KELLY'S LONDON DOCTOR PHONED THIS MORNING

 IT SURE IS NICE SEEING OUR SPRING CROCUS FLOWERS IN BLOOM

After not feeling well this past week, Kelly went to Goderich's Dynacare Lab Thursday morning for bloodwork.  Those blood results came in this morning and they were not looking good.  Around 10 o'clock the phone rang and it was Kelly's Doctor calling from London's University Hospital.  Out of concern, Dynalab had called him directly with Kelly's blood test results.  Her hemoglobin had dropped again and there was an alarming increase in her Sodium level.  The Doctor said if those Sodium numbers go too high it can be life-threatening.  He also told her to go straight away to the Goderich Hospital to have another blood test done to verify the numbers and depending on that, there was a chance Kelly might have to be transferred from the Goderich Hospital to London.  And there was talk of a possible blood transfusion as well.  So, it was about 11:30 a.m. that Pheebs and I loaded up Miss Kelly in the Subaru and off to the Goderich Hospital we went.  She was feeling tired and weak.  Dropping her off at the door we went back to the car and waited for her to call and say she was ready to go home.  The call came but she said she was still waiting for the blood test and suggested Pheebs and I go home because it could take a while.  So that's what we did as well as picking up an A&W 'Double Buddy' Burger along the way.  Kelly later called about 2 p.m. to say they had just taken the blood.  The phone rang again about an hour later and it was Kelly saying, 'come pick me up'.  Pheebs and I were there in record time.  Kelly said, both Sodium and Hemoglobin numbers had improved some since Thursday but other liver numbers were way out of whack.  So, we don't know if there is a discrepancy between Thursday's Dynacare lab results and today's Goderich Hospital results or have those numbers actually moved that much in 3 days.  I guess that will be for Kelly's London Doctor to figure out.  I wouldn't be surprised if Kelly gets a call from him Monday.

 LOTS OF FOLKS OUT STROLLING ALONG THE BOARDWALK IN GODERICH

 YES, IT LOOKS LIKE SPRING IS IN THE AIR ALRIGHT

 THE EMERGENCY ENTRANCE AT GODERICH'S ALEXANDRA MARINE HOSPITAL

 AT A&W PHEEBS IS TOTALLY FOCUSED ON THE CASHIER WINDOW WHERE OUR BIG BUDDY BURGER WILL BE PICKED UP

 AND BY GOLLY HERE'S OUR BIG DOUBLE BUDDY BURGER NOW AND I FIGURE AT $3.33 THIS IS THE BEST BURGER BANG FOR THE BUCK OF ALL OF THEM...AND IT'S LOADED WITH FRIED ONIONS TOO

 PICKING KELLY UP AT EMERGE THIS AFTERNOON

We had blue sunny skies all day today.  I had left the utility trailer hooked up to the Jeep so Pheebs and I took the Subaru out for a short morning spin into Bayfield and back this morning.  Home again and as painful as my right leg was I was able to get 4 more wheelbarrow loads of last Autumn's pine needles and leaves loaded into the utility trailer which along with some other stuff I will take to our Park's recycle area sometime Monday.  Looks like we have a stretch of nice warm sunny weather coming up for the week.

