Author: John W. Howell

I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two. I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

December 1, 2023November 30, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 81 Comments

Photo by By Sebastião Salgado

Today’s good news story comes from the Good News Network. Here it is in its entirety.

Couple Plants 2 Million Trees in 20 Years to Restore A Destroyed Forest, and Even the Animals Have Returned

By Andy Corby – Nov 30, 2023

In 2001, the legendary photojournalist Sebastião Salgado had a dream of restoring the forest near his home in the state of Minas Gerais. Now, 20 years later, his family property is a biodiverse paradise.

His work over long years saw him, his wife Lélia, and volunteers plant 20 million trees from 290 different species across over 1,500 acres of desiccated hillsides, recreating a natural forest ecosystem into which rare animals have now come to live.

Salgado’s story is a famous one. The photojournalist documented some of the most dramatic events of human misery of the 20th century. He authored half a dozen books, exhibited his photos around the world, and was the subject of a documentary, Salt of the Earth.

When he came home in 1998 after reporting on the exodus of the Rwandans into the Congo, the land around his family home had been completely destroyed.

“The land was as sick as I was—everything was destroyed,” Salgado told the Guardian back in 2015.

“Only about 0.5% of the land was covered in trees. Then, my wife had a fabulous idea to replant this forest. And when we began to do that, then all the insects and birds and fish returned and, thanks to this increase of the trees, I, too, was reborn – this was the most important moment.”

That same year, he and Lélia founded Instituto Terra, which focuses on environmental restoration and sustainable rural development in the Rio Doce Valley. Located in Southeast Brazil, it makes up a part of the other great landscape of the country—the Atlantic Forest biome, which is far more temperate than the Amazon or the Pantanal and far more threatened.

Today, the property is officially titled Private Reserve of Natural Heritage Bulcão Farm, and hundreds of animal species have returned to the Rio Doce, including ocelots, purple-breasted parrot, and the Atlantic titi.

173 bird species alone have been identified; you can listen to some of their squawking here. Interested conservationists can donate to Salgado’s project on his website or even schedule a visit to the reserve.

The good news here is one man and his wife took it upon themselves to right a bib wrong. Today’s JohnKu talks about individual effort. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

One at a time by John W. Howell

We all think it takes,

Big moves to make big changes . . .

Then there’s this story.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy and Her New Railing.

November 30, 2023November 29, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 120 Comments

“What’s up with the wire.”

“That is your new railing.”

“Railing? Why do I need a new railing.”

“Did you notice something?”

“Notice what?”

“You can’t jump off the porch anymore.”

“Hey, wait a minute. How do I get to the yard?”

“Look behind you. There’s a gate.”

“Hold on. The latch is too tall for me.”

“Wonder why?”

“Does this mean I have to ask you to open it?”

“That is how it works.”

“Hold on, Dad. I’m used to bolting off the porch at high speed.”

“And that is exactly how you injured your leg.”

“I don’t want to go through that again.”

“We are going to ensure there’s no more porch leaping.”

“I suppose it is for the best.”

“I’m glad you see it our way.”

“So I go through the gate and down the steps.”

“You got it. It won’t happen until you’re cleared by the doctor, though.”

“In the meantime, I hear something like the call of the treat.”

“I think we might be able to answer the call.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Prompt – Kreative Kue #408 by Keith Channing

November 28, 2023November 27, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 67 Comments

In Keith’s words. “Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before Sunday evening UK time. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here. Thank you for taking part.”

Keith’s post link. https://keithchanning.wordpress.com/2023/11/27/kreative-kue-409/

The photo.

“Oh, Daddy, you should see what I found.”

“One minute, sweetheart, I’m on the phone.”

“You better hurry. I don’t think it’s going to stay.”

“Just hang on. I’ll be right there.”

“Hey, kid. He’s not going to make it. I have things to do.”

“You can talk?”

“Yeah, why not.”

“But you’re a ladybug.”

“Who says?”

“You look like a ladybug.”

“For one thing, dear child, I’m no lady.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll explain that when you are older. For now, I have to fly away home.”

“Why?”

“The saying is because my house is on fire, and my children may burn.”

“Really?”

“No. Someone just made that up. But I do have to get moving.”

“Can you stay for cookies and milk?”

“No, there are a bunch of aphids with my name on them.”

“You going to visit them?”

“They have invited me to dinner.”

“Can I go with you?”

“No, you have your Daddy who needs you.”

“I wish you could meet my Daddy.”

“Maybe next time kiddo. Now put me on the back of your hand and say the words. Do you remember them?”

“I think so, but I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll be back, I promise.”

“Okay. Ladybug, ladybug fly away home. Your house is on fire, and your children will burn.”

“Bye, sweetheart.”

“Okay, I’m here. What did you want me to see?”

“She’s gone, Daddy. A ladybug.”

