Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “curl.” Use it as a noun, use it as a verb, use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

If we were having a beer, you’d just want t relax.

“So, Dan, are you done?”

“Done? Done with what?”

“The book. Are you done trying to convince me to curl up with your good book. And, since I’ve already done that, I’m hoping you’re ready to move on.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Hey, that’s my line.”

“Hi Curley. I was just checking to see if Dan was ready to start buying some drinks and some food.”

“Well, you two clowns can figure out who’s paying later. Shall I set up a John Howell’s Special and pour Dan a Modelo? That’s all I need to know right now”

“That’s a good start, Curley. If David gets hungry, we can order a pizza or some Teagan’s Mushrooms later. I’ll pick up the tab.”

“That’s generous of you, Dan. In the meantime, I have a few questions.”

“About?”

“Here you go, guys. A glass of John Howell’s Bourbon, a snifter of seltzer, a glass of ice and a cold Modelo.”

“Thanks Curley. David was about to ask me some questions.”

“I’ll catch the summary on the eleven o’clock news. Let me know if you want some food.”

“Cheers, David. Now, about those questions.”

“Well, I know you had to buy a new camera, but I missed hearing what happened to your old one.”

“Dust.”

“Dust? That’s it, dust?”

“Yeah, that’s it, but this particular bit of dust was about a quarter of an inch in diameter and centered on the lens.”

“That sounds pretty big.”

“Big enough that the auto-focus was drawn to it instead of any other objects in the frame.”

“So, a perfect picture of dust.”

“Perfect.”

“But you could get that cleaned, right?”

“Unlikely. The guy I took it to said they can clean the lens, but there’s probably more dust in there, and the spot, or spots would return.”

“OK. I guess that makes sense. Now what’s going on in your shop?”

“I’m making doors.”

“Doors? For anyone I know?”

“They’re for me. They will separate the workshop from the garage”

“I thought you did that years ago.”

“I built a wall, and I created cavities to house pocket doors, but I never made the doors.”

“Shoemaker’s children?”

“Kinda like that.”

“Do you have pictures?”

“Thursday.”

“Oh, I get it. Priming the pump. Drop a few hints but keep us hanging.”

“You asked the question.”

“Yeah, I really need to stop doing that. So we’re done hearing about your book?”

“Not entirely, I mean I still have marketing, and people have started posting reviews, I have to let people know about that.”

“But that’s sideline stuff, right. A little here, a little there.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to bore you.”

“Dan, that ship sailed with Magellan. Did you say something about a pizza?”

“I did. Curley, another round and a Meat Lover’s pizza.”

Poetic Justice collage with steve
The Kindle version is still on sale!

73 responses to “Now Back to Normal—SoCS”

  1. A great post, Dan 💗. We are home which is always nice.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’ve been following your photos, Robbie. It looks like you had a wonderful time. Welcome home!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Curly fit right in with the prompt. Thanks for the shout out! Have a super weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Darlene. This was an easy one ;-) Thanks again for hosting us.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. “That ship sailed with Magellan” was it for me — very close call here! Great photos of the drips and the bee balm! I hope we’ll get a look at the doors-in-progress some Thursday; it would be fitting (kind of a pun there — not bad for 5:00AM).

    Liked by 1 person

    1. “Fitting” is proving to be the issue, but I will be sharing pictures for the next two weeks. Sorry about the close call. I’m still shaking my head at that list of rules you published. I guess David broke a few.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yes, I’d say that George would not have approved of David’s cracks, but I did! I can’t help thinking that George would have laughed too in spite of himself.

        Like

        1. Given that the planning for the Revolution mostly occurred in pubs, I’m sure he heard and laughed at many such comments.

          Liked by 1 person

  4. I wish we had bunnies that would eat quince. Our bush is a 40 year old nightmare that never stops spreading..

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s what the bunny is eating. The new little bush is spreading from one that we let grow, that is an offshoot of one that’s been here for about 40 years. The bunnies love the tender young leaves.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. An author’s work is never done, eh Dan?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. When I stop enjoying it, GP. I love writing and telling stories, so right now, this works for me.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Happy to hear that!!

        Liked by 1 person

  6. The doors for your space between the garage and workshop sound like a lot of work, Dan.

    “That ship sailed with Magellan!” had me chuckling; I had not heard that one before.

    Smokey is so brave perching close to you… subtle hint of a request for peanuts… so cute.

