Views of the Neighborhood – Lakeway City Employee Art Show

July 19, 2026July 18, 2026 ~ John W. Howell ~ 60 Comments

Today, we are going to the Lakeway City Hall to view an art exhibition by the city’s employees. We are catered by Fona San Miguel of Austin. Our entertainment is Nora Jones.

POLLO EN MOLE POBLANO – Smoked chicken breast with drumette in traditional Mole Poblano and a side of camote purée.

CHULETA DE PUERCO – Grilled premium Berkshire pork chop served with grilled vegetables and butternut squash purée. Served with salsa Macha.

COCHINITA PIBIL – Slow braised marinated pork, covered in banana leaves for rich flavor. Served with almond pepita habanero salsa and a side of fried plantains.

ADOBO NEGRO RIBEYE – 12 oz. dry-aged prime ribeye served with adobo negro and topped with wild mushrooms. Served with nopal salad and heirloom corn tortillas.

CARNE ASADA A LA TAMPIQUEÑA – Grilled 7 oz. beef tenderloin with guacamole, rajas, refritos negros, and a cheese enchilada with choice of verde, suiza, or mole poblano sauce.

PESCADO VERACRUZANO – Grilled Gulf of Mexico white fish in Veracruz-style tomato sauce with capers, onions, and Spanish olives.

PESCADO A LA TALLA – Whole grilled Branzino (in season) in rojo and verde Guerrero-style (Northwest African influences) marinades. Served with a side of escabeche, herbs, house-made heirloom tortillas, arroz blanco y refritos negros.
CAMARONES CON CHIPOTLE – Large Gulf of Mexico shrimp (6) in a spicy cream chipotle sauce with fresh tomatoes.

PRAWNS ZARANDEADO – Grilled tiger prawns (4) served with epazote aoli, onion, cilantro with lime wedge. Side of house-made heirloom tortillas, arroz blanco y refritos negros.

Let’s go

Here is the full collection.

Amy Burr – Parks and Recreation

Jacquie Banks – Building and Development

Paul Duncan – Building and Development

Kathryn Chalfant – Activity Center

Dallas Gorman – Activity Center

Ruena Victorino – Parks and Recreation

Now that we have seen the lovely exhibition, it is time to relax with food and music. I hope you have a great week.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Sometimes”

July 18, 2026July 17, 2026 ~ John W. Howell ~ 59 Comments

Sometimes the coffee machinel ikes to prolong the wrecker ball hitting a metal building sound in my brain due to caffeine withdrawal. My guess is that it is jealous of not being able to walk around. When this happens, a subtle reminder of who is the boss gets things back on track. This morning, a message appeared on the touchscreen.

An immediate thump on the top resolved the problem, and two streams of life-restoring elixir began to flow. The first sip quelled the noise in my head. The second (As seems to be the custom now) is accompanied by the cacaphony of Westminster chimes, Tempest, and Twiggy throwing up their warning barrage. A quick toss of a Wagyu steak into the soundproof room and a door slam brought a kind of hush all over the world. A glance at the security monitor revealed the idiot pushing the doorbell. It was none other than Tiny, the WWF champion, with an envelope and a clipboard. Mrs. Howell didn’t raise a fool, so the security shut-down process began.

The B-2 bomber squadron and the F-35 escort must be called off. One call does it. The tank corps and gunboats are told to stand by. The Apache helicopters are rerouted. The electric shock fence is turned off. The drawbridge over the quicksand is lowered. The robot attack dogs are returned to their charging station. The laser-guided machine guns on the roof are set to caution. The nest filled with rattlesnakes is put away. The bucket filled with 1000 marbles is locked down. The tear gas canisters shut off. The electrified welcome mat set to off. The fall-away sidewalk into the pit filled with spikes is locked. The hornet’s nest closed. The water cannons are set to safety. Bear traps are set to off. Peregrine Falcons perched on the roof above front door fed. The vat of boiling oil set to warm. The front door is open.

No time is wasted in signing the clipboard and passing it back with a $20 attached. A smile curled on Tiny’s lip, and it was hard to tell if he was pleased or simply passing gas. Not waiting to find out, the front door quickly came between Tiny and me. The envelope contains a message from Linda Hill. It reads:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “sometimes.” Start your post with the word “sometimes.” Have fun!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link: https://lindaghill.com/2026/07/17/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-18-2026/

“Sometimes you amaze me with all that preamble before you, and I get to talk.”

