Views of the Neighborhood – Crape Myrtles in Bloom

June 19, 2022June 19, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 99 Comments

Happy Father’s Day and Happy Juneteenth.

The crape myrtles have been late blooming this year. They have finally made an appearance, and we need to go and check them out. I have to say, some of the shots are a little subdued due to the hazy conditions this week. So that we don’t go hungry on our tour, we are catered by Grizzeldas of Austin. Our entertainment is Neil Diamond.

Menu
migas – scrambled eggs, crispy tortilla chips, queso fresco, crema, ranchero sauce
Appetizers – house chips & salsa tomato, Quemado & Verde
barbacoa taco – dry-aged Jacoby beet, serrano, radish pickled red onion, House crema.
House hot sauce, rice. retried beans choice of tortillas
chilaquiles – crispy tortilla chips, salsa Roja, frita, sunny side egg, queso fresco, crema,
cilantro, pico de gallo
picadillo taco – dry-aged Jacoby ground beef, potatoes, charred raias, rice, refried beans, choice of tortillas +bacon+egg, queso, or avocado
guacamole – cilantro, lime, pico, jalapeños, chips queso Blanco
Monterrey jack cheese, Grizz spice rub, pico de gallo, cilantro, house chips
avocado tostada – black beans, scrambled egg, pico de gallo, serrano crema, cilantro
horchata french toast – horchata batter, sourdough, strawberry puree. mixed berries. whidded cream
vegetarian omelet – spinach, bell pepper, pico de Gallo, fundido cheese, American cheddar
steak fajita scramble – Jacoby brand skirt steak, scrambled egg, pickled jalapenos, tomato. white onion American cheddar
churro chicken & waffles – house churro waffles dusted in cinnamon and sugar, beer-battered chicken strips, candied pecans, spicy syrup, powdered sugar
chorizo brunch burger –6oz dry-aged Jacoby beet and chorizo patty, rajas
fundido cheese, guacamole, spicy mayo served with crispy Kennebec potatoes
churros – dulce de leche & cinnamon sugar
enchiladas verde –roasted chicken, rajas, queso fundido, house crema,
cilantro, sunny side egg

Jump on, and let’s go.

An example of a large red.

These are Mexican Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) I threw these in cause I like them

A lovely pink

One of the lavender shades.

Another pink.

Large soft pink.

White.

Light red.

Deep red.

Another white.

The final is light red with a moon background.

I hope you enjoyed the blooms. Now relax and have some authentic Mexican food and listen to Neil Diamond in one of his later concerts.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Cent/Scent/Sent

June 18, 2022June 17, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 90 Comments

The usual Saturday ritual of watching ~~paint dry~~ coffee brew has been completed. A sip of the restorative elixir assures one that life is indeed worth living. A stroll past the windows reinforces the fact that the entire world seems to share the same thought.

A second sip and deep sigh proceed, looking forward to a relaxing time spent with my dear friend caffeine. As the scent of the roasted beans threatens to overtake my consciousness, the doorbell rings. Twiggy and Lucy erupt like the mad dogs of Cerberus, and with the baying hounds behind me, a question is sent out over the Ring camera app. “What the hell do you want.?”

The shivering soul on the porch apologizes for missing the flashing sign and klaxon horn warning about not ringing the doorbell and informs me he was sent by Dan Antion with a message. Dan Antion? is the thought running concurrently through my brain. The other thought is seriously considering murdering the messenger. My opinion of him is not worth a red cent. I finally go through the disarm and unlock process to face the man. He is covered in a curious scent but choosing to ignore it; the inquiry as to the nature of the visit is repeated. He explains that Linda Hill has a temporary electrical problem, and Dan Antion is filling in for her on the prompt delivery.

He hands me an envelope and then asks what spray I was using at the driveway’s entrance. I took the envelope and told him it was the essence of skunk, which helps keep the werewolves away. After that, he spent no more time standing and invested several minutes in running.

