Thursday – A Little Personal

April 30, 2015April 27, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 35 Comments

Here is another photo from a bike ride. It is a perfect shoe sitting just above the high tide line. Also, the picture has captured some footprints showing someone walked by the shoe, and it is clear the shoe has not been disturbed. I could not resist another story prompted by this picture. I hope you like it.

“What are we going to do?”

“The first thing is not panic.”

“Easy for you to say. You are the survivalist I’m just along for the ride.”

“Okay, I never thought the boat would sink.”

“With everything we need to survive I might add.”

“Yes, that is true. Don’t forget I’m a trained survivalist. I will keep us safe.”

“Safe? You’ve got to kidding. Look around. There is nothing on this little island. One palm tree and that’s it.”

“The tree will give us shade that we will need until we can get some water.”

“Too bad I left my Perrier on the desk in the galley.”

“You are alive, so that is something.”

“For how long with no food or water.”

“Oh, that’s easy. No food thirty days. No, water? Well, that’s a little less. Like seven.”

“Seven days? You gonna dig a well or what?”

“No, I will collect the dew in this plastic bag. Also, I have a pen and some paper. I’m going to write a note and stuff it in my shoe. These shoes float. It will be like a message in a bottle. I know we are less than seven days from the mainland the way the current flows. There the shoe is drifting see?”

“Yeah I see. Somehow I can’t imagine anyone looking in a shoe for a message.”

“Have faith.”

“Yeah sure.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Short Story

April 21, 2015April 20, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 17 Comments

I found this helmet while walking on the beach last week. Like most things, it prompted a story.

“Hey you there.”

“What do you want?”

“You know hanging off that structure is dangerous?”

“Yeah, but you ought to see the view from up here.’

“Look you there I’m ordering you to come down.”

“So who are you?”

“I’m the platform foreman that’s who. You come down before you fall into the Gulf.”

“I’ve been working drilling rigs for twenty years and never fell once.”

“There’s always the first time.”

“I’m not kidding you I think I can see land from up here.”

“Impossible land is over sixty miles away.”

“Well, one thing is sure.”

“What’s that?”

“If I did fall I could never swim that far.”

“You would never live through the fall. That’s two hundred feet to the water.”

“Yeah, I know. Whoa, it sure is windy up here. There goes my hat.”

“That’ll cost you twenty bucks now get down here.”

“Man that is a long way down. Okay, my hat convinced me. I’m coming down.”

“Watch that first step.”

Tuesday- Anything Possible – Short Story.

April 14, 2015April 14, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 20 Comments

These pictures are not a setup. I found the little man perched on a piece of driftwood just as you see him. So that you get some context, the next picture is further away.

I was amazed by the fact that this little figure washed onto the beach and took up a spot as if to say, “I was on a mission.” I took the opportunity to use this figure as a prompt for the following story.

Transmission number 674. Captain Log Entry 321.

The mission report is being submitted by Captain Swain transmitting my first post hibernation update. My mission for those of you who have monitored this flight these many years was to go out from our world and find a new place for our people. . The trees and flowers could no longer produce the supply of fiber needed to sustain life. Our planet has become congested and sick as a result. We are doomed to suffocate unless I find a new place. Those of you who will receive this report are probably on the verge of existing on little to nothing, and my heart goes out to you. My ship was one of the newer types built to sustain interstellar flight and equipped with life support for three years. Blast off was normal and activation of deep hibernation complete. I awoke to find the auto systems all functioning normally. The testing protocol determined I was in excellent health after such a long trip. The speed log recorded the average speed of travel at light plus velocity. The ship has placed itself in orbit around a beautiful blue planet that seems very much like our own. I have checked the sustainability factors and am ready to descend to the surface. The remainder of my transmission will be using the voice remote systems.

I have put on the protective suit and am in the airlock. The atmospheric readings indicate an ample supply of oxygen and a healthy mix of carbon dioxide and other gasses. Although not proven until I reach the surface it looks like this planet will be our salvation. I have released the lander and am descending. The rate is gentle, and I will attempt a water landing as I’m not sure of the soil composition. Splash down in five, four, three, two, one splashdown.

I am floating with the current. the ambient temperature looks to be seventy degrees. I see land at my ninety degree mark. I have deployed the upright floatation device and am now on land. The sea is calm, and I have cracked the forward hatch. I am about to leave the ship. Now on the ladder I will step into the water. I need to say something here. “One small step for a plastic man, one giant leap for all plastic kind.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible

March 31, 2015March 29, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 18 Comments

Hey, I just wanted to take a moment to remind all you beautiful people to look over to the right on the sidebar. There is some interesting stuff over there and if you hang out in the reader you just might not have seen it for a while. Yes, I have a book for sale and there is a sample. Also, there are some nice folks who visit often and some badges that are worth a peek.

Thank you.

Tuesday – Anything is Possible

March 24, 2015March 22, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 18 Comments

I just have to do a wrap up on spring break. For two solid weeks it rained was cold and miserable. Here is a picture taken Saturday on the beach. Saturday is the traditional last day for breakers. They have to go back to school and are usually gone by Sunday morning (hangovers and all).

