with John W. Howell
One of the things our Boxers Lucy (L) and Bailey (R) love to do is dig in the sand. They are especially happy when they come upon a gopher mound. To date, no gophers have been injured by these two. They continue to try but are up against a foe with superior intelligence. (Just looking at these two will confirm the previous sentence.)
Here they are. You be the judge.
Wednesday Story Time again. Last week we were surprised to find out that Father Lightfoot was, in fact, a FBI agent. I think Ben is in a bit of hot water since he unloaded the fact that he had planned to blow up the Student Union. I’m not sure but to the agent, this might sound like terrorism. Let’s go back to the hospital and see what is happening next.
“Yes, sir. I’m with the FBI. Now tell me a little more about this plan of Mrs. Worthe’s.”
“Gee father… er …Mr. Lightfoot. Do you think I need a lawyer?”
“You can call me Raymond, Ben. Why would you think you need a lawyer?”
“Well, I just told you I was going to blow up the Student Union. That’s a crime, and you are a FBI agent.”
“All true Ben. If you want to get a lawyer you sure can do that and we can stop talking right now.”
“You sound like there is an ‘or’ in there somewhere.”
“You are pretty perceptive Ben. There is an ‘or.”’
“What is it?”
“Well, we have had our eye on the Worthes for some time. They have been doing some strange things with offshore savings accounts. These activities seem not consistent with law-abiding behavior.”
“What do you think they’re doing?”
“We are not one-hundred percent sure. In fact, we have several agencies involved.”
“Several organizations?”
“Yes. As you know, the Worthes are authorized by the ATF to supply demolition materials for construction companies.”
“ATF?”
“Sorry. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. These are the guys responsible for policing the laws connected with these items. Explosives fall under the firearms section. The Treasury Department is interested in the money flow overseas.”
“Anyone else.”
“Yeah, Homeland Security is interested in the source of the money. The IRS is interested in taxes on the money. The CIA is wondering who is paying the money.”
“Is everyone standing in line?”
“No. The first line of the investigation rests with the FBI. We are authorized domestically and will be the liaison to the others. So here is the deal, Ben. You help us, and we will help you.”
“W-what do you want to know?”
“We want to know everything you know and then we want you to find out what is going on.”
“You expect me to spy on the Worthes?”
“Well, ‘spy’ is a harsh word. Let’s just say we would like you to report what is going on.”
“You know Mrs. Worthe doesn’t trust me. Right?”
“No, I did not know that. Hmmm, maybe we have the wrong person.’
“No, wait. I may have overstated the situation.”
“So what is it?”
“She wants to take my thumb to ensure that I don’t talk to anyone about what I know.”
“Oh, that. I’ll just tell her you didn’t say anything. She’ll believe me and then I think you will be good to go. No more talk now. We will be in touch.”
“How do you know she didn’t overhear this conversation?”
“The orderly outside works for me. I have texted him to get Mrs. Worthe now. I will have a private conversation with her. I’ll see you later.”
Although the title of this post is Anything Possible, it seems that the possible becomes Keith Channing’s prompts. In his words, he explains. “Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; and either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithkreates@channing.fr 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 – for reasons I have yet to fathom, pingbacks don’t seem to be working.
Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries, with links to your own blog or web site, next Monday.
The photo.
Over There by John W. Howell ©2016
“I see what you’re saying, Helen. That man looks strange.”
“I know right. What do you suppose he is doing?”
“I can’t really tell, but it looks like he has his arms outstretched like he is waiting for a hug.”
“You don’t imagine he is one of those huggers I’ve read about.”
“Huggers? What are you talking about?”
“Oh. These dirty old men go around hugging people for no reason.”
“Dirty old men? This one looks pretty clean.”
“I’m not talking about their clothes. I’m talking about their moral character.”
“You don’t suppose there is anything dirty about a hug?”
“Are you kidding me, Ruth? Some old guy grabbing you and giving you a squeeze. You would find that uplifting?”
“Well, I think there may be extenuating circumstances where it would be okay. I’m curious about that guy, though.”
“Curious how?”
“He is looking to heaven like he is a preacher asking for supplication. Look how his hair glows.”
“Supplication? Glowing hair? OMG, I just figured it out.”
“Figured out what?”
“That man is not just a man.”
“You mean?”
“Yes, that is Donald Trump.”
“Okay, I’ve reconsidered. A hug is out of the question. I need more wine.”
The inspiration for this list happens every year here at the coast. We naturally get a number of visitors that one would not normally get in the city, and we learned there are a few things not to do while they are in the house. Hope you like it (BTW this list is entirely fictional and does not reflect any particular action by any individual visitor).
Ten Things Not to Do When You Have House Guests
10 If you have house guests, do not ask if they have special dietary requirements. If you do, at best you will demonstrate how truly mannerly you are, and the answer will be, “No.” At worst, you will be given a list that includes, vegan, lactose intolerant, and gluten-free. (You realize the only thing you can serve is tea)
9 If you have house guests, do not ask if they have a preference for the kind of water to drink. If you do, at best you will get a request for a brand not available to you. At worst, the brand ordered will cost more that a fifth of vodka in a bottle half the size. ( Given the amount consumed you are also wondering if they are using it for bath water as well.)
