AWWWW SHUCKS, THE BIG STONE INUKSHUK ON BAYFIELD'S BEACH IS GONE

It is with interest that Woodsy and I have been watching the unfortunate news about all the turmoil in Mexico's Puerto Vallarta.  In the mid-eighties, we had traveled there two years in a row for a winter getaway.  The first year we stayed just south of town at the newly built Mismaloya Hotel right alongside the Mismaloya beach, where the movie Night Of The Iguana was filmed in 1964, starring Richard Burton and Ava Gardner.  The film was directed by John Huston and no, Elizabeth Taylor did not appear in this movie.  A very beautiful setting right on the warm shores of the Pacific Ocean.  We would ride a rickety old bus back and forth to Puerto Vallarta, driven by a laughing young teenage boy who seemed bent on keeping the bumpity old bus on two wheels, going around all the pot-holed cobblestone corners and dust-covered sharp curves.  I have photos of all this, but unfortunately, they are in a 35mm slide format, and I haven't seen them for nearly forty years.  The second year we went, we took Lorraine's (Woodsy) eight-year-old daughter, Laurissa, with us, and this time we stayed in an older, much smaller, and rustic hotel right in downtown Puerto Vallarta.  And, I use the word 'rustic' kindly, although I thought it was kind of a neat old place.  I never told Woodsy that, or I might have found myself on the first plane back to Canada!!  To put it mildly, Lorraine was not happy with our travel agent person who had suggested this hotel.  Anyway, fast forward to now, and it seems that is where a lot of the major trouble is going on in Puerto Vallarta at the moment.  We spent a lot of time walking everywhere in that whole downtown district.  This morning, as the news cameras panned around showing all the buildings, and burning cars, etc., I kept looking for that old courtyard hotel we stayed in.  Or anything else familiar.  It sure looked like Puerto Vallarta has grown a lot since we were last there forty years ago in the mid-eighties.

 i THINK THE BIG STONE BREAKWATER IS FINISHED AND THEY ARE CLEANING UP THE SITE HERE

THIS MACHINE SITS ON THE VERY SPOT WHERE THE BIG STONE INUKSHUK HAD PREVIOUSLY STOOD

 WITH THE BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES UPON US NOW, THE LAKEWATER IS AGAIN BEGINNING TO FREEZE

 SAW THIS SECOND DIGGER MACHINE FURTHER SOUTH ALONG THE SHORELINE BELOW PIONEER PARK AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT IS UP TO

Al's Music Box:: Stranger In Paradise by Johnny Mathis.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man rushed into the doctor's office and shouted, "Doctor! I think I'm shrinking!" The doctor calmly responded, "Now, settle down. You'll just have to be a little patient."

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- Reversing the car: "Ahh, this takes me back."

- What's the reason you don't hear a lot of fondue jokes? Most of the time, they're excessively cheesy.

- Why did Van Gogh become a painter?
Because he didn’t have an ear for music.

- My best friend tried to hide his drug dealing through a fake tobacco company and glass manufacturer. It was all just smoke and mirrors.

- What’s another name for time off from work to have a smoke? Taking a coughy break​.

- Why do people in Beijing smoke so many cigarettes? To get a breath of filtered air​​.

- Which famous painting is always sad? The Moaning Lisa.

- What is Salvador Dali’s favorite thing to eat for breakfast? A bowl of surreal.

- What do you call someone hanging out by the wall? Art.

- I want to open a Christian tobacco store. I'm going to call it Holy Smokes.

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After she woke up, a woman told her husband, I just had a dream that you gave me the most beautiful diamond necklace. What do you think it means?” “You'll know tonight,” he said with a smile. The woman could hardly think of anything else all day, and she couldn't wait for her husband to return home. That evening, the man finally came home with a small package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she opened it excitedly to find a book entitled…“The Meaning of Dreams.

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery

TWO OF THEM QUICKLY DISAPPEARED

 A BLUE SAILBOAT KIND OF DAY

With an inch of wet overnight snow, I was busy with my snowshovel this morning.  With below-freezing temperatures ahead, I wanted to get that snow shoveled up before it froze, which would make it harder to remove later.  Didn't feel up to a morning drive, so Subie stayed home all day.  Woodsy didn't even get to Elliott's Liquidation in Clinton to do any browsing.  She kept herself busy in the kitchen, baking a batch of what she calls 'healthy peanut butter cookies.  Instead of adding the required sugar, she added Monk Fruit.  I ate six of them and felt healthier right away.  Okay, okay, I only had two.  Also, in an ice cube tray, she placed one banana slice, covered it with peanut butter and chocolate, and placed the tray back in the freezer.  Half an hour later, there were 12 little frozen snacks ready to go.  Two of them quickly disappeared.  

I finished two out of three books by author, Stephen Hawley Martin.  First, 'Afterlife: The Whole Truth', and then 'Afterlife Preview' I made it nearly halfway through the third book, 'Fast Track To Higher Consciousness', when, after struggling to understand what the author was talking about, I finally faltered and then completely bogged down and closed the book.  Needing a break from all the heavy-duty reading, I hit on the idea of re-reading the first book in the Anne of Green Gables series.  I just love author Lucy Maude Montgomery's warm style of descriptive writing.  She paints wondrous pictures with her words.   I read the whole series about 4 years ago, and although I remember the basic gist of all the books, I can't remember most of the details.  It's one of the pleasant things about an aging memory.  So many new and exciting things that were once so familiar but now long forgotten. 

 DESPITE MILDER TEMPERATURES THIS PAST WEEK STEADILY MELTING SNOW, WE STILL HAVE A LOT LEFT IN OUR FRONT YARD

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

 SAILBOAT BUTTS IN WINTER STORAGE

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Church Bloopers::

- The third verse of Blessed Assurance will be sung without musical accomplishment.
- Next Sunday, Mrs. Vinson will be the soloist for the morning service. The pastor will then speak on "It's a Terrible Experience."
- The “Over 60s Choir” will be disbanded for the summer with the thanks of the entire church.
- The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great success. Special thanks are due to the minister's daughter, who labored the whole evening at the piano, which fell upon her.
- Twenty-two members were present at the church meeting held at the home of Mrs. Marsha Crutchfield last evening. Mrs. Crutchfield and Mrs. Rankin sang a duet, “The Lord Knows Why.”
- A song fest was hell at the Methodist church on Wednesday.
- Next Thursday, there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
- We have received word of the sudden passing of Rev. Smith this morning during the worship service. Now let's sing "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow."

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Q: How did the little Moron die ice fishing?

A: He was run over by the Zamboni machine.

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Children's Thoughts::

- Never trust a dog to watch your food. - Patrick, age 10

- When your dad is mad and asks you, 'Do I look stupid?' don't answer him. - Michael, 14

- Never tell your mom her diet's not working. - Billy, 12.

- Stay away from prunes. - Randy, 9

- Don't squat with your spurs on. - Noronha, 13

- When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair. - Taylia, 11

- Never allow your three-year old brother in the same room as your school assignment. - Traci, 14

- Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time. - Kyoyo, 9

- You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. - Roger, 9

- Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick. - Lauren, 9

- Don't pick on your sister when she's holding a baseball bat. - Joel, 10

- When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your mom when she's on the phone. - Alyesha, 13

- Never try to baptize a cat. - Eileen, 8

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery