I've rented a car in Las Vegas and have reserved a hotel in Twentynine Palms which is just north of

Joshua Tree. We'll drive from Las Vegas through Mojave National Preserve and possibly do a short

hike on our way down. Then spend all day on Monday at Joshua Tree. We can decide the next

morning if we want to do more in Joshua Tree or Mojave before we head back.

She considered the birds to be her friends. She'd put out food for them each morning and then she'd

watch as they came to the feeders to gorge themselves for the day. She wondered what they would

do if something ever happened to her. Would they miss the meals she provided if she failed to put

out the food one morning?

Don't be scared. The things out there that are unknown aren't scary in themselves. They are just

unknown at the moment. Take the time to know them before you list them as scary. Then the world

will be a much less scary place for you.

I haven't bailed on writing. Look, I'm generating a random paragraph at this very moment in an

attempt to get my writing back on track. I am making an effort. I will start writing consistently again!

She had come to the conclusion that you could tell a lot about a person by their ears. The way they

stuck out and the size of the earlobes could give you wonderful insights into the person. Of course,

she couldn't scientifically prove any of this, but that didn't matter to her. Before anything else, she

would size up the ears of the person she was talking to.

"Begin today!" That's all the note said. There was no indication from where it came or who may have

written it. Had it been meant for someone else? Meghan looked around the room, but nobody made

eye contact back. For a brief moment, she thought it might be a message for her to follow her

dreams, but ultimately decided it was easier to ignore it as she crumpled it up and threw it away.
There are different types of secrets. She had held onto plenty of them during her life, but this one

was different. She found herself holding onto the worst type. It was the type of secret that could

gnaw away at your insides if you didn't tell someone about it, but it could end up getting you killed if

you did.

He sat across from her trying to imagine it was the first time. It wasn't. Had it been a hundred? It

quite possibly could have been. Two hundred? Probably not. His mind wandered until he caught

himself and again tried to imagine it was the first time.

He heard the crack echo in the late afternoon about a mile away. His heart started racing and he

bolted into a full sprint. "It wasn't a gunshot, it wasn't a gunshot," he repeated under his

breathlessness as he continued to sprint.

Sometimes that's just the way it has to be. Sure, there were probably other options, but he didn't let

them enter his mind. It was done and that was that. It was just the way it had to be.

"What is the best way to get what you want?" she asked. He looked down at the ground knowing

that she wouldn't like his answer. He hesitated, knowing that the truth would only hurt. How was he

going to tell her that the best way for him to get what he wanted was to leave her?

Sitting in the sun, away from everyone who had done him harm in the past, he quietly listened to

those who roamed by. He felt at peace in the moment, hoping it would last, but knowing the reprieve

would soon come to an end. He closed his eyes, the sun beating down on face and he smiled. He

smiled for the first time in as long as he could remember.

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved

one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one?s
cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. One dollar

and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas...

She tried not to judge him. His ratty clothes and unkempt hair made him look homeless. Was he

really the next Einstein as she had been told? On the off chance it was true, she continued to try not

to judge him.

Things aren't going well at all with mom today. She is just a limp noodle and wants to sleep all the

time. I sure hope that things get better soon.

He picked up the burnt end of the branch and made a mark on the stone. Day 52 if the marks on the

stone were accurate. He couldn't be sure. Day and nights had begun to blend together creating

confusion, but he knew it was a long time. Much too long.

Out of another, I get a lovely view of the bay and a little private wharf belonging to the estate. There

is a beautiful shaded lane that runs down there from the house. I always fancy I see people walking

in these numerous paths and arbors, but John has cautioned me not to give way to fancy in the

least. He says that with my imaginative power and habit of story-making a nervous weakness like

mine is sure to lead to all manner of excited fancies and that I ought to use my will and good sense

to check the tendency. So I try.

Greg understood that this situation would make Michael terribly uncomfortable. Michael simply had

no idea what was about to come and even though Greg could prevent it from happening, he opted

to let it happen. It was quite ironic, really. It was something Greg had said he would never wish upon

anyone a million times, yet here he was knowingly letting it happen to one of his best friends. He

rationalized that it would ultimately make Michael a better person and that no matter how

uncomfortable, everyone should experience racism at least once in their lifetime.

since their last meal and they were getting desperate. The cubs would make a good meal, but there

were high risks taking on the mother Grizzly. A decision had to be made and the wrong choice could

signal the end of the pack.

As she sat watching the world go by, something caught her eye. It wasn't so much its color or

shape, but the way it was moving. She squinted to see if she could better understand what it was

and where it was going, but it didn't help. As she continued to stare into the distance, she didn't

understand why this uneasiness was building inside her body. She felt like she should get up and

run. If only she could make out what it was. At that moment, she comprehended what it was and

where it was heading, and she knew her life would never be the same.