Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #237 by Keith Channing

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 it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, , this link will tell you). 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.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”

The Photo.

Kreative Kue #237

The Departure by John W. Howell ©2019

“What are you doing with that bugle?”

“I was going to play a farewell.”

“Farewell to who?”

“Whom.”

“Huh?”

“To whom. A farewell to whom.”

“That’s what I’m asking.”

“Okay, never mind. I don’t have time for a ‘Who’s on first’ thing with you.”

“What are you talking about? Let’s get back to the farewell.”

“See that guy in the prison clothes over there.”

“You mean the dayglo orange, so no one will miss seeing me, clothes?

“Whatever. See the guy?”

“Yes. Who could miss the guy.”

“He is loading Wanda for her last ride.”

“Wanda?”

“Yeah. Wanda Wagon. She’s gone over that mechanics bridge to the great junkyard in the sky.”

“Please. You are getting all maudlin over that pile of junk?”

“Pile of junk? That car has been through thick and thin with me.”

“Thick and thin?  How do you figure? You bought her used last year.”

“Well, it’s been a tough year.”

“Don’t you think you are getting carried away?”

“Says the guy who sobbed at his Vespa’s departure.”

“That’s different. I had that scooter since I was eighteen.”

“Is that a tear I see?”

“I still miss her.”

“Didn’t you get a Harley?”

“Well, yeah. It’s just not the same.”

“I’ll say. Chrome headlights, fabulous saddlebags, terrific seat, wheels that would make you cry.”

“Yeah, she is sweet. You getting another wagon?”

“Do you have no sensitivity at all. It is too soon to talk of another wagon.”

“Coup, huh?”

“I’m in mourning.”

“Maybe red with a turbo V8?”

“I like blue better.”

“Ah, midnight blue. Maybe a convertible? The dealer is down the street.”

“Might do me good.”

“What about the bugle?”

“You are right. It was only a used car, after all.”

“You sure we were talking about cars?”

 

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt -“GHT”

 

Stream of Consciousness

 

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday, and since this week’s prompt is a bit tricky, I’m going to let Linda Hil explain it. Here are Linda’s words “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ght.” Find a word that contains the letters “ght” in that order, and use it any way you’d like. Bonus points if you use three or more different words containing those letters. Have fun!” If you would like this kind of challenge, go to Linda’s blog and read how. It is easy and fun. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Nov. 9/19

GHT by John W. Howell © 2019

“Okay, it’s midnight, and you are still sitting at that table. You want to enlighten me as to what you are doing?

“I’d be delighted. I’m having a nightcap.”

“Well, you frightened me. I saw the light and thought you were a burglar.”

“That’s mighty funny. I guess I caught you off guard.”

“That you did. I might have called the cops.”

“I ought to have given you a warning. I’m glad it came to naught.”

” Except for the fact that now I’m uptight. I’m sure I can’t go straight back to sleep.”

“How about a draught of this slightly delightful bourbon?”

“I’m sure that brightens your day, but for me, it is too late at night.”

“To me, the moonlight and bourbon are downright perfect pairings.”

“Why don’t you go to a nightclub since I would like to get some sleep tonight?”

“That’s too farsighted for me. I think the thoughtful thing to do is to go to bed myself.”

“You are a righteous soul. You just saved me from being overwrought.”

“And you saved me by helping score the bonus points. You are a heavyweight.”

“I’m up for knighthood, I’m sure.”

“Keep that goal in sight.”

“Right.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue # 236 by Keith Channing

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 it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). 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.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”

The photo.

The Treasure by John W. Howell © 2019

“Are you sure no one’s home?”

“At ease, matey. I watched them leave. This time of day, they won’t be back for hours. Now just look at the treasure, will ya?”

“This stuff makes the copper monkey look cheap.”

“That’s right. All we have to do is load this stuff up, and we have made hundreds.”

“Let me drop this drape over here.”

“Good idea.”

“OMG, look at all the nautical stuff on it.”

“This guy must have been a sea captain. Look that these fishing nets too.”

“How do you use em?”

“Well, this one is for hauling in a big fish that you have on the line. It pretty much makes sure the hook doesn’t come out with the weight of the fish.”

“What about this one.”

“I think it is a landing net as well but can be used to scoop fish out of the water.”