 AN OLD OVERGROWN BUSH LANE GATE

 THIS CROP OF GREEN MUST HAVE BEEN PLANTED LAST FALL

 I THINK THOSE MIGHT BE DAY LILLIES SPROUTING UP 

 AND THIS MIGHT BE BE A CLUMP OF SOON TO BLOSSOM DAFFODILS

 I'M THINKING THIS MIGHT BE A TYPE OF JAPANESE SPURGE OR SOMETHING

 I HAVE A BIT MORE CLEANING IN OUR FRONT YARD FROG POND BEFORE I PUT THE WATER PUMP IN

 CROCUS FLOWERS AT THE CORNER OF OUR HOUSE

It was a week ago today that we were in Hespeler Ontario for Kelly's (and Ricardo's) birthday celebration.  Here is the link to my photo album of that day.  Birthday Celebration April 2nd 2023 Hespeler Ontario  I had wanted to caption most of these photos but unfortunately, neither Kelly nor I could figure out how to do that.  It may have something to do with Google not supporting my Picasa photo editing program anymore.  You will notice a bunch of hockey equipment in a few photos and that is because Sabra and Derek's two boys are heavily into hockey.  Also, Ella's 'Happy Birthday' balloon gets away from her and floats up to the ceiling where it takes a long pole to retrieve it.  And yes, that is a putting green in the living room.  Dereck and the two boys are also heavily into golf.  And would you believe they have a complete Golf Simulator in their garage. 

Al's Music Box:)) Cherish by the Association from the album 'And Then...Along Comes The Association'.  1966GROANER'S CORNER:((   A duck walks into a store and asks the guy behind the counter for duck food.  "Don't have any duck food. Just dog food and cat food."  "Okay, thanks," the duck says, and leaves.  The next day the duck comes back. Got any duck food? he asks.  "I told you -- only dog food and cat food."  "Okay, thanks."  The next day the duck shows up again, asking for duck food.  Now the man behind the counter is annoyed. I've told you for three days running, we don't carry duck food.  "Okay, thanks."  The fourth day, here comes the duck. "I'm looking for the duck food section."  The counterman blows his stack. You come in here one more time and ask for duck food, and I'll nail your webbed feet to the floor. You got that?  Next day the duck shows up again.  "What do you want?" the counterman asks threateningly.  "Um, got any nails?" the duck says.  "No, no nails."  "Okay, got any duck food?"

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Q: Why was the Egyptian boy confused?
A: Because his daddy was a mummy.

Q: How do you get a Kleenex to dance?
A: Put a little boogie in it.

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Did you hear about the red ship and the blue ship that collided?
The survivors were marooned.

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I'LL BE BACK OUTSIDE AND AT IT AGAIN TOMORROW

 A THIN LAYER OF ICE ON OUR FRONT YARD FROG POND THIS MORNING

Another sunny morning but it's still cold with temps hovering around in the low 30sF.  It wasn't a long Jeep ride for Pheebs & I again and we were soon home.  My goal today was to hook up the utility trailer and load it with yard waste like pine needles, leaves, and small branches, etc.  That took me quite a while and by the time I had things half cleaned up, my legs were so sore it felt like they were about to fall off.  Especially my troublesome right one.  Took a break around 12:30 and by the time I was ready to head back outside I had seized up like the Tin Man in a Roanoke rainstorm.  I had to get Kelly to give me a good spraying down with a can of WD-40 to get my seized-up joints mobile again:))   After a second full load of heavy wet leaves and pine needles to our Park's recycle area I was ka-put and done for the rest of the day.  If my legs will stand me up in the morning, and Kelly will give me a few more squirts of WD-40, I'll be back outside and at it again tomorrow..............    

 BOTH BIRD BATHS ARE FROZEN UP AS WELL

 LOADING UP THE UTILITY TRAILER

 WE ARE FORTUNATE IN OUR PARK TO HAVE AN AREA FOR YARD WASTE

Ellen's Groove:)) Check out Ellen's precise fingerwork on her base guitar in this short clip as she plays Muse.  Ellen just keeps on getting better and better.  Her response at the end will put a smile on many faces and bring laughter to others:))

 THIS CANADA GOOSE ON OUR PARK'S POIND BLENDS IN REASONABLY WELL WITH THE BACKGROUND

Al's Music Box:)) Come Saturday Morning by the Sandpipers from the album 'Come Saturday Morning'.  1970 

 A MALE MALLARD DUCK

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man who worked at a fire hydrant factory was always late for work.  When confronted by his boss the man explained, "You can't park anywhere near this place!"

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Scientists have been studying the effect of cannabis on sea birds.  They’ve left no tern unstoned.

