Views of the Neighborhood – Winter Wonderland.

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 114 Comments

Well, it was a mess on Friday and way too dangerous to go out on a photo tour of the neighborhood, which is when most of them are taken. Instead, I took a tour around the yard, and hopefully, these photos will take the place of a full-blown tour. Since we will stay at the house, we don’t need the bus today. We will need food, so I have called out for delivery from Nomatic Beer Works (Yes, they deliver beer too). Our entertainment is again Bob Seger. (A fellow Detroit native)

REUBEN (Turkey) – Turkey Breast | Swiss | Sauerkraut | Thousand Island | Easy Tiger Rye

VEGETARIAN – Artichoke | Garlic Hummus | Arugula | Roasted Red Pepper | Easy Tiger Sourdough

TOASTED CHEESER – Cheddar | Provolone | Havarti | Parmesan | Easy Tiger Sourdough

We’ll star in the back. Make sure you have your gloves and hats on.

First, a look in the backyard looking Northwest. The hanging basket is wrapped in a hibiscus towel.

The backyard looking Southeast. The turf is covered with frozen sleet.

The patio area is covered. You can see the frozen sleet in the blackstone bed to the left.

A closer look at the patio. The magnolia tree and mountain laurel are covered in ice.

A close-up of the magnolia. The ice acts as an insulator since the air is colder than 32 degrees F. ( 0 degrees C )

A close-up of the mountain laurel.

Our rain gauge took on one inch of rain and is frozen. You can see ice on the fence as well.

Our motion light and irrigation monitor show the effect of frozen rain. So let’s go back inside.

Lucy and Twiggy wonder who the new playmates are. These are the plants that need protection from temperatures below freezing.

Here is a shot of the hibiscus in bloom. The other plans are dracaena, salvia, and a pot with pansies and alyssum.

Looking out the front, you can see the ice on the driveway and frozen sleet in the rocks.

One shot of the deer who are not bothered by a little frozen rain.

I hope you enjoyed a look at the Texas version of winter. Now relax, have some food and enjoy Bob.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Page

February 5, 2022February 5, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 88 Comments

Gazing at my watch convinced me to stay inside this morning. The temperature is below freezing, and the wind chill is in the teens. This is not a day to consider opening the front door. Getting settled with a hot cup of coffee and my trusty Apple, I was looking forward to a productive day of writing. That is when the sound of something hitting the roof caused me to jump.

The coffee was dripping behind me as I ran across the floor to the window. The cold of the glass caused my breath to fog the view. I couldn’t see what was lying in the driveway. Clearly, whatever it was had first impacted the roof and then come to rest out there.

There was no choice but to open the door and enter the deep freeze. Oh sure, I could have left the item laying there till spring, but what fun is there in that? Besides, not knowing what it is would make this a brief post.

Suitability outfitted with the latest winter gear, I undid the deadbolt and made one small step for knowledge. With the ice crunching under my feet, I arrived at the object. A quick investigation determined a box addressed to Wile E Coyote in care of my address. Feeling somewhat put out, I decided to simply leave the box where it was, and if Mr. Coyote wants to get it, he will need to swing by and pick it up.

Turning to go back inside, I heard a horn sound followed by the sound of a panic stop. Looking down, there was what appeared to be a drawing of a roadrunner with a printed page from an e-mail in its mouth. Taking the page, I could see it was a prompt from Linda Hill. Here’s what it said. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “page.” Use it as a noun or a verb. Have fun! If you want to join in this fun, go to Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here’s the link. https://lindaghill.com/2022/02/04/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-5-2022/

The horn sounded again, and with a swishing sound, the bird was gone.

“Don’t you dare leave us hanging like that.”

“Like what?”

“We want to know what’s in the box.”

“Who are we? I only see you.”

“Never mind. What’s in the box?”

“I have no idea.”

“Come on. You are writing this trash. Tell me.”

“You saw where I walked away, right?”

“Yeah, but you must know what’s inside.”

“I didn’t open it.”

“Arrrgg. Okay then. Let me ask a question.”

“Shoot.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“Your question?”