“How so?”

“Well, it would be easy just to try and do the prompt and then come down here and lead the discussion up to a VooDoo ranger,”

“You mean without the character and security system shut down?”

“Yes, and throw out the bit with the coffee maker too.”

“That leaves a discussion between us.”

“Exactly. That’s all we need.”

“What about the readers?”

“What about them?”

“Oh, I get it. You think our discussion is the highlight of the post.”

“Call me naive.”

“Let’s just get on to the pub. Uber?”

“Over there.”

“Wow, a 1935 851 Supercharged Auburn Boattail”

“Yup, and three of us will fit.”

“Pretty cramped.”

“That’s okay.”

“So what’s the catch?”

“None.”

“None?”

“Well.”

“I knew it. Tell me.”

“The starter is on the fritz.”

“What does that mean?”

“We have to push it to get it started.”

“Figures. In this heat, too.”

“Here are some cotton gloves.”

“What are they for?”

“So you don’t get body oil and sweat on the paint.”

“I guess it will be worth it.”

“That’s the spirit.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m getting in the car.”

“You aren’t going to help push.”

“There is only one set of gloves.”

“So why aren’t you doing it?”

“Bad back.”

“Of course.”

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

July 17, 2026July 16, 2026 ~ John W. Howell ~ 57 Comments

Today’s good news story comes from the Good News Network.

Maine Counts Over 20 Million River Herring During Annual Run, the Highest in Decades

By Andy Corbley – Jul 16, 2026

A beloved local fish staple that was illegal to harvest as recently as 2012 has seen an incredible recovery in Maine’s rivers following the removal of several large dams.

Particularly on the Penobscot River, the removal of 2 dams has resulted in the “premier success story of our time,” for Maine’s alewife fish, which had been declining in population since the 18th century because of damming.

At its best, the alewife run is like a force of nature. From bank to bank, a babbling brook that’s quiet for most of the year will become a torrent of silver as the fish migrate upriver to spawn just as salmon do.

Colonial settlers, Native Americans, fishermen, and every predator in the woods needed only to reach their hands in and pull out breakfast lunch and dinner. But as the rivers were dammed, the migrations slowed, and even as early as 1840 there were catastrophic collapses in fish stocks.

Commercial offshore harvesting also decimated the fish, causing towns whose rivers weren’t dammed to lost their alewife runs as well. By 1994, annual inland catches had fallen from 3 million pounds average to just 150,000 pounds of fish.

As the country found new ways to power itself, an effort to undam the rivers began in 1999 and finished in 2016—four years after a moratorium was declared on the fishing of alewives offshore.

In 2025, these efforts culminated in 20 million alewives running up Maine’s rivers.

“We’ve gone from losing the fish completely in a lot of river systems due to damming and pollution, and now we have some of the largest populations in the globe,” Rustin Taylor, the executive director of the Alewife Harvesters of Maine, told Sydney Cromwell from Inside Climate News.

More officially known as a river herring, this non-game fish was dubbed an alewife due to its fat silver belly—a reference to female tavernkeepers of yore. Taylor described them in an ecological sense, acting as a great “nutrient conveyor belt,” bringing the nutrients of the cold ocean up into the land inside their guts.

Fed upon by most carnivores and omnivores in the forest and the rivers, the nutrients from the ocean are recycled through other animals and into the soil through those animals’ droppings.

In fact, Cromwell shares, the native Passamaquoddy tribe’s name for the species, siqonomeq, translates to “the fish that feeds all.”

Across Maine, alewife festivals routinely celebrate the return of the herring from the ocean, but for many decades, they were mostly somber affairs, as the torrents of silver from yesteryear became trickles due to overfishing in the Atlantic. Some locals would actively help their fish get past smaller dams by scooping them up in buckets and dumping them out on the other side.

Along with the removal of those dams, the construction of fish channels has helped them to get around the dams that remain.

“Some of those dam removals have led to incredible restorations of alewife migrations much faster than anticipated,” Taylor said, who called two dam removals on the Penobscot, where Atlantic salmon also run, “probably one of the premier success stories of our time.”

