Views of the Neighborhood – Storm Assessment

June 6, 2021June 5, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 84 Comments

We should take a moment before we begin, to remember all those who took part in the invasion of France on D-Day June 6th, 1944. They are the greatest generation and are now fading to eternity. If you know a vet who served in WW II give them a hug.

Today’s tour is going to be brief. So brief in fact that we won’t need the bus. Also, we are going to be catered from Chick-Fil-A. Now before you laugh, this took an act of congress since Chick-Fil-A doesn’t serve on Sunday. Those of you who follow the Wednesday Story will understand that Chick-Fil-A owes me. Because of some technical problems, we will have to entertain ourselves. I can’t seem to get videos to play on the classic editor today. Thanks, WP.

Chick-Fil-A menu

Chick-fil-A® Chicken Biscuit

Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Minis™

Egg White Grill

Hash Brown Scramble Burrito

Hash Brown Scramble Bowl

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit Bacon

Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit Sausage

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Muffin Bacon

Sausage, Egg & Cheese Muffin

Buttered Biscuit

English Muffin

Hash Browns

Greek Yogurt Parfait

Fruit Cup Fruit Cup

So let’s start walking.

The first stop is a fig tree that I have had my eye on. It was frozen in the February freeze and looks like it is DOA.

Checking on the Artichoke Agave. Once the plant is finishing flowering, the mother plant will die.

The next photos are of the damage from the storm that moved through here on Wednesday. This tree is a total loss.

A downed limb from the wind.

A major tree with major damage.

Another view of the same tree.

My neighbors Bradford pear

A shot looking down the driveway

A closer look.

The final view looking down the driveway. The tree was rotting at the base. so they took it down

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Yarn

June 5, 2021June 4, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 52 Comments

I had just finished digging out my olive tree and sat down to have a cold drink of tea. All of a sudden, the United States Postal Service person leaned on the front doorbell. The bell is right above a sign that says PLEASE DO NOT RING DOORBELL.

I finally got Twiggy off the ceiling and opened the door. In the middle of the porch, there was a soaking wet package laying in the opposite direction of the THIS SIDE UP arrow. I opened the package and found this message. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “yarn.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy! Along with the message were three skeins of yarn. The labels said two red and one white. In reality, there were two red and one candy-striped from the soaking.

If you would like to join in the fun visit Lina Hill’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.

https://lindaghill.com/2021/06/04/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-5-2021/

“That’s funny-looking yarn.”

“Yeah, the white was in a box that got soaked from the rain.”

“Postal Service delivery, right?”

“How’d you know?”

“I think they put every package in a big tank.”

“Why would they do that?”

“Prevents explosions.”

“Very funny.”

“So why the yarn.”

“It’s a present from Linda Hill.”

“What’s she up to?”

“the prompt is yarn, so I think she sent some.”

“And if you used the word to mean a tall tale?”

“Maybe she would have sent a giraffe. I don’t know?”

“You are pretty sharp today. So what is y9ur story going to be?”

“I thought I would talk about knitting.”

“Knitting? You know anything about knitting?”

“No.”

“Perfect. You are well-qualified to talk about it then.”

“You being facetious?”

“Of course.”

“Well, I would just explain that it is tough to do and takes time.”

“You could compare knitting to drinking a twelve pack.”

“I was wondering how you were going to work beer into this conversation. I almost gave up on you.”

“Now that the subject has come up, what do you say?”

“Yeah. Let’s go knit.”

“Don’t make me during alone.”

“Just kidding. Your turn to buy.”

“Leave the yarn at home, okay.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

June 4, 2021June 3, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 81 Comments

Photo of Lucy and Twiggy — “It sure is wet, Lucy.”
“We need the rain.”
“But not on Friday.”

Friday is here again. It seems like a very short week. But, wait, that’s because it was. Memorial Day took 20% of the week. Well, that explains it.

Our part of Texas is getting a lot of rain. It looks like it will continue through the weekend. This is totally fine with me since we need it. I did not enjoy the teeth-rattling thunder last night, though. We had a spectacular lightning show to go with the thunder.