“Why would you bring in something that was supposed to be delivered to Wile E. Coyote yet shows up on your driveway.”

“Simple.”

“Uh, go ahead.”

“It sets up a story for the next time.”

“I get that, but why can’t we have the story now?”

“No time. I ran out of available words. In fact, folks are starting to hit “like” and move on even as we speak.”

“What, folks?”

“Fourth wall, folks. Right out there.”

“OMG. I never saw them before.”

“Behave then.”

“H-how do we get out of this mess?”

“We get on the same page. You offer to buy the beer, and we exit stage left.”

“I’m buying.”

“Let’s go.”

“Don’t we need to do the soft shoe or anything?”

“You can if you wish.”

“No, let’s just go.”

“After you, my man. Page the bartender and tell her to set ’em up.”

“Page?”

“Never mind, I was just taking another kick at the prompt.”

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

February 4, 2022February 3, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 115 Comments

Good to see Friday here. This means we can take a short break from the week and do some fun things.

Today’s Good News story is about Bee Cave Bob You all have heard of Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog who predicts the arrival of spring . This year he predicted 6 more weeks of winter. I bet not too many of you have heard of Bee Cave Bob.

You see,, Bee Cave Bob was born in Bee Cave,, Texas, which is a short way up the road from our house, and he is an Armadillo. Bob has the distinction of being the Texas answer to Punxsutawney Phil. Now you may wonder why Texas feels the need to have its own version of a prognosticator of the duration of winter. The answer is best explained by Bob’s owner Ralph Fisher. “The Armadillo is the Texas state small mammal.”

Athough Bob lives in a farm community named Swiss Alp he travels back to Bee Cave every year to predict the end of winter. In an event, sponsored by the Benevelent Order of the Racoon (Not a typo), Bob is released on Feburary 2nd and watched. If Bob sees his shadow there will be 6 more weeks of winter.

In contradiction to Punxsutawney Phil, Bob is predicting an early spring. As I sit here with below freezing temperatures and a wind chill in the teens I can say Bob’s prediction is good news indeed.

Here is a Video telling the story.

Today’s JohnKu is about the weather. I hope you have a great weekend

There is Bob and Phil,

Trying to decide how long . . .

I’ll wait for mother.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Bad Ice Coming

February 3, 2022February 2, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 140 Comments

“Hey, Lucy. Come here. There’s a bunch of junk on the porch.”

“Okay. What kind of junk?”

“I’m not sure. Looks like old sheets and towels and a roll of grey stuff.”

“Yeah, that is duct tape, Little one.”

“Who wants to tape a duck?”

“Not duck. Duct. It is one of the Boss’s go-to tools.”

“I see by the full watering can something is up.”

“Here comes the Boss. Let’s ask. Hey, boss, what is all this stuff?”

“I’m just getting things ready for a few days of below-freezing temperatures.”

“So you have unhooked the hose, Dad?”

“That’s right, Twiggy. We don’t want our faucets to freeze and break.”

You have to explain a little more, Boss. How do they freeze and break?”

“When the water is in the hose, and it is connected to the faucet, the water can freeze and expand, breaking the faucet.”

“Now that Dad is gone, let me ask. You get that, Lucy?”

“Nope, but as long as the Boss is in charge, I think all we have to do is say we do.”

“Close your eyes, Lucy. I have a surprise for you.”

“Better not be the old Twiggy vanish trick. Okay, they are closed.”

“Open them up and gaze on this faucet wrapped with a towel and duct tape.”

“Oh man, I thought you had found a stray kibble bowl.”

“Look at this masterpiece.”

“If you don’t mind, I’m going in to give someone a sad look and beg for a treat. This has been hard work.”

“I’ll help.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #345 by Keith Channing

February 1, 2022January 31, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 76 Comments

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 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

“Sign here, mate”

“What am I signing?”

“The deed to your house. Whatya think”

“I don’t know”

“It’s for the delivery”

“Delivery? What delivery?”

“Oh, come on. You ordered the 2000 piece life-size puzzle.”

“I think there must be some mistake.”

“Is this 323 Rural Route 22?”