The good news about today’s story is that, with a little work, man-made impediments to species health can be removed, and the species will return. Today’s JohnKu talks about helping nature. I hope you have a lovely weekend.

All that is required,

Is to give nature a break . . .

She will cure herself.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy and Tempeste and a Rainy Day

July 16, 2026July 15, 2026 ~ John W. Howell ~ 102 Comments

“You going to play with that stupid marshmallow again?”

“Yes. What’s the problem?”

“This is looking like last week. You and that marshmallow and me doing nothing.”

“There are lots of toys over there. Go get one.”

“I don’t want to. I think we should play.”

“Well then, you’ll just have to wait.”

“Do you know how hard it is for me to do that?”

“I do, but it is something that is good for you.”

“You are right. I should be able to play by myself.”

“Hmm. This marshmallow has some funk connected with it.”

“Does that mean you are finished?”

“I think so. Funny thing about these toys. They turn on ya after a while.”

“So, we can play?”

“Sure. Just give me a moment to get that taste out of my mouth.”

“Where are you going?”

” To the mountain top where all puma’s go to protect themaelves.”

“You need help there, Grandma?”

“Very funny. No, I don’t need help.”

“Prepare yourself for the panther attack.”

“Prepare yourself for the puma revenge.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Finger Point Prompt – “Good Deed”

July 14, 2026July 13, 2026 ~ John W. Howell ~ 37 Comments

Today, I randomly opened Eternal Road – The final stop to page 155, and with eyes closed, pointed to the page. My finger fell between two words, ” good” and “deed.” I decided to use both.

“As you know, in our troop, one must do a good deed each day.”

“Yes, I know that. What do we consider a good deed?”

“A good question. Let’s just say a good deed is helping another.”

“Another question.”

“Go ahead.”

“What is helping?”

“I would say making life easier for another.”

“Easier?”

“For instance. You see someone struggling with their kid. You offer to help.”

“Don’t you think if someone is struggling with a kid, it’s their own problem?”

“That’s the point. You make other people’s problems your problem. The ultimate good deed.”

“I just hope I don’t come across someone with a kid problem.”

“Well, what if you do?”

“I will try to do a good deed.”

“That a boy.”

“In fact, I will suggest that they stick that joey in their pouch where it belongs.”

“Let me know how that works out for you.”

“So I’m going to hop over to the watering hole to see who needs a good deed.”

“Watch out for that pack of dingos”

Top Ten Things Not to Do if You Are Entering King Tut’s Tomb.

July 13, 2026July 12, 2026 ~ John W. Howell ~ 66 Comments

This post is a continuation of the Top Ten Things Not to Do with a historical background. In 1922, the entrance to King Tutankhamen’s tomb was discovered in Egypt. It first ran on November 9th 2018

Top Ten Things Not to Do if You Are Entering King Tut’s Tomb.

10 If you are entering King Tut’s tomb, do not ignore the curse written on the main door. If you do, at best, it is just a practical joke. At worst, that look in the mirror ten days later will give you a hint you should have paid attention. (That dry skin mummy look is trying to give you a heads up to a problem, Faer. Better contact a shaman quickly.)

9 If you are entering King Tut’s tomb, do not disturb that cloth-wrapped hulk with the WWF champion belt. If you do, at best, it is just a statue. At worst, the spirit of Tiny the WWF champ has been waiting centuries to body slam an opponent. (Well, you woke it up, Fagen. I think you should start looking for a soft landing spot.)

8 If you are entering King Tut’s tomb, do not try any of the preserved food in those gold pots. If you do, at best, the food will be dust. At worst, those pickles will have a monumental repeat factor. (Stay close to the facilities, Faine. You just never know.)

7 If you are entering King Tut’s tomb, do not sit on any of the furniture. If you do, at best, you’ll pick a solid piece. At worst, you’ll sit in a 4000-year-old chair that has seen better days. ( No need to try putting it back together, Fane. That priceless antique is now sawdust, and the curator is preparing a bill for you right now.)

6 If you are entering King Tut’s tomb, do not touch the king’s sarcophagus with your bare hand. If you do, at best, a layer of dust will protect the finish. At worst, the oils from your skin will leave a permanent handprint on the priceless relic. (You may need to confess, Faraz. The CSI is now running the print through an identification process, which is bound to lead to you.)