“Sorry to miss her. Would you like some cookies and milk?”

“Do we have any aphids?”

“Yes, chocolate chip aphids.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do While Decorating the House for the Holidays

November 27, 2023November 19, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 72 Comments

The inspiration for this list came naturally from having decorated several houses over the years. I guess I could be guilty of some of these, but not all. I hope you enjoy it.

10 If you are decorating your house for the holidays, do not ignore the number of lights on a continuous string instruction on the lights. If you do, at best, you will trip a circuit breaker. At worst, you may take down the Eastern seaboard grid. (Who’s going to pay that bill, Caelan? Don’t forget the lawsuits that range anywhere from unwanted pregnancy to being trapped in an elevator.)

9 If you are decorating your house for the holidays, do not hire unlicensed contractors, especially if they are named Tiny, the WWF champ who just got out of confined anger management care. If you do, at best, you may get off with a broken window or two. At worst, you may find your lights wadded in a ball in your neighbor’s living room. (How were you to know your neighbor would yell at Tiny and tell him to turn down the rap music, Cane? Also, how would you know Tiny would jump through your neighbor’s roof and take out a floor and ceiling on his way to the living room. The big question to be answered now is where is Tiny and your neighbor?)

8 If you are decorating your house for the holidays, do not use the twenty-four-foot ladder to reach the peak of the roof. If you do, at best, you’ll be stopped by someone who loves you. At worst, you’ll plant that corner star just before your free fall to eternity. (Man. that was a mammoth first step down, wasn’t it Calder?)

7 If you are decorating your house for the holidays, do not think all garland is alike. If you do, at best, you’ll have a mismatched mess. At worst, just as you finish with the final strand and just before frostbite sets in, you will be told to change it. (You had the courage to go up on that ladder once, huh, Caly? How about now?)

6 If you are decorating your house for the holidays, do not think you must out-decorate your neighbor. If you do, at best, you’ll end up spending too much money. At worst, your neighbor increased his light and display capability last year when all the decorations were seventy percent off. (He has way too much stuff for you to finish on top, Carlton. You may take a lesson and wait for the sale and catch him next year.”

5 If you are decorating your house for the holidays, do not think everyone in the neighborhood likes all green lights. If you do, at best, there will be no comments. At worst, you will find a picture of your house on Facebook with the caption, “The most non-original decoration on the planet.” (Kinda hurts your feelings, doesn’t it? Cartland? Green is your favorite color.)

4 If you are decorating your house for the holidays, do not forget to fasten the decorations well. If you do, at best, there will be no wind. At worst, your decorations will be at the mercy of the nighttime winter winds. (It is no problem collecting your lights from the next-door neighbor, right Chadwick?)

3 If you are decorating your house for the holidays, do not forget to double-check the timer. If you do, at best, the lights will come on too early. At worst, the lights will come on at the right time but burn throughout the night (What would be even worse is they come on at six am and go off at six pm, Chas.)

2 If you are decorating your house for the holidays, do not use blow-up lawn decorations. If you do, at best, they look like piles of plastic during the day. At worse, the blow-up machine could get a short, and your blow-up decoration looks like an entry in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. (Whoever thought Rudolf could get that big just before he exploded, Clemens?)

1 If you are decorating your house for the holidays, do not have Holiday music on an outdoor speaker. If you do, at best, your neighbors will complain. At worst, you unknowingly violated the town noise ordinance. (Not a good idea to tell the SWAT team to get off your property, Cleveland. Too bad about that new storm door.)

Views of the Neighborhood – Artist Gordon A. Phillipson

November 26, 2023November 25, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 91 Comments

Today, we are visiting Lakeway City Hall, where an exhibit of artist Gordon A. Phillipson is underway. In fact, we are in time to attend a reception in his honor. We are being catered by L’Oca d’Oro of Austin. Our entertainment is Peter Paul and Mary.

Brunch Menu

Fresh Mozzarella, butternut squash caponata, pepitas

Polpette, Waygu brisket & heritage pork meatballs,
tomato jam, pecorino, oregano

Bacon, house-smoked thick-cut Iberico pork

Egg Salad Toast, miso, sourdough brioche, chives

French Toast Stick, cherry sorghum, raspberries,
whipped mascarpone

Porchetta Sandwich, focaccia, Boggy Creek arugula, olive pesto,
preserved lemon aioli

Creste di Gallo, tonkatsu brodo, garlic sausage, bok choy

Spaghetti Carbonara, pancetta, chili crisp, grana padano

Eggplant Parmesan, Steelbow eggplant, parmesan cream, basil oil, pomodoro

A word about the photos. The lighting in the exhibition area is great for viewing the art but challenging for photographs. Please excuse the odd angles and what will appear to be uneven photos. I intended to get the best shot of the art, avoiding blub glare and ignoring the frames.