“Well, yes but I don’t recall an order.”

“Look, Mac. Just sign and then take it up with Amazon.”

“What does signing this mean?”

“That I delivered it.”

“It doesn’t mean I ordered it, right?”

“I’m no lawyer, Mac. All I know is the fine print says by signing this delivery receipt you verify it was in fact delivered.”

“Okay, I can verify that after I have a look.”

“Aw geez. I have a hundred deliveries today.”

“I’ll just be a minute. I’ll just look out the window . . . OMG it’s laying all over the yard.”

“Yeah, you paid for an unpacking service.”

“And there is snow on top.”

“Took me two hours to unpack. Started snowing. Here’s the place to sign.”

“Very well. There are you satisfied now?”

“Thanks. I’ll be on my way. Good luck with the puzzle.”

“I don’t see any artwork on any of the pieces.”

“I think it’s one of those modern ones where you have to figure out how it goes by the shapes.”

“It looks like they’re all rectangles.”

“Yeah, makes it a little tougher.”

“You wouldn’t want to just load it all up and take it back would you?”

“Love to help you out but you see, I’m deliveries. There’s others who do pick up. I do have an idea though.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Get yourself a piece of cardboard.”

“Yes?”

“And a sharpie.”

“Okay.”

“Make a sign. ‘kindling for sale.’ You’ll make a killing.”

“I think I’ll call Amazon and see where this stuff came from.”

“That works too. See ya.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do with a Hangover

January 31, 2022January 30, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 75 Comments

This list was originally posted on February 2nd, 2015. Although the Superbowl is two weeks away, maybe it will resonate after yesterday’s NFL playoffs.

* * *

This list was inspired by years and years of attempting to burn a candle at both ends. This list could be much longer, but a cutoff had to be made somewhere. Also, since this is the Monday after the Super Bowl, maybe there is some advice you can use. I hope you enjoy it.

Top Ten Things Not to Do with a Hangover

10 If you have a hangover, do not attempt to cover the fact by talking too much. If you do, at best, you will have erased any doubt as to your condition. At worst, your mouth will run off and leave your sodden brain back in the pain pit, and the brain will only catch up when it detects the words “will you please shut up.” (Much too late, I might add.)

9 If you have a hangover, do not try to step out of your typical passive role at the morning staff meeting. If you do, at best, you will scare everyone with your slurred and totally irrelevant comments. At worst, you might disagree with the boss and insist on your point, which has the effect of capitalizing on the death wish you have had ever since you bade farewell to the ceramic microphone at 3:00 AM this morning. (The sounds still ring in the ears.)

8 If you have a hangover, do not operate heavy machinery. If you do, at best, you may find yourself in a position of greatly apologizing for denting a car or building. At worst, you will have several people lining up in HR asking how their flattened vehicles will be replaced and several executives asking you for the keys to the equipment and your lawyer’s name. (I get that the brake and gas looked the same.)

7 If you have a hangover, do not write any notes to anyone explaining your actions last night. If you do, at best, you might feel better in confessing your sins. At worst, you will have given several people written confirmation as to why they need to avoid or punch you. (At least you have friends in low places.)

6 If you have a hangover, do not show up to teach your fifth-grade class. If you do, at best, you might make it to lunch without a complaint to the principal. At worst, you will be driven to the point where the EMS crew and police will attempt to talk you down from the roof of the school where unbeknownst to your conscious self, you have been screaming threats against Congress and the President. (hard to blame you for that.)

5 If you have a hangover, do not report to your airline pilot job. If you do, at best, you might forget something minor but survive anyway. At worst, you will discover a little too late you forgot to check the fuel level, and your attention is drawn to the bright blinking light on the control panel that has the words “Fuel Starvation” clearly embossed on it. (It means there is no more.)

4 If you have a hangover, do not go ahead with that brain surgery you are supposed to conduct today. If you do, at best, your attention will be on your own brain, and you will find it difficult to concentrate. At worst, you will think all is well right up to the point you close up the procedure only to discover the parts leftover that you can’t explain. (Unlike a bicycle kit, there are no extra parts in the brain.)