8 If you have house guests, do not forget to tell them where to put their wet towels. If you forget, at best they will throw them on impervious surfaces. At worst, you will find them hanging from some of your newest fabric furniture. (The stain looks remarkably like Mother Teresa doesn’t it?)
7 If you have house guests, do not ask if they have laundry to do. If you do, at best the machine will be running in shifts all day. At worst, you will be seen as a member of the staff and expected to do the laundry. (Well you offered right?)
6 If you have house guests, do not answer the question, “What can we do now?” If you do, at best whatever you suggest will be rejected. At worst, after the first activity, you will be the designated events chairperson for the rest of the visit. (You forgot to issue wristbands, and now one person is lost.)
5 If you have house guests, do not put out more than one roll of toilet paper at a time. If you do, at best the paper will disappear with no explanation. At worst, your plumber will eventually get the pipes cleared after removing several toys and rolls of paper.(The parents should have warned you that their kids do this in all the hotels.)
4 If you have house guests, do not lug numerous sand toys to the beach. If you do, at best the kids will play with one for a minute. At worst, there will be too many toy choices, and you will be the cause of several kid meltdowns while they try to decide which one. (Now you know to have them pick one at the house right?)
3 If you have house guests, do not make chocolate available as a treat choice. If you do, at best your towels will have permanent handprints. At worst, once your guests leave, you will come to the realization that you will need to convert your decor to jungle to take advantage of the Zebra like marks all over the place. (Well, you’ve been meaning to make a change right?)
2 If you have house guests, do not serve anything that melts. If you do , at best you will find little puddles of melted food everywhere. At worst, when you least expect it you will come across a sticky melted spot for years to come. (How that spot got on your pillow is still a mystery. Getting the pillow off your hair is still a painful memory moment isn’t it?)
1 If you have house guests, do not tell them they are welcome back anytime. If you do, at best the good ones will be back next year. At worst, the bad ones will be back next week. (Now you know you could have said nothing right?)
Happy May Day. This weekend is the Texas SandFest here in Port Aransas. I had hoped to get some pictures to share, but unfortunately due to the high tides I could not get down the beach to the event. The traffic is such that the wait to get to the site would be way too long taking the one road on the island. The Texas SandFest is a major sand sculpture competition that brings artists from all over the world. Here is a link to the Sandfest Facebook page where you can see at least some of the displays.
https://www.facebook.com/TexasSandFest/
Here is a picture of the beach where you can see evidence of the tides and a nice reflection of the sun on the water.
Another Saturday and so it is Stream of Consciousness time. Linda Hill has given us a very nice prompt, “Zoo.” She says we can use it alone or as part of another word. I’m going to try to put Zoo in each line of dialog. If I can’t fit it in the conversation will be over. If you would like to join this madness fun click on the link and go see what is going on.
Zoo by John W. Howell © 2016
“So what was that Zoo something movie?”
“Zoolander?”
“Yeah that was it. It wasn’t about a zoo though.”
No, it was about the modeling industry which is a zoo of it’s own.”
“Yeah, I remember the character’s name was Darrell Zoolander and he was no paleozoologist I would say.”
“What is a Paleozoologist? Sounds zooty.”
“Zooty? What kind of word is that? Gadzooks, it sounds like you are in another world.”
“Zooty is an old term for someone who is sharp. Goes back to the 1940’s when there were guys standing around in Zoot suits. back to my question on Paleozoologist.”
“I’m really lost now on how your mind works with that zooty thing. A Paleozoologist is someone who studies ancient animals.”
“I thought that was a Paleontoligist. How did we get zoologic all of a sudden?”
“Look up at the top. Does the prompt say anything about toligist? No it says zoo. Why would I use a word that didn’t have zoo in it. I’m forced to be a Zoophile. Besides Paleozoologist and Paleonoligst are the same science.”
“Zoophile? We need a dictionary.I think you more resemble a Zoophite anyway.”
“Zoophite? Somehow I don’t think that is a compliment. So in keeping with your insult, I think you are in reality a Zoomorph.”
“I happen to know what a Zoomorph is and I resent being called animal-like.”
“Well you’ll just have to get over it. I’m the head keeper here and want you to come eat your Waterzooi.”
“I hate Waterzooi. Besides I’m supposed to have greens not stew. Where’s my zoosporangium.”
“You are a hippo for heaven’s sake. This is a zoo. I’m the zookeeper. You don’t get to call for zooporangium.”
“Some fun you are Bazooka breath.”
“Call me more names why don’t you? Just sit on your wazoo and smile for the folks.”
“Fine. I’m going to call the zoological society and file a complaint.”
“Good luck holding the phone.”
Another Friday to celebrate. Woo Woo. My celebration is for a week well spent doing catch-up on my “work around the house” chore list. I have often commented that living by the Gulf is like being on a boat. There are a number of things that have to be constantly maintained. Little stuff like door locks, door bells, lamps, fixtures, vinyl fence, and even siding.