After relocking and arming the automatic machine guns, I opened the envelope. Here is the message.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “cent/scent/sent.” Use them in any form you like. Use one, use two or use them all. Bonus points if you use all three, and Cheryl will put your next drink on David’s tab. I know, you used to get bonus points for two, but inflation… Enjoy! It came to me quickly that David owes me a drink. If you would like to join in go to this link and read how easy it is.

https://lindaghill.com/2022/06/17/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-18-2022/

“Well, that was something.”

“What do you mean?”

“Skunk? Werewolves? Automatic machine guns?”

“So?”

“People are going to think you are nuts.”

“Naw, just fiction.”

“If you say so.”

“So, did you enjoy the story?”

“I think you handled the prompt. However, your scent example was sketchy.”

“Well, it was a tough one.”

“I liked red cent.”

“Last minute thought.”

“And, of course sent was a no-brainer.”

“Yeah, Dan was a perfect tool for that one.”

“So, how are you going to work in the pub.”

“Easy. Let’s go.”

“That’s too easy.”

“I’m buying.”

“Better. Good job.”

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

June 17, 2022June 16, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 83 Comments

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

Woman About to be Evicted Was Saved By Neighbors Who Bought the Home For Her

By Andy Corbley June 14th, 2022

After being threatened with eviction, a retiree was able to buy the house she had rented for two decades after a quarter-million dollars was raised by the community on her behalf.

Known for having a heart of gold and a pair of green thumbs, Linda Taylor was a beloved neighbor in her Minneapolis community.

After arriving in the area 19 years ago as a volunteer to help the homeless and needy, she began renting a small house on 10th avenue and East 36th street in the Powderhorn Park district. There, the 70-year-old retiree became a “bright star” of the neighborhood.

It seemed though that bright star would be severely darkened, perhaps permanently, when her landlord decided to sell the property, and gave her until the end of January to evict.

Word gets around tight communities, and after she told one neighbor, the greater part of Powderhorn rallied around her, striking a deal with the landlord that if he would give “Miss Linda” until the end of June, they would raise the money to buy the house.

There was no one-size-fits-all approach to the fundraising efforts. Inflation is at a 40 year high driven by previous monetary inflation reaching broader sectors of the economy, while gas just crossed a national average of $5.00 a gallon, yet even in such difficult times, folks were able to open heart, mind, and wallet, to make the project a reality.

It involved an art show, bake sale, pro-bono work by a real estate agent, countless small donations, and other community-fund drives to come up with the dough—which they did, a full month ahead of the June 30th deadline.

“Yesterday I went and did the closing for the house,” Taylor said. “It makes me feel so good, everything that I have given, it’s coming back to me and I want to continue to give. I love this neighborhood.”

The good news here is the Golden Rules is very much in play. (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.) I hope you have a great weekend. Today’s JohnKu is about helping others.

A simple concept,

Treat all those you meet daily . . .

Just like you are they.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Overcast Day with Twiggy and Lucy

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 117 Comments

“Hey, Lucy. Where you going?”

“To the patio to catch some rays.”

“Do you happen to take a look at your shadow?”

“Shadow. What shadow?”

That’s what I mean. No sun.”

“Yeah, but a nice laydown would feel good.”

“The laydown didn’t work out, huh?”

“You were right about the sun. Where did it go?”

“Saharian dust, I’m afraid.”

“Saharian dust? What the heck is Saharian dust.”

“You know you could listen to the evening news instead of snoring out after dinner.”

“Just tell me.”

“Okay, dust from the Saharian desert blows over Texas every June and July.”

“So what happens to the sun?”

“It gets blocked. So, it is like a cloudy day only dust-filled.”

“I never paid attention. But, hey, look over there. Some sun coming through the windows.”

“If you can wait until tomorrow, the wind will change, and the dust will be blown out.”

“What’s wrong with the little bit of sun now?”

“Well, nothing, I suppose. It’s going to be in and out, though.”

“Look, I can see your shadow.”

“Maybe there will be six more weeks of Saharian dust then.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #364 by Keith Channing

June 14, 2022June 13, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 55 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 it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm on 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 time.”