5 If you are entering King Tut’s tomb, do not pull any lever that you may come across. If you do, at best, the lever is not connected. At worst, the lever is connected to the trap door under your feet. (Falling through the dark is pretty scary, huh, Farnham. Wait until you hit bottom.)

4 If you are entering King Tut’s tomb, do not think you can take a souvenir. If you do, at best, the security guy will tell you to put it back. At worst, you will get it home only to discover several Boris Karloff types hanging around your bedroom. (Don’t worry about these guys being see-through, Farquhar. At least they can’t hold a knife.)

3 If you are entering King Tut’s tomb, do not forget a flashlight (electric torch). If you do, at best, someone else may have one. At worst, you’ll try using a cigarette lighter and end up falling into the coffin with the king. (You can stop screaming now, Farren. The king is not holding you down. That cover merely slammed shut. Of course, that click sound is troublesome)

2 If you are entering King Tut’s tomb, do not take a selfie with the king. If you do, at best, the picture won’t turn out. At worst, when you look at it, the picture will have some other characters in it that you never saw. (I’m not saying the place is haunted, Farrokh but you now have captured the souls of the king”s guards. Good luck with that.)

1 If you are entering King Tut’s tomb, do not bring your Big Gulp drink inside. If you do, at best, it will be gone before you set it down. At worst, you will set it where someone will knock it over into the King’s sarcophagus. (History records some unknown substance all over the king, Fars. Your secret is safe with us.)

Views of the neighborhood – Lakeway – Butler Rough Hollow Park Groundbreaking

July 12, 2026July 11, 2026 ~ John W. Howell ~ 69 Comments

Today, we are attending the groundbreaking for the new Butler Rough Hollow Park in Lakeway.

The new park will include an amphitheater featuring limestone-block seating built into the hillside, facing a concrete stage area. Other features include a mountain bike course, bank-shot play court, multisport field, playground, ninja course, pavilion, restroom facilities, picnic tables, and benches.

A backstop and fence, baseball bases, portable benches, and portable soccer goals will be installed in the multisports field. The playground will include integrated shade, roller slides, swings, and multiple play levels for all ages. We are catered by Jefferys of Austin, and our entertainment is Spanky and Our Gang.

Veal medallions américaine – crawfish in sauce américaine fava beans, lardo & onion soubise
Roast guinea fowl – truffle mousseline, morel mushrooms, fiddlehead fern & buttered herb jus
Long Island Duck breast – sweet red California cherries, hakurei turnips, Moroccan spiced sauce
Alaskan halibut – spring ramp nage, beech mushrooms, caviar, crème fraîche
Red snapper â la barigoule – chorizo-encrusted snapper, poached fennel & spring vegetables
Roasted turnip – wood roasted turnip, kale furikake, carrot ginger-miso broth

16 oz Colorado rack of lamb, served with mint jelly
16 oz tomahawk pork chop, served with truffle butter

Let’s go

The welcome tent.

Visitors to the event can take a sapling home.

Cookies and water.

The shovels are waiting for the official moment. The big guy on the right has the day off.

Good attendance.

The gang of seven. From left, Parks and Recreation Director Andrea Bennett, City Manager Joseph Molis, City Council Member Kent O’ Brian, Mayor Tom Kilgore, Forester Richard Leon, Council member Wes Hook, Assistant Director Parks and Recreation Ricky Gavett.

The ground is broken.

The map of the finished park in the summer of 2027.

We have our red oak tree, and now it is time to relax with music and Food. I hope you have a great week.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Jelly

July 11, 2026July 10, 2026 ~ John W. Howell ~ 52 Comments

A piece of sourdough toast with peanut butter and grape jelly will go well with coffee this morning. The machine gives out a full mug with no complaint, and the toaster follows suit. The first sip of coffee stops the pile-driver effect in my brain from being triggered by dangerously low caffeine levels. Of course, the second sip is accompanied by the crashing sound of a full tray of dishes on a tile floor, which is the combination of the Westminster doorbell and the two four-legged warning barks of Twiggy and Tempeste. A toss of a big bone into the soundproof room and a door slam brings back precious peace.

A glance at the security monitor tells me I am graced with a visit from Roger Rabbit. He has an envelope and a clipboard, so conversation is fruitless. With a sigh, the security shutdown process begins.

