The air is filled with the first signs of spring. The coffee machine has granted another hassle-free cup of life-giving elixir. The first sip jogs the memory. There is still a circus in the backyard. Avoiding the truth, my thoughts turned to the bottle of milk I emptied on a bowl of Raisin Bran Crunch. A run to the store will have to be made before another serving. Putting a reminder in my phone, my attention is shattered by the loudspeaker outside. “Ladies and Gentlemen and children of all ages. I direct your attention to the ceiling. High above the arena awaits the lovely Petunia Pig. She is the queen of the flying trapeze.” A quick entrance into the tent confirmed Petunia Pig bathed in white hot spotlights at the very top of the tent.
The music begins, and she starts swaying on the bar of a trapeze. The diamonds in her tiara reflect the spotlights, producing dancing light flashes. The crowd goes quiet as she picks up momentum and then erupts in a collective sound of surprise as she leaves the one swinging bar and catches another. She flips around and catches a third trapeze in time to prevent a bone-crushing fall. Porky hangs by his knees upside down on the fourth swing and maintains a back-and-forward swinging motion while continuing to bring his hooves together and then apart as a signal he is ready to catch the flying queen.
Petunia builds momentum on her trapeze as the music keeps time to her motion. Once she reaches the highest point of the swing arc, she lets go. Like a soaring bird, she flies toward Porky. He is ready for her, and in one heartstopping moment, he snatches her from sure death. The crowd, as one lets up a monster, cheer. The band increases the volume of the music, and Porky lifts Petunia to the still-swinging bar. He joins her, and in tandem, they acknowledge the adoration of those below.
My neck hurts from straining to see and the tension of the moment. Turning to leave, my progress is stopped by a bump into Speedy Gonzales. “Ah, senor,” he says. “I have an envelope for you.” My first thought was to run away, but that would be a hopeless gesture. Speedy hands me the envelope. Inside is the message we all expect from Linda Hill. It reads. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “the last thing you emptied.” Think of the last thing you emptied or something you empty often and use it as your prompt any way you like. Have fun!
If you want to have fun, visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.
https://lindaghill.com/2023/03/24/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-25-2023/
The Last Thing Emptied by John W. Howell © 2023
“So the last thing you emptied was a bottle of milk?”
“Yeah, that was it.”
“You’re supposed to write about it and not the circus.”
“Tell that to Porky and Petunia pig.”
“How long is this circus fixation with you going to last.”
“Till I get rid of all those Warner Brothers-looking characters.”
“Now, wait a minute. This is all fiction. You can just stop it.”
“Tell that to Foghorn Leghorn. He’s due to perform next week.”
“You know how nuts you sound, right?”
“This is a blog, not real life. The readers like the characters, so the show must go on.”
“I hope by the end of the day I can look back on the last thing I emptied being different from a bottle of milk.”
“Let me guess. A VooDoo Ranger Imperial.”
“You got it. Know where we can find some?”
“You still have your Uber app?”
“Yup.”
“Then I know where to find the last thing you will empty today.”
“Bless you, my man.”
Fiction Favorites 
Who knew the last thing emptied could inspire a fun story? Well done, John. BTW, my last thing was a carton of half-n-half, an absolute ‘must’ for morning coffee. Have a great weekend. 😄
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I agree with the “must” I just did the same with a half and half carton this morning. Have a great weekend as well. 😁
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Guess you have to let the characters have their fun. Don’t want them to riot.
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Can you imagine?
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I’ll believe it when I see pigs fly. Oh, maybe I just did. Oh, John, try Cheerios with raisins, walnuts, blueberries and sliced banana and skim milk…with coffee😉. Have a great day!
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I do add a banana to the crunch stuff. Skim milk? Em still a 2% man myself. Thanks, Steve.
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You can’t stop before Foghorn Leghorn, John. I’ve been living on popcorn and soda, waiting for him.
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🤣
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I have pictures of pigs flying if srbotch doesn’t believe in them! 🤣
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Ha ha ha. I’m sure you do. Thanks, GP.
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It’s back to the circus! I’m glad to watch Porky and Petunia pig. Is it “That’s All, Folks”?