    Love the little bunnies; they are no taller than the grass, adorable.

    Excellent closeup photos of the bee and the water droplets.

    Have a wonderful weekend, Dan.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Suzette. The doors are proving to be easy to make, but not so easy to fit into the opening. I’ll explain on Thursday. The bunnies, bees and squirrels (and birds) are all enjoying the stuff growing around here. Watching them makes it all worthwhile.

      We have a new batch of baby bunnies, and they are adorable.

      I’m having fun with the close-up feature of this new camera. My old one had the feature, but it never worked. All previous close ups were taken with my phone.

      Have a great weekend!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I look forward to whatever you choose to share on the doors as they progress. Thanks Dan.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Lovely flowers, and I’m looking forward to seeing the doors, but you knew I would. :-) Happy weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’ve been taking progress pictures as I go, Judy. I’m going to spread it out over two weeks (he says hoping things go well and he doesn’t need three). Happy Saturday!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Murphy’s Law Avatar
    Murphy’s Law

    Dan, I would be ecstatic for anything to eat my quince plants, including every speck of root so they couldn’t come back!

    Good to see Smokey. Love those water drops.

    Flags are awesome. And I love that each branch of the service is represented. This Eagle Scout did an outstanding job.

    Glad to be able to join you again.

    Have a great weekend.

    Ginger 🦋

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I was on my way home from my walk when my phone beeped and I saw a comment from Murphy’s Law – Ginger, you made my week! I am so glad to see your comment here. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

      Like

      1. Murphy’s Law Avatar
        Murphy’s Law

        Thank you for your kind words Dan. Good to be back. I’m in rehab now so hopefully I’ll get back home soon.

        Enjoy your weekend with the Editor. See ya Monday!

        Ginger🦋

        Liked by 1 person

  9. The bunnies haven’t been here to eat anything, but that may be because we have a hawk and babies in a nearby tree. I can hear the babies squawking from time to time. So the hawk may have scared them away or…

    Question: How does dust end up inside your camera? Do you roll around in the dirt when you take photos? ;-p

    Glad you are done with the tour busyness and able to have a few minutes to breathe before you attack those doors. You may see me at Thursday Doors if I get my act together. It’s a week with no appointments, no breakfast/lunch dates, and no special projects, which doesn’t happen too often. It’s unusual (think blue moon), but good!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I asked your question at the camera shop. On point and shoot cameras with multi-stage lens tubes, small amounts of dust can accumulate on the sections as they go in and out. (They build up a slight static charge as they move).

      That’s why, when you see these dust spots, on your photos, they are usually round or curved shape.

      The new camera I bought is a larger form factor, and it has a single lens tube, so I’m hoping it’s less likely to have this problem. When they clean the camera, they clean the back of the lens, they don’t dismantle it and clean every surface. I had one camera cleaned back before I retired. It cost well over $100 and the spots reappeared inside of a few months.

      Enjoy your easy week. I hope to see you on Thursday.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks for the explanation, Dan. I have learned something new today, although I haven’t had a regular camera in a long time. I’m looking forward to the photos taken with your new camera.

        Like

  10. ”Dan, that ship sailed with Magellan…”. Sadly, I wonder how many younger people these days would even get that reference. On a happier note, I’m glad to see you’re finally normal. Hmm, I meant, back to normal. 😁. Enjoy the weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha – thanks Janet. It was hard enough for us to consider a time before people knew the world was round. I remember writing letters to children in schools in Europe and waiting forever for a reply.

      I can’t imagine kids today.

      Like

      1. I had a penpal in Australia and it was the same wait. But in a way, it made it more fun and exciting n

        Liked by 1 person

  11. “Smokey and the Nature Pix” would make an interesting name for a rock band. :-)

    Nice, varied post, Dan!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha – When they stand up to beg, it looks like they could hold a little guitar.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. “Dan, that ship sailed with Magellan.”–oh, David. You do give him the best lines, Dan.

    The water drops photo–especially the first one–is beautiful. I have to play with my macro lens. Sometimes I try to get too close and my photo does not turn out like this one. Very pretty.

    Little Chippy–he doesn’t have a bad side. What a sweetie. Enjoy the weekend, Dan.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Lois. David can get away saying things I get criticized for.

      I am having so much fun with the macro feature of this camera. My previous camera had that, but it never worked. It simply wouldn’t focus.