Since I have finished book three of the John J. Cannon trilogy and am just waiting to send to the editor, I have a little free time each day. Having time will be a temporary situation since my next book is calling for an edit. Yes, the first draft is done, but I’m sure it is a big mess and will need more work.
So, I got out the power sprayer and went to work spraying everything that would tolerate water. That included the whole exterior of the house and all the vinyl railings and fence. I must say the house looks better not covered in salt and sand.
I also put lubricant in all the locks and managed to change out some vent covers which had deteriorated as a result of the sun. In addition, I reconditioned the doorbell (which is an annual affair)
All in all a productive time. I expect my wife will be shocked upon her return from Austin where she has been helping youngest daughter move. Today’s JohnKu talks about doing some things you don’t want to do.
The List by John W. Howell © 2016
Your daily conscience,
On the refrigerator…
For what seems like months.
By now you must realize I have a fascination with the birds here on the Gulf. They never seem to tire of providing a fun watch as they go about their day. This first picture is of an approaching flock of pelicans.
I would like to point out a couple of things. Notice the haze in the sky along with the clouds. ((Trust me it is there) This photo was taken on Tuesday this week and believe it or not the haze is from the burning of crop lands in Mexico and South America. The farmers do it each year as a method of pest control. The smoke flows over South Texas when the wind is from the South as it has been for a few days. The other thing I would like to point out is the haphazard way the Pelicans are in formation. Usually, they form the classic V formation much like geese. The winds are blowing at about 20 knots, so it is difficult for them to hold the position.
Here is an another look. I waited for them to get closer for this shot.
They still look all over the place. I’m sure their commanding officer will have a chat with them back at the perch.
I managed to catch a shot of the Pelicans in the water (Those black things at the water’s edge). The gulls were having a time with the wind as well.
So you will not think the haze is forever, here is a shot taken Wednesday morning after the winds shifted to coming out of the North. (Thank you, Yankees) What a difference a day makes.
This shot is a long beach view taken from about a half mile North of our walkway. (The dogs get a mile walk in the morning, and since the wind was coming out of the North, I started out heading into the wind. I just turned around to head back and took the photo) The haze will return today but it was a nice break.
Wednesday Story Day again and we last left Ben and Father Lightfoot discussing Ben’s situation. Ben was trying to explain the situation when Father Lightfoot interrupted him and implied that Ben was not right in the head. Let’s go back and see if there will be anything positive coming out of this discussion.
“You said I was talking crazy Father.”
“I didn’t mean that you were talking crazy my son. What I meant is your statement was the talk of a crazy person.”
“What? The idea of blowing up the Student Union.”
“Exactly Ben. You think it is okay to do something like that?”
“I believe that it is a little eccentric but certainly not the act of a crazy person.”
“Okay, maybe I was a bit too harsh. Why don’t you tell me why you wanted to blow up the Student Union.”
“Well, Alexis and I thought it would be a statement.”
“Statement? What kind of statement?”
“Well, father to be honest Alexis and I were never really happy at the university, and we thought by blowing up the Student Union we would exorcise whatever feelings we had for the place. That was before Mrs. Worthe came on the scene.”
“Okay, so Mrs. Worthe got involved. How did that change things?”
“Well, the mission went from one of a single purpose of cleansing to one of greed.”
“Greed? You want to explain what you mean?”
“Sure. Mrs. Worthe convinced us to plant the explosives and then demand from the university a ransom to keep us from blowing up the building.”
“My word. How much?”
“Ten million dollars.”
“Whew that is a lot of money. What were you going to do with all that money?”
“We were going to launder it and then send it to offshore accounts. Alexis thought it would be a way to have all the things she wanted.”
“What about you Ben. Did you want the money?”
“Well, I never gave it much thought. I guess it would have been nice to give Alexis what she wanted.”
“Come on Ben. We are talking about you. What did you want?”
“I wanted to forget the whole thing. That’s what I wanted.”
“So you shot yourself.”
“I didn’t mean to shoot myself.”
“But it sure put a stop to the plan. Didn’t it?”
“I suppose. Will you help me, Father?”
“I must confess my son. Yours is a sad case. You have allowed Mrs. Worthe and Alexis get you into a position of breaking some pretty big laws.”
“I know right? How can I get out of this mess?”
“Take a look at this Ben.”
“This is an ID of a FBI agent. OMG, you are with the FBI?”
On Friday of this week, a group of individuals organized and staged a one hundred person Flash mob formation of the peace symbol. The idea was to foster peace and understanding. The event included dancing and a skydive by a parachutist dressed as a mermaid.
The event was near the municipal pier on the beach. As you can see from the photo, the weather was perfect for such an event. The organizers felt responsible for bringing a message to all politicians that the government should be of the people, by the people, and for the people. The founders of the constitution tended to agree with this sentiment.
If you wonder about the kind of individuals who live in Port Aransas, this event was almost iconic in representing the majority view that government has lost its way. Most full-time residents have a high degree of skepticism when they hear the words, “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help you.”
Here is another view