“Okay, enough net lessons, let’s get to the copper.”

“Whoa, this desk is heavy.”

“This globe and sailboat are light. I’ll take them out.”

“Wait a minute. Help me with the desk.”

“Take out the drawers, and it will be easier.”

“Well, what are we going to do then?”
“I guess the two of us need to lift it.”
“Not going to happen. I have a bad back.”
“Bad back. Since when?”
“Two minutes ago. Let’s leave it. I say these nets the globe, clock, and sailboat are more than enough.”
“Enough for what?”
“Start our own fishing company.”
“I can’t believe you, and I are partners.”
“I know, right? I’m so brilliant, and you? Well, you are you.”
“Maybe we should think about a boat.”
“There’s a nice one down the street. Let’s go.”
“After you, Einstein.”
“Get that shade will ya.”

 

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Nuts.”

Stream of Consciousness

 

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again, and this week’s prompt is “nuts.” Linda Hill says to use it any way we want and to enjoy. I have to wonder how many ways there are to use the word, “nuts.” I can think of a few (one of which is not PG-13). So, let’s just go ahead without any further thought. If you would like to join in, visit Linda’s blog, and read how. It is really easy. Here is the link.

https://lindaghill.com/2019/11/01/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-nov-2-19/

Nuts by John W. Howell © 2019

“Nuts.”

“What now.”

“I just dropped my screwdriver into the grate.”

“I think Murphy’s law covers that move.”

“Like how?”

“A fallen tool will be retrievable in direct proportion to it’s criticality to the completion of the project. If critical, it’s gone forever.”

“Yeah, well, I need that screwdriver to finish this project.”

“Forget it then. What’s the project?”

“Trying to fix this leaking hose.”

“So you stand above this grate while working on a hose.”

“Yes. What’s wrong with that?”

“Are you nuts? You should be at a spot where you won’t drop things into the city sewer.”

“But, the hose won’t reach my workbench.”

“I can’t believe this. Did you think to detach the hose from the faucet?”

“I did.”

“Why is it still attached.”

“I needed some plyers.”

“So?”

“They fell in the grate.”

“You are nuts.”

 

 

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #235 by Keith Channing

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 it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). 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.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”

The photo.

Kreative Kue #235

Flight of the Albuquerque by John W. Howell © 2019

“So, where are we going?”

“Hard to say.”

“Doesn’t that concern you?”

“Why should it?”

“We are flying behind a bunch of geese bound for who knows where and you are not concerned?”

“Gaggle.”

“Huh?”

“Gaggle of geese.”

“Oh, excuse me. The point is we are following them to heaven knows where.”

“We have more than enough fuel, and the winter snows are at least 500 miles off. So what is there to worry about?”

“The sun is beginning to set, and it will be dark soon.”

“We have running lights.”

“But can these geese see in the dark?”

“No.”

“What the heck?”

“We will land before it is totally dark and spend the night in a nice pasture near some water.”

“How do you know this?”

“I’ve done it before.”

‘You have?”

“Yup.”

“How long are we going to follow these guys?”

“Till we get to Miami Beach.”

“Wait. I didn’t tell anyone I would be gone that long.”

“You can call them when we land.”

“But I have work and responsibilities. I just thought we would be up here for an hour or so.”

“Didn’t I say we were going to fly south with the geese?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think a thousand miles south.”

“At least we aren’t going to South America. Besides, you’ll love Miami Beach. Plenty of grass and water.”

“Grass and water? You’re kidding, right?”

“I wouldn’t kid about grass and water.”

“You are leading me to believe you think you are a goose.”

“Gander.”

“Er….what?”

“HONK.”

 

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Dress”

 

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again, and this week’s prompt is “dress.” Linda Hill says we can use it any way we want. She also advises to have fun. If you would like to join in, visit Linda’s blog to read up on how. It is very easy. Here is a link to her blog.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Oct. 26/19

Dress by John W. Howell © 2019

“And you have lost your mind.”

“What do you mean?”

“You are standing in front of a mirror in a dress.”

“Oh, this. I’m just trying to decide if I should dress up for Halloween.”

“In a dress?”

“I have always wanted to dress like my favorite movie star.”

“I can’t wait to hear who that is.”

