I opened a nice cold bottle of VooDoo Ranger and poured it into my chilled glass. I whistled for Twiggy and Lucy to follow me to the back patio. We all got comfy on the chaise and kicked back to enjoy the sun and the conversation of the birds. I took a sip of my brew, and something caught my eye in the deep robin’s egg blue sky. A Cessna 172 just came into sight after passing the tree line. I thought the plane was pretty low but didn’t believe there was any cause for concern since the Lakeway airport was less than a mile away.
My mind told me the plane was on a downwind leg of an approach even though he should have been about 500 feet higher. Feeling the draw of the cold, bubbly, hoppy beverage, I brought my glass to my lips while keeping an eye on the plane. To my surprise, just as the craft got overhead, the pilot’s door opened slightly, and a bright red object was jettisoned. Like many Warner Brothers cartoons, the object got bigger and bigger as its trajectory brought it closer and closer to the Earth. It became apparent the red sphere was going to impact the three of us on the chaise. I shouted to the pups to head for cover, and like all good dogs, they obeyed without question.
It was too late for me, and the sphere enveloped the upper half of my body. All I could see was red and felt the wetness that could only have been my life’s fluid splattered the length and breadth of the patio. Trying to breathe was difficult until I pulled the membrane away from my mouth. It was then I discovered I had been hit with a large water balloon. Stuck to my forehead was a soggy piece of paper with the following message. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “pin.” Use it as a noun, use it as a verb, use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
If you would like to have, fun visit Linda Hill’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2021/09/03/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-4-2021/
Yes, Twiggy and Lucy were fine. Yes, my VooDoo Ranger needed to be replaced. Yes, there was the name ACME Balloon Works on the remnants of the balloon. No, I didn’t get the tail number of the plane.
Pin by John W. Howell © 2021
“So again, you take up half the morning with your prologue.”
“Is that what it was?”
“Well, anyway, what are you going to do with ‘pin?'”
“I thought I would talk about college romance.”
“Huh?”
“You know where boy meets girl and gives her his fraternity pin as a show of his commitment.”
“You sure they still do that?”
“No, but it was an idea. Could be a terrific story.”
“Or maybe like a pin in the eye.”
“Come on. I thought it was unique.”
“If you can pin a date, maybe this could be a nostalgia piece.”
“Didn’t you mean pinpoint a date.”
“Yeah, sure, but that wouldn’t let me use the word ‘pin.'”
“I see. You don’t want me to pin the title of spoilsport on you.”
“Yes indeed. We are really in the swing now, but don’t pin your hopes on scoring bonus points.”
“I didn’t hear anything about bonus points.”
“Yeah, forget it.”
“How about we go to the bowling alley?”
“We don’t bowl.”
“They have beer, and hundreds of things that start with a ‘p.'”
“People?”
“I wonder if the plural of pin counts?”
“Oh, I get it. Each alley has a pin times ten.”
“You are a genius.”
“Which means you are buying.”
“Gladly. I have saved my pin money.”
“We can stop now.”
“The ball is headed for the pin. This could be a hole in one.”
“We can do without the golf tournament impersonation. Whispering Joe Wilson, right?”
“That was bowling. I was thinking of Chris Schkenel.”
“Pin the tail on the donkey.”
“You said it. Not me. Let’s go before they pin us as idiots.”
“Too late.”
