.

The towels had been hanging from the rod for years. They were
stained and worn, and quite frankly, just plain ugly. Debra didn't
want to touch them but she really didn't have a choice. It was
important for her to see what was living within them.
.

The wave roared towards them with speed and violence they had
not anticipated. They both turned to run but by that time it was too
late. The wave crashed into their legs sweeping both of them off
of their feet. They now found themselves in a washing machine of
saltwater, getting tumbled and not know what was up or down.
Both were scared, not knowing how this was going to end, but it
was by far the best time of the trip thus far.

The picket fence had stood for years without any issue. That's all it
was. A simple, white, picket fence. Why it had all of a sudden
become a lightning rod within the community was still
unbelievable to most. Yet a community that had once lived in
harmony was now divided in bitter hatred and it had everything to
do with the white picket fence.

The computer wouldn't start. She banged on the side and tried
again. Nothing. She lifted it up and dropped it to the table. Still
nothing. She banged her closed fist against the top. It was at this
moment she saw the irony of trying to fix the machine with
violence.
Puppies are soft, cute, funny, and make a big mess. Every month
or two our family fosters 6-12 week old puppies for a puppy
rescue nonprofit organization. We all enjoy cuddling their furry
bodies after a clean bath. Fresh puppy smell is great. The puppies
play with each other and our adult dog. They look so funny when
 they lay on top of each other and sleep. While puppies can be
great fun, they also can make big messes. 4-6 puppies can make a
lot of puppy pee and poop. It's a challenge to keep the puppies and
the puppy pen clean.
.

The rain and wind abruptly stopped, but the sky still had the gray
swirls of storms in the distance. Dave knew this feeling all too
well. The calm before the storm. He only had a limited amount of
time before all Hell broke loose, but he stopped to admire the
calmness. Maybe it would be different this time, he thought, with
the knowledge deep within that it wouldn't.
.