Another slow day in the neighborhood, so I thought I would catch up on my top of the mailbox photo collection. Just as I was finishing up, I came upon a surprise.
The car in the foreground is a 1954 Cheverlot Bel-Aire. The one with the hood up is a 1967 Pontiac GTO. The green one is a 1956 Plymouth Belvedere. I was on a road with no pull-off and a truck behind me, so this was as good as I could get.
So, back to the mailbox toppers. Here is an eagle that made me cautious in taking the photo.
The sun makes it hard, but this is a bright metal bowl.
Here is a cute bowl of succulents.
Kind of mid-century modern.
Big ole yellow bowl. The sign says its a wildlife sanctuary. (In the middle of a subdivision? Right. I guess it makes the owner feel better.)
A non-descript rock. Looks almost like sandstone.
Here is that cute raccoon-like figure. I couldn’t resist.
Big gothic bowl. Looks like something used in sacrifice.
Perkey cat. Can’t help but smile.
An urn that looks like a fire should be burning in it.
Little white bird.
This is a pig but hard to tell. You can see I’m coming up on those cars.
I hope you enjoyed the tour. We had some rain today, and I wanted to take a photo of the rain gauge, but Twiggy kicked it over before I got to it.
It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again. Here is Linda Hill carrying a valise. I hope she is here to tell us about the prompt this week. Hi Linda. Welcome. “Hello, John. Yes, I’m here with this week’s prompt. Let me set this case up on the table. You are in for a treat, but let’s get to the prompt first. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘brush.’ Use it as a noun, a verb, or an idiom. Have fun! ”
“Okay, Linda, that sounds pretty. Self-explanatory. What is in the case?”
“I have a deal for you. How many times have you wanted to clean something and didn’t have the right tool? Don’t answer that. Many times I’m sure. Well, now your troubles are over. I have, in this case, every kind of brush known to man.”
“Are you working for the Fuller Brush Company?”
“No, I have my own brush company, Hill’s Brushes. Our motto, “Brush up your life with Hills.”
“I think I’m all set in the brush department, Linda. Thank you for the prompt. By the way, how is ‘brush’ used as an idiom?”
“You gotta brush up on your idioms, John.”
“That’s why I’m asking.”
“No, you see I just used an idiom.”
“Oh, I see. We have also have used ‘brush’ as a noun.”
“Yup. Now all you need is a verb, and you’ll collect those bonus points for sure. Well, since you have no need for a brush, I guess I’ll be going.”
“Wait, Linda.”
“What?”
“You have something on your shoulder there. Looks like dog hair.”
“I can’t see it.”
“Here, give me that brush, and I’ll brush it off.”
“Here you go. How close are you to that Bentley Turbo?”
“Maybe a thousand points or so. There I got the hair.”
“Thank you, John. You just earned ten bonus points for the verb.”
“Verb? Oh, I get it. Thank you, Linda. Good luck in the brush business.”
“I’ll give you to the count of three to get away.” “I won’t need three, Lucy. This is Friday after all.”
Yes, Friday is here, and with it, another week is history. I’m still working to get ready for the launch of Eternal Road – The final stop. The material is ready, and now I have to wait to get the links after I hit publish. I have decided to not do a preorder this time around so I’m trying to time the launch, so there is as little downtime as possible between the go-live and start of the promotions. Don’t we all love to have these problems?
I don’t know about you but when it comes to launching a book, I always get a crick in my neck from worrying about every detail. You would think after six books I would be used to it. Not a chance.
Today’s JohnKu tries to describe how a deadline feels. I hope you all have a great week.
“You wearing sunscreen, Lucy?” “Umf. Uh. yeah.” “Have to be careful. Two more days till Friday.”
It is Wednesday Story Day again, and last week, we met Pricilla Thomas, the Assistant District Attorney for the Federal judicial district covering Reno and Lake Tahoe. She also met Lazar and made it quite clear who was in charge. It looks like she is ready to start questioning Lazar, so I think we better get over there.
“Mr. Stennis, I will be recording this session, so that we have an accurate depiction of the conversation. This recording will not take the place of a signed affidavit and will be used to simply record today’s discussion for possible use in an affidavit. I hope you understand that this recording is in lieu of a court reporter. A court reported may or may not be necessary in the future, but for today, the recording will suffice. A copy of this recording will be made available to you. Let me advise though, anything your client says can and may be used against him in a court of law. Do you understand what I have covered?”
“Yes, ADA Thomas. My client and I understand.”
“Okay, then let me turn on the recording, and we can get underway. Ahem This is an informal discussion with Lazar Popović. Present is his attorney Jerry Stennis as well as representatives of the State patrol and Boston police department. I have explained that this recording could be used in a court of law, but that official documents would be generated should this become necessary. Council for Mr. Popović has agreed to the terms. My first question to you, Mr. Popović, do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth?”