The Photo

“It won’t be long now.”

“Long for what.”

“Till it’s mine.”

“What?”

“You don’t see that big ole thing beyond the trees?”

“The moon?”

“Yeah, the moon.”

“Why do you say it’s going to be yours?”

“Well, the deal has to go through yet, but it’s a sure thing.”

“Deal?”

“Yeah, I bought the moon.”

“You what?”

“I bought the moon and got a great deal.”

“I’ll bet. What kind of a deal?”

“I traded a guy my deed for the Brooklyn Bridge and some cash for the moon. The joke’s on him, though.”

“Oh?”

“That deed was a phony.”

“You get a deed for the moon?”

“He promised to mail it.”

“I hope it wasn’t a lot of cash.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Why?”

“I printed it in my basement.”

“Figures.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do at a Realtor Open House

June 13, 2022June 12, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 60 Comments

This list was originally posted on August 22, 2016. Since then, the real estate market has exploded, and I’m not sure realtors even have open houses. These days usually list the home and give buyers a week to submit a bid. Someday, the old ways will come back, and this list may be handy when they do.

* * *

The inspiration for this list is having attended some realtor open houses and having an active imagination of the realtor’s reaction if one of the visitors should do any of the things on the list. I am entirely innocent.

10 If you attend a realtor open house, do not make yourself at home no matter what the salesperson says when you arrive. If you do, at best, you’ll be asked to take your feet off the couch. At worst, the police will ask you once to get out of the shower and get dressed. (Don’t make them use that stun gun, Bunky. You’ll look ridiculous on the nightly news especially buck naked.)

9 If you attend a realtor open house, do not think that pot on the stove is hot cider. If you do, at best, the potpourri won’t make you sick. At worst, you’ll find the wood chips and cinnamon sticks aren’t as fun on the revisit. (That ER ipecac treatment was as close to waterboarding as you will get for a while.)

8 If you attend a realtor open house, do not think you can test the bed. If you do, at best, you’ll be shown the door. At worst, your photo ends up at the Multiple Listing Service, and this will be your last open house. (You should have set the alarm before that nap.)

7 If you attend a realtor open house, do not make jokes about the home owner’s relative’s photos. If you do, at best, no one will hear you. At worst, the realtor will rat you out to the owner. (You didn’t know this was your boss’s house until you saw his photo in the last frame, did you?)

6 If you attend a realtor open house, do not help yourself to one of the cookies in the kitchen. If you do, at best, that is why they are on display. At worst, you are now painfully aware the cookies were props. (How long will you have to chew that wax before it goes bye-bye?)

5 If you attend a realtor open house, do not turn on the big game. If you do, at best, the broker will ask you to turn it off. At worst, you will still be watching as the owners return to their house. (It’s retty uncomfortable explaining how you came to turn the thing on in the first place. Oh, and how that beer just magically appeared.)

4 If you attend a realtor open house, do not open drawers to have a peek. If you do, at best, no one will know. At worst, you’ll go into the media room and be able to watch the security camera replay of your bathroom snooping. (Don’t even try to figure out how to erase the file. The central control is locked, and the owner is looking at your performance on a cell phone ten miles away.)

3 If you attend a realtor open house, do not be tempted to open the refrigerator. If you do open it, at best, only the salesperson will know. At worst, the owners return home through the kitchen door just as you look inside the refrigerator. (Your comment about “nice-looking pot roast leftovers” does nothing to ease the tension.)

2 If you attend a realtor open house, do not be tempted to pick a flower or two, no matter how lovely. If you do pick one, at best, you can tell a fib about it being broken off. At worst, you have the flower in your hand and no way to hide the fact from the owner. (The owner happens to be named Tiny and stands seven feet tall and rushed out to his garden to find you with his favorite Zinnia in your hand. You should just fall down now.)

