I Bailed on an easy climb. It’s my Biggest Climbing Accomplishment

I was far above treeline, but the cliff was warm.  The granite had absorbed the sun for hours, and now, in the late-morning calm, the rock was starting to return the heat.  The temperature was a gentle weight, stirred by the softest whisper of breeze, and I might have imagined a beach if it wasn’t …

Christmas

Little house, island of heat, sanctuary in the snow Darkened squares, windows of night, hinting at winter outside. Creamy walls, hanging with art, pictures of family past Heated lamp, gently aglow, bathing the living room gold. Fresh-cut spruce, scented with sap, presents collected beneath Steaming tea, seeping with mint, cooling in wait to be drank. …