“I do.”
“You understand that lying to a federal officer is a felony and punishable by up to ten years in jail per count?”
“I was not aware but don’t intend to tell any lies.”
“Fair enough. For the record, please state your full name.”
“Uh Lazar Matija Popović.”
“And your address?”
“1663 Piney Woods Drive. Reno, Nevada “
“Thank you. Are you an American citizen?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, now to some more interesting stuff. Please tell me how you came to have all those drugs in your possession.”
“Objection.”
“Yes, Mr. Stennis.”
“It has not been established that Mr. Popović was in possession of any drugs.”
“Fair point. Let me ask you a different way, Mr. Popović. Have you ever been in possession of large amounts of illegal controlled substances or street drugs?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Were you in possession of the drugs seized in a raid on your warehouse yesterday?”
“It was my warehouse, and I knew the drugs were there.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“Well, it is hard to answer your question truthfully.”
“How so?”
“I didn’t own the drugs.”
“I didn’t ask if you owned them, I asked if you were in possession of them.”
“Does possession mean that they are on my property?”
“Yes, it does.”
“Okay then, yes, I was in possession of the drugs.”
“Now to your other point. Who owned the drugs?
“See, I’m not really sure. I know who paid me to store them.”
“Okay, who was that?”
“Mr. Taggert.”
“The assistant city attorney for Reno Taggert?”
“The very same.”
“How did he pay you?”
“in cash.”
“You were paid how much in cash?”
“For that lot, three million give or take.”
“Where is the money now?”
“Still in my bedroom at my house. It’s a pretty big bundle.”
“I’ll bet it is. Back to Taggert.”
“Yes?”
“Do you have any idea who he is working for?”
“I do, but it would be conjecture. At least I know who Taggert said would be very disappointed it anything happened to the drugs before they were distributed.”
“Okay, who was that?’
“He mentioned Cortez.’
“Did he also mention Nikola Stanković?”
“He wouldn’t dare.”
“Tell me more.”
“Stanković has the power to eliminate Taggert just for saying his name.”
“So, he’s not involved in your deal?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
“Just Cortez and Taggert.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay, let’s take a break for a minute. We’ll be right back.”
“Using this photo 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.”
“Okay, now that I’m halfway there, tell me about your view of the risk.”
“First off, you are not sure where you’re going to land.”
“Yeah, that’s true. I can’t see anything right now.”
“So come on back and let’s talk about it.”
“Good idea. So I’m back.”
“What makes you decide to up and dematerialize for no apparent reason. You know how dangerous it is. What if we are discovered?”
“Oh, come on. Aren’t you being a little dramatic?”
“Talk about dramatic. What if someone had seen you half here? They would have a fit. You should see yourself with one leg.”
“I’ve seen you plenty of times. It doesn’t bother me.”
“You dope. That’s because we are the same species. We are not humans.”
“Speaking of that. Did you ever see one of them without garments? Talk about a fit.”
“No, and I don’t want to. Besides that is off the subject. You know very well the rules of dematerialization require absolute privacy before engagement.”
“Look around. It’s just you and me and those young ones over there.”
“My point exactly. The young ones can see you.”
“What do they know?”
“Enough to tell their parents.”
“And we just deny the whole thing.”
“That may work, but right now, I’m tired of this discussion.”
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I think I’m going to resume my own appearance and go home.”
“Wait, I’ll come with you.”
“Suit yourself. I just think it’s time.”
“You homesick?”
“Maybe. I think when you started to dematerialize for no reason, it reminded me of how much I miss being able to do that whenever I want.”
This week marks the anniversary of the discovery of gold in the Yukon territory in Canada in 1896. This was the last big gold strike in North America. We don’t want to miss out on the opportunity. As always, we need to take the list to ensure we don’t make any errors that could cause a time continuum tear. Grab the list and a canteen, and we’ll be off.
10 If you go, do not buy one of those mining kits called “Yukon Outfits” that are being sold everywhere. If you do, at best, maybe something will come in handy. At worst, you will have spent a pretty penny on useless equipment. (Oh look, Malachi. You have a can of beans in that kit. It might be nice to have a can opener.)
9 If you go, do not cross that line in the sand drawn by Tiny, the WWF champ. If you do, at best, you’ll have a gift for Tiny. At worst, Tiny will assume you are trying to jump his claim. (The big problem with Tiny, Mika is his inability to restrain himself once he gets agitated. Sure, you can try to talk him out of tossing you into the bottomless ravine, but history says you won’t be successful. Oh look, I think you made Tiny smile. Nope, just gas.)
