I call them “bridges.” These jobs I take to get me to my next adventure—or to the other side, so to speak. All the while, I continue to write, to gather thoughts and words, to put them down and plan

He plays with them—relentlessly, slipping and sliding on the hardwood, running in a circle until he’s dizzy, then flopping over on his side to chomp down on his prey. The selection of peacock feathers has dwindled to only a couple