1 If you attend a realtor open house, no matter what, do not turn on the Jacuzzi. If you do, at best, that broken switch will fail to operate. At worst, the broken return pipe will shoot water until the tub is dry. (Of course, you can’t turn off the superheated motor, so you stand by helplessly watching the firefighters try to save the house from the burning lanai.)

Views of the Neighborhood – Lakeway Skypark Open House

June 12, 2022June 12, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 83 Comments

Today we are going to attend the Lakeway Autopark open house. This event doesn’t take place often, but this was the weekend for it. We are boing catered by Matties of Austin and music by the (who else) B52’s

Biscuits + Chorizo Cream Gravy˚ with scrambled eggs

Milk Punch French Toast macerated strawberries, candied pecans, whipped cream, bourbon maple syrup.

Green Chile Pork Chilaquiles tomatillo sauce, chunky pico de gallo, over-easy eggs, cotija cheese, tortilla chips

Breakfast Plate˚ scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon or house-made wild boar sausage . . . . .
Fried Chicken Eggs Benedict˚ buttermilk biscuits, hollandaise, green salad

Basmati Rice Bowl (V) chickpeas, coconut curry, roasted vegetables, cilantro, tomato, and green onions.

So Jump on, and let’s go

Welcome to the Airpark

A T-28 trainer doing a flyover with smoke

Looks like the turnout is great.

A small custom-built racing plane.

A piper cub

Military version of a 1953 Piper Cub

The trainer has just touched down on the runway. (you can see the smoke from the tires just behind it.)

A Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser float plane.

A modern Cirrus plane. (The one that can deploy a parachute in case of trouble)

The US Navy North American Aviation T-28 VT-5 trainer parks. This one is marked with service on the USS Lexington, the same ship my father served on in World War II. Although my Dad was a Naval Aviator, this trainer was not in service until 1948, which was after my Dad left the service

A well-coordinated take-off.

A beautiful Socata TBM-900 (single-turboprop)

Another view of the participation.

A permanent Mooney aircraft letting you know you are at the airpark. I hope you enjoyed the visit today. Have some food and enjoy the music.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – A Picture From Wherever

June 11, 2022June 10, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 55 Comments

Staring at the cup as the machine finishes its work, the residual effects of my second Covid booster have me fixated on the beauty of the dark frothy liquid. For two days, my body has been in a state that could best be described as hungover. Recalling the days when copious amounts of gin were consumed with an equal quantity of abandon and mirth. The next day was payback for all that fun. It has been years now, but today I feel the effects mirrored by that libertine care abandonment of years ago.

The cup is ready, and it appears that life will continue a sip later. But unfortunately, my phone has sent an alert of a front door visitor. A deep sigh indicates that this might not be the time to entertain whoever may be there. Deciding to ignore the Ring camera and try sipping coffee from a reclining position on the couch, I move the magazine in my way. The cover picture would rattle me on a normal day. Today the sight of a piazza in a cast iron pan is almost enough to inspire a call to 9-1-1.

Forgoing the couch, I go through the process of opening the front door. Chains undid, Locks unlocked, steel bars rolled aside, explosive device unarmed, the door is swung open. I tawt I taw a puddyy tat,” was the first thing to come out of Tweety Bird’s beak. y shock at seeing her was only exceeded by the fact she was ten feet tall. You been hanging around that Alice person?” was my question.

Tweety just smiled and handed me an envelope, turned, and was down the driveway. Pity, the cat, was my thought as I opened the envelope. Inside was a message from Linda Hill. Here’s what it said.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “a picture from wherever.” When you sit down to write your post, find a picture, whether in a magazine, newspaper, or even product packaging. Write whatever thought or emotion the picture provokes. Enjoy!

If you want to enjoy, visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link

https://lindaghill.com/2022/06/10/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-11-2022/

“Feeling rough, huh?”

“Yeah, a little. better than yesterday.”

“The booster did that?”

“Yeah. t was the same last time too.”

“So what was with the magazine?”

“The pizza you mean.”

“Okay, the pizza.”

“Can’t explain it. shot of a pizza in a pan, and I about lost it.”

