The machine is on it today. One cup of relief in less than twenty seconds. Has to be an all-time record. Knocking down a clump in the sugar and a spoon to the java it is now time for a sip. The brain has cleared enough to consider the clock. It is set for March 1, 1924. The location is Nixon, New Jersey. The duration is two hours. The plunger is pulled, and we are standing in an area that no longer exists.
Nixon, New Jersey, is the site of the Nixon Nitration Works Disaster. An explosion of Ammonium Nitrate destroyed several square miles of New Jersey factories and killed 18 people with two missing and 100 injured. The scene is complete devastation, and the town of Nixon no longer exists.
The explosion destroyed one building initially and then spread through fire to 40 others. The explosion was heard as far away as New York City. The cause is believed to be a small clump of TNT left in the Ammonium Nitrate that was extracted from WWI artillery shells for reuse as furtilizer. With that knowledge, the alarm goes off and the couch is an acceptable shelter from the smoke. Of course, there is a text from Linda Hill. It reads; .Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “clump.” Use it as a noun or a verb. Have fun!
If you would like to see how other bloggers handled the prompt visit Linda’s post. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2024/03/01/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-2-2024/
Clump by John W. Howell © 2024
“You know your readers are going to revolt with those one word prompts hidden in the text.”
“They are the best people on the planet. They are okay with it. Besides there are two this week.”
“Yeah hidden in the aftermath of the Nixon explosion.”
“That was a terrible thing.”
“It is good to remember stuff like that. Did the town rebuild?”
“Yup but they voted to rename it Edison.”
“Why is the Nixon name familiar?”
“Lewis Nixon III was a highly decorated WWII airborne combat officer veteran and included in the book Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose. After the war he returned and joined the family company which was Nixon Nitration Works. The book was made into an HBO mini-series with Ron Livingston playing Lewis.”
“That sounds terrific but I was thinking of Richard Nixon.”
“Yeah, I can’t help you get out of that clump of bushes.”
“What bushes?”
“Never mind. All this time travel has me needing a Voo Doo Ranger.”
“Uber is waiting over there.”
“Where? All I see is a mess of a truck. Oh no.”
“Yup. Quite the classic.”
Photo by Dan Antion
“Classic what?”
“Classic Ford 3/4 ton flatbed.”
“Don’t even suggest we are riding in the back.”
“No we have a girl my lord from Winslow Arizonia.”
“She’s our uber driver?”
“Yup and she’s slowed down to take a look at us.”
“I think you have lost it. Lucky there’s room for three up front.”
“Dibs on the middle.”
“Why does that not surprise me?”
“Okay let’s go.”
“Think she has a disk player?”
“You rented it. You should you know.”
Fiction Favorites 
Nice post 🌹
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Thank you.
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Only you could figure out a way to tuck a history lesson in with one of the greatest rock bands of all time, I dig it very much.
As for Edison, I used to go to Harold’s New York Deli all the time when I was traveling. Just off the turnpike, the leftovers will last you a week.
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Harold’s sounds delicious. If I were a teacher we would have a rock and history lesson every day. 😁
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You would be my kind of teacher.
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I wanted to be one at one time.
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You would’ve been great.
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Not too sure frustrated stand up comics make good teachers.
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It’s all in the individual. You’re cut from a different cloth, so you could do anything.
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Dear John,
we just googled the Nixon Nitration Works Disaster. We hadn’t heard about this disaster before.
Nicely build in your stream of consciousness text.
Keep well
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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It was the 100th anniversary so I grabbed it. I had not heard of it before. There was a lot of legal blaming back and forth as well.
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I’m glad you got the timing right on that visit, John. I’d hate to think what could have happened to spacetime if you had been a few minutes off.
“Dibs on the middle.” – I’m still laughing,
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Yeah it happened shortly after 11:00AM so to be a little late was a good thing. I would want to sit next to any girl driving a flat bed Ford . Glad you got a laugh.
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Does the Producer read these comments?
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Yes she does. She has my number too.
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Very interesting. I enjoy these historical briefs. Was the truck parked near the explosion site?
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It looks like it doesn’t it? Thanks Steve. 😁
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Very nicely played with the cultural references! Five bonus points.