8 If you go, do not think you are the only one going. If you do, at best, you may find an unclaimed spot. At worst, you’ll get there and have nowhere to mine for gold. (You see, Milan. Once the word got out, over 50,000 miners converged on the scene in the first two years. There was minimal unclaimed land)
7 If you go, do not ask the young miner Jack London how his mining is going. If you do, at best, he will think you are talking to someone else. At worst, he’ll try to sell you his claim. (Jack London was 21 and not very successful as a miner, Monte. He did write his first book in 1900. It was a collection of short stories about his mining experiences titled The Son of Wolf. You should have gotten his autograph.)
6 If you go, do not ask George Carmack how his claim is doing. If you do, at best he won’t answer. At worst, he will pull out his .44 and ask you why you want to know. (You should know Merrick that George Carmack, along with his brother in law Skookum Jim and nephew Tagish Charlie was the guy who went salmon fishing in the Yukon and first discovered nuggets of gold. He eventually pulled out over a million dollars worth. Which today would be worth $30,000,000.)
5 If you go, don’t tell anyone that you think the gold may run out. If you do, at best they won’t believe you. At worst, you might cause a panic among the miners. (In fact, Mac. several miners sold their claims to mining companies who continued to mine for gold as late as 1966. Today there are still 200 small mines operating in the area.)
4 If you go, do not forget your warm clothes. If you do, at best you can borrow some. At worst, no one will loan you anything, and it is 60 degrees below zero. (I would say you need to pull that lever marked “home,” MacGillivray. If not you are going to freeze to death.)
3 If you go by boat like most and land at Skagway Alaska, do not think you can ride to the goldfields. If you do, At best someone will set you straight. At worst, you won’t realize that it is a 550-mile walk. (Also, the Canadian government won’t let you cross the border without at least 2000 pounds of supplies. So here you are Machau. You need to figure out how to lug 2000 pounds and walk 550 miles before you can even look for gold. I think it is time to head home since the store seems to be out of mules right now.)
2 If you go, do not believe Nikola Tesla that his x-ray machine will find gold without digging. If you do, at best you still won’t buy it. At worst, you will purchase the device. (As could be expected Mackinley, the machine proved worthless unless the gold was sitting on top of the ground. Obviously, if it was on top of the ground, you wouldn’t need the machine. Now go ask Nick for your money back.)
1 If you go, do not think you are going to get rich. If you do, at best you won’t lose all the money you have. At worst, you’ll be one of those who sold everything they had to go gold mining and lost it all. (It may surprise you to know, MacLaren that of the 100,000 men who headed for the Yukon, only 50,000 made it to the goldfields. Out of that number, only 4000 actually found gold. Even so, the amount of gold discovered was over a billion dollars worth in today’s value.)
Since there are no events in Lakeway, finding things to show becomes more difficult over time. Today I thought I would just tale some random photos and label the post potpourri. Seems like an easy way out. Thanks for joining me today.
A bunch of wildlife showed up on bike ride. A squirrel cut in front of me.
Same thing with a deer.
A herd getting out of the way.
Here is more deer. The deer were all over the place this weekend.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
A possible nap spot.
I’ve taken these before, but they look like the heat got to them.
I have also taken this sculpture before but not with this obvious humor addition.
Well, thanks for taking this brief tour. I hope you have a great week.
It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday, and here comes Linda Hill with this week’s prompt. “Hey, Linda, what do we have today?”
“Thanks, John. Nice haircut by the way. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “pro/con.” Talk about the pros and cons of anything. Enjoy!”
“Thanks, Linda. The Producer did it. If you would like to join in the fun, visit Linda’s blog and read how effortless it is. Here’s the link.”
“Go ahead say it.” “I see Friday.” “How right you are Little One.” “Yay.”
Another Friday. YAY, YAY, YAY. Friyay. The weeks seem to fly by. I guess I’m now used to isolation. Not sure I’ll ever go back into society again. (How’s that for a Howard Hughes imitation)
My proof copy of Eternal Road arrived, and I’m quite pleased that the formatting looks great. KDP has an annoying habit of running the proof language right through the title. I’m glad they feel good knowing I can’t sell this copy. Take a look.
The cover is bluer than pictured here. I think the grey shelf threw off the camera a little. You get the idea, though.
The launch plan is coming along. The e-book is waiting for the publish button to be hit. The paper just needs a few tweaks, and it is ready as well.
I am writing individual launch posts for the blog tour. There will be a different excerpt in each. I think readers will get a good idea of what the book is about as a result. I’m not going to reblog each post but will link the day’s post so everyone can find it and provide some recognition to the super folks who offered to host the introduction.
Today’s JohnKu talks about how time behaves. When I first started this book it seemed like time was an unending resource. Well, it is being consumed pretty fast. I hope you all have a healthy and happy weekend.