“You should have gone right to the door.”

“And what come face to face with a ten-foot Tweety earlier?”

“I see your point. hose characters can be a pain for sure.”

“I just can’t figure out why they come around me.”

“Maybe they think you’re a character.”

I suppose that’s it.”

“Well, at least Resa McConaghy thinks it’s a good thing.”

“You saw her post?”

“I sure did. t was terrific so let’s go celebrate.”

“No pizza, right?”

“Just hops and barley.”

“Music to my tastebuds.”

”

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

June 10, 2022June 9, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 65 Comments

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

Millions of Tons of Earth Dug for New London Subway Line Became a New Bird Sanctuary

Andy Corbley

–

May 31, 2022

Multi-billion dollar civic engineering projects tend not to be good news for wildlife, but upon the completion of a new English underground railway line, the upturned earth was used to rebuild a coastal habitat for birds in Essex.

The new bird sanctuary instantly became one of the richest in Britain’s coastline for avocets, spoonbills, black-tailed godwits, and other wading birds.

The Elizabeth Crossrail is a high-speed line that runs from Reading to the west of London, through the capital, to Shenfield near the east coast. During the $24 million (£19 million) project, seven million metric tons of soil was dug up to make thirteen underground railway tunnels, half of which were transported by boat to the eastern shore of the country.

The earth was taken to a place called Wallasea Island, once just a tiny peninsula of the wild Essex coastline, consisting of salt marshes, coastal lagoons, muddy flatlands, and other features, but several times during the Medieval period and after it was drained to make sheep pasture or farmland.

Farming often is not as profitable now as it was then, and as the defensive seawall was in need of repairs, the farmer that used to own the land sold it to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

“Massive amounts of soil were dug up from below the streets of London during tunneling needed to create the Elizabeth line,” said Rachel Fancy, site manager of RSPB Wallasea Island. “That material was given to the RSPB, allowing us to create our Jubilee Marsh, the cornerstone of our new reserve.”

Jubilee is the appropriate name in this case. Bird-friendly journalists from the Guardian, reporting on the state of Wallasea Island, now note the diversity of species and the rich numbers.

Hen and marsh harriers have appeared in winter while wigeon, teal, plover, yellow wagtail, lapwings, blackbirds, oystercatchers, and skylarks were all recorded in what reporters called a “nature lover’s paradise.”

It took 1,500 trips by canal to bring the dirt to Wallasea. Once there it was transported via conveyor belt to a dump, where tipper trucks slowly deposited it along the shoreline to create a steady sloping terrain up from the sea, protecting it from rising levels.

After the manicuring and landscaping was finished, the seawall was strategically breached in three separate places at low tide, which, once it rose again, gently partitioned the landscape into the various landscape features seen today, as opposed to turning it into a big muddy lake if the wall had been breached all at once at high tide.

In its first year, Wallasea Nature Reserve hosted 150 breeding pairs of avocets, which is endangered-in-Britain, instantly making it one of the bird’s strongholds.

“We are really proud that Jubilee Marsh is helping to combat the threats from climate change and coastal flooding,” Mark Wild, Crossrail’s chief executive, told the Guardian.

The good news here is that with proper planning human expansion need not come at the expense of the earth. Today’s JohnKu talks about stewardship. I hope you all have a super weekend.

This is all we have,

Humans need to work smarter . . .

To preserve our life.

Dear John,

June 9, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 34 Comments

I received a Dear John post from Resa McConaghy today. Resa is a very creative artist and has put together a post honoring Tweety Bird’s 80th birthday. She visits my Saturday foolishness often and I am honored by her thoughfulness. Thank you Resa. A visit to her blog will open your eyes to beautiful street art as catured by her camera.

Graffiti Lux Art & More

Did you know it’s Tweety’s 80th birthday?

I don’t take many shots of cartoon street or alley art.

However, having followed your blog – John Howell for some time, and reading many “Stream of Consciousness Sarurday” posts, I could not resist grabbing these 2 mini murals.