      You and my wife both support Chippy. The little guy was broken into my drain tile and turned it into a superhighway. He pops down in to the diverter at the downspout and off he goes.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. haha! Oh, Chippy! 😆We just had gutters installed so I am going to have to watch to see if our squirrels are as adventurous as your little guy. I’d probably be laughing at their antics and not want to say a word to my husband. 😬 We share a different sense of humor.

        Liked by 1 person

  13. Delightful flora and fauna

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I hope the book tour was a huge success and you sell a lot of books. I’ve been saving my copy for a cruise I’ve got coming up.
    I loved the water drop images. I’m looking forward to seeing the doors you’re making. Have a great week-end!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Curling up with a good book is truly one of life’s greatest pleasures. I’m also stuck thinking about the dust thing. Was your camera one you’ve had for a while? How long does it take for dust to take up residence in the lens (or is it just luck of the draw)?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The dust builds up faster on cameras with multi-stage lens tubes (for zooming in and out). I think I may have bumped it and jarred some of the dust loose. The camera I have now is a larger form-factor (still a point and shoot) so it has a single-section lens tube. I had an earlier model of this camera about 12-15 years ago, and it never developed any dust. I’ve had dust issues with two cameras since then, both multi-part lenses.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Mine is a canon with two lenses, one a longer zoom than the other. I thought I noticed a speck the last time I shot my daughter’s game but I’ll have to go back and see.

        Liked by 1 person

  16. Ooh, I love the second water drops photo!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Liz. That makes me happy to know.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You’re welcome, Dan.

        Liked by 1 person

  17. Dan, I hope your ribs aren’t sore, because David had plenty of jabs for you today. LOL. That’s a splendid portrait of Smokey. And then piiizzzzzzaaa… Hugs.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Teagan. David has been patient with me these past several weeks. I guess he was entitled to take a shot. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Great photos, Dan. Enjoy the rest of the weekend

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks John. You, too.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Water drops fascinate me, so beautiful!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. They fascinate me, too.

      Like

  20. Whew – you deserve a break! Looks like you have a lot of happy readers! And who doesn’t love a bunny (okay – maybe a vegetable gardener!)

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’m ready for a break, Jan. We just had a batch of new bunnies born around here

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Hey Dan my day got stolen but in a good way…so here I am before bed( just) playing catch up! I love “That sailed with Magellan” and Curly cheeky as ever but bang on for the prompt… Plus the thought of David curling up withe the book…love it!

    beautiful photos 💜💜💜

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks Willow. My day went a little sideways but also in a good way. I’m glad you enjoyed the conversation. I hope you have a good day tomorrow.

      Like

      1. I always enjoy the conversation and the vibe at the bar💜

        Liked by 1 person

  22. Lovely bee balm and other pics. You lucked out with Curley being your bartende, but you used curly too I think.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I did try to get the word in, but Curley was my ace in the hole.

      Liked by 1 person

  23. I need to meet David one day. I understand his humor. Curley does, too. My bee balm looks like yours, but I don’t have as many cute bunnies in my yard. You have earned a well deserved break, Dan.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Jennie. I have a nice break coming up in a few weeks, but getting back to a normal routine will feel good.

      Watching the bees on the bee balm is fascinating.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You’re welcome, Dan. Enjoy being back to normal.

        Liked by 1 person

  24. What a nice wrap up to the launch as well as a nice story about your lunch with David. Well done as usual with a terrific gallery. Thanks, Dan!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks! I had a fun during the tour, and I met some new blogging friends.

      Liked by 1 person

  25. Dear Dan,

    Congratulations on the successful launch of Poetic Justice! It sounds like you and Willow had an incredible tour with great hosts. I love the updates and can’t wait to hear more about the reviews and marketing efforts. Wishing you all the best as you move forward!

    Sincerely, Shahibu Kassim

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Shahibu.

      Like

  26. Oooo, I love those water drop closeups! And Smokey!! For some reason, I always want to call any black or dark gray critter Smokey Joe. ANYWAY, I have a couple of conventions yet to do and then I’ll be able to beg you to visit my blog with your guidebook. I’m a shameless beggar, so be warned!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha – beg away 😊

      Liked by 1 person

  27. Curly is great nickname for a man. The Man From Snowy River jad a curly in it and the 3 Stooges. Good stuff. I enjyed reading this today.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Great post…great pics!! Thanks for sharing, Dan!

    Like

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