It is the New Year, and the coffee machine has been working overtime on special coffee requests. With a visit of Son and daughter, there were lattes, flat whites, and dark black coffees. It’s the little things that make a visit so lovely. The machine had a few days off, so it delivered my cup in record time. Taking a sip while cuddled next to Twiggy and Tempest was a short-lived moment of peace. The Westminster chimes uprooted the sleeping dogs, and like the rule states, they should have been left to lie.
Feeling the tiny droplets of blood from shattered eardrums, it is imperative to silence the hounds of Baskerville. A large Benny bone tossed into the bedroom, followed by a slamming door, settled the matter.
Of course, the security system needed to be disengaged before going to the door. The control panel made the process simpler. The boiling oil vats were put on standby, the Trebuchet on safety, the concertina wire rolled, the Claymore mines reset, the tower Gattling guns disengaged, the moat net dropped, and the IUDs and shoulder-held rockets put away. The locks on the door were thrown. The final camera check picked up the image of a guy with a shotgun who looked very much like Elmer Fudd. The AI message was delivered, followed by the snarl of a sabertoothed tiger. “Put down the shotgun.”
He dropped it and threw his hands in the air. The door opened, and he said, “No wabbit, just this message from Linda Hill.” Giving him a hands-down motion allowed the message to pass. “Take your gun and go.”
The Fudd lookalike disappeared around the house. The message was clear. Your prompt for #JusJoJan the 11th and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “It’s the little things.” Take whatever the phrase “it’s the little things” brings to mind and use it in your post. Have fun!
If you would like to see what others do with the prompt, visit Linda’s blog. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/10/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2025-daily-prompt-for-jan-11th/
It’s the Little Things by John W. Howell © 2025
“Why no history today?”
“Since this is my first Saturday post this year, and my friend Dan, who passed away in 2024, loved the security dismantling stuff, I decided to do it.”
“I hope he enjoyed it.”
“I’m sure he did.”
“It’s the little things that mean the most.”
“You have become a philosopher?”
“No. I just thought it was a great place to toss in the prompt.”
“Yeah, that makes more sense.”
“So, how was your time off?”
“It was great. Got a lot of visiting in and had some great food.”
“That is always good.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Speaking of good.”
“Here it comes.”
“Whaddya say to a few Voo Doo Rangers?”
“I missed last week, so they sound pretty good. Uber?”
“Right over there.”
Photo by Dan Antion
“Okay, this is weird.”
“Why do you say that?”
“We don’t get that much snow where we are in Texas.”
“All the more reason for a unique ride.”
“So the three in the front is doable.”
“Yup. Checked it myself.”
“Did you get a deal?”
“Free ride except for one stop.”
“What’s the stop?”
“A detour to Oaklahoma.”
“Great. Where there is snow, right?”
“Right. It’ll be a great weekend.”
“Pub first.”
“Of course.”
Fiction Favorites 
Dear John
You should come here. Last night, we had a little bit of snow. In a few days, we’ll go to Scotland’s mountains, where we hope to have lots of snow.
Wishing you a happy weekend
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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I left snow country here 44 years ago. Love to visit though. I hope you have a terrific time in Scotland. I love it there. 😁
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I read that snow was possible in Texas, but it’s a big state. Sounds like you had a great break. Welcome back.
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It was great, Dan. Thanks for the welcome.
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Imperative – ya gotta hit the pub first!!
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Looks like a case to go from my point of view. Thanks, GP
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👍
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😊
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No snow here, John – not since last week, anyway, and some of that is still lying around – but today’s high is a mere 1ºC (that’s 33.8° in old money). Enjoy your weekend, and if you could send a few of your spare degrees our way, that would be nice.
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Well it is -1.6C right now. You better hang on to what you have. (of course it will be 10C later today. I’ll wait to send that.
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Nice tribute. We’ve had some snow here. Never when it could delay school openings. Only on weekends, breaks, and at night when it just makes the roads messy.
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That is the way the snow god works. Also if you are planning a vacation then all transportation will get snowed in.
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“No wabbit.” Gotta love Fudd.
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So true. Thanks, Lois.
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It must have been wonderful having your son and daughter visit. A drive to Oklahoma would be a long journey in that truck.
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So true. That’s why I’m getting a case of Voo Doo to go. Thanks, Tim
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Now that’s an Uber I haven’t seen in a long time. We don’t get snow here anymore – well, we got a dusting yesterday and now everything is shut down. People freak out at the first snowflake. Having grown up in New England, I love snow.