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A family went to a hospital, where one of their relatives would be having a brain transplant. One of the relatives asked, "What will the cost of a new brain be?" The doctor replied, "A female brain costs $25,000 and a male brain costs $50,000." The men smirked, but one of the females asked, "Why is that, doctor?" "Well," the doctor replied,” the female brain is less because it has been used."

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I GUESS IT'S TIME TO SEE THE DOC ABOUT THIS SORE LEG OF MINE

 SO NICE TO SEE BLUE SKIES AND GREENING FARM FIELDS AGAIN AND IF YOU LOOK REAL HARD TO THE EXTREME LEFT HORIZON THAT THIN DARK BLUE LINE IS LAKE HURON

Sunshine and blue skies greeted us first thing this morning and that kinda helped with the icy wind-blown cold 34F temps.  Needless to say, I was back into my lined winter pants again.  A Jeep ride to Goderich for Pheebs and I earlier and for supper tonight we joined our good friends Gayle and Richard at Bayfield's Renegades Diner for their Friday fish and chips special.  I figure it's about the best fish and chips around.  Today's special was two big pieces of fish for the price of one.  We ended our cold Spring day under bright blue sunny skies and it looks like a sunny touch warmer tomorrow so maybe I can get a few more outside things done:))    

 GODERICH'S ROTARY COVE

The pain in the groin area of my right leg is becoming more frequent when I try walking and putting pressure on it.  I've had trouble with this since last Fall so I have finally relented and resorted to my last option.  I've decided to throw in the towel and make an appointment with my Nurse Practitioner.  I had been hoping that by increasing my walks and working around outside this Spring it might strengthen my leg muscles but the problem now is I can't walk far enough now to strengthen them and I am having to increasingly rely on a cane.  The one positive thing is that I don't have any pain in my leg if I don't try to stand or walk on it.  

Al's Music Box:)) Fire And Rain by James Taylor from the album 'Sweet Baby James'.  1970

 NICE TO SEE OUR FRONT YARD CHIPMUNKS OUT AND ABOUT AGAIN

GROANER'S CORNER:(( One morning a man came into the church on crutches. He stopped in front of the holy water, put some on both legs and then threw away his crutches.  An altar boy witnessed the scene and then ran into the rectory to tell the priest what he'd just seen."Son, you've just witnessed a miracle!" the priest said. "Tell me where is this man now?""Flat on his butt over by the holy water!" the boy informed him.

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THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE I ENJOY DOING IT

As much as I complain about boring routines sometimes it's also nice to have the stability that routines can offer.  I was aware of our break in routine this morning when after our disruptive water leak Wednesday morning Pheebs and I were back on track with our routine Jeep ride earlier today.  Added to that routine this morning was a Bayfield cemetery walk thrown in for good measure.  At this time of year with winter's messy bluster over I not only get exercise walking in the cemetery but I get additional exercise by bending over a lot and picking things up.  Maybe some small pine branches on the road but mostly it's plastic flower arrangements that have been flattened by the snow load or knocked over by the wind.  I set the small family ornamental tributes back up that are lying beside or on the tombstones as well.

 I LIKED THE INSCRIPTION I SAW ON THIS TOMBSTONE

Despite an overnight temperature drop and a cold wind, I wasn't long in getting outside after Pheebs and I returned from our morning Jeep ride.  Lots of yard work remains to be done and after sitting in the house for all of Wednesday's rainy day, I was definitely chomping at the bit to get outside and do something, anything, just get outside and get something done!!  Today my efforts resulted in putting three crates of vehicle cleaning supplies back in their summer place in our carport and working on cleaning up all my little garden paths around the place.  And I did a big cleanup along the roadside in front of our place as well.  There is still lots of yard work left to do and that's okay because I enjoy doing it:))

 I LIKE MY PATHWAYS:))

 MY TRUSTY HELPER TODAY

 I WILL PROBABLY GET THE FROG POND PUMP GOING IN A COUPLE DAYS AND YES THERE ALREADY IS ONE RESIDENT FROG IN THERE

Thanks to a Park resident friend of ours lending us her dehumidifier the section of wet carpet in our spare bedroom from Wednesday's bathroom faucet leak is almost dry.