The Texas legislature concluded its session for this year. The next time they will meet will be in 2023. After that, they meet starting the first Tuesday in January for 140 days. The governor can call special sessions, but by and large, that’s it for the next 18 months. We like this kind of legislative agenda.

This week’s JohnKu talks about the best kind of government. I hope you have a super weekend.

Government is best,

When those governed don’t feel it . . .

Only in heaven.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Olive Concerns

June 3, 2021June 2, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 103 Comments

“I can see you have some concerns, Little One.”

“I have been thinking of that olive tree that got frozen this winter.”

“What about it?”

“Sometimes these things come back.”

“But the boss already got a new magnolia to go in that spot.”

“Look. Just as I figured. Little green shoots.”

“You sure you aren’t seeing things?”

“No. Over there I’m seeing things but not on the tree.”

“I’ll be darned. You are right. The tree is alive.”

“What do we do about it?”

“I guess we should let the boss know that the olive still lives.”

“Good idea. Of course, what do you think he will do?”

“The man won’t even kill an ant, so I think he will want to do something.”

“I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes.”

“Here he comes. Let me handle this.”

“You are way better at breaking news, Lucy.”

“Hey, Dad. This olive tree is still alive. What are you going to do about it?”

“Cheese, Twiggy.”

“Thank you, Twiggy. I know that and we are trying to figure out a place for it.”

“What happened to me handling it?”

“You know me. Impulsive to a fault.”

“I guess he already has the situation under advisement.”

“Yeah, and he knew about the olive too.”

Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day

June 2, 2021June 1, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 65 Comments

It is Wednesday Story Day again, and last week we learned that the Escalade was purchased by a widow and since Cortez’s men have it and it was not reported stolen; only two states of nature can exist. 1. The widow is in cahoots with Cortez’s men. 2. The widow is no longer with us. Mike (The FBI agent) has called the Reno PD to check on the widow. In the meantime, our boys have sophisticated software to try and locate the Escalade. They are sitting in Mike Moore’s car, so we should go there and see what’s going on. It will be cramped, but we can all fit in. (This is fiction, after all)

“Anything on the Escalade yet?”

“Yes, but hold on. Here’s a call from the Reno PD. This is Agent Moore. Uh Huh. Yup. Okay then, Thank you.”

“What’s going on.”

“Ms. Tounsand was found in her bedroom. Looks like foul play. They’ll know more after the autopsy.”

“That’s a kick to the heart.”

“Yeah, I know. The poor old lady didn’t deserve that kind of ending. On a brighter note, I think we have a location for the Escalade.”

“That is great. How did you do that?”

“The Escalade is equipped with On-Star, and it is a matter of locking into the GPS feature. It took a little time, and we were lucky to have the VIN number. Otherwise, it would have been impossible.”

“So, where is it?”

“Let me see. It looks like it’s sitting in Squaw Valley.”

“Could it be near Cortez’s place? “

“We could only wish it was in his garage.”

“We could never be that lucky.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Let me pull up Cortez’s address and see how different it is from the address indicated on the screen.”

“I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”

“Bingo. I can’t believe it. The damn thing is parked at his house.”

“We gotta get there.”

“We need back up. Hold on, let me call in a team. Also, we will need a warrant. I’ve got someone who can get that. One second, Larry. Hello Morris. Yeah, I’m going to need a team to help serve a warrant. Make it ten. I also need the warrant to be a search and arrest for suspicion of kidnapping. Yes, the perp has crossed state lines from Nevada to California and has three individuals, including ADA Thomas. Yeah, I know it’s amazing. Here’s the address. 7621 Country Club estates Squaw Valley California. The Owner’s name is Cortez. No, we don’t need local support. This is a federal matter. Okay then. Call me back when the team is ready to hit the road. I’m going to the location to make sure no one leaves. Tell the team we need them as soon as possible. Okay, thanks, Moore out.”

“Wow. I guess we are in it.”

“Yes. Let’s hope we are not too late.”

