Losing a pet is like losing a dear friend. How does someone adjust to a missing presence in a house, and how do you pay proper tribute?

The first annual Hospice of Haines "Light the Night" gathering was Friday, with luminarias set along the dark school track on a cold October evening, when the souls of the departed felt very close.

One of the benefits of a small-town graduation is that every student and every teacher gets personal consideration and time to reflect on where they'll go from here.

I learned something this week: Dog lice don't stick to people, and they don't live in carpets. Which was good news, considering the lice crawling all over my retriever.