here’s the deal:   completely furnished, three bedroom two bath house with doggie door and view to a lush yard. king size bed with weekly laundry service; sheets, pillows, blankets provided. TV room with comfy sofa and unlimited viewing channels. two free meals per day, plus snacks, monthly salon visits, private escorted walks and much more   What’s the rent you ask?   licks and love

I wake up and ask my Google Nest to kickstart the day with news which lately sounds like the cruelest weather forecast with tornadoes and typhoons reaping death, destruction and rage home and abroad   any word of a sunny outlook is as rare as a blue moon or an eclipse of two pieces of good news   when I reach a proper misery I switch to music and instantly the rain stops, winds calm and I become as airborne as these old wings will allow and lift straight out of bed   so why d

look west from my house a leering mountain stands, abrupt, jagged, with a sneer- carved expression that says, stop.  right.  there.   so people hike the wrinkles, cross over its cheeks wander up the shaven face burled with scars and bumps and breathe in the view   I’m different   I’ll look for the cave I’ve yet to find, that cuts through the density, squeezes between cracks, goes in deeper till I find the spot where the cold stone begins to warm   same place I explore if I me