Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Tree

December 11, 2021December 10, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 77 Comments

When the lid popped open on the chest, admittingly, my first thought was to run behind the magnolia tree. But, of course, the better part of Valor made me freeze in position. Also, having seen several Sci-Fi shows, I knew not to approach the chest too quickly. How many people have you seen incinerated by some kind of death ray all because they rushed to an opening in a spacecraft?

Mrs. Howell didn’t raise no dummy, so taking my time to slowly inch up to the chest. As I got closer, there was no noise coming from the inside. This led me to believe that this chest did not come from a different planet in all probability. If it had, I’m sure there would be some kind of disturbance by now. Gaining confidence, I approached the chest and appeared over the edge.

“Sign here,” came a voice from behind me. My reaction was to immediately fall into the chest, which by now was the size of a hot tub. Then, quickly standing, I faced the voice. It was the USPS delivery person asking me to sign something on a clipboard. “What’s this?”

“Special delivery. Sign here.” After signing, the delivery person handed me an envelope and left.

Looking around the chest, it appeared empty, so I ripped open the envelope. I’m sure by now you have guessed it was from Linda Hill. There were two messages inside. The first read: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “tree.” Use the word “tree” or write about a tree. Any kind of tree. Enjoy! The second was a bit more cryptic. It read: Watch your feet.

If you want to join in and enjoy, visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2021/12/10/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-11-2021/

I think next week we are going to discover what is in the chest.

“Next week?”

“Yup.”

“Why not just do it this week?”

“Ran out of time.”

“You drive me up a tree.”

“Bear chasing you?”

“Very funny. You are supposed to be doing prompts, and here you are fooling around with some dumb chest.”

“There are some out there who would have a good chuckle over that statement.”

“Yeah, I remember them from last week. So what kind of tree are you going to talk about?”

“Hadn’t thought about it. Maybe a hall tree.”

“Hall tree? Never heard of it.”

“It’s a place to hang hats and coats.”

“In what life?”

“Okay, so they are a little bit dated. There is one at the pub, though.”

“Hold on. Did you just sneak in the word pub not expecting me to say something like, ‘You had me at the word pub?'”

“I figured one cast, and you would bite.”

“So, let’s go look at the hall tree.”

“It’ll cost you.”

“What’s new? Let’s go.”

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

December 10, 2021December 9, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 88 Comments

By Sara Hysong-Shimazu / Pacific Whale Watch Association

According to the Good News Network, a record number of 21 calves have been recorded off the coasts of Washington State and British Columbia this season, marking a significant rebound for a species endangered just 25 years ago when zero Humpbacks were counted. In addition, this year, 500 Humpback whales were observed.

According to Mark Malleson of the Center for Whale Research, that is the highest annual number of calves on record so far for the region and is near twice as many as were reported last year, when 11 calves were documented.

“2021 has been a banner year for female humpbacks coming into the Salish Sea with new calves,” says Wendi Robinson, a naturalist with Puget Sound Express. “Calves only travel with mom for a year or so, and then they’re on their own. Once they’re familiar with our waters, they will often return year after year to feed.”

As to the cause of this year’s baby boom, Erin Gless, Executive Director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, can only speculate.

“We’re not sure why there were so many calves this year,” she says. “It’s possible the last two years had an abundance of food for the whales.”

“25 years ago, here off of inland B.C. waters, we had zero humpback whales, so this is a new phenomenon in our waters … they’ve made up for lost time. We are seeing lots and lots of whales, which is super exciting.”

Humpbacks have also bounced back in the South Atlantic. After the population had diminished to only 450 whales, 2019 research showed to 25,000—an estimate now close to pre-whaling numbers.

Today’s JohnKu talks about nature’s strength. I hope you have a super weekend.

Left alone awhile,

Nature has the way to fix . . .

Mistakes of mankind.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Lucy and Twiggy Get New Beds

December 9, 2021December 8, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 111 Comments

“Hey, you guys. Mama bought you both a present.”

“What is it?”

“Follow me.”

“Brand new faux fur beds.”

“Dad. Did you say fox fur?”