“Jack Lemmon.”

“Jack Lemmon? I don’t think you are old enough to remember Jack Lemmon.”

“I’ve seen all his movies, and my favorite is Some Like It Hot.”

“Yeah, I remember. He and Tony Curtis dressed up as women.”

“That’s it. I want to dress like Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot.”

“I would say you have the legs for it.”

“Very funny. Here hold this picture of Jack and let me compare the dress.”

“Where did you get this dress anyway?”

“Goodwill.”

“Okay, at least you didn’t go into a department store and make a fool of yourself.”

“No. I did entertain the Goodwill folks with my Jack Lemmon imitation.”

“I’ll bet you knocked them dead.”

“They want to see me after I dress up.”

“I’m sure. So what do you think?”

“It’s going to take a superset of accessories to make this dress pop.”

“So, where you going for those?”

“I would say Wal-Mart. I need a wig too.”

“Why can’t you be like everyone else and just go as a Marvel character?”

“That’s just not me.”

“I don’t think Jack Lemmon is you either.”

“Nice comment.”

“How can I help you?”

“Zip me up. Please.”

“How about dinner tonight?”

 

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #234 by Keith Channing

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 it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). 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.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”

The photo.

Kreative Kue #234

Look Into My Eyes by John W. Howell © 2019

“You are growing very sleepy.”

“Huh?”

“Look into my eyes and concentrate.”

“What are you trying to do?”

“Hypnotize you, of course.”

“Well, that’s not going to happen. I read where you have to be a willing subject to be hypnotized.”

“Not willing necessarily. Just dumb enough to fall for it.”

“Well, you will never get me to fall for it after that statement.”

“Wanna bet?”

“No, I don’t. Bt the way what happened to your owner. He looks knocked out.”

“Oh, nothing. I just put a spell on him. He’s in a deep trance. I will wake him up in time for dinner, though.”

“You are really delusional. He’s just taking a nap.”

“Yeah, watch this. When I say so, you will cluck like a chicken. Cluck.”

“I’m waiting.”

“Maybe he didn’t hear me. CLUCK.”

“Still nothing. I think you would do well to let him nap.”

“So, look into my eyes.”

“Yes, master.”

“You are very sleepy.”

“Very sleepy, master.”

“When I say so, you will moo like a cow. Okay, Percy. Moo like a cow.”

“Moo.”

“Now, when I say so, you will wake up and remember nothing. Wake up.”

“Wow, where was I?”

“Under my spell.”

“You sure?”

“I had you moo like a cow.”

“Well, that doesn’t prove anything. I am a cow. besides, I was messing with you. Oh, look, your boss is waking up.”

“TREVOR. WHAT IS THIS COW DOING IN THE LIVING ROOM?”

“I’m leaving Trevor. Good luck with the explanation.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Oh”

Stream of Consciousness

 

Oh, my goodness, it is Stream of Consciousness Saturday again, and this week’s prompt is “oh.” It has been so much easier to let Linda Hill explain the prompt, so here are her words.

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “oh.” Use it as a word or find a word that starts with “oh.” Bonus points if you start and end with “oh.” Enjoy!”

Now you can see why I started the post with “oh.” I’m saving up for a Bentley Turbo Convertable, and I’m pretty close. The bonus points from this post should put me over. If you would like to participate in the fun, go to Linda’s blog and read how easy it is to accumulate bonus points. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Oct. 19/19

Oh by John W. Howell © 2019

“Oh, what a beautiful morning. Oh, what a beautiful day. I have a wonderful feeling everything’s going my way.”

“I guess it’s Saturday.”

“How did you know other than the obvious of knowing where you are which with you is sketchy at best.”

“You are using a prompt word, I’m sure. I can always tell when you break into song. What show is that song in?”

“Oklahoma. Premiered on Broadway in 1943.”

“They made a movie of it too, didn’t they?”

“Yeah, in 1955.”

“So what does this have to do with Stream of Consciousness Saturday.”

“Oh, we are supposed to come up with using oh or a word that starts with oh.”

“Oh. What the heck words start with, oh?”

“Ohmmeter is one.”

“Yeah, you can build a story around that, I’m sure. Any more?”

“All obscure. Nothing to work with.”

