We got Charlie last fall. We’d been looking for a dog for a long time. We met so many at different rescue events over the course of a year. And then we met Charlie, and he stole our hearts. He’s a border collie, and we weren’t sure if we could give him everything he needs,…

We gather in an open meadow in the cool night air around a fire on a night when the moon’s so bright it casts a shadow. I used to feel like I was back in the forest, the smell of smoke a nearby memory, the inviting cackles coming from a distance. The light of the…

Shifting shadows by a slatted wooden door. The family inside huddling together, shivering with fear, tears dripping down the children’s faces. If the creature outside wants in, it’ll come in. There’s nothing sturdy about this door. It’s only meant to keep out the cold. Heavy breathing, scraping sounds. Rustling.   And then nothing. The family…

Summers during college I worked at my hometown newspaper, The Stark County News. I got to do a little bit of everything — layout, editing, shooting photos, and writing. I’d have to say that one of the greatest things that job taught me was to be able to pick up the phone and dial a…

I watched a bird struggling in the wind today and it transported me back to the summer after fifth grade. My family went to Rhode Island, where we stayed with friends in their vacation home for a week. It was beautiful and amazing. There was a small pond out back, accessed by a dock. And…