Picture of an old time school bus

So, let’s all get on the bus

There is city hall. We need to go inside.

Refreshments are set up for the exhibit.

I want you to meet Gordon A. Phillipson – The talented and award-winning artist.

His bio is very impressive.

Titled: Sea Fury over Giza – A Hawker Sea Fury WWII British fighter

Titled: SB2c Helldiver over the Golden Gate Bridge – The Curtiss-Wright SB2c was an aircraft carrier-based bomber used by the Navy in WWII

Title: Mosquito Over London – The British De Haviland DH98 Mosquito was a multipurpose warplane used in WWII and was the fastest airplane in the World then.

Title: US Airmail Over the South Rim – The Swallow OX5 was built in 1928 and used for airmail stops in Idaho, Nevada, and Utah.

Title: Mikoyan-Gurevich Over Red Square – The Russian-made MIG 15 brought advanced swept wing design into the air combat role. Used during the Korean War with advanced versions as late as VietNam.

Title: Super Constellation Arrives in Paris – The Lockheed L-1049H flew on November 20, 1956. Called “Super H” and “Husky,” the L-1049H was a convertible passenger/freight aircraft

I hope you enjoyed the show. It is now time to relax, have some food, and enjoy the music.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Something That Closes”

November 25, 2023November 24, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 79 Comments

The brew machine delivers a cup of steaming stuff faster than usual. There is more time to fool with the clock. The clock is in the pantry, and the pantry door closes after fetching it. Another dial appears on the back of the clock for the first time. There is a small clock face and a dial. The word ‘alarm’ is beside the face. Looking at my watch, the local time is nine o’clock. So if the alarm is set for Ten o’clock, it will give me an hour in the past.

The alarm is set, and the day and year are chosen: November 24, 1923. Now, to pull the pin to engage. Whoa, that was fast. According to the stadium sign, the location is Forbes Field. That’s a stadium that was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It looks like the game is over since most are leaving. Inside is a giant scoreboard with the names Carnegie Tech and Visitor. It looks like the visitors won the game 23 to zero.

A program is on one of the seats, and the visitors have been identified. It is Knute Rockne’s Notre Dame football team. It looks like the game was a little one-sided. The local folks don’t look too happy, but the Notre Dame folks are all singing and laughing.

A guy from the radio station is interviewing Rockne, saying that the game didn’t reflect his team’s strength. He mentions that they could have done more but decided to allow some first-year members to get some experience. That seems reasonable since, for Notre Dame, the score seems modest indeed.

A bell goes off, and my living room replaces Forbes Field. In my hand, the program has turned into a message from Linda Hill. It reads. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “something that closes.” Write about the first thing that pops into your head that closes. Enjoy!

To see how others handled the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2023/11/24/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-nov-25-2023/

“The pantry door was a cheap way around the prompt.”

“Well, ours does.”

“Tell me again why you don’t use the pronoun, ‘I'”

“Too many first person, present tense stories overuse the pronoun. Everyone gets tired of seeing ” I, I ” all the time.”

“Okay, I get that. Once in a while wouldn’t hurt.”

“I suppose, but I’m trying to do a story without.”

“You just said I.”

“Y0u and are a talking. That’s not what I mean.”

“I’m confused. You know what else closes?”

“Yes, the pub. Did you order an Uber?”

“He’s here.”

“By those Amish buggies?”

“He’s is one of those Amish buggies.”

“Why did I ask?”

“Enquiring minds want to know.”

“Maybe we should walk.”

“Come on. It will be fun.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Goodnews

November 24, 2023November 23, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 67 Comments

Braith, Max, George, Harrison, Alex, and Zach rescued this family and two other girls from a flash rip tide – Supplied by Kiama SLSC.

Today’s good news story comes from the Good News Network. Here it is in its entirety.

Seven Swimmers Owe Their Lives to Australian Teens on Boogie Boards–2 Rescues in One Week

By Andy Corbley Nov 23, 2023

Unrelated teenage surfers rescued swimmers from drowning off the south coast of Australia on two separate occasions last week, proving that while the stereotype of young surfers is one of laxness, it isn’t all a bad thing.

It was November 18th when six friends aged between 12 and 15 were boogie boarding on Kiama Beach in the Australian state of New South Wales. Just 20 minutes after rescue personnel finished their shift and went home for the day, they became aware via screaming that 6 people had been swept hundreds of meters out to sea in a rip current.

A mom with her three young daughters and two young women were all caught in the violent water, leaving buddies Max Laird, Braith Davidson, George Griffin, Harrison Smee, Alex Norris, and Zach Marsden as the only entity on the beach able to affect a rescue.

Luckily, these strapping young lads are all members of the Kiama Surf Life Saving Club, and Harrison, the oldest of the crew at 15, led them back to dry land on their boards to save some lives.

