Leslie Keller Books

Cowboy and Horse In my posts I generally use the term cowboy, but this doesn’t mean the same type of relationships, experiences and events do not include women. I’m using the term as a catchall for both sexes. What is a cowboy without his horse? In all our cowboy history there is one constant which is, of course, the steady steed. Whether he be a pony, a Quarter Horse, a Mustang or a mix there is no cowboy without the four-legged animal used to transport him from coast to coast. Way before the cowboy, horses were first domesticated by humans around 4000 BC. They are herd animals who have excellent balance, as well as smell, sound and sight. You can always tell which way a horse is looking by the direction of his ears. If one is forward and one is back, he is looking at you and away from you at the same time. This helps his fight or flight response, so he knows if there is a predator in front of him as well as behind.   I will devote another full post to the wondrous...

This month’s super short story is about a child who doesn’t want the school year to end. I considered the different ways I could approach this and why being in school is preferred to summer break. I ran through a list of possibilities in my head. Is there abuse in the home? Is the only time the child gets a meal at school? Sadly, that is a problem for many children. Does the child have no siblings for company and as a result will be lonely for the summer?   After considering all the negatives, I decided to focus on a happy reason someone would not want the school year to end.   And so here is my short story, titled, “Reading, Writing and Rithmetic”. = = = = = = =   = = = = = = Three more minutes left before summer break. Jolene bit her lip as she watched the clock tick the seconds down for the end of the day. Her hands clutched the book she had been speed reading. It would need to be turned into the library before she left, and she still had twenty pages to go. H...

This month's dumb criminals all come from the lovely sunshine state of Florida. I was surprised by the abundance of stupid criminals but, in Florida's defense, they probably all migrated from someplace else. The circumstances: Ramiro-diaz thought he was a smart criminal. Lots of dumb criminals think this, of course, but Ramiro-diaz could back it up: He had allegedly been dealing drugs for a long time. This is quite an accomplishment because the drug business is filled with risks: customers who want to cheat you, rivals who want to rob you, cops who want to arrest you. How did he stay free for so long? In July, according to TCPalm.com, Ramiro-diaz allegedly sold marijuana and mushrooms to a customer. He let that customer in on the secret of his success: “Adalberto bragged to me he had been doing this a long time and is very smart about his narcotics transactions and that is why he has never been busted. He said no one comes to his house without calling first and if someone ...

Improve your restaurant experience – the right table I recently dined with a girlfriend at a restaurant that I have favorably reviewed in the past. I’m disappointed to report that I need to revise my prior review as this trip was disappointing and unsavory. After trying to squeeze into a seat at the bar of four other restaurants, we opted to try Brio at the Scottsdale Quarter. Our first indication should have been that the bar had an abundance of seats. I’m covering what this means in a separate post but suffice it to say here that the red flags were waving. However, I digress, and this post is not about Brio but rather about what you can do to move a bad experience to a better one. I admit I didn’t heed my own advice on this occasion. Let’s say you have only a short time to dine and need to get in and out quickly. Perhaps, you’re starving and there’s only one option available. It may be a popular restaurant that you’ve been anxious to try or perhaps you are only in tow...

This month's book could be considered a cozy as it doesn't contain any graphic sex or violence and the main character is not a crime solver by profession.  Although there are several murders, the overall theme is one of letting go of your mistakes in order to move forward. It was an enjoyable read with enough suspense to keep me turning the pages. Zoe Chambers is an EMT in a very small Pennsylvania town. For such a little place, there is plenty of mystery and several murders which surround the town councilmen. Zoe’s career is to save lives but in this book she has more reason to not save some of them. We meet Zoe when she and her work partner are heading to the town council meeting. I’m going to point out a few issues with the story which are all in the early chapters. Once the story develops, I found fewer things that bothered me. I was struck at once by a reference to the “fur-trimmed hood of her parka” which made me wonder what EMT’s earn and why she would have fur ...

On of my all time favorite drinks in the summer is a daiquiri.  Add in any fruit and it triples the yum factor.  This recipe uses both banana and coconut, reminiscent of a pina colada.  You can substitute the banana with strawberries, raspberries or even blueberries for a different flavor. 1 large banana, sliced 1/2 cup white rum 1/3 cup canned cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez 1/4 cup fresh lime juice Marashino cherries for garnish Lay the banana slices on a piece of waxed paper and freeze until firm - at least two hours or overnight Put the slices in a blender. Add rum, cream of coconut, lime juice and 3 cups of ice Blend until smooth and thick, adding more ice if needed Pour into large glasses and garnish with a cherry Serves two or one very thirsty person Remember to drink responsibly. Happy Trails, Leslie Visit my website Twitter       Instagram   ...