The Cartwrights are caught up in a wild and dangerous hunt for a werewolf which is making its way across the Ponderosa. Ranch hands and Paiute friends get swept up with them in figuring out how to get rid of something nearly immortal. The werewolf goes about its business of scaring men and livestock, all the while quite sure there will be only one outcome. But it never met the Cartwrights and friends.

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners.  The original characters and plot are the property of the author.  The author is in no way associated with the owners, producers or creators of any media franchise.  No copyright infringement is intended.

The Cartwright household is in chaos following the death of Marie.  Twelve year old Hoss has been dealt a bad hand, and decides he is going to run away.  Sheriff Roy Coffee intervenes and solace for the family comes from unexpected directions.

1859 in northern Nevada is the setting for this short piece of historical fiction.  Tensions were high between European/American settlers and the native people.   Joseph Cartwright discovers firsthand the powderkeg known as Williams Station, a stagecoach stop on the Overland Route.  He encounters a teamster and later Winnemucca himself, finding that it is not possible to escape involvement of some kind in the ensuing battle.

This short story was written to meet the Seasonal Fiction Challenge.

This story is a continuation of  "Somewhere Along a Trail" in which Hoss Cartwright meets Jack and James Fayette on the Ebbett Trail Pass.  In this story, Hoss has  returned to visit the Fayette homestead.   The homestead itself becomes one of the characters of this story.  It is a sanctuary for people who are escaping slavery and racial prejudice.  Hoss and Adam become involved in a mystery involving a woman who is trying to reach safety.

  The inspiration for this story is Israel Hill, West Virginia, where men and women  pursued racial equality pre-Civil War.

It's January in Virginia City and a blizzard has descended on Virginia City.  Sam the bartender and his staff become hosts to Adam Cartwright and Roy Coffee, who bring with them a stranger from the East.  Sam is observer to a drama that plays out in his saloon and ultimately plays a role in its conclusion.   This story was prompted by the Winter Challenge, 2020.

This story is one day of Virginia City life in 1863.  It is spring, the roads are muddy mess, and so is the country at large.  Moments of happiness, humor, and small and large rescues occur between the characters against the backdrop of the Civil War.   Hoss and Joe are making their first trip of the spring into town and become party to some chaos that occurs involving an unusual purchase that has just arrived in town.  

The characters of Delia S. McDowell, Rita, and Barbara were created by the author for "Any Port In a Storm".  It is not necessary to read that story, however, to understand this one.

This story was written to meet the Spring Challenge 2021.

Ben Cartwright's life is rescued in the mountains by a mysterious woman.  Is she a spirit, or just a lonely woman?  He seeks the answer to this question from an old friend, which leads him to another encounter with his rescuer. 

This story was written for Halloween Challenge 2022.

The young cousin of an infamous scientist finds his way to Virginia City and follows in his footsteps. Who or what is his next victim?

Spring is a time of new beginnings and transitions.  Young Joe Cartwright is losing an old friend.   In the middle of the numbing demands of a deluge of ranchwork, the family pauses and resets its course a little. 

Ben and Hoss meet some of Inger's relatives.  One of them holds an old grudge against Ben.    However, Hoss is in store for romance.

This story is a continuation of "Nordic Storm" in which Hoss and Annika meet and fall in love.  Their pasts and the uncertainty of the future come between them and threaten their love for each other.   The reader might recognize a parallel to "Inger, My Love" when Annika confronts Hoss, helping him to decide what he really wants.

This story was written for "The Heat of the Moment" challenge in 2020.

All publicily recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners.  The original characters and plot are the property of the author.  The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise.  No copyright infringement in intended.

A stray black cat plays a key role in a murder mystery that is set at Piper's Opera House in Virginia City.  The kindnesses directed to the cat by the opera house clerk, Melody, by Adam and by Doc Martin lead to identifying and capturing the murderer. 

Sheriff Coffee has his hands filled with a Ponderosa murder investigation, and then a  vulture shows up determined to claim the very alive suspects.  

This story was written for the 2020 Ponderosa Nightmares Challenge.

Twenty-two year old Hoss is caught in a snowstorm on a mountain trail.  Fortune is with him when he finds a cabin owned by two young men.   They recognize Hoss's last name and share a story of the two families crossing the Great Plains together.  Their parents parted ways many years ago.   Now the next generation renews the friendship.

This is a short story about the return of Bradley Meredith to Virginia City.  Ben and Sheriff Roy Coffee try to figure out a way to capture Meredith, if it really is him who is causing Ben's problems.   Joe, Clem and Meredith's traveling companion, Marian, all play parts in the eventual outcome of the story.  This is a sequel to the two episodes, A Deck of Aces and One Ace Too Many.

It is autumn and Ben and Adam are on a hunting trip far into the mountains.  A cougar arrives and presents a challenge of strength and resolve for father and son. The aftermath is motivation for Ben to do some needed soul searching.

This story was written for the Autumn at the Ranch 2020 seasonal challenge.

It's the middle of winter on the Ponderosa and teenager Joe and his friend Mitch decide to do a little hunting.  The outing quickly turns into a dilemma for Joe as well as Ben when the boy encounters a wolf out of place. 

This story was written for the "Winter Challenge, 2021".