The B-2 bomber squadron and the F-35 escort must be called off. One call does it. The tank corps and gunboats are told to stand by. The Apache helicopters are rerouted. The electric shock fence is turned off. The drawbridge over the quicksand is lowered. The robot attack dogs returned to their charging station. The laser-guided machine guns on the roof are set to caution. The nest filled with rattlesnakes put away. The bucket filled with 1000 marbles is locked down. The tear gas canisters shut off. The electrified welcome mat set to off. The fall-away sidewalk into the pit filled with spikes is locked. The hornet’s nest closed. The water cannons are set to safety. Bear traps are set to off. Peregrine Falcons perched on the roof above front door fed. The vat of boiling oil set to warm. The front door is opened.

Roger hands me the envelope and the clipboard. Keeping the envelope and returning the clipboard with a fiver attached. ” Control what you can and let go of the rest,” is my other tip. The envelope has a message from Linda Hill. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “jelly.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link: https://lindaghill.com/2026/07/10/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-11-2026/

“Roger Rabbit. I haven’t thought about that character in ages.”

“Brings back a memory ot two.”

“Like about Jessica?”

“Well.. Yes.”

“She was a favorite of mine, too. I liked your words of advice.”

“Been useful to me for quite a while.”

“You know what’s useful to me?”

“Let me guess. VooDoo Ranger.”

“You are a genius.”

“Uber?”

“Over there.”

“Goodness. A 1970 300 TD. At least there is enough room for both of us.”

“There is one thing.”

“Of course, there is. What is it?”

“We need to help the owner remove the rust.”

“What? That could take weeks.”

“No we’ll just work on that spot under the left side of the rear window.”

“Above the 300 TD?”

“Yup. That’s it.”

“That doesn’t sound bad.”

“It’s not. Here, take these goggles and respirator.”

“What are those for?”

“The sand blaster.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, the sand blaster makes a lot of dust.”

“I’ve never done a sandblaster before.”

“Nothing to it. Just aim at the rust, and the machine does the rest.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Stand behind the protective glass barrier.”

“Why?”

“So I don’t get hit.”

“Why aren’t you doing the sandblasting?”

“Hey. I arranged the car. Takes these overalls and this blaster. We need to get going.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – FriYay/Good News

July 10, 2026July 9, 2026 ~ John W. Howell ~ 61 Comments

The Nature Conservancy. BirdReturns: Creating Dynamic Habitat for Migratory Birds. The Nature Conservancy California

Today’s good news comes from @Massimo on X. Thanks to Noelle Granger for sending it to me.

U.S. farmers are intentionally flooding their fields to revive ancient “prairie potholes,” creating temporary “pop-up” wetlands that deliver a huge boost to migratory birds while improving soil health.

In regions like California’s Central Valley and the Mississippi Delta, innovative programs—most notably BirdReturns (launched by The Nature Conservancy in 2014)—pay farmers to strategically flood low-lying or post-harvest fields at precise times during bird migrations. These short-term wetlands mimic the natural prairie potholes and seasonal marshes that once dotted the landscape but were largely drained for agriculture.

By timing floods to align with peak migration periods (e.g., spring and fall for shorebirds, waterfowl, and sandhill cranes), farmers provide essential stopover habitat: shallow water, mudflats, and abundant food for millions of birds traveling along flyways like the Pacific Flyway. The approach has transformed tens of thousands of acres of working farmland into critical refueling stations, with studies showing dramatic increases in bird use and numbers—sometimes 3.5 times higher in these managed pop-up wetlands compared to standard fields.

Farmers also gain practical benefits. Seasonal flooding enhances soil structure, boosts nutrient cycling (as bird activity and water help break down residues), recharges groundwater, reduces erosion, and supports long-term land productivity—often without hurting crop yields in subsequent seasons.

The good news in today’s story is an active program to help birds during their migrations while helping the soil as well. Today’s JohnKu talks about assisting nature. I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Times present themselves,

To extend a helping hand. . .

Do not miss the chance.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy and Tempeste Indoors on a Hot Day

July 9, 2026July 8, 2026 ~ John W. Howell ~ 92 Comments

I’m sorry for the goof-up yesterday. Tempeste jumped up on the couch while I was working on the post, and poof, the post was published. It was far from finished, so I had to take it down. Sorry for any confusion.