Gularte Archives - James Strauss

THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter VI

I walked to the front door of the modernistic throwback of some ranch-style, but not, home, noting that it had a screen door. The sweep of central air conditioning being installed around the country had just about put an end to such doors, at least as part of the...

THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Four, Chapter IV

by James Strauss | 38 comments

I drove the Volks down to the Dana Point Marina entrance and, after working my way through the ruts of dried mud, up to Butch’s front door. It was closed, with a note taped to the handle: “If you sell vacuum cleaners or Encyclopedia Britannica’s then come right in.”...

THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Three, Chapter XXXVII

by James Strauss | 36 comments

I woke up the morning after Christmas and eased out of bed. My wife made me believe she was still asleep, like she always did although any move on my part to depart the bed never failed to bring her back to life. I moved as silently as possible to get ready for the...

THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Three, Chapter XXIII

by James Strauss | 31 comments

I made no attempt to rise to my feet, as I lay next to the lapping water on the slanted ramp. The reddish dirty bag rope dangled from my right hand. When I’d been out in the pier-end restaurant with Shawna, neither she nor any of the members of the Dwarfs, really had...

THE COWARDLY LION, Volume Three, Chapter XXII

by James Strauss | 50 comments

I realized just how different Bob Elwell was, as I sat out at the end of the pier considering the coming dive. The simplicity of his plan, versus the overwhelming complexity of my own, amazed me. I’d given my plan only about a fifty percent chance of succeeding since...