“No faux, which means false.”

“Smells false too.”

“Hey, Lucy. Give it a try. It’s very soft. Memory foam and all.”

“You go ahead, little one. I’ll watch.”

“This one is fun to dig in.”

“Yeah, looks that way.”

“I think I’ll take this one.”

“Not sure I like a dug-in bed.”

“You saying you want this one?”

“Can you read my eyes?”

“Trouble here, kids?”

“Lucy wants this bed.”

“Well, she’s the oldest. So let her be happy.”

“Well, okay. You happy now, Lucy.”

“I’ll let you know.”

Later that night.

“What do you think, Lucy?”

“ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

#NewRelease – Mountain Laurel Christmas #ShortStory #ChristmasStory @JanSikes3

December 8, 2021December 7, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 68 Comments

I want to welcome Jan Sikes to Fiction Favorites. She has a new book and is here to describe it to you. Jan and I have been friends for a long time and also are colleagues on Story Empire so it is a pleasure to have her here today. Also, I have read this book and found it to be a delightfully heartwarming story that is perfect for the holidays. Jan is a very talented author so without any delay here is Jan to tell us about Mountain Laurel Christmas.

A child who is born ‘different’ faces many challenges. My story is set in the 1960s and ‘70s and during that time, differences were not celebrated as they are currently.

My character’s little brother, Timmy, was born that way. His brain never developed normally.

Here’s an excerpt:

Timmy had been born different. They said his brain never developed the way it should. He’d sit for hours, fascinated with the dust that danced on the sunbeams through the windows, lost in his own little world. Oh, how Papa doted on him. From the time Timmy could wrap his fingers around the neck of a fiddle, he’d spent hours patiently teaching him to play.

***

Timmy developed an uncanny talent, which is often the case. But in the Cumberland Mountains in the 60s, local authorities decided Timmy needed to be placed in an institution that could provide for his special needs.

Here’s an excerpt from my character’s POV:

Not long after we lost Papa, the local welfare lady came. I hid under the porch and listened.

“Mrs. Anderson, we’re sorry for the loss of your husband, but it has come to our attention that your young son, Timmy, may need to be placed in an institution where he can get the specialized help he needs.”

The welfare lady droned on and on.

From my hiding place, I didn’t need to see Mama’s face to know she gave the lady a blank stare. That’s all she’d managed to give any of us for months.

By the time the welfare lady had driven her ’49 Ford down the dirt road that had brought her to our shack, I knew she’d be back to get Timmy. I crawled out from under the porch and kicked at the dust that settled under my feet.

A pivotal point in this story focuses on Timmy and I don’t want to leave any spoilers. so I’ll stop here.

The movie, “Rainman” comes to mind. Another movie was “Mercury Rising” where an autistic little boy could decipher complicated computer code in his head in an instant.

Can you think of any other instances where the uncanny abilities of a mentally challenged person is spotlighted?

Mountain Laurel Christmas Blurb:

Orphaned, his family torn apart by tragedy, Cole Knight has come a long way from a ramshackle miner’s cabin on the side of the Cumberland Mountain.

Daring to follow an impossible dream, he’s made it big in the music business. Now, he’s a country music sensation with a huge house, fancy cars, plenty of willing women, money, and adoring fans. He should be on top of the world. Instead, he’s drowning in a swirling pool of self-contempt and relentless guilt.

It’s easier to lose himself in a bottle than face the hard truth…he hasn’t delivered on a promise he made to his father.

It’s almost Christmas, and the sting of failure drives him back to that tiny cabin in the mountains. But has he waited too late to put the shattered pieces back together—to find himself and restore a lost family?

My Five Star Review

This novella is perfect for the Christmas season. It has all the elements that come together to give the reader a heart-warming experience. Cole Kight is a big country music star who came from humble beginnings. His dad died in the mine, and his mother was too broken-hearted to take care of the family. Cole always felt he should have been able to prevent the eventual break-up of the family. But, now alone, he can’t fill the void in his heart that the guilt of letting his family down has created. The authorities take his brother and sister away, and he doesn’t know where they are. If that isn’t enough to make a reader wonder if the story has a happy ending? I don’t know what it is.

