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.”
The golf cart has become a significant form of transportation here in Lakeway. Mainly because the town was built around several golf courses. This post originally ran on December 4, 2017. Since I see golf carts everywhere, I think it is still valid.
10 If you are on a golf cart, do not think the safety belts are there as a bit of humor. If you do, at best, you’ll get a $150.00 ticket. At worst, you will find yourself outside the cart at the first bump. (You didn’t think nineteen miles per hour could cause you to pitch out onto the street, right, Chadwick?)
9 If you are on a golf cart, do not expect Tiny, the WWF champ who has just left his weight training class, to yield to you. If you do, at best, you will miss each other in the middle of the street. At worst, Tiny will stop your cart and then show you how he can press the hardware with you on it. (Watch that trip down when Tiny drops the whole mess on the street, Chalmar.)
8 If you are on a golf cart, do not think you can ignore the traffic rules. If you do, at best, you’ll get a warning. At worst, you and the cart will be under arrest. (You gotta envy the fact that the cart gets to stay outside the jail, don’t you, Chas?)
7 If you are on a golf cart, do not try a turn at full speed. If you do, at best, you may blow a tire. At worst, as you take the curve on two wheels, all your belongings and half your family will be dumped on the street. (You will have a tough time explaining your maneuver to those in the emergency room, Chauncy.)
6 If you are on a golf cart, do not think you can go twenty miles an hour under the speed limit on the main road. If you do, at best, you’ll realize soon you need to get off. At worst, an irate driver will help you, along with little concern for your welfare. (You didn’t know a golf cart being pushed by an eighteen-wheeler could go that fast, did you, Chetwin? Also, you didn’t have that white hair before the lift, did you?)
5 If you are on a golf cart, do not think you can carry more people than the number of places to sit. If you do, at best, the golf cart won’t have enough power to move. At worst, you will lose a couple of the standing-room-only passengers on the first turn. (You say one of those thrown into a cactus patch was your boss, Clemens?)
4 If you are on a golf cart, do not think you have the right of way because you are smaller. If you do, at best, you’ll just get an air horn warning. At worst, you will be trying to return a flattened golf cart. (The cart store proprietor doesn’t have much of a sense of humor, does he, Clovis?)
3 If you are on a golf cart, do not think the police will ignore drinking and driving. If you do, at best, your friends won’t let you drive. At worst, you’ll try to explain to the officer why you think a golf cart is just a toy. (Looks like the punishment is the same as a car, Cowen. Hope you have a spare $15,000.)
2 If you are on a golf cart, do not think you have to wave to everyone you pass. If you do, at best, you’ll be taken as an idiot. At worst, people will think you are a politician and will chase you off the beach. (Oh, you are, in fact, running for office, Creighton. I would move off the beach fast.)
1 If you are on a golf cart, do not think you have to display several flags. If you do, at best, folks will think you work for the circus. At worst, all that flapping in the wind will slow you down and make you lose your hearing. (You think that the “It’s five o’clock somewhere” flag is unique, don’t you, Cydney?)
The annual Lakeway Walk of Lights officially opened on Friday. Using my time travel alarm, we are going back to join the festivities. We’re being catered by Craigo’s pizza, and there are smores and hot chocolate as well. Our entertainment is Michael Bublé.
Let’s go.
The giant screen is playing A Christmas Story and one of the best scenes.
Who put the Howdy in Holidays?
Santa will be here after he lights the walk.
The bookmobile is here, too.
A place to write and mail a letter to Santa.
Face painting.
Ah, the fire to roast marshmallows for smores.
There’s Craigos.
Hot chocolate (After all, it’s 64 degrees F and 17.7 C.)
A reindeer to ride.
Ornaments to make.
Cookies to decorate.
The Liebolt cabin to visit.
The mayor introduces Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The countdown to plugging in the Trail of Lights (notice the lights in the upper right-hand corner)
Santa is happy the lights work.
A quick view of the trail.
Another view.
And another. We may need to come back for a trail tour, but for now, we should relax with the music and pizza.
When brewing coffee using a magic machine, you have to have confidence that everything will work. Much like a sophisticated car, the magic machine does not suffer incompetent fools lightly. No butterknife screw removals or fork probes are going to fix the problem, so if it goes south, there is only one thing to do. Cry. Oh yes, and a call to the magic machine helpline can be of benefit.
Today is not the day to worry, however. Like the previous 365, the saving grace fluid flows from the twin spouts like it looks forward to my lips. A few sips and the clock once again comes into view. The power of being able to set it to December 2, 1923, is a great feeling. The time is set for one hour, and the plunger is pulled.
It looks like the clock took us to a hospital in New York City. The name on the stuff in the hallway says Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital. Looking ahead, the sign over the door says “Maternity.” It is anybody’s guess as to why we are here. There is only one baby still in a bassinet, and above the baby is a large tag with the name Sophie Cecilia Kalos.
While scratching my head at what this could mean, the alarm goes off, and I drop back into my living room. It seems one hour in the time travel business is too short. Looking at my phone gives me the idea of looking up Sophie Cecilia Kalos. The stunning answer comes in an instant. We just visited Maria Callas when she was born.
I also have a text from Linda Hill. It reads. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “confidence.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
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.”
Tree cover surveys – Instituto Terra
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.
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.”
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.)
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.
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.
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.