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Nope one more week of silliness. 😁
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Oh, goodie!
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😁
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I just got up, so the last thing for me was a body part. Probably wouldn’t make for a good story.
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Probably not. 😳
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Porky and Petunia doing a trapeze act! 🙂 Good imagination, John!
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Thank you, Tim
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As long as the milk carton is not emptied before my first cup, all is well in the world. How graceful were Petunia and Porky? Must have been quite the show!
Happy VooDoo Day, John 😉
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Thank you, Dale. Voo Doo and veggy Toastadas tonight.
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That sounds lovely, John.
Here, its shrimp pasta (of some sort, still not decided) and a glass of wine 🙂
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Wine for me too since I only have one VooDoo.
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You are so reasonable 😉
White or red and what kind do you enjoy?
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I like red more than white but prefer Malbec for red and Fume Blanc for white. I do like Chardonnay if it is not too oakey. I also enjoy a good toothy zinfandel. I guess I like all kinds of wine. I was about to go on about others but let’s say I never met a good wine I didn’t like.
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Same. I am an equal opportunity wine drinker 😉 Matching the right one to food makes all the difference. I’m not crazy about over-oaky, myself.
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When The Producer was working for a winery they used to call some competitive brands Oakwater. I always got a laugh out of that.
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Haha! I love that! I miss working for a wine agency…
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Oh my! That was a heartstopping act from Petuna and Porky. So glad he caught her. 🙂 And you are right. The circus must go on. Great use of the prompt…again!
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Thank you, Jan. Glad you liked it.
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Hey, when you get on the stream of consciousness train, you go where it takes you…
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Very true.
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Good one, John 🙂 I can picture Porky and Petunia flying through the air
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Me too. Thanks, Denise.
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I’m totally enjoying the circus!
Petunia & Porky were fabulous.
I’m excited to see what Foghorn will be performing!
Hopefully all the animals have been freed from their cages, and all the good acts remain: Trapeze√, High wire, Clowns, Acrobats, Ring Master, Magician, etc.
Okay getting a mail ready!
💃🏽🐂💃🏽🐂💃🏽🐂💃🏽🐂
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🐂🤡🐂🎪🐂 🤹🏻♀️🐂
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The greatest show on earth!
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😁
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OH yeah! Work that prompt with your VR guy! xoxoxoxo
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🤣X🤣X🤣X🤣X
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🌎X 🌎X 🌎X 🌎X
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X🌝X🌝X🌝X🌝
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Oh boy! I found an all in 1!!!!!
⨂⨂⨂⨂
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That is so cool. Where did you find it?
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In the math emojis! ⨂⨂⨂⨂
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I don’t have math emojis I feel left out.
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Ha ha! Now I have a craving for pork chops…
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Hmmm. 😁
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Your story brings to mind a song from my childhood: [She] flies through the air with the greatest of ease, that daring young [pig] on the flying trapeze.
I forget the rest.
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I forget too.
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I am loving the circus and was waiting with baited breath while the piggies were flying! ….I can’t imagine what foghorn leghorn will do in his star turn next week!! 💜💜
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Lucky for me I have a week to figure it out. 😁
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Lol yes indeed and I for one can’t wait 🤣🤣
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There will be gunpowder involved.
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I hope so 😁😁😸
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🧨
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I shall bring ear defenders 🌞😂
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Good idea. 😊
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😁😁
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Porky and Petunia definitely sound like they enjoy living life on the edge once in awhile. As for Foghorn Leghorn, if there is gonna be gunpowder involved next time out he’ll surely be living life on the edge whether he wants to or not!
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That is what I think is a good idea. Leghorn on the edge. Thanks, Bruce.
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Love the circus! Porky and Petunia on the trapeze was perfect. Looking forward to Foghorn Leghorn next week. I hope he’s careful, as I suspect gunpowder.
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He will be careful. There are nets.
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Voodoo on tap?
That’s all folks!
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Yowzzaaaa
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Salud!
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😁
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HI John, great to read about Porky and Petunia flying through the air with the greatest of ease. Long may the circus saga continue.
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Thank you, Robbie. 😁
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