2 Fat Seagulls

2 fat (not plump, fat) seagulls

land on neighbors’s roof peak

with a grunt and sigh…

must have been a rest stop

they left in minutes

not a word between them

nor directed toward me

staring out my window

silent, wide-eyed…

they were big as turkeys

maybe strangers were generous

with New Year’s dinner scraps…

it’s a wonder they could fly–

~ Cale

Prompt (early = on-time) ~ JusJoJan

https://lindaghill.com/2026/01/29/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-29th-2026/

FROM LINDA:

Welcome back to our daily Just Jot it January 2026 prompt. Today is the 29th, and our prompt is brought to us by Cheryl. Thank you, Cheryl! Please be sure to visit Cheryl’s blog to read her posts and say hello.

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 29th, 2026 is “prompt.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

⌚⏰⏲🕰🕛

I don’t know if it’s OCD, or rooted in my upbringing, but whatever–being PROMPT is some weird kind of pressure-stress-responsibility I carry.  In true no-getting-around-it fact, for me being Early is “on time”…which pretty much means everyone else is “late”, which stresses me out more.  No, it’s not a fun way to live…and why I must live alone.  (I don’t wear a watch anymore…progress, I guess–but I have clocks…and back-up clocks.)

I went to Hawaii once and nearly lost my mind…the people are lovely generous folks, but “island time” is essentially clock-less…I don’t know how they can keep most successful businesses running if they don’t have appointments, as in “some time o’clock”.  I never went back.  ~ Cale🙄

Big Check & Book Gift (6SS)

https://girlieontheedge1.wordpress.com/2026/01/28/its-thursdays-six-sentence-story-blog-hop-56/

It’s amazing how a bad day can turn around as soon I as grab my clipboard and start numbering the lined notebook paper 1-6…where a story’s about to happen!  Our 5-Star host, Denise, never fails to deliver a weekly prompt word filled to the brim with creative potential.  So if you need something to lift those winter blues, I recommend you click her link above, get the info you need, and WRITE.  Then join all the fine authors for their big reveals by week’s end.  Don’t just sit there, do it!😊  The prompt is CHECK!

☑🎨🖼📚❣

Coming back from the frost-covered mailbox, Lorelei shivered as she entered Judd’s studio–“warm me up and I’ll let you have this ivory vellum envelope that smells like a Big check,” she teased.

He pulled her close, rubbed her back and chided gently, “you know–you could wear that sweater I gave you for Christmas”; smiling, he then drew out a thank you note and check, payment for a commisioned painting he’d done two months before.

“Now you can buy me another sweater,” she whispered, planting a kiss on his gray temple– “and you’d best change into something not paint-spattered before Pastor Richard gets here–dinner’s in an hour.”

The pastor wore a shy smile as Judd opened the door, welcoming him–the two had exchanged only brief small talk, infrequently (Judd mainly served as Lorelei’s chauffeur on Sunday mornings).

Her greeting was effusive: “come in, Pastor! hope you’re hungry”, to which he responded, “I am indeed–and please call me Richard.”

Oh my! you brought your book!” she exclaimed, and he handed it to her, his cheeks pink…whether from winter chill or bashfulness; “our friend at the library told me Judd’s been asking for it a couple times a month”, he said–“so, as it seemed an urgent request, I thought it might substitute for a potentially bad choice of wine.”

~ Cale

 

A Plaid Day…

It’s a plaid day…

wearing flannel shirt

I sketch out drafts, write

6 sentences for story

due this week…

the characters

live fierce within me

passionate people

who don’t suffer fools gladly…

I see them clearly, going about their days–

~ Cale

https://thedailyspur.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/sketch-3/

https://thedailyspur.wordpress.com/2026/01/25/write/

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2026/01/25/rdp-sunday-plaid/

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2026/01/23/rdp-friday-fierce/

Eavesdroppers/Labyrinth ~ JusJoJan

FROM LINDA, the host of Just Jot it January https://lindaghill.com/2026/01/27/jusjojan-26-26-eavesdropper/   “This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “eavesdropper,” is brought to us by Angela. Check out her blog here!”

AND THE CURRENT PROMPT:

https://lindaghill.com/2026/01/27/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-27th-2026/

It’s January 27th already! And it’s time for our daily Just Jot it January 2026 prompt. Today’s prompt is courtesy of Cale. Cale’s blogYour prompt for JusJoJan January 27th, 2026 is “labyrinth.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

 

😊If you’re thoroughly confused… I’m Cale, and I’m combining the 2 prompts because I was unavailable yesterday.

~~ 🗝 ~~

I’m convinced there are eavesdroppers

in both labyrinths, heart and mind…

mischief makers, running one to th’other

they’ve nothing else to do with their time–

matters none to them, confusion they cause me

they think they’re clever, hiding master key 🗝

~ Cale

Take Another Look…(JusJoJan)

https://lindaghill.com/2026/01/23/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2026-daily-prompt-for-jan-24th/

Your prompt for #JusJoJan the 24th and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “take another look.” 

😠😬😧😟😕😣🙄🤔😄

Well this is a fine kettle of fish.  WP has made it harder to use the Classic format…(because they’re in love with their blocks).  When I clicked the Help button, “AI” said it sounded like I needed help from a human…help which could only be had by ugrading to a paid blog.  (Apparently, AI is an unpaid volunteer.)

I wanted to wait on that purchase…knowing myself well, the blog could sink like the Titanic just after the refund date passed. 

I don’t know about other OLD people who blog, but cataracts make typing in the tiny EDIT box–instead of having the the whole screen available just Yesterday–a pain.

I should mention…I’m NOT typically fond of Change…

So as I type this post I’m screaming at the inconvenience which requires me to keep “taking another look”.

Sometime later…

Alright…because I’m not a saint, (I don’t even play one on TV)–and I roll with “authentic/genuine”, rather than efforts to impress the world…I confess: 

I “took another look”–and found that all I had to do was click the “enter fullscreen” square to see the whole draft of post, for easier editing…

Sheesh, some days I am dog-altogether impossibly hopeless.

So I apologize to WP and AI for the little temper-tantrum (at least I wasn’t swearing😇)  And maybe next month I can upgrade!

~  Cale (now taking deep breath & returning to regularly scheduled Friday-peace)

Impatience ~ JusJoJan

https://lindaghill.com/2026/01/22/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-22nd-2026/

FROM LINDA:

Welcome back for our 22nd Just Jot it January 2026 daily prompt. Today’s prompt is brought to us by Dharkanein. Thank you, Dharkanein! Please be sure to visit Dharkanein’s blog to read their posts and say hello. 

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 22nd, 2026 is “impatience.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

~~*~~

“IMPATIENCE”got the T-shirt; got the coffe mug (I don’t drink coffee); got the bumper sticker for car (I don’t drive).  Guess the sticker could go on the fridge…or front door, to discourage unwanted sales people. 

I thought surely I’d develop more patience as I aged (figured it was natural, since I’m slower now)–who was I kidding?🙄

But it IS a fruit of the Holy Spirit (see verse below)…so maybe there’s still hope for me😅

~ Cale

Amplified Bible
“But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness…”

Gal 5:22

No Fishing (6-Sentence Story)

https://girlieontheedge1.wordpress.com/2026/01/21/its-thursdays-six-sentence-story-blog-hop-55/

If the day comes when I can only do one prompt, Six-Sentence-Story will be my hands-down choice.

This week our host, Denise, offers the prompt word FISH…a bit of a challenge, but not for long!  Click the link above to get all the information you need to join a fine group of writers, and go for it😊

🐟🐟🐟

Judd wandered into the kitchen for a 2nd cup of coffee, kissed his wife and studied her never-changing beauty before asking, “what are you serving the good reverend for dinner tonight?”

“He doesn’t go by ‘reverend’, it’s ‘Pastor Richard’–and I’m thinking my standby, lasagna…either that, or the salmon in the freezer–what say you?”

“Your lasagna is always my top choice, and eagerly received by those who’ve shared our table–salmon is just fish with a lively complexion”, he quipped.

She laughed lightly, and inquired whether he’d be going to the monthly library meeting–if so, would he check again to see if Richard’s book had been added to the acquisitions.

“I am–and I will, Love”; he paused, chose his tone and words carefully: “if his book isn’t available, it may be best that you don’t fish around for details over dinner–he might not be comfortable with your level of curiosity about his thorny introduction to our neighboring hamlet’s history.”

She frowned at what seemed his (annoying) paternal instruction; “all writers like to talk about their books…I won’t be rudely inquisitive–simply showing interest; don’t you want to know if it’s a factual biography, or fictionalized account of his first experiences in Birchwick’s Cliff…the eerie details of multiple mysteries, and how he lived to tell and had courage to make his home there…”–to which Judd gently insisted, “no bald-face-naked fishing”.

~ Cale

Confession

Shall I confess

make blatant admission…

oh I’m not proud, indeed I despair:

I don’t excell at brevity–There!

I’ve too many words rolling round

in my head…sprouting roots

that will bud somewhere…and then

I know not when, but surely

sometime…the jabberer within

(is it gift, a curse?

perhaps my best friend)

will rise from murky dregs

of sleep, or confused mood

(as to which thoughts to keep)

and cerebral garden’s

soon overrun again

with vine-like words that creep

because...they’re simply not

disposed to be brief–

Must I resist 50 words

when 5 might nicely do?

A “wordy-birdy”…

I’ve pondered deep

this life-long mystery–

and I don’t have one clue!

~ Cale

https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2026/01/19/brief/

https://thedailyspur.wordpress.com/2026/01/20/proud/

https://thedailyspur.wordpress.com/2026/01/19/admission/

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2026/01/19/rdp-monday-murky/