So you are going with Beautiful Morning,?”

“Oh, yes, I am.”

“How about Ohio. You could talk endlessly about that.”

“Yeah, I could. The state, Ohio. The greeting in Japanese, Ohio.”

“Not to mention the Ohio River.”

“You know what?”

“What?”

“We should quit now and get a beer.”

“Yeah, what beer?”

“Oh-J double IPA from Portland, Maine.”

“You looked that up, didn’t you?”

“Oh, my. Trapped like a rat.”

“Dishonest rat at that.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #233 by Keith Channing

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 it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). 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.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”

The photo

Kreative Kue

What was that? by John W. Howell © 2019

“What was that?”

“What?”

“That noise.”

I didn’t hear anything.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Sounded like a bomb went off.”

“There are no bombs around here.”

“Okay, maybe not a bomb but an explosion at the very least.”

“Okay, I’ll get up and investigate. Turn on the light will ya?”

“There. Watch those stairs.”

“I’m going to look out the bathroom window. I’m not going downstairs.”

“What do you see?”

“Looks like the neighbors behind us are having a barbeque.”

“What do you mean? Its five o’clock in the morning. Come back in here.”

“I’m just saying they have the whole sky lit up with their fire.”

“Let me have a look. I’ll be right back.”

“You’ll see.”

“Goodness. I think they have the whole neighborhood on fire.”

“Must be expecting a pretty big turnout.”

“We have to do something.”

“Like what?”

“Call the police or fire department.”

“I think you are right. Serves em right for not inviting us to the party. I wonder what they were going to serve. Brisket I’m guessing.”

“The fire department is on its way.”

“I’ll bet they would have had sweet corn too.”

“Will you please stop.”

“And ice-cold beer.”

“I don’t think it was a party.”

“You are just saying that since we weren’t invited.”

 

 

 

 

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Ground

Stream of Consciousness

 

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again. Here is the prompt, as explained by Linda Hill. “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ground.” Use it as a noun or a verb in any tense (i.e., grind). Have fun!” Okay, so there you have it. If you would like to join in on this fun, visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Oct. 12/19

Ground by John W. Howell © 2019

“So, it is Saturday.”

“Yeah. So what?”

“Well, aren’t you twisted around the axle trying to come up with a Stream of Consciousness post?”

“No, I have already finished it.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope. Want to hear part?”

“Do I get anything for listening?”

“Sure, the joy of new knowledge.”

“I was thinking more about the joy of freshly brewed barley and hops.”

“Yeah, of course, you were. so here goes. ‘There I was standing on the ground when all to sudden—'”

“Hold it.”

“What?”

“All to sudden?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“It should be ‘all of a sudden.”‘

“This is a country story. People talk differently.”

“Yeah, okay. Proceed.”

“Okay. ‘All to sudden, a giant bar comes out of the woods and sits down. I grabs my trusty musket and shimmies up a tree. From up there, I could safely stand my ground should that bar decide to attack.’ How’s it sound so far?”

“You want to really know?”

“Yeah. That’s why I asked.”

“Where is this story going?”

“Well, the guy up the tree decides that the bear means him no harm, so he comes down and offers the bear a cup of coffee. The bear happens to be a Starbucks regular and asks the man, “I would like a cup if you have a Sumatra Bold regular grind.” The guy is dumbfounded since all he has is a French Roast fine grind. He tells the bear about the ground coffee, and the bear takes a swipe and knocks him to the ground. The guy looks up at the bear and asks, ‘Why’d you do that?’ The bear tells him that if he is going to offer coffee, at least he should be prepared to provide what the customer wants. The bear roars and then says, ‘Fine grind is not what the customer wants.’ The man offers to go to Starbucks and get the bear his order. The bear agrees and asks for a blueberry scone as well. It ends with the bear and guy enjoying their coffee.”

“So the guy escapes and goes to Starbucks and then comes back?”

“Well, yeah. How else could I finish the story?”

“I think it was finished at the phrase, ‘All to sudden.”‘

“That’s harsh.”

“Truth hurts.”

“So does this ball bat.”

“You might hit a ground ball.”

“Or an airhead.”

“How about a beer.”

“You buying?”

“If you put that bat down.”

“It’s on the ground. Let’s go.”