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Oh, thank you, Liz. I sure can use those points. 😁
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You’re welcome, John!
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😊
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My better-half grew up in the Nixon area of Edison. Lewis Nixon III was part of the 101st A/B during WWII and known by many from the miniseries, Band of Brothers.
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Yup. Thanks, GP.
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Wow! The story of Nixon, New Jersey’s explosion is mind-boggling! I suppose you took it easy on the way to the pub and back, not letting the sound of the wheels drive you crazy. 😁
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That was the whole idea, Tim. 😁
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I learned a lot today John thank you for the history lesson , both and of course thank you for the music
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Thank you for the lovely comment. Willow. 😁
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I really was interested and learned something new 💜💜💜
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😊
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💜💜
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That’s definitely a scary event to visit.
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Yeah. Had it not been a 100 year anniversary I might have opted for somewhere else.
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I’d take a ride in that truck anytime! Love the Eagles and love that song. Maybe there’s a clump of mud on one of the tires?
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I could have used that clump of mud idea. Well done, Noelle.
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That’s really cool how you included the Nixon Nitration Works Disaster into your stream of consciousness.
The uber looks like it will be a bumpy ride! 😀
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Thank you, Kymber. Bumpy indeed.
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I lived in Middlesex County and worked in Menlo Park/Edison (as our company letterhead stated), but never knew about Nixon, NJ. So interesting.
Anything by the Eagles is fine with me! That truck looks great. Can I drive?
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You can drive, Lois. I think you qualify as a girl my lord and that is the only qualification necessary. You don’t even have to be from Windslow Arizonia. 😁
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I agree with Dan good timing on your arrival in Nixon, NJ. I like that rusty ole truck. Great job getting the challenge word in the story.
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Thank you, Deborah.
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Love the Uber story and song. Dibs on the middle- ha! I enjoyed the history, John. Thanks!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed, Jennie.
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Best to you, John.
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😊
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There are so many forgotten disasters such as this one in our history. A sad revisit. Glad the town rebuilt. Great use of the prompt and gotta love your Uber rides!
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Thank you, Jan. Glad you enjoy the rides.
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John Thanks for this idea with these ancient old photos. Anita
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😊
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Very clever with incorporating the lyrics to the Eagles song. I’m betting most missed that. As a huge Eagles fan, I immediately caught on with Winslow, Arizona, and a flatbed Ford. 😊
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Dan Antion sent me the picture but I don’t think he imagined it to be used that way. Thanks, Pete.
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Great information on history, we never had heard here, John! Thanks, and enjoy a nice weekend! xx Michael
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Thank you, Michael. 😁
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Wow, this was quite something, John. I’d never heard of it before. Ha ha, I was waiting for the punch line of President Nixon …..
Too funny!!!❣️….”“Never mind. All this time travel has me needing a Voo Doo Ranger.”❣️
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Yes, I think we all need a Voo Doo Ranger.
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👍🙌🩷
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😁
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It is good to remember these stories. They are part of your history. Even Richard.
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For sure.
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Love these history lessons tucked into your Saturdays! As for the truck… I’d want to ride in the flatbed! Course, it has to be a nice evening… Wonderful tucking in of the lyrics, too. You are so clever and fun 🙂
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Oh, thank you, Dale.Cheers.
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😊🍻
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😁
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Not to be controversial, but if Nixon were running today, and considering the competition, I’d vote for him. I wove a huge molasses disaster into one of the hat stories. It really happened.
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I’m with you on Nixon. Certainly a victim of the deep state.
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Well, that was interesting. Yes, it is good to not forget things in history that were not nice, scary or horrific.
It all counts in paying forward to better happenings.
The truck …mmmmm..but the song is fabulous!
Voodoo cheers to voodoo guys!
🛻𝐗 🍻𝐗
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We need to remember the good, the bad, and the ugly since that is the way we create more good. Thanks,for the cheers, Resa.
🛻X 🥨X 🍺X 🧀X
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Hi John, I didn’t know anything about this incident. How horrible.
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It was. I think it put a stop to using old artillery shells for furtalizer
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❤️🔥
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Ha ha ha.
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