My brother Joel did not want chickens but Bethany, his wife, did. He spoke of the squawking and flapping, the copious droppings, the inevitable butchering and did she know what these free eggs actually cost? He ran the numbers. Seven years of eggs before they would break even. Bethany was undeterred. She could feel the warm brown … Continue reading The Coop

On a cold January morning at 2:30 a.m., I walked into a small gas station in the bad part of Billings, Montana. I needed coffee. Or, more specifically, caffeine. I found the dispensers and groggily contemplated the selection. Highlander Grogg? Morning Mist? Fireball Blend? The decision seemed overwhelming, and I stood as though in a … Continue reading Grandma Purple and the Crow