More story courts spoilers, so let me leave it at this. This book will bring a smile to your face and make you glad you read it. Jan Sikes is a very talented writer, and this is one of her best short stories.

PURCHASE LINK:

https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Laurel-Christmas-Jan-Sikes-ebook/dp/B09KJYMVT9/

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue # 338 by Keith Channing

December 7, 2021December 6, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 64 Comments

“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

“Excuse me, you, there.”

“Who there?”

“You at 38,000 feet on a 270 heading.”

“Yeah, what do you want?”

“This airspace is mine.”

“Says who?”

“Air traffic control.”

“No way. They told me this is my space.”

“I’m right behind you, and had I been asleep, I would have run up your pipes.”

“Well, you can back off and go find another space.”

“Not going to happen.”

“Why?”

“When someone tells me this is mine, I’m not going to give it up to some trespasser.”

“Oh yeah. I’m calling ATC right now.”

“What frequency?”

“Why?”

“I want to be there, so you don’t fudge the truth like you always do.”

“Is this Jimmy?”

“Yes, Bobby, it is.”

“What the hell. Just because we are twins doesn’t give you the right to follow me wherever I go. The frequency is 122.25.

“Just make the call. I’ll be there.”

“Control Delta 1776.”

“Go ahead 1776.”

“Hey, hold on. I’m Delta 1776.”

“Keep quiet, Jimmy. Sorry about that Control. Requesting assigned altitude.”

“Roger Delta 1776, you are assigned 38,000 feet.”

“Thank you, Control. 1776 out. Did you hear that, Jimmy?”

“We got a problem.”

“What is it?”

“You and I are both flying Delta 1776 but in different airplanes.”

“No, you have made a mistake. I am 1776. You are something else.”

“Why didn’t the Controller say something about two planes?”

“Hmmm. That’s a good question. Of course, since we are IFR, he would have reported you being so close.”

“I think we have finally gone our own directions.”

“What do you mean?”

“Different but parallel planes of existence. Let me call Control. Control Delta 1776.”

“Go ahead 1776.”

“Could you verify my assigned altitude, and are there any planes in my vicinity?”

“Roger 1776. Your assigned altitude is 38,000 feet. You have one flight ten miles to your stern at 36,000 feet.”

“Thank you, Control. See what did I tell you? We both have this altitude but in different times or spaces.”

“How come we can talk then?”

“I don’t know. I wonder if someone put something in my coffee?”

“Don’t be silly. How can we explain this situation?”

“Remember when we were kids, and we would take each other’s places to fool the adult?”

“Yes.”

“I think this is payback.”

“I don’t like it.”

“I guess now we can feel what those folks felt.”

“Well, okay if that’s all it is. Excuse me, I have to prepare for a landing.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Where you going?”

“SFO.”

“I’ll see you there.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Top Ten Things You Never Should Have Asked Your Mother

December 6, 2021December 5, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 91 Comments

This post was originally run on December 14th, 2014. I think the advice is still good and I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

The inspiration for this list was a discussion between The Producer and me about how kids can light the parental upset fuse by a simple question. We both have asked some and have been asked some.

Top Ten Things You Never Should Have Asked Your Mother

10 You should never have asked your mother, “What meatloaf again?” If you did, at best, you got a cold stare and shoulder. At worst, you were invited to partake of food at the neighbor’s house. (The look told you she meant it but also, you better not.)

9 You should never have asked your mother on her birthday, “How old are you now?” If you did, at best, you got a lecture on poor manners. At worst, you were witness to flying cake and a bedroom door slam that you still see in your nightmares. (The heat from the flaming candles should have been a clue to clam up)

8 You should never have asked your mother once your dad told you no. “Dad says to come and ask you for the car keys.” If you did, at best, you’ll get a response that confirms your dad’s opinion. At worst, you will have been solely responsible for the resultant three months of additional chores once the parental units caught up to your scheme. ( Good luck on ever seeing those keys)