3 If you have a hangover, do not go to the grocery store to do your shopping for the week. If you do, at best, you will forget more items than you remember to buy. At worst, you will finally have had it with the cashier who asks you each week, “If you have found everything okay?” The fact that if you say no, she will not do anything about it has you treading on the conveyor shouting for the rest of the shoppers to lay down their groceries to join the revolution. (Incidentally, you don’t see the cautious community support officer in the corner calling 9-1-1.)

2 If you have a hangover, do not take your carpool duty today. If you do, at best, you will drop the kids and adjourn to the local bar for some hair of the dog, only leading to more trouble later. At worst, your driving will permanently imprint terror on the poor innocents in the car which they will suppress. (But go through life wondering why they never got a driver’s license.)

1 If you have a hangover, do not think you will be as effective in your writing as you usually are. If you do, at best, you might just produce a day’s work that would make great kindling for the evening fire. At worst, you may think you have a breakthrough on your writer’s block only to find you have included the words “Daddy’s Home” over two thousand times in your manuscript. (You can thank Thr Shining for that.)

Views of the Neighborhood – Freeze Results

January 30, 2022January 29, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 79 Comments

Last week we rolled around and looked at those who covered their plants. This week I thought it would be interesting to look at the results of not covering the plants. Also, on a couple of occasions, the effects of protecting the plants.

We are being catered by The Peached Tortilla in Austin. Our entertainment is Meatloaf.

THAI CHOP CHOP SALAD
chopped napa, fried tofu, green apple, fried shallots, Thai vinaigrette, rice puffs, peanuts, Fresno chiles, watermelon radish, fish sauce caramel, herbs

BRISKET HASH
kimchi miso corn, sweet potatoes, Fresnos, onion jam, pasture-raised fried egg
ask your server for our vegetarian option

SHORT RIB BENEDICT Korean braised short rib, grilled ciabatta, kochukaru hollandaise

FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH Asian slaw, Japanese pickles, gochu glaze, easy tiger easy bun
served with Belgian fries

KOREAN STEAK & EGGS BOWL sous vide hanger steak, sunny side up eggs, kimchi, egg furikake, rice

AVOCADO TOAST
miso scallion creme fraiche, alfalfa sprouts, watermelon radish, lemon oil
served with greens tossed in yuzu vinaigrette, add soft scrambled pasture-raised eggs

All manner of things to drink.

Let’s go.

Our first stop is an unprotected cactus. Don’t know how you would protect it, but freezing temperatures create havoc.

Some cascading plants put in after the great freeze last year are toast again this year.

The ground cover takes a hit but will come back.

Last week I showed this expensive green cover. The next is a view of this week.

The cover did not work. Frost burn on the new plants.

A major hit, but expected to return.

The Carolina Jasmine is gone. This was from the big freeze last year.

The boxwoods have signs of frost burn.

The Viburnum growth has been affected. It should not hurt the plant.

A shot of blossoms from protected plants. (Producer photo)

A protected hanging basket.

I hope you enjoyed the tour and wish you a wonderful week. Sit back and enjoy the food and music. If you haven’t seen this video I would recommend it even though it is a little longer than most.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Let Go

January 29, 2022January 29, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 49 Comments

Another Saturday means thinking about the prompt that is due from Linda Hill. As I savored the aroma from the first cup of coffee, it occurred to me to check the front of the house once more. Last week there was a mountain of ice that had not only the prompt frozen against the front door but a lingering question on how the ice got there in the first place.

Thinking the whole situation was a figment of imagination, I looked at the Ring doorbell app on my phone. Sure enough, the mountain of ice was still there. Also, a prominent St Bernard dog was sitting patiently at the edge of the hill holding an envelope in its mouth.

I was forced to go out the back door since the front was frozen solid. Coming around the house, I discovered the reason for the mountain of ice. The hose attached to the faucet was doing the dance of the cobra while spewing water in all directions. I quickly calculated the value of a week’s worth of water running helter-skelter and made a mental note to contact the lending officer at the bank for a loan first thing Monday.

