It got so hot in Texas this past summer, that all of the grass in the back yard died. It was replaced by native plants. Some of them were viney creatures that grew tall and sent out tentacles that strangled the roses. But the roses fought back. I heard them singing at night, I Will Survive. They reminded me of the bony bovines in this story.

Cows Gone Wild,
Ascent Aspirations,
May 2010

They told you to eat more chicken, but you wouldn't listen.

For the first time, my artwork with my story.

Reptilian Snakes,
Static Movement,
April 2010

Chris Bartholomew, the editor of Static Movement, visited my blog, saw the illustrations and asked me to submit one with the next story. So this time, to see the illustration you'll have to go to the ezine, because Static Movement has first rights. I would have posted it sooner, but I was supposed to be in Germany last week. Then the volcano erupted. There are strange things happening in the magma.

It's time to return to our roots.

Tuber War,
WSU Nexus,
Winter 2010

If this is made into a movie, who should play Billy Beet?

Do pigs make good pets?

Moonbeams and Cheese,
Doorknobs & BodyPaint,
Issue 57, February 2010

I don't know, but if the package includes a fabulous babe, you've got yourself a deal.

Something's fishy in the City of Hair

Fisherman's Splatter,
Clockwise Cat,
Issue 16, March 2010

My simulated city was going well until the corpses started turning up.

This is my Valentine's Day Story

Hefty Bag Gal,
Static Movement,
February 2010

Cooder and Chesty have been on-again-off-again sweathearts for a long time. Everybody wonders if they will ever run away together. This may be the day.

This much is true: We did speak to a technical support person with an Indian accent who said his name was Maverick.

Do Not Attempt to Snapshot the Locals,
Ascent Aspirations,
February 2010

People ask where I get my ideas for stories. I lead a writing workshop once a month. We begin with a twenty minute writing exercise. I hand out a page of lines from poems to serve as prompts. Back in July of 2008, the line, "Do not endeavor to snapshot the locals" from a poem by Michael Dumanis was on the list. It was the inspiration this story.