Before you disarmed all your equipment for Elmer Fudd’s arrival, you disarmed your first line of defense – Twiggy and Tempeste!
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The Benny bone does that. I consider them a line of defense if a crook is allergic to barking. Thanks, Noelle.
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The barking must be pretty intense!
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Yes. It is.
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It is the little things and your post is a nice remembrance of your friend. At least you’ll be able to clear the roads as you drive—if you do encounter snow 😉 We don’t have snow here although it feels cold enough. Funny, these temperatures (20s to 40s) would often usher in snowy weather in NY, but not here. I guess our elevation is too low. The only thing these days that I like about the cold weather is the cats, especially Raji, are more snuggly 🙂
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Twiggy and Tempeste are more snuggly too. I get that is the best possible upside of the cold. Thanks, Marie.
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We’ve got the freezing temps in Northern AZ but no snow. I hope you guys had a fun ride! Happy Saturday to you! 😊
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Thank you, Gwen. I got a case of Voo Doo Ranger to go and now I can’t feel my feet. 😁
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All that security stuff seemed a bit excessive, dontchya think? Except for the trebuchet. Always keep a trebuchet locked and loaded – especially if you have nosy neighbors.
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It might seem excessive until you see my neighbors. My Trebuchet is always loaded.. I use granite boulders.
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John,
How nice. A tribute to Dan. I know he is smiling right now. Thanks for doing that.
Elmer Fudd and the Wabbit are close to his heart too.
Of course, I too enjoy the dismantling of your security.
Glad you enjoyed your time off with son and daughter.
We have those plows everywhere !! We finally got a little snow yesterday – maybe 2-3 inches.
Thanks for the smiles.
Tom
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I thought he would be smiling too. I’m surprised you haven’t had more snow. I’ll do more dismantling in the future.
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Excellent – love the dismantling. 🙂
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All for you.
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Sounds like a lovely visit, John. Family is important, as is a variety of coffee to please everyone. Great use of the prompt but your detour sounds disastrous! 😜
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It was lovely. Thanks, Jan. Yeah the detour is a pain. Lucky I took a case of VooDoo Ranger by take out. (and some wings)
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Sounds like a great visit. At least the snow keeps the beer cold.
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That’s true.
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That sounds very secure. Regarding the coffee, we also just upgraded our flavors as we currently have a visitor as well. I am so sorry about your friend Dan.
Something funny happened. I was unsubscribed from your blog today. I noticed the problem and resubscribed. But I did not unsubscribe in the first place.
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WordPress is a very shaky platform. I have no idea why an unsubscribe happens. I have received no help from the happiness engineers either. Sorry about the aggravation but am happy you resubscribed. 😁
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Road Trip Itinerary:
Go to the pub for Voodoo Rangers for sustenance
Go to Oklahoma
Fire up some Three Dog Night “Never Been To Spain”
Do the Lord’s work.
Go to the pub for Voodoo Rangers for recovery
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You should be a tour guide. I love that song by the way. Thanks, Pilgrim.
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That’s Q’s forte. I’m afraid I would be a one trick pony when it came to tours. Museum tour? Fuck it, let’s hit a pub. Shopping tour? Fuck it, let’s hit a pub. Botanical garden tour? Fuck it, let’s hit a pub.
You’re grabbing the theme here, I imagine.
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I like your style. Fuck it, let’s go to the pub.
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Deal!
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Yessssssssss.
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I’m sorry to hear about your friend Dan.
I’m glad you had such a good time off period and had an opportunity to visit with family.
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It was great, Liz. Thank you.
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You’re welcome, John.
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😊
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Glad you had great holidays visits and tasty caffeinated brews. Wagnificent job with the challenge, John. Loved the setup. I can picture the rousing of the pups and had to chuckle. Blood dripping from your ears/gatling guns readied indeed. Have a safe ride-hope the trip wasn’t too far out of way. Winter has been a bit harsh so far, especially in areas that aren’t used to it. Stay safe and warm.
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Thank you for indulging an old man in his ridiculous fiction. You gave me a big smile, Monika. 😁
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Thank YOU for allowing this old lady to read such fun stuff.
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🤗 😁
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Nice that you wrote what your friend Dan liked. Hey, he was not alone, and everyone likes Elmer Fudd. The Uber looks so cool… except for having to drive to Oklahoma. 😀 Sounds like you had a great visit, John.
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Thanks, Jennie.
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You’re welcome, John.
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😁
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