Beyond Cuckoo

Gila National Forest

After climbing to 7500 feet above sea level, we found weather—cool, clean, negative ion charged weather—relief. No problem social distancing here. A few locals had the same idea—escape the heat and lollygag around a sheep meadow surrounded by rock walls and green fields.

I remember the sheep meadow ...

Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge—River meets Coyote 

River slipped into the refuge from the east and stashed her car in the cottonwoods off the service road. She stepped across the trickle that in wetter years is the Rio Grande.  Her need for open air justified the trespass. The New Mexico bosque had called to her in a dream, and late the next day she headed north from Las Cruces. 

She pitched her pup ...

Chupacabra

By Elaine Webster

(An artist’s rendition of the cryptid known as the chupacabra. The image was labelled for re-use by uploader Jeff Carter on Flickr.)

     River chewed her tongue—a childhood habit that comforted her in some basic way. Ari would be unlocking the door to their apartment just about now. It would take him awhile to unearth the note she left on the bar next to ...