Reader's Digest submission for photos "Roadside America"

I have traveled Highway 77 countless times. Many times I noticed three horses in a field near Lyons, Nebraska. I pulled over to the side of the road on the day of the summer solstice, 2013. I love how the solstice’s lemony light illuminates the scene.

A few years ago, the owner moved the horses. I don’t stop looking, however, hoping that maybe they’ll be back. Now, with much of Nebraska suffering with catastrophic flooding, these roadways (many of which are currently impassable) seem all the more precious, the trips I’ve taken more nostalgic.

 

Meadowlark Story Society assignment: You are the lawyer in a divorce case. The only point of contention is custody of the dog. Argue that your client should get the pup.

With all due respect, Judge Kanine, this is not a case in which there was shared custody of said animal. Poopoo has always been Morgan’s dog.

When Morgan and Alex met five years ago, Poopoo was already two years old. Morgan adopted the pet as a six-month old rescue from an agency with which her family was involved. In keeping the dog’s given name, Poopoo, I think you’ll agree that Morgan only had this dog’s need for stability at heart. Morgan had dreams of a greyhound named Flash as a child; memories of watching dog races as a young girl with her family cemented her love of animals, rescue, and speedy pets. When the family befriended a greyhound rescuer ten years ago, it was only a matter of time before Morgan would have a chance to save some sad animal’s life.

That time arrived just over seven years ago. When Poopoo, a young pet with housetraining issues became available for adoption, she was a hard sell. Who wanted a greyhound who couldn’t learn to shit outside? Well, Morgan did, and Morgan adopted her without a second thought, abandoning her dream of a pet named Flash. Morgan felt that Poopoo needed to remain Poopoo if she was ever going to learn to become comfortable in someone’s care and poopoo outside. She’s a lovely dog, no disputing that. Just because Alex came along and was successful in training the dog to go outside doesn’t mean he should have custody.

Don’t you agree?

 

Meadowlark Story Society assignment: "What my desk thinks about at night"

It's warm in here. These people don't air-condition my home base, and the computer keeps things toasty. A tad too warm, for my taste. I can just make out the moon through the blinds, and it illuminates a possum crossing the yard. This particular possum always crosses around 11:30 pm, waddling past the wild ginger in search of ticks to eat.

Around 4:00 am, the birds start up. Singing away the cobwebs of the night, ready for another day.

Ah, nature. I haven't really touched on the life inside the window, mostly because it scares the hell out of me. Next to the wastebasket is a little hole in the wood. Unbeknownst to these people, a mouse sneaks in and roots around a bit before heading back outside. Come winter, though, he'll be here for good, possibly chewing on the computer and light cords. Yikes. If only these people had a cat.

Meadowlark Story assignment: choose a phrase to write about

"The Grunt of a Pig"

Audra loved sleepovers at her friend Brittany’s house. Not only were they best friends, but Brittany’s mom made the best lasagna, and Audra and Brittany could find things to do on the farm that couldn’t be found elsewhere.

Brittany and her family lived in the country, and her father owned pigs. Not just a small barnyard-full of pink pigs, but a building that housed 1,000 hogs. Because that’s what you called them, in that mile-long building…hogs. Not pigs.

“Would you like to go along to the hog barn this morning?” asked Brittany’s dad as the girls sat at the breakfast table, slurping milk and cheerios.

“Mmm…hmmm!” Brittany perked up, knowing this was a rare occurrence. Seldom were the children allowed to go along to the industrial barns that bordered the property. They were allowed to gather eggs and other chores in the small barn close to the garage, but the goings-on in the factory barns were typically off-limits.

Audra didn’t know what to think. If Brittany was excited, she probably should be, too. However, those long barns were intimidating from the road. One couldn’t see inside, to know what was housed there. It seemed mysterious.

Following breakfast they piled into the pickup and headed to the hog barn. Once inside the barn, the girls were instructed to put on knee-high boots and rain slickers. The tiny room hummed with a low level white noise, as if what was on the other side of the big door held a secret that might burst forth with a pull of the doorknob.

And it was true! The secret was: One thousand hogs contained in a barn was deafening, smelly, and scary. Instead of the soft oink that Audra learned pigs make from her childhood books, these 700 pound hogs squealed and snorted so loudly the girls couldn’t talk. Audra couldn’t think. She had an overwhelming urge to escape this chaos. 

“Can we leave now?” she shouted to Brittany. Brittany couldn’t hear her, she was too intent on following her father as he checked gauges and leaned into pens. Audra felt claustrophobic, if one could feel that way in a building the size of two football fields.

She ran back to the door where they had pulled on boots not 10 minutes ago. As she threw open the door and it slammed shut, she dissolved on the floor to relative silence. 

Brittany and Audra drifted apart and by high school were just classmates.

"A Bench" 

Julie found a bench in the park and plopped down. She was tired...too tired to continue to search for pine cones. Who thought of this stupid idea, anyway? Using nature in craft projects wasn't fun, in her opinion.

This bench was warmed by the sun, and comfortable. Thank goodness it was recently painted, no dangerous splinters to worry about. Julie felt she could even lay down on it, if necessary. It was just out of view of her classmates, and, for now, Julie wasn't thinking about what may happen if Mrs. Smith blows her whistle and discovers that Julie is the only 6th grader without a single pine cone gathered.