Into The Woods Journal
Year 2024 — Week Thirteen
March 25
The Bone Collector
I woke up at 4:15, feeling rested and back on my normal schedule. Last week was hectic at work, and I was ready for a slower day. The dogs were ready to go outside, and I stepped out with them. It was cold and dark, but the moon was full and bright. Its light cast a reddish corona on the thin clouds that floated through the night. The brightness of a full moon was always surprising. I breathed in the frigid air and it burned my lungs. It was 35 degrees on this crisp spring morning.
Work was busy, but productive. I didn’t get outside much during the morning, but I knew clearing my task list today would ease up the rest of my week. It was a conscious decision, and I felt good about it.
For lunch, I made ramen with leftover beef short ribs we barbecued a few days ago. I relished the warm food and saved the small round bones for the dogs’ dinner, placing them on a napkin on the counter. One of my dogs, Bodhi, was prone to stealing food off the counter, so I pushed the bones all the way to the back, behind a mixer. My wife and I always kidded that he had an extendable paw that allowed him to reach the unreachable.
After lunch, I went back to my office to work. Within minutes, I heard a noise in…
