WELL HERE WE ARE

 MISTY MORNING

We had a slight mist in the air this morning with temps reaching 44F today.  Walking was doable so Pheebs and I headed into Bayfield for a brisk walk around the cemetery roads.

 AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE CEMETERY A PATH LEADS TO THE THE BAYFIELD INTERNATIONAL CROQUET CLUB

 NOW THAT IS A NICE PATCH OF GREEN FOR THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY

No walk this afternoon due to rain and it looks like our weather is poised to deteriorate further over the next few days with rain turning to snow.  I think in a couple days the landscape will be white again.

 TWO FISHERMEN ON BAYFIELD'S SOUTH PIER ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF POLE-WALKERS OUT FOR SOME EXERCISE

 REFLECTIONS AGAIN BUT THIS TIME ON THE CALMER WATERS OF THE BAYFIELD RIVER

Well here we are over halfway through January. In one month we'll be past the middle of February already with only eleven days to go until the beginning of March.  And, by the end of March we'll be seeing early crocus flowers:))

 QUITE A HERD OF CANADA GEESE ON THE RIVER THIS MORNING

 OUT FOR A MORNING WALK ON THE WATER

 WALKING ON THE HARD WATER LEADS TO PADDLING IN THE SOFT WATER

 I THINK THESE GUYS THOUGHT IT WAS SUNDAY AND DECIDED TO SLEEP IN

SIPHONING UP A REFRESHING RIVER WATER DRINK

 EVEN GEESE CAN HAVE UPSIDE-DOWN DAYS:((

A better day for Kelly, but like she says, 'if only I could have a few better days all in a row.  With the number of prescribed medications she has to take for her liver condition, it is difficult for her body to adjust and find a normal good feeling path through it all.  

IT IS ALWAYS QUIETLY PEACEFUL IN THE CEMETERY

GROANER'S CORNER:(( While preaching about forgiving one's enemies, the preacher asked for a show of hands from those who were willing to forgive their enemies. About half of the congregation raised their hands. The minister continued his sermon and again asked for a show of hands. This time, 80 percent of his congregation raised their hands. Not giving up, the minister continued for fifteen more minutes. When he again asked for a show of hands, all members—except one—raised their hands. "Mr. Jones,” asked the minister, “are you not willing to forgive your enemies?” "I don't have any." "Mr. Jones, that is very unusual. I know you are 96 years old. Would you please come down to the front and explain to all of us how you have lived so long without making a single enemy in the world?”Mr. Jones teetered to the front and briefly explained, “It's easy. I've outlived every damn one of them.”

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"If you'll make the toast and pour the juice, sweetheart," said Tracy, the newlywed bride, "breakfast will be ready."  "Good, what are we having for breakfast?" asked Dewey, the new husband.  "Toast and juice," Tracy replied.

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KELLY SPENT A BIG PART OF THE DAY IN HER RECLINER

 COUNTRY GRAVEL ROADS ARE FROZEN SO NO MUDDY DRIVING 

It was day three and the last of our temporary blue skies and sunshine.  A weather front moving in later today will return us to grey skies, rain, and snow.  But, at least in these three days we were well assured that yes Toto....there is sunshine on the other side of those gloomy depressing clouds if we just wait long enough each time to see and feel its healing warmth.  Not a good day for Kelly, she spent most of the day in her recliner dealing with nausea and recurring headaches.  Pheebs and I did get out for a walk on our country road this morning and another Park walk this afternoon.  I didn't come up with much in the way of photos today.  Short on words again too........

 A CRASHED HOT AIR BALLOON? A UFO? MAYBE A DOWNED WEATHER BALLOON?

 NOPE, ITS JUST A SMALL KID'S BALLOON CAUGHT UP IN A HARVESTED CORNFIELD

 WE STILL HAVE FEW PATCHES OF SNOW AROUND FROM OUR BIG CHRISTMAS SNOWSTORM

 AND THERE IS STILL SOME SNOW LEFT IN THIS SHELTERED HILLSIDE FOREST

 A KNOTHOLE IN AN OLD MAPLE TREE

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Ponderings::

Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?  

Have you ever seen a toad on a toadstool?

How can there be self-help groups"?

How do you get off a non-stop flight?

How do you write zero in Roman numerals?

How many weeks are there in a light year?

If a jogger runs at the speed of sound, can he still hear his Walkman?

If athletes get athlete's foot, do astronauts get mistletoe?

If Barbie's so popular, why do you have to buy all her friends?

If blind people wear dark glasses, why don't deaf people wear earmuffs?

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ENJOYING THESE FEW SUNNY DAYS WHILE THEY LAST

 REFLECTIONS IN THE THINLY CRACKED ICE OF THE BAYFIELD RIVER

A second sunny blue sky morning in a row can easily be called Winter's tonic and with today's 28F temps, the day was doable.  Pheebs and I slipped into Bayfield for a drive down around the harbor and along Main Street.