7 You should never have asked your mother, “Don’t you think that dress is a little out of style.” If you did, at best, your mother will go change but not talk to you for the rest of the day. At worst, you will be subjected to a long lecture about all the things your mother gave up so that you could have the most up-to-date clothing. (She is probably right, you ungrateful dependent you)

6 You should never have asked your mother, “Can you and dad leave while my friends come over?” If you did, at best, you will get a firm “No” in response. At worst, you will be delighted to have your parents sitting in the same room where you and your friends are gathering. (Your worst nightmare has come true)

5 You should never have called your mother on April Fools Day asking, “Come bail me out of jail?” If you did, at best, a cold cloth applied by dad worked to revive her. At worst, the joke will have backfired to the point where your mom still thinks there was something behind it. (Not lovely to play high stakes jokes on your worried mom)

4 You should never have asked your mother to bake cupcakes for the soccer team the night before the event. If you did, at best, the cupcakes were made, but you owed your mom big time. At worst, the cakes were made, but you were so tired from helping you had the worst game ever. (Notice the cakes got made in each case?)

3 You should never have asked your mother to give you lunch money instead of packing a lunch since all the cool kids buy their lunch. If you did, at best, you got the money but also a discussion about proper nutrition and peer pressure. At worst, you didn’t get the money and now find your lunch consists of every food you can’t stand, including many fruits. (Mom’s way of telling you to quit trying to be part of the in-crowd.)

2 You should have never asked your mother to tell a fib about where you were when your stood-up date called to talk to you. If you did, at best, your mother simply hands the phone to you. At worst, your mother tells your date that you are not interested in talking. (The truth will ice that relationship. Won’t it?)

1 You should have never asked your mother to babysit your kids. If you did, at best, all had an excellent time. At worst, your mother doesn’t want to return them to you. ( A considerable risk for sure.)

Views of the Neighborhood – Holiday Market Place

December 5, 2021December 5, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 91 Comments

Since this is the gift-giving season, I thought it would be fun to go shopping. The Emmaus Catholic Church here in Lakeway is having a market sale. To keep up our strength, we will be catered by Biscuits and Groovy in Austin. Our entertainment is ABBA. (Yes, we have a big music budget)

THREE BISCUIT DISHES
Made with three freshly baked buttermilk biscuits.

Biscuits + Groovy
Biscuits, gravy, sausage, pepper, chives
The Village
Biscuits, gravy, sausage, jalapenos, colby jack, pepper, chives
The Aretha
Biscuits, gravy, sausage, bacon, colby jack, pepper, chives
The Donna
Biscuits, gravy, three scrambled eggs, sausage, colby jack, pepper, chives
The Johnny
Biscuits, gravy, sausage, bacon, potatoes, colby jack, pepper, chives
The Gloria
Biscuits, gravy, three scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, jalapenos, colby jack, pepper, chives
ONE BISCUIT DISHES
The M.C. Hammer
One freshly baked buttermilk biscuit served open faced with two scrambled eggs on one side and your choice of maple bacon or sausage on the other. Topped with colby jack cheese and chives. Gravy upon request.
The Bee Gee
One freshly baked buttermilk biscuit with butter and jam (strawberry, grape, or the jam of the day)

Let’s go.

There’s the signpost up ahead

Checkout the room.

NIce displays.

Now we are talking. Santa stuff.

A portrait of your pet.

Lots of sparkles.

Bags.

Boots and leather.

Knit and crochet.

Stuffed animals.

I loved the name ‘Second Wind.’ Soaps and stuff.

Hats.

Knights of Columbus nut stand.

Louis Vuitton selections.

Oops. Looks like they are late.

There were some cars outside as well. 1959 TR3.

1972 Cheverlot Caprice convertable

1986 Porsche 951 (Turbocharged 944)

1979 MGB convertable.

I hope you enjoyed the shopping. Now relax and listen to ABBA.I hope you have a great week.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Rev

December 4, 2021December 3, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 61 Comments

Trying to concentrate on a paragraph revision of the revision that was just revised, it came to me that my mind was preoccupied with that chest sticking out of the turf in the backyard. Leaving the keyboard, I wandered over to the window just to check and make sure the chest was still there. Reaching in my pocket, I pulled the shiny key and was surprised at how warm it felt. Looking into my palm, the slight glow of the key caused me to drop it.