Getting the water turned off was challenging but accomplished. Next, it was time to address the dog.” Lovely doggy,” I said. “Snarl,” was his response. Bravely I took hold of the envelope, hoping he had the commands to release upon delivery. “Let go,” I said. His answer sounded like a muffled warning to take my hand away or lose it. “Fine, you win.”

As I turned away to go back inside, the big dog barked, and the envelope dropped from his mouth. Being quick of mind and certainly smarter than a dog, I grabbed the envelope. The dog seemed pleased that the delivery was made and trotted away.

Here is what was inside. Your prompt for #JusJoJan and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “let go.” Write about the first thing that comes to mind when you think, “let go.” Enjoy!

If you want to join this happy band, visit Linda’s blog and see how easy it is. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2022/01/28/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2022-daily-prompt-jan-29th/

“At least you explained the ice.”

“A small holdover from last week.”

“Why did the dog hold onto the envelope in the first place?”

“How would I know? I’m not a dog whisperer.”

“No, but you wrote the scene.”

“Okay. He didn’t know if it was me or not.”

“What changed his mind?”

“For heaven’s sake, can we get off the dog?”

“But you made him central to your story.”

“It’s the first thing I thought of when I saw ‘Let Go’ was the prompt.”

“Okay, so you have no idea why he let go of the envelope.”

“Well. he barked, and it fell out of his mouth. Isn’t that enough?”

“Why didn’t he pounce on you when you went to get the envelope.”

“Is this ever going to end?”

“I’m just saying. Plot holes are not a good thing.”

“Alright. The dog saw my blue feet from being all wet from turning off the faucet, so he had mercy on me.”

“Why didn’t you say that?”

“Too much for such a short story.”

“Well, when you leave questions, folks get anxious.”

“Why don’t you write it next week?”

“I’m a beer consumer, not a writer.”

“Magic word.”

“To end this misery?”

“You got it, and you are buying. Time to let go of some of that hoarded cash.”

“Says the guy who framed his first dollar. By the way. You mentioned blue feet. Did you go out there barefooted?”

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

January 28, 2022January 27, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 75 Comments

Today’s good news story is taken from the Good News Network about the sighting of a bird not typically seen in the US. Here’s the story in its entirety. Thanks to the Good News Network.

The Steller’s sea eagle. It’s ripped, royal, and rare. To see the world’s heaviest eagle, with its eight-foot wingspan, an American would typically have to visit Korea, Japan, or eastern Russia. Never had one of the sea eagles ever been spotted in the lower 48 states—until now.

Five days before Christmas, one of the majestic birds flew into Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and it’s pulling birdwatchers from all over the east coast to see it.

Members of the Massachusetts Audubon Society first spotted the raptor known for its huge golden bill.

NPR reports that the unique tail feather arrangement suggests this is the same bird that was spotted in summer in Canada and Alaska. Straying outside of its native range, it’s known as a “vagrant.”

As of January 16th, the wayward bird was still in Maine, having first been documented as a vagrant in Alaska’s Denali National Park, 4,700 miles away, in August.

The chance to see this eagle would normally involve a plane ride anywhere from 6-12 hours and a passport, so the bird’s appearance in the US is pulling amateur ornithologists from their nests in places like New Jersey for a spontaneous road trip known as “chasing.”

When a rare species, especially a rare vagrant, is spotted, intrepid birders chase reported sightings around the region using apps like eBird, or through various Facebook groups.

John Putrillo recently photographed this celebrity bird of prey. His Instagram, Manbythesea, is now filled with beautiful images showcasing its dark brown feathers and a bill that’s built to tear fish like salmon into bitesize pieces.

The eagle has given Putrillo a new passion: “I want to learn about all bird species now,” he says. “I want to find every bird I can from the smallest to the largest.”

The good news here is at least some of the bird watchers in this country have a chance to see this magnificent bird. Today’s JohnKu talks about the miracles of nature. I hope you have a great weekend.

Nature by John W. Howell

A vagrant or not,

The Steller’s Sea Eagle is . . .

Nature’s miracle.

I am at Story Empire today in case you want to come over. I’m talking about things you can do if the desire to write is missing. HERE is the link.