 TWO MORE SIGNS OF SPRING....KELLY'S BICYCLE AND THE LAWNMOWER

 THE VEHICLE CLEANING SUPPLIES ARE BACK IN THEIR SUMMER PLACE

It was nine years ago on April 7th, 2014 that Kelly, Pheebs, and I took a rough and tumble Jeep ride through Navajo country in Arizona's Monument Valley.  Probably one of the roughest Jeep Wrangler rides we have ever taken.  Jeep Scrambling In Indian Country

Al's Music Box:)) Nowhere Man by The Beatles from the album 'Rubber Soul'.  1965

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Three vampires walk into a bar. The first one says I'll have a pint of blood.  The second one says I'll have one, too.  The third one says I'll have a pint of plasma.  The bartender says, So, that will be two Bloods and a Blood Lite.

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I'm afraid that fulfilling my potential would really cut into my sitting-around time.

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A Prius just tried to race me at the light...I totally had it for the first 100 meters, but I can only walk so fast.

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'AWWWW NUTS WE SPRUNG A LEAK

 A PLUMBING VAN IN OUR DRIVEWAY THIS MORNING

Heavy rain, thunder, and lightning came roaring through in the night.  Possible hail had been predicted but fortunately, that did not happen.  Pheebs and I were planning to head off to Goderich but our plans were waylaid when I walked into our spare bedroom.  I could see the carpet in the southeast corner of the room was wet and that constituted a quick scramble for Kelly and I.  After the heavy overnight rain, I immediately expected a roof leak but the ceiling in both the bedroom and adjoining bathroom were dry.  Next was a dash into the bathroom to check under the sink.  Yup, there was the culprit alright, and it was definitely leaking.  Turned the house water tap in our hot water closet off and then switching between that tap and the hot water tap we were able to determine it was a hot water line leak and most likely right under the bathroom sink faucet.  Kelly put in a call to Hoffmeyer Plumbing & Heating in Goderich and a young fella in a green Hoffmyer van pulled into our driveway half an hour later.  He wasn't long in determining the problem.  An original aging and corroded water line had weakened and finally let go.  He installed a new line and we also had him replace our bathroom sink faucet assembly which was also old and giving us a few problems.  He finished up in less than an hour and was on his way.  We currently have three fans going full blast to dry the carpet out in the spare bedroom.  

 THAT SECTION OF ORANGE LINE IS NEW AS ARE A COUPLE SHUT-OFF TAPS ON THE TWO WATER LINES

 AND A NEW FAUCET

With rain and thunder in the air plus our water leak problem, Pheebs and I didn't make it out for our Jeep ride today.  Hopefully, we can get ourselves back on track tomorrow..................     

 A PAIR OF MOURNING DOVES ON THE LEFT AND A PAIR OF CARDINALS ON THE RIGHT

Al's Music Box:)) Homeward Bound by Simon and Garfunkel from the album 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.' 1966

 OUR LITTLE WINTER FRIENDS THE DARK-EYED JUNCOS WILL BE LEAVING SOON AND HEADING FURTHER NORTH FOR THE SUMMER

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man who is an avid golfer finally gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance for an audience with the Pope. After standing in line for hours, he gets to the Pope and says, "Holiness, I have a question that only you can answer. You see, I love golf, and I feel a real need to know if there is a golf course in heaven. Can you tell me if there is?"The Pope considers for a moment, and says, "I do not know the answer to your question, my son, but I will talk to God and get back to you."The next day the man is called for another audience with the Pope to receive the answer to his question. He stands before the Pope, who says, "My son, I have some good news and some bad news in relation to your question. The good news is that Heaven has the most fabulous golf course that you could imagine and is in eternally perfect shape. "And what's the bad news?" asks the man."You tee off tomorrow morning," the Pope replies.

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