 I THINK IT WAS THE SUNSHINE THAT BROUGHT OUT  ALLTHE FISHERMEN TO BAYFIELD'S SOUTH PIER THIS MORNING

Stopped at the Bayfield cemetery for a walk around a field and into an adjacent forest.  It felt good to be outside using my legs to take me somewhere.  And Pheebs always has a blast checking out all the new smells everywhere.  Despite the gray days, we are so fortunate to have these January snow-free days.  And, one of the best parts is being able to wear lightweight summer footwear again.

 THE FOREST IS LOOKING MORE LIKE LATE OCTOBER THAN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY

JANUARY'S FOREST FLOOR

  HOW NICE TO BE WEARING LIGHT COMFORTABLE SUMMER FOOTWEAR INSTEAD OF HEAVY SNOW BOOTS

 AND BY GOLLY WE EVEN BUMPED INTO THE SHADOW COWBOY LEANING AGAINST A BEECH TREE

Another sunny afternoon walk for Pheebs and I again.  We are so fortunate here on the Park's hundred acres to have places to walk and today we did the only section of the Pine Tree Trail still remaining.  Actually, we did that yesterday too.  And, I think it was the first time ever that today I had my wheelbarrow in operation during the month of January.  With the exception of Arizona of course.  There are a lot of birdseed husks on the ground under our feeders so I figured it was a good day to rake all that stuff up, shovel it into my wheelbarrow and dump it in a pile where I can load it into my utility trailer in the Spring.

 SUNLIGHT REFLECTING IN THE CAMERA LENS MAKES FOR SOME NICE RAINBOW  COLORS

 LOVING THOSE BLUE SKIES

It was 12 years ago today I wrote a post entitled....Rattlesnakes, Raptors, And Rodneys In Wilcox Arizona.  Wilcox is the birthplace of past cowboy star Rex Allen and also the burial site of Warren Earp, the youngest of Tombstone's Earp brothers.  And we did manage to find his final resting place in the old Wilcox cemetery on this day.

 OUR MORNING CRUISE ALONG BAYFIELD'S MAIN STREET

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The Ten Commandments of Marriage::

Commandment 1.  Marriages are made in heaven. But so again, are thunder and lightning.

Commandment 2.  If you want your spouse to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say, talk in your sleep.

Commandment 3.  Marriage is grand — and divorce is at least 100 grand!

Commandment 4.  Married life is very frustrating. In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. In the third year, they both speak and the neighbors listen.

Commandment 5.  When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing: Either the car is new or the wife is.

Commandment 6.  Marriage is when a man and woman become as one; the trouble starts when they try to decide which one.

Commandment 7.  Before marriage, a man will lie awake all night thinking about something you said. After marriage, he will fall asleep before you finish talking.

Commandment 8.  Every man wants a wife who is beautiful, understanding, economical, and a good cook. But the law allows only one wife.

Commandment 9.  Every woman wants a man who is handsome, understanding, economical and a considerate lover, but again, the law allows only one husband.

Commandment 10.
Man is incomplete until he marries. After that, he is finished.

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SUNSHINE AND BLUE SKIES:))))))

 IT WAS SO UPLIFTING TO SEE THE COLOR BLUE TODAY

The big news of the day is sunshine and blue skies:))))  The temperature is still hanging at 25F but that's okay, at least the sun is finally out.  Toddling around a few country roads it was nice to see a touch of color in the rural greyness of this mid-January landscape. 

 'WOW' BARE DRY ROADS, SNOWLESS FIELDS, AND BIG BLUE SKIES AS PHEEBS AND I HEAD EAST OUT OF THE PARK IN THE JEEP THIS MORNING

 EVEN FARM ANIMALS WERE OUT ENJOYING THE JANUARY SUNSHINE

With bare and dry paved roads on this good-looking morning, I decided to take Scooter out for a short run around a couple long country blocks.  Everything ran fine and we were home again in about twenty minutes.  Puttered around outside for a bit and called it a morning.

 A NICE DAY TO TAKE SCOOTER FOR A SHORT  CRUISE

 A SHAFT OF SUNLIGHT EVEN KEEPS MY COFFEE WARM

 SOME DAY WHEN I GROW UP BIG AND TALL MAYBE I WILL BE ABLE TO SEE OVER THE STEERING WHEEL

An afternoon walk with Pheebs netted me a few photos and I noticed without a doubt late this afternoon that the days are definitely getting longer:)))))

LONG LATE AFTERNOON SHADOWS AROUND THE PARK'S POND

Finished my latest book, The Boys by actor/director Ron Howard and his younger brother Clint.  I found this to be a great read and it's obvious all the way through the book that these two talented brothers give their parents Rance and Jean the majority of the credit for their success.  The boys were very close to their dad.   This afternoon, I started a new book by George Mahood entitled....Not Tonight Josephine: A Roadtrip Through Small-Town America.

GROANER'S CORNER:((   You might be a redneck if...

- Smith and Wesson attended your wedding without an invitation and you were overjoyed to see them there.
- When you hear someone talking about the king you don't know whether they're talking about Elvis or Richard Petty.  

- You complain about the ban on assault weapons because it makes half your guns illegal.
- You use a pig for a garbage disposal.
- You can't go to church this year because your Sunday socks are being used as the truck's gas cap.
- You clean your car or truck out with a leaf blower.
- Your tackle box contains dynamite and blasting caps.

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