George described the event as “shocking” but told ABC News Australia that “we just had to do what we could.”

“I got to an 8, 9-year-old kid called Matt, and by the time I got to him, he was completely underwater, just his hand above the surface of the water, so I was pretty worried,” said George.

Harrison, George, and their comrades rescued all 6 girls, just nights after another group of surfers on another beach rescued another person—this time a distressed teenage boy swimming alone after safety patrol hours.

Rescue on Jones Beach – supplied to ABC by Lucas Mak

This rescue, which took place on Jones Beach about 2 miles north of Kiama Beach, was carried out by high schoolers Lucas Mak, George Kalajzich, and Dax Cairncross, who used a surfboard to reach the drowning fellow who had also been caught in a “rip” as they call it Down Under.

Lucas and his friends – supplied to ABC by Lucas Mak

“We met the guy out in the rip and started paddling back to the shore slowly. He couldn’t really walk, so his mates picked him up,” Lucas said.

A spokesman for the Surf Life Saving Club said that the rescues were a testament to the awareness, bravery, and focus that can be shown even by young people when given the proper training, as the youngest rescuer was 12 years old.

The good news here is that the stereotyped behavior of teens is just that, a stereotype. Today’s JohnKu talks about stereotypes. I hope you have a great weekend.

You have heard about,

Those people who you don’t like . . .

Do amazing things.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy’s Thanksgiving Wish

November 23, 2023November 22, 2023 ~ John W. Howell

“Twiggy is in her soft prison cell with her Benny wishbone and has a wish for you.”

“Thanks, Dad. I am speaking from my position of exile here in my place of incarceration. Even though I’m denied some of the finer things of life, I am grateful for the gourmet food, the roof over my head, and my two times-a-day exercise periods. I know this isn’t forever, so I keep smiling and pestering the jailers as much as possible.

My wish for you today is that you have a very Happy Thanksgiving surrounded by those you love, just like me. Dad has closed comments, and we all hope you enjoy the day.”

Wednesday – A Prompt from Teagan Geneviene- Diary

November 22, 2023November 21, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 61 Comments

Last week, Teagan Geneviene posted a delightful challenge, which was to have a character post a diary entry. The reason for the entry was to develop the character further and add to the author’s understanding of the character’s personality. By clicking on Teagan’s name, you can go see the post. It is really worth the visit.

As many of you know, my last two books, Eternal Road and The Last Drive, have Lucifer himself as a central character. He has to be the penultimate protagonist. Like most characters, Lucifer has a side of him that even the author may not know about. I thought it would be fun to look in his Diary (hopefully without being caught) to see if there is something about Lucifer we may learn.

Thanks to Teagan for the prompt.

November 2023

Dear Diary,

Here, we are facing another bleak holiday season. I don’t know about you, but if I had my way, I would eliminate all the humans and their overdone attempts at mirth. However, I always need to remind myself when I think of such a drastic measure that eliminating humans would leave a paucity of souls to torture. I guess I can only dream. Ha.

On another note, Dear Diary, I must make an appointment with my psychologist. I was a bit harsh when I stormed out of his office and banned him to the lower ring. He is such a nudge, though. I don’t think he knows how annoying those “So how did that make you feel?” questions are. I know how the hell I feel. I want him to tell me what it is I should be feeling. I’ll tell you that Sigmund Freud was lucky he squeaked into heaven. I would have him by the neck right now.

Am I that difficult to get along with, Dear Diary? Almost everyone I run into can’t wait to get out of my sight. Do you think I should do something about my appearance? Maybe it’s not me at all, but their insecurities about having blown the Earthy test. I just wish I could have a conversation without all the shaking and knee-knocking. I almost feel sorry for them.

I’m wondering if I should have some kind of office party. No, Dear Diary, not in celebration of you know who’s birthday but just to get to know folks better. I mean, if we all had a chance to meet informally, maybe the knee-knocking and shaking would become a thing of the past. Of course, who am I kidding? I’m the Lord of the Underworld, and folks should be afraid. In fact, if I go on like this next year, please remind me of my place.

I wonder how long some mistletoe would last in this heat? Enough for now, Dear Diary. I hear the arrival horn indicating a new set of miscreants needing a welcome. I think I’ll put on the Hermes red suit. I find folks are much more calm when they see that. That snake with wings outfit really shakes them up. No, Dear Diary, we will leave the pitchfork for another day. I might do a silk pocket square, though. Got it at Neiman’s.

Tuesday Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #408 by Keith Channing

November 21, 2023November 20, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 43 Comments

In Keith’s words.

“Using this photo (Below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before Sunday evening UK time. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here. Thank you for taking part.”

Keith’s post link. https://keithchanning.wordpress.com/2023/11/20/kreative-kue-408/

The Photo.