Picking it back up, it left what could be described as a burn mark on the floor. Making a mental note to figure out how to explain that, I headed to the yard. Approaching the chest caused the key to vibrate, confirming my original suspicion that it and the chest belong together.

Putting the key into the obvious place on the chest caused a spark, much like putting a screwdriver into an electrical outlet. Who does that? You ask. Now you know why my banned activities include electrical work. Anyway, after the spark, turning the key in the lock did not produce any results. After several revolutions, it was clear something else was needed. While scratching my head to figure out the problem, a guy in a blue uniform came up behind me. “Special delivery,” he said. The surprise caused me to jerk the key from the lock. The chest lid popped open. “Sign here,” said the guy. I did, and he handed me an envelope and left.

Wondering who would send me a special delivery letter, I ripped it open. Here is what it said. “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “rev.” Use “rev” or find a word that contains it. Have fun!” It was signed “Linda.”

If you would like to have fun visit Linda Hill’s blog and read how. Here is the link. /https://lindaghill.com/2021/12/03/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-4-2021/

“So, what was in the chest?”

“Don’t know.”

“Wait a minute. What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I didn’t look.”

“For heaven’s sake. You are like cliffhanger central.”

“I think you said something like that last week.”

“Well. It’s true. We all sit here listening to your goofy monologues, and then you leave us out on a limb.”

“We only have so much time, and I had to get the prompt in there.”

“Yeah, what’s up with ‘rev’ anyway.”

“Really revs your engine, right?”

“Let’s review why.”

“Okay. I like what you did there.”

“Revolting is more the descriptor.”

“To each his own. You could reverse what you said.”

“Revitalize, you mean?”

“I can imagine your words reverberating in the halls of logic.”

“Huh?”

“You know. Your way to get revenge.”

“I’m lost, as are most of your readers.”

“Revolution is the path to clarity.”

“For me, it might be a revolver.”

“Reveal why?”

“To shoot myself in the face.”

“But that would revoke your pub privileges.”

“Thank goodness we got here. You have to buy.”

“Why?”

“So that I can revert back to a trusting human being.”

“Done.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Good News Fri Yay

December 3, 2021December 2, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 82 Comments

Good News from Mexico. The jaguar population there increased by about 800 animals from 2010 to 2018. This is according to the latest census. The news confirms that Mexico’s national strategy to protect jaguars is working.

The jaguar (Panthera onca) ranges from northern Mexico through Central America, the Amazon Basin, and northern Argentina. Before 2010 ecologists had never properly counted jaguars in Mexico, making it challenging to design a conservation program in the iconic cat’s northernmost ranges. An alliance created by Gerardo Ceballos of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and founder of Mexico’s National Alliance for Jaguar Conservation used the results of the first Mexican jaguar census in 2010 to create a national strategy endorsed by government policy and scientists alike. The latest count is most encouraging for the cat and we humans.

“It was incredible to see jaguars in so many places where there weren’t any before,” said Ceballos. Good news indeed.

Our next good news story is about the marriage of farming with renewable sources.

Jack’s Solar Farm – Photo by Werner Slocum: NREL

Planting crops under solar panel arrays called Agrivoltaics, the plants grow better and need less watering, while the panels produce more electricity. Our good news comes from Jack’s Solar Garden in Boulder, Colorado. There the owner Byron Kominek has successfully planted crops under about 3200 solar panels. In doing so, he can generate enough power to serve 300 homes. In addition, the plants do better since the panels shield the crops from damaging sun, rain, and hail. Also, the shade reduces the need for water by 150%.

It is estimated that if one million acres of US farmland were covered with solar panels and crops planted below, there would be enough power generated to meet the country’s renewable energy goals. Wouldn’t that be something?

Today’s JohnKu talks about signs that nature is responding to conservation efforts. I hope you have a great weekend.

Every day the news,

Has nature information . . .

Good progress reports.