As you can see from the photo, it looks like they all called it quits early. I guess one can stand wet and cold only so long. (yes that is rain and clouds) There isn’t enough beer in the universe to keep the party fueled in spite of the weather we have been experiencing.

To add insult to injury on Sunday at about three o’clock spring arrive on the island. The afternoon was hot and lovely. The picture above was taken at the same time as the Saturday photo only twenty-four hours later.

Maybe next year kids.

Tuesday Discussion – Anything is Possible

March 10, 2015March 8, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 11 Comments

I get a little lonely on Tuesday. This and Sunday are the two days of the week I have nothing planned to post. Since I’m a slave to writing this leaves a small pent-up place that needs relief. I think a good thing to do is to discuss anything that is relevant to the time. It just may be there is nothing going on and so no need to post (yeah right). Today I would like to post the opening of my WIP. I posted this on A Word with Traci last week in celebration of her It’s Reining Men Tour. It is a lot to ask busy people to click on links to read something. So now that you are here this is it.

Chapter One

So with nothing better to do, I figured I’d stop at Jerry’s place and grab a couple a drinks and a burger. Usually, I don’t go there on Saturday night since there’s a crap load of amateurs taking up what would be considered prime space. I figure since this is a weekday it will be okay. It is the kind of place where everyone minds their own business. Today’s events will probably not register with the people in the bar. They are there for a good time and will in all likelihood not notice me. Even so, I go through the door, stop and have a look around trying not to make eye contact. I’m hoping the ball cap, and large coat will keep me from being noticed. There’s the usual weekday crowd alright, hanging on each other like they never had a date before. I tighten my eyelids against the smoke and can make out four guys near the pool table and what looks like a couple a girls fetching drinks. I search for a seat beyond the table in the back, but they are all taken.

Straight ahead is the bar, and there is a place right in the middle. Getting my feet to move in the direction of the empty place I look over the other side. Happy drunks jam the tables. There’re buckets of empties and the barmaid’s trying to sell more. She’s not having much luck since most of these people just spent their last five bucks on this outing. Making it to the stool, I hoist myself up and lean on the bar.

“Hey Sammy,” Jerry says. “Whadda you have?”

“Evening Jerry. I’ll have a gin on the rocks with water back.”

“Coming up.”

I like Jerry’s no-nonsense way he handles things. He doesn’t like small talk and gets right to business. Feeling my eyes start to smart from the smoke I wonder how Jerry gets away with letting people kill themselves when it’s apparently not allowed in this kind of establishment.

“Here you go Sammy. Want me to run a tab?”

“Yeah, Jerry I would appreciate that. I intend to have another drink and then a burger.”

“No problem. Gimme the high sign when you’re ready for another.”

“Will do Jerry. Thanks.”

“For you buddy anything.”

I should mention Jerry, and I go back a ways. When I fell on hard times, he was the only one that seemed to give a shit. I take a sip of my drink and wait for the hot assed burn in my throat which signals the good stuff. There it is. I take a swig of the water and almost believe life is good. I think I’ll wait for the gin to get to the brain before making any judgment.

While I’m waiting for the warmth of the gin to go from my stomach to my head, I check out the folk sitting on either side of me. Not too friendly as they both have their backs turned to me and engrossed in some discussion with their neighbor. I figure it’s just as well since I don’t want to go through that old “what do you do” and “don’t I know you?” bullshit. I also don’t figure on staying the night, so no use in getting into any long discussions about life.

I look down at my drink and start to wonder what’s going to happen tomorrow. It’s gonna be Saturday, and my daughter Constance wants to come and visit. She lives in New York, and we don’t see each other often. It’s only an hour’s flight by the shuttle or three by train, but it seems like a world away. Her husband is a nice enough guy, yet I always wonder if he has someplace important to go when I visit. He never sits still and is on the phone or at the computer. He makes a good living, but it seems a person could take an hour to sit and talk. I was looking forward to some relationship when he and daughter got married. It’s never going to happen with him.

Taking another pull at my drink I notice the burn lessons. It happens every time. First sip initiation I call it. It’s like the first puff of a cigarette, hits ya hard then after nothing. I decide to let daughter pretty much have the agenda tomorrow. She and I have not had a chance to talk for a while. I think she blamed me when her mother ran off with that guy with the house on the Hudson. He has a title, and the old gal couldn’t resist, but I think the daughter always felt I should have done something. Her mother’s sleeping with another guy and what the hell can I do about that? I’ll just go with the flow. If she wants to go out, we will. If she intends to stay in we can do that too. I better think about getting some food in the house. Of course, we can always order takeout. I need to move on to my drink and let this go. Tomorrow will be what it is. I hope we can somehow get to the root of whatever is wrong. She sounded strange on the phone this morning.

For some reason, I feel pretty tired and think I will go ahead and finish my drink. Maybe I’ll just go home and forget the burger. First though I think I’ll just shut my eyes for a minute. My hands feel comfortable as I put my head down.

“Hey, Sammy,” Jerry says. I barely hear him. “What’s the matter you taking a nap? Sammy?” I can feel him shake me, but I have no interest in waking up. His voice gets further away, and I think he says, “oh my god Sophie call 911 quick.” Now the room goes silent.