Curations from the Human Jungle
[After what seems like a long digression, we are back in Vermont, coping with the slow development of Spring. SB SM] April "Whatchu doin', Henry?" Emmanuel "Manny" Mannucci has parked in the driveway of The 'Stead and walked back to the garden, a professional realtor with a perpetual eye on The 'Stead, the property owned... Continue Reading →
A Rocket in the Pocket The air in the office on the third Tuesday is charged with a different kind of electricity. Quinn sits across from Burton, her posture as rigid as a flagstaff, but her eyes are restless. They have spent the last hour dissecting regional demographic shifts, yet her focus keeps drifting toward... Continue Reading →
[Where did these characters come from, and how did they end up in this story? Good questions, and I do not have good answers. All I know is, here they are. SB SM] August, 2025 “Bumpa t'bumpa," Burton Trottier says aloud. Then again, "Bumpa t'bumpa." And again, "Bumpa t'bumpa." He pulls up on the window... Continue Reading →
[A break from Still Time. Silverback John (Mendocino Bonobos) forwarded these puns. Meanwhile, check out my giant zucchini! SB SM]
[Finally, unmistakable signs of spring, but with constant reminders that April is, indeed, the "cruelist month." SB SM] April The silver-gray Mercedes hums north on I-93, the engine’s rhythm a steady heartbeat beneath the surface of Burton’s mounting anxiety. Beside him, Quinn sits in a stillness that is entirely uncharacteristic. Usually, her fingers are a... Continue Reading →
[Finally, signs of spring appear, but for Vermonters that's the signal to put up your best defenses, because Mother Nature is about to whack you upside the head. SB SM] March March in Vermont arrives this year like a constipated lion, dumping eighteen inches of heavy, heart-attack snow on Town Meeting Day. In other parts... Continue Reading →
[Come February and the fabric of human society begins to fray. Bear, fox, and other mammals may be sleeping comfortably in their dens, but humans are clinging deperately to what they call "civilization." It shows. SB SM] Shunpike Seed Consortium February A shunpike is a side road used to avoid a major highway. In this... Continue Reading →
["Still Time" returns to Vermont, where winter rages. January "Henry, Henry." Grace, in a flannel bathrobe, is sitting on the bed, gently and patiently shaking her husband's shoulder. His eyes flutter open, and he answers with a murmur that morphs into a "good morning." "What's the worst news I could possibly give you?" "You're pregnant."... Continue Reading →
[This will conclude the backstory of Grace. Next, we return to Vermont. Here's another considered, but rejected cover. This one reminded me too much of "The King of Vermont." SB SM] At the Oasis ... Lisa Grace's mind is spinning on her drive home. Five million dollars? Dinner parties and lunchboxes? Good God. "Western sandwich... Continue Reading →
[I'm realizing that at the current pace, Still Time will take until Thanksgiving to complete. Thus, I am accelerating the pace to enhance your reading pleasure. SB SM] an early rendition of the cover: Captain of Direct Sales Lisa Grace parks her station wagon in one of the freshly painted "Reserved for Guests" spots outside... Continue Reading →