a 300 pound...