Another Saturday means thinking about the prompt that is due from Linda Hill. As I savored the aroma from the first cup of coffee, it occurred to me to check the front of the house once more. Last week there was a mountain of ice that had not only the prompt frozen against the front door but a lingering question on how the ice got there in the first place.
Thinking the whole situation was a figment of imagination, I looked at the Ring doorbell app on my phone. Sure enough, the mountain of ice was still there. Also, a prominent St Bernard dog was sitting patiently at the edge of the hill holding an envelope in its mouth.
I was forced to go out the back door since the front was frozen solid. Coming around the house, I discovered the reason for the mountain of ice. The hose attached to the faucet was doing the dance of the cobra while spewing water in all directions. I quickly calculated the value of a week’s worth of water running helter-skelter and made a mental note to contact the lending officer at the bank for a loan first thing Monday.
Getting the water turned off was challenging but accomplished. Next, it was time to address the dog.” Lovely doggy,” I said. “Snarl,” was his response. Bravely I took hold of the envelope, hoping he had the commands to release upon delivery. “Let go,” I said. His answer sounded like a muffled warning to take my hand away or lose it. “Fine, you win.”
As I turned away to go back inside, the big dog barked, and the envelope dropped from his mouth. Being quick of mind and certainly smarter than a dog, I grabbed the envelope. The dog seemed pleased that the delivery was made and trotted away.
Here is what was inside. Your prompt for #JusJoJan and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “let go.” Write about the first thing that comes to mind when you think, “let go.” Enjoy!
If you want to join this happy band, visit Linda’s blog and see how easy it is. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2022/01/28/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2022-daily-prompt-jan-29th/
Let Go by John W. Howell © 2022
“At least you explained the ice.”
“A small holdover from last week.”
“Why did the dog hold onto the envelope in the first place?”
“How would I know? I’m not a dog whisperer.”
“No, but you wrote the scene.”
“Okay. He didn’t know if it was me or not.”
“What changed his mind?”
“For heaven’s sake, can we get off the dog?”
“But you made him central to your story.”
“It’s the first thing I thought of when I saw ‘Let Go’ was the prompt.”
“Okay, so you have no idea why he let go of the envelope.”
“Well. he barked, and it fell out of his mouth. Isn’t that enough?”
“Why didn’t he pounce on you when you went to get the envelope.”
“Is this ever going to end?”
“I’m just saying. Plot holes are not a good thing.”
“Alright. The dog saw my blue feet from being all wet from turning off the faucet, so he had mercy on me.”
“Why didn’t you say that?”
“Too much for such a short story.”
“Well, when you leave questions, folks get anxious.”
“Why don’t you write it next week?”
“I’m a beer consumer, not a writer.”
“Magic word.”
“To end this misery?”
“You got it, and you are buying. Time to let go of some of that hoarded cash.”
“Says the guy who framed his first dollar. By the way. You mentioned blue feet. Did you go out there barefooted?”
Fiction Favorites 
Just the envelope? No brandy?
Good job on the prompt, John. I hope those feet warm up. Maybe as the ice thaws on the door. Maybe ACME make an industrial ice chopper.
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I sent away for the catelog. We’ll see what they have. 🤣
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[…] now, I’m just buying him a John’s Howell’s Special, Cheryl. Maybe a glass of bourbon will help him let go of whatever’s bothering […]
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Thank you for the link, Dan
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Ha ha ha! A dog’s mind is as mysterious as a woman’s. Isn’t that what men think? Oh, it could have been a female dog . . . that would explain so much!
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Well, men have been trying to figure out how women think for eons, Pamela. We have all females dogs and yes it does explain some things. 🤣
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Everyone’s a critic, eh?
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Always. 😁
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Lol! Good one, John. My first comment didn’t stick…hopefully this will. Happy Saturday!
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Happy Saturday to you Jill. *sung to the tune of He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother by the Hollies. 😁
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Probably due to all the snow we’re getting hit by here, but I swore this prompt was ‘Let it Go’ until I got halfway through the skit.
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Sometimes those prompts are tricky. How much snow are you getting?
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1-2 feet according to the news. Hard to tell because of the wind. So you’ll have a barely covered spot next to a 3 foot drift.
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Yikes. Stay warm
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Haha, John, Linda should have made sure the St Bernard had a casket of whiskey attached to its collar. It would have helped your blue feet no end.
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I think you have something there, Robbie. 😁 Thank you.
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You always manage to bring a smile to my face on Saturday morning. That’s an accomplishment worth noting. 🙂
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LOL… a really well-crafted dialog.
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Thank you so much, Susan. I love your comment. 😁
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John – I tried to send away for the ACME catalog. However some coyote seems to have dropped an ACME instant bridge on the site and both the bridge and site are down. The fate of the coyote remains a mystery. Though rumors are he was last seen under the bridge. Then again it just might have been a Troll who started the rumor…
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Yeah Tommy the Troll works that way. I hope you didn’t give the ACME order department your credit card number.
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Blue feet? That’s a haunting image. Thank goodness, this is just a story and all is well that ends well. Happy Saturday, John. 😁
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I know right? Yes it always comes out okay. Thanks, Gwen. Have a great weekend.
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There’s always someone around to put in their 2 cents worth, eh, John? Love that water hose bit!!
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Thank you, GP 😊
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Ha! Ha!! Blue feet indeed. Wrong time of the year to go outside barefoot. 🙂 Great response to the prompt! I love it!
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Thank you, Jan
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I snort laughed at “How should I know? I’m not a dog whisperer”. I can’t remember the name of the guy in the show I think it’s Cesar somebody. I should look for that on stream somewhere to laugh some more. Thanks John for always making my Saturday.
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I think you are right about the dog whisperer, Jill. Glad you like my foolishness. 😁
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Good one, John. Always enjoyable! Keep them coming!
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Thank you, Barbara. 😁
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Sometimes those plot holes don’t need filling. If you find a big one, maybe it will hold your friend until Spring. You might convince the dog to buy the first round if you can keep up with him.
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Good idea. Thanks, Craig.
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You do realize that if you stop your fabulous lead-ins, you will have a blogger revolt. So, blue feet and barefooted? I can’t wait to see where this is going. I hope the water bill was manageable. Of course your prompt story is always hilarious. Well done, John.
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Thank you, Jennie. No revolts I hope. 😁
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That’s good to hear!
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Don’t St Bernard’s tote around a small keg of beer in the event of an emergency? Methinks beer was on the minds of all parties involved in this story. If he attacks you, there’s going to be paperwork and that delays partaking of said beer . . .
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Excellent observation, Pilgrim. I think I subconsciously thought the same thing. 😁
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Salud!
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I’m very glad the dog let you get the envelope 🙂 we had a nieghbor with a broken pipe in their front yard. It was a beautiful ice sculpture that kept changing as the water kept coming.
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Oh wow. Wouldn’t want that. 😳
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Chuckle, giggle, laugh and snort! Every Saturday morning ! 🙂
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I’m so glad you likes it. Thanks for letting me know, Dale. 😊
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I’m rather behind… But glad I could let you know 😉
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😊
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A fun & entertaining story, John! There isn’t much better when a furry pup is involved. 🙂
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True. Thanks, Mar.
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😄👏🏻👏🏻
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Thank you, Cheryl.
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