HEY, IT'S ONLY A WEEK TO GROUND HOG DAY

 FEMALE CARDINAL

I hadn't seen my best buddy Richard for a few months but late Monday afternoon we were finally able to connect again.  This morning when I went over to see him we were once more able to spend a couple enjoyable hours doing what it is we have always done best.  We spent time chewing up the world's mysteries, madness, and manic mayhem trying to turn it all into something understandably civil.  No easy task with things getting progressively more chaotic by the day.  But, we've always done pretty well at coming up with a few acceptable possibilities and solutions considering the diminishing amount of tools it is we have to work with these days.

 BLUEJAY

 IN THIS PHOTO ARE FOUR MALE CARDINALS AND ONE FEMALE BOTTOM LEFT

 I THINK THIS LITTLE CHAP MUST HAVE BONKED INTO A BRANCH WITH HIS FOREHEAD

Another cold and sometimes snowy day but just think, we are only 7 short days away from Groundhog Day and if our predominantly cloudy weather persists and our area's Wiarton Willy does not see his shadow it means Spring is just around the corner.  Now, how encouraging is that for all we logical minded folks eh:))

 MOURNING DOVE

Do you know we have gone through 80 pounds of birdseed so far this winter and tomorrow I will have to pick up a couple more 20-pound bags.  These cute little front yard guys have the appetites of a marauding band of famished Elephants.

 HEY IT'S LITTLE RED

GROANER'S CORNER:((   Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.  "How old are you?"  "I'm 4 and a half."  You're never 36 and a half, but you're 4 and a half going on 5! That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number.  "How old are you?"  "I'm gonna be 16."  You could be 12, but you're gonna be 16. And then the greatest day of your life happens: you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony--you BECOME 21. YES!!!!  But then you turn 30. Ooohhh, what happened here?? Makes you sound like bad milk. He TURNED. We had to throw him out. There's no fun now. What's wrong?? What changed???  You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40...stay over there, it's all slipping away...  You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, you're PUSHING 40, you REACH 50...my dreams are gone...You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, you're PUSHING 40, you REACH 50 and then you MAKE IT to 60...Whew! I didn't think I'd make it.  You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, You're PUSHING 40, you REACH 50, you MAKE IT to 60, and by then you've built up so much speed, you HIT 70!  After that, it's a day-by-day thing. You HIT Wednesday, you get into your 80s, you HIT lunch. I mean my grandmother won't even buy green bananas, "Well it's an investment, you know, and maybe a bad one."  And it doesn't end there...Into the 90's, you start going backwards: I was JUST 92. Then a strange thing happens, if you make it over 100, you become a little kid again: I'm 100 and a half!!  Age is a funny thing.................

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NED: Please show me your belly button.
ED: Huh?
NED: It's a matter of national security. Please, show me your belly button!
ED: What are you talking about. Go away!
NED: I'm collecting navel intelligence!!

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JUST THINK OF WARM SUNNY DAYS AND SPRING FLOWERS AL:))

 GODERICH'S LIGHTHOUSE HIGH ATOP THE BLUFFS OVERLOOKING LAKE HURON

Standing at the milk counter which of course in any supermarket is the farthest point from the entrance door I heard the loudspeaker crackle on with a message to shoppers about wearing their covid masks or else.  It was at this point I felt that feeling of nakedness.  I realized I had forgotten to put my mask on.  Hey, I'm lucky to remember where the supermarket is.  I am the type of person who will do just about anything to avoid a confrontation with another humanoid.  From past experience I know that it's best for everybody if I do that so without hesitation and head down to avoid any kind of eye contact, I made my way to the front of the store taking great care not to have any run-ins with anyone.  Parked my cart, slipped out the door to the Jeep, strapped on my mask, re-entered the store, retrieved my cart, and resumed my short shopping venture.  Five minutes later I was on my way feeling very proud of myself because nobody got hurt.....especially me.

 A COLD SNOWY DRIVE TO GODERICH THIS MORNING

It's another !!#%**!# freezing cold 19F day with a windchill factor of 8F.  Pulling away from my parking spot at the supermarket I had my passenger window down and a lady in the car beside me remarked, "Oh you must be cold with that window down".  I said, "I had to put the window down because it was too hot in the car."  She must have thought I was some kinda Dodo bird.  Oh well, I'm sure I have been thought in worse terms.

 SIBERIA??

 NO NEED FOR A LIFEGUARD IN THIS WEATHER

 FROM THIS HIGH VANTAGE POINT NEAR THE LIGHTHOUSE THERE IS ICE ON THE LAKE FOR AS FAR OUT AS I CAN SEE

Grabbed a coffee to go at McDonalds'and headed down to the harbor.  The snow and icy winds were blowing down there and I didn't see the usual amount of folks out for a walk or driving along the wintery shoreline.  The lake in most places was frozen out as far as I could see.   

