I WASN'T ABOUT TO WALK INTO ALL THAT NOISY CHATTER

A cloud cover began rolling in Saturday evening, so I knew there was no point heading off to my hilltop night sky spot.  But I did drive out to my walking road for a hoof just as the sun set behind a bank of clouds, reappeared, and then it was gone for the day.

 CLOUDS MOVING INTO THE AREA SATURDAY EVENING

Overcast Sunday skies didn't deter me from heading out into the countryside to get my legs going this morning.  The butterflies were still there, and that perked up the gloomy start to the day. 

SPOTTED THIS HAWK IN A DEAD TREE ALONG MY WALKING ROAD THIS MORNING

 WHEN I MOVED CLOSER, IT FLEW TO A SECOND DEAD TREE, ALL THE TIME KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON ME...I WAS SURE GLAD I DIDN'T LOOK LIKE A MOUSE

 HEADING HOME FROM GODERICH THIS MORNING, I SPOTTED THIS HERD OF COWS AND OF COURSE HAD TO STOP AND TAKE SOME PICTURES

 NORMALLY I WOULD ENTITLE THIS LARRY, CURLY, AND MOE, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE LADY COWS I'LL CALL THEM MARY, SHIRLEY, AND FLO

With another A&W breakfast coupon in my pocket about to expire in three days, I figured I'd better get on over to Goderich and make good on that coupon.  But it wasn't to be.  Oh, I got there in time, alright, but with A&W's parking lot looking like a used car dealership, I remembered it was late Sunday morning and knew right away that the 'after church' crowd was in there, and I wasn't about to walk into all that noisy chatter.  So, I quietly slipped around through the drive-thru and grabbed myself a Buddy Burger.  From there, it was over to Walmart to pick up a few things and then home.  With my afternoon coffee, I tried reading on the porch, but I found the air too humid and muggy, so I retreated back into my A/C-cooled Igloo and stayed there.  Skies began clearing late this afternoon, and if it continues, I will likely head out and grab a sunset, take a walk, and spend some more quality time under the starry sky looking up to see what I can see:)) 

Al's Music Box:: Woodstock by Matthews Southern Comfort.

 JUDY,  (THE BIRD LADY OF BLOG LAND) AN RV BLOGGER FROM BACK IN OUR RV DAYS, WOULD HAVE LIKED THIS PHOTO  AND WOULD HAVE ENCOURAGED ME TO PUT THIS PICTURE IN LAST AND CALL IT 'THE END'

GROANER'S CORNER:(( There is a story about a monastery perched high on a cliff several hundred feet in the air. The only way to reach the monastery was to be suspended in a basket which was pulled to the top by several monks who pulled and tugged with all their strength. Obviously, the ride up the steep cliff in that basket was terrifying. One tourist got exceedingly nervous about halfway up as he noticed that the rope by which he was suspended was old and frayed. With a trembling voice, he asked the monk who was riding with him in the basket how often they changed the rope. The monk thought for a moment and answered brusquely, "Whenever it breaks."

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Seeing a spider isn't a problem. It becomes a problem when it disappears!

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I called to make airline reservations and was put on hold. After several minutes of taped music, a recorded voice came on:  “If you have been waiting longer than 10 minutes, you may press eight. If your call is not answered within five more minutes, you may press seven. This will not speed up your call, but it will give you something to do while you wait.”

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An incompetent counterfeiter spent all day making his funny money. At the end of the day he realizes he spent all his time making $15 bills.
He figures that the only way he's going to get anything from this batch of money is to find a place where the people aren't too bright and change his phoney money for real cash. He travels to a small town and walks into a small Mom-and-Pop grocery store. He goes to the old man behind the counter and asks him, "Do you have change for a $15 bill?" The old man replies, "I sure do...How would you like that? An eight and a seven or two sixes and a three?"

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery

I THINK PHEEBS SENDS THEM TO WELCOME ME

 MONARCH BUTTERFLY

Thursday was another fine summer's evening, and after missing a night, my routine was back in full swing.  A walk, a Hortons coffee to go, and another quiet stop at my hilltop night sky spot.  Four constellations were prevalent in the night sky.  Sagittarius, Scorpius, Cassiopeia, and of course, Ursa Major. (the Big Dipper) I saw two lightning-fast faint meteorites and four satellites, with two of those satellites criss-crossing in my binoculars.  One heading southeast and one heading southwest.  Stood for a long time, leaning back on the front of the car and just looking up at the starry night sky and......wondering.  This is my happy place, and I feel closer to my celestial home here.

 SUNSET FROM MY WALKING ROAD

 AT CLINTON'S TIM HORTONS DRIVE-THRU WAITING FOR MY DECAF COFFEE TO GO

 HEADING NORTH OUT OF CLINTON, I CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF THE NEW MOON

Tis the middle of August already, and as usual at this time of year, I feel the early stirrings of Autumn.  Cooler nights are upon us with the days steadily becoming shorter.  Spring's happy bird songs are behind us once again, and the waning summer air grows quieter.  A chorus of crickets filled the night air as the overhead constellations steadily plod their way westward in the ever-changing starry night sky.  Life begins to slow as summer's hurried pace lessens and begins to fade.  We are entering the finest time of the year as forests prepare for their year's grand finale of brilliant colors and vivid displays of grandeur stretching across the rolling landscape, drawing oohs and aahs from we fellow Earth Travelers. Sunlight prevails, but without the pressing heat.  Animals, as well as humans, sense the shift and begin laying out early plans for the murky cold days and nights soon to be upon us in another month or two.

It was a beautiful late summer's morn for a walk as I again marveled at all of the surrounding beauty.  My east side wildflower ditch was still there this morning, and again, the little yellow butterflies were all swirling about.  I think Pheebs sends them to welcome me.  

 ONE OF THE MANY LITTLE YELLOW BUTTERFLIES ON MY WALKING ROAD

 CLUSTERS OF THEM ON THE ROAD FLY UP IN A BIG SWIRL WHEN I WALK BY

Talking with Aunt Jean last night, she was tired from an unexpected Dermatologist visit where a fast-growing growth on her left arm was attended to.  Also, another growth on her ear.  A biopsy of the arm growth was taken, and Aunt Jean said the Dermatologist was fairly certain it was cancerous.  Results of the biopsy might be known by the end of next week.  Aunt Jean (a former registered nurse) said the growth on her arm looked nasty and was slightly sore to the touch. She also said that this doesn't surprise her after all the years out in the sun on the golf course. Aunt Jean golfed right up into her early nineties.  She is ninety-nine now.

 I'M WONDERING IF THIS BUG OR BEETLE IS IN SOME KIND OF A METAMORPHIC STATE

 A LITTLE HONEY BEE ON A FLOWER

Al's Music Box:: Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The little Moron was driving home after a football game and got caught in a really bad hailstorm. His car was covered with dents, so the next day he took it to a repair shop. The shop owner saw that he was a moron, so he decided to have some fun. He told him just to go home and blow into the tailpipe really hard, and all the dents would pop out. So, the little Moron went home, got down on his hands and knees, and started blowing into his car's tailpipe. Nothing happened. He blew a little harder, and still nothing happened. His roommate, another little moron, came home and said, "What are you doing?" The first moron told him how the repairman had instructed him to blow into the tailpipe in order to get all the dents to pop out. His roommate rolled his eyes and said, ... "HELLLLO" "You need to roll up the windows first!!"

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It is well documented that for every mile that you jog..... you add one minute to your life .... This enables you, at 85 years old.... to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $6000 per month.

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- How do you make an eggroll? You push it!

- I hired a lawyer to sue the airlines for mishandling my luggage. He lost the case.
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As in many homes on New Year's Day, Lesley and Mark, a happily married couple, faced the annual conflict of which was more important: the football match on television, or the New Year's lunch. Hoping to keep the peace Mark ate lunch with the rest of the family, and even lingered for some pleasant after-lunch chat before retiring to the lounge to turn on the television. Some minutes later, Lesley looked in to see how he was and graciously even brought a cold beer for Mark. She smiled, kissed him on the cheek, and asked what the score was.
Mark told her it was halftime and that the score was still 0-0.  'See?' Lesley said happily, 'You didn't miss a thing.

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery