by Helen Sowers
Finally I was on my own, backpacking in the Sierra. It hadn’t been easy. When I proposed a solo hike, my husband had been adamantly opposed, citing all sorts of dangers. I persisted. I had always wanted to test my abilities alone. Finally I said, “Well, I won’t [...]

by Nancy O’Connell
An unearthly pitched shriek pierced the night. Our soup spoons stopped in midair. The cry of distress was close, a few yards away. Thousands of miles from America and all that was familiar, we’d just begun our dinner. Now we fell silent. What was happening?
Just beyond our patio wall [...]

by Elizabeth Striebel
What startled me most was his candor. He had a soft way about him, present, but not crowding. Actually, he pulled you towards him, as if to hear him better, or to see him more clearly. But he was honest. Of course, how could I know if he was [...]