 THE CAPTAIN HENRY JACKMAN DOCKED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GODERICH'S FROZEN HARBOR

Feeling much better about things tonight so I'm hoping I can keep these better feelings on a roll.  Just think of warm sunny days and Spring flowers Al:))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( On the first day of school, the children brought gifts for their teacher. The florist's son brought the teacher a bouquet of flowers. The candy-store owner's daughter gave the teacher a pretty box of candy. Then the liquor-store owner's son brought up a big, heavy box. The teacher lifted it up and noticed that it was leaking a little bit. She touched a drop of the liquid with her finger and tasted it.  "Is it wine?" she guessed.  "No," the boy replied. She tasted another drop and asked, " Champagne?  "No," said the little boy... "It's a puppy!

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WE NEED TO WAKE UP AND LIVE

Today was basically a repeat of yesterday but at least we had some sunshine for a while.  I really do not have much to write about.  It's just that time of year..............  

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Research shows that men, on average, speak about 10,000 words per day, and women speak about 40,000.  What the research doesn’t tell you is that it’s not that women are actually saying four times as much, they just have to repeat everything that many times because men don’t listen.

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I WILL TRY TO HAVE MY SOCKS PULLED UP BY SUNDAY NIGHT'S POST

 BORREGO SPRINGS CALIFORNIA

I probably should not have started my day off by checking the 14-day weather forecast.  Not one day anywhere near above freezing for the next two weeks.  With grey skies overhead and more snow coming down, I resigned myself to an inside day.  The only time I went out was to restock the birdfeeders.  The Jeep never moved all day and I didn't do much better.  Oh how I miss our adventuress winter days in the Great American Southwest.....................

 WEST OF TOMBSTONE ARIZONA LOOKING WEST TOWARDS SIERRA VISTA AND THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS

 JUST A TYPICAL SUNNY DAY IN THE BEAUTIFULLY GREEN SONORAN DESERT

 ATOP BLAIR VALLEY'S GHOST MOUNTAIN WITH SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THOSE LAGUNA MOUNTAINS

AT GRAPEVINE CANYON RANCH NEAR PEARCE ARIZONA

 PHEEBS DROPS IN FOR AN APPOINTMENT AT THE VETS IN WICKENBURG ARIZONA...SHE WAS GETTING HER ANTI-RATTLESNAKE SHOT THIS DAY

 IN THE YAQUI PASS SOMEWHERE WEST OF OCTOTILLA WELLS ARIZONA

OH HOW I LOVED WORKING ON MY CACTUS GARDENS AT OUR HOUSE ON GHOST TOWN ROAD IN CONGRESS ARIZONA

 LOVE THESE AGAVE CACTUS PLANTS

 SOMEWHERE IN THE CHIRICUHA MOUNTAINS OF ARIZONA

 I FOUND A GEOCACHE AT MARSHAL SOUTH'S OLD HOMESTEAD ATOP GHOST MOUNTAIN CALIFORNIA

 NOT SURE WHERE THIS WAS TAKEN BUT I'M GUESSING KELLY TOOK IT OUTSIDE OF A CRACKER-BARREL SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY

 EAST OF DEMING NEW MEXICO

 THESE WERE SOME OF OUR BEST DAYS...... THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN THE DAY WE SOLD OUR JEEP WRANGLER

About the only thing I have in the way of photos tonight are a few bird shots and a short bird video. (no music) And sorry about all the selfies in this post but I was feeling a bit down and blue today thinking of our winters in the southwest when we were alive and excited about doing things, going places, and seeing things we had never seen before.......I will try and have my socks pulled up and be back on track by Sunday night's post.

 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH AND A FEMALE CARDINAL

 A PAIR OF DARK-EYED JUNCOS

GROANER'S CORNER:((   Once upon a time, there was a non-conforming sparrow who decided not to fly south for the winter. However, soon the weather turned so cold that he reluctantly decided to fly south. In a short time, ice began to form on his wings and he fell to Earth in a barnyard, nearly frozen solid. A cow passed by where he had fallen and crapped on the little sparrow. The sparrow thought it was the end, but the manure warmed him and defrosted his wings!  Warm and happy, able to breathe, he started to sing.  Just then a large cat came by, and hearing the chirping he investigated the sounds. The cat cleared away the manure, found the chirping bird, and promptly ate him.  The Moral of the Story:::  Everyone who craps on you is not necessarily your enemy.  Everyone who gets you out of crap is not necessarily your friend.  And if you're warm and happy in a pile of crap, you might just want to keep your mouth shut.

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Last night, my wife and I watched two movies back to back.  Fortunately for me, I was the one who was facing the television.

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The Only Thing Better Than Right Now Will Someday Be The Memories Of Right Now...Al:))

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