“Why on Earth would Cortez allow those thugs to come to his house?”

“That is very strange, and I have no answer.”

“He’s got to know that Escalade is stolen and that we can track it.’

“Maybe he doesn’t think anyone knows about it being stolen. You know it was plain luck we got that receipt and were able to see the video at the Chick-Fil-A.”

“I suppose you are right. There’s no reason to believe we had luck on our side. Those guys did burn the receipt.”

“May not be luck.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, never mind. I was just thinking about my wife, Gloria.”

“I’m confused.”

“Forget it. Let’s get rolling.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #314 by Keith Channing

June 1, 2021May 31, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 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.combefore 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.”

The photo.

“Would you look at that.”

“What the mess?”

“No, the dog.”

“What about him.”

“He’s sound asleep there.”

“Yeah, so what?”

“I hired him to empty all those boxes.”

“Well obviously he is not doing the job you hired him to do.”

“That’s obvious.”

“How much are you paying him?”

“$14.00 an hour.”

“Doesn’t seem like you are getting your money’s worth.”

“No kidding. What should I do?”

“Why don’t you hire him to sleep? I think you can get him at a cheaper rate.”

“I guess it’s my fault in the end.”

“Why’s that?”

“I should never have hired a dog to do a man’s work.”

“You open to being a little more broad minded?”

“What do you mean?”

“You said ‘man’s work.'”

“Yeah,so what?”

“Could a woman do the same work?”

“Sure.”

“You still paying $14.00 an hour?”

“I would like to, yes.”

“You just found the dog’s replacement. When can I start?”

“How about now?”

“Can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Need a nap.”

“Off the clock?”

“What are you paying the dog?”

“haven’t decided yet.”

“When you do I’ll nap at the same price. See ya.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do On Memorial Day

May 31, 2021May 29, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 53 Comments

As I have written on past Memorial Days, all ten things not to do on this day are the same. Do not fail to remember those who gave their lives to keep us free.

I hope you have a peaceful and thoughtful Memorial Day.

Views of the Neighborhood – Day Before Memorial Day

May 30, 2021May 29, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 80 Comments

Since this is Memorial Day weekend, I thought it would be nice to have a leisurely time contemplating what Memorial day means. The day has been set aside to remember those who gave their lives so that we can enjoy the freedom that is an integral part of ours.

We are going to keep the brunch simple today in keeping with the spirit of the weekend. One of our freedoms is to choose food that will taste great but not be the best for us. We are being catered by the Magnolia Pancake Haus in San Antonio, TX. Our guest is the late Marvin Gaye.

Omelets All served with potatoes or pancakes

BACON & CHEDDAR
Our Famous Applewood Smoked Bacon and Aged
Cheddar Cheese Make for The Perfect Breakfast

BODEGA BAY OMELET
A trip to the Sonoma Coast inspired this Haus original.
Wild baby arugula, applewood smoked bacon, and goat cheese fill this three-egg delight. Topped with a ribbon of crème Fraiche

OMELET MONTERREY
A Magnolia Original. Roasted Chicken and Jack Cheese Inside.
Topped with Our Haus-Made Mild Salsa Verde and Crème Fraiche

SARKI’S SPECIAL
Direct from Our Favorite Chicago Hole-In-The-Wall Breakfast Joint! Spinach, Kalamata Olives, Mushrooms, Onions and Feta Cheese,
Topped with A Dollop of Crème Fraiche

HAM & CHEESE
Pit-Smoked Ham and Your Choice of Cheese

SPINACH & MUSHROOM
Baby Spinach and Fresh Mushrooms with Your Choice of Cheese

JOE’S EGGS
The Original San Francisco Treat! Spinach, Italian Sausage, Onions, and Mushrooms, Prepared Fritatta Style. Topped with
Monterey Jack Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

SHRIMP & AVOCADO
Shrimp and Fresh-Sliced Avocado Fill This Three-Egg Treat.
It Is Topped with Jack Cheese and Served with Our Homemade Salsa

JAMBALAYA OMELET
A Steamer’s Café Classic and Mr. Pancake’s Favorite Breakfast!!
Chicken and Sausage Accented Creole Jambalaya with Jack Cheese in
a Fluffy Threeegger. Topped with Our Mild Creole Sauce

So let’s go.

We have newborn deer in Lakeway, so there are reminders out to slow down.

A shot of some of the flags lining the major streets. The city has lines all the public roads with flags.

A peaceful waterfall to think about those who are gone.

A larger waterfall that reminds us of freedom’s price.

More of the flags honoring those who gave their lives.

Another shot of the flags. There are so many miles of flags that it is impossible to show them all.

The Spirit of Freedom has flags as well.

The flags are at half staff in remembrance of those murdered in San Jose.

Flag-lined walkway.

A reminder of what Memorial Day really means.

A private display of gratitude.

I hope you will all keep the spirit of Memorial Day alive. Here is Marvin Gaye singing the National Anthem.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Collect

May 29, 2021May 28, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 50 Comments

I was walking back from the store and heard the screech of vehicle brakes behind me. I turned around and came face to face with the FedEx van. I have to say maybe a FedEx van doesn’t have a face, but it sure seemed that way to me. Anyway, the driver tossed a package my way and yelled something about not being able to face my vicious bulldog today. I tried to yell back that she is not vicious, just vocal but needed to spend more of my energy getting out of the way of the van.

Lucky for me, I jumped free, and after the van sped away, I went over to the flattened package. This raised a nostalgic memory of when all FedEx packages were flat as a pancake. I picked up the two-dimensional box, and through a split in the cardboard, a note fluttered to the ground. It was from Linda Hill. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “collect.” Use the word “collect” any way you’d like. Have fun! was all it said. The rest of the contents of the package consists of double stuffed Oreo’s in a deconstructed state. All I need is a glass of milk and a spoon.

“Hey, you look chipper.”

“Got my prompt finished.”

“Okay then. Want to share?”

“Sure, the prompt is ‘collect,’ and I wrote a story about the time I called home.”

“Called home? Was this in your youth?”

“Yeah, I was in school.”

“This must have been some story.”

“I called home ‘collect.’ and my dad refused the call.”

“That was cold. Any reason.”

“I think he thought it was a crank call.”

“Why on earth would he think that.”

“Er, maybe cause I hadn’t called for a while.?”

“What’s a while?”

“Three months.”

“Yeah, might be the reason. Why didn’t you call?”

“Not sure it was so long ago.”

“Why all of a sudden did you call?”

“Needed money.”

“I don’t think it was because he thought it was a crank call.”

“No? Then what?”

“He probably wanted to teach you a lesson.”

“Which was?”

“You should call more, not just when you needed something.”

“Yeah. I did correct my behavior.”

“Good. So you called more often?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“I stopped calling collect.”

“Is that a rim shot and cymbal noise I hear?”

“I think it is more the call of the six-pack.”

“Let’s go.”

FridayJohnKu – AKA – TGIF

May 28, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 70 Comments

Photo of Twiggy and Lucy — “Lucy. Why are you so fuzzy?”
“Cause the Boss hasn’t figured out depth of field yet.”
“Glad it’s not you.”

It is Friday again, and time to be thinking about the weekend. For those who work, it promises to be a long weekend.

Not much to report today. This week seemed pretty slow. Kept the pressure on my WIP. Had to do some research which tends to slow things down a bit. I make a promise it will be out before the turn of the century. (A little writer humor. Very little.)

I was pleased to be informed that Eternal Road – The final stop took a finalist award in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (NGIBA). Always feels good to get recognized for work. I will be putting the award on the sidebar when the artwork is available.

I see more bloggers getting worked up over states passing legislation on the voter process. I hope most of them take the time to really look at the laws passed and not just take someone else’s word that evil is afoot. I wish we all would look more closely at situations before firing off a rant, but that is just me.

Today’s JohnKu talks about rants. I hope you all have a great weekend and thoughtful Memorial Day.

We still owe ourselves,

A disciplined fact checks step. . .

Before writing rants.