KELLY'S MOTHER'S DAY MAY 14TH 2023

 FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.....KELLY'S SON BEN, DAUGHTER SABRA, GRANDAUGHTER ELLA, DAUGHTER REBECCA, KELLY HERSELF, SOME OLD GUY WHO WANDERED IN OFF THE STREET, AND KELLY'S TWO SONS JASON AND BEN......PHOTO BY GISELE WITH THE OLD GUY'S CAMERA

A bright sunny morning but definitely on the crispy cool side.  A short photoless drive into Bayfield and back for Pheebs and I.  I know this may sound unbelievable but I do have my days when I purposely set out with the determined thought in mind, 'I am not going to take any photos today!!  Well, that doesn't work for me most of the time and I still have a tendency to overload my posts with pictures.  And, wouldn't you know it.....after writing this paragraph earlier I went on to take 73 more photos today with 53 of them being halfway salvageable.  With Pheebs staying home to hold the Fort down, it was just Kelly and I in the car at 9:30 this morning heading off to Kitchener Ontario.  Although we had to go right through the city and we had never been to the Deer Ridge Golf Club before, we somehow found our way there without using a GPS.  Just like the old days eh.  We left our place at 9:32 a.m. and arrived at the Golf Club at exactly 11 a.m.  It had been nearly 23 years since I had last driven a section of the Kitchener Expressway from the highway 8 interchange south.  And to think I once lived in Kitchener in the late 60's and early 70's.  In later years I had a driving job that took me through that section of expressway-highway nearly on a daily and weekly basis.  A lot of what I remember from back then is changed now.

 LUNCH AT THE GOLF CLUB

 LUNCH IS OVER AND WE HEAD BACK OUTSIDE TO THE PARKING LOT....KELLY AND GISELE

 BEN AND GISELE'S MOTHER'S DAY GIFT FOR KELLY

 A BIG HUG FROM SON JASON

 GISELE, SABRA, REBECCA, ELLA KELLY, JASON, BEN, AND REBECCAS HUSBAND RICARDO

The Deer Ridge Gulf Club is a rather exclusive club with a members-only policy.  Kelly's daughter and husband are members of that club and that's why we were able to be there for a Mother's Day brunch this morning.  In attendance were Kelly's daughters Sabra and Rebecca as well as Rebecca's husband Ricardo and their daughter Ella.  Kelly's two sons, Jason and Ben as well as Ben's girlfriend Gisele.  Ricardo and I had a Western Omellete while Kelly, Sabra, Giselle, and Ben had Eggs Benedict.  Jason and Ella had a chicken something or other.  When seeing the prices on the menu I nearly fell out of my chair.  Following lunch, we all flooded outside into the parking lot and gathered around our parked cars where gifts were exchanged and photos were taken.  Surprised, I even ended up with a gift myself.  And I'm not even a Mother.  I think it was 1:45 p.m. when we finally rolled out of the Golf Club's parking lot and headed for home.  Stopped in New Hamburg for two Tim Hortons coffees to go and they were the worst Hortons coffees we have ever had.  We think they must have run out of coffee and sent one of the employees down to the local hardware store for a half-price batch of cheap Ajax instant coffee.  We were home sometime around three with a very happy little tail-wagging doggy waiting for us.  Because I took so many photos today I have decided to put the majority of them into a photo album which you can see here.......Unfortunately, neither Kelly or I could get the photo album app to work. So frustrating!!  Maybe I'll put the remaining photos in Monday's post along with pictures of the gifts Kelly received.  Or maybe I'll just stay in my recliner all day with a blanket pulled over my head.           

Al's Music Box:)) Travelin Man by Ricky Nelson from the album 'Rick Is 21.  1961

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Restroom Talk::  I was barely sitting down when I heard a voice from the other stall saying: 'Hi, how are you?'  I'm not the type to start a conversation in the men's restroom, but I don't know what got into me, so I answered, somewhat embarrassed, 'Doin' just fine.'  And the other guy says: 'So what are you up to?'  What kind of question is that? At that point, I'm thinking this is too bizarre so I say: 'Uhhh, I'm like you, just traveling.'  At this point, I am just trying to get out as fast as I can when I hear another question. 'Can I come over?'  Ok, this question is just too weird for me but I figured I could just be polite and end the conversation. I tell him, 'No........I'm a little busy right now!!!'  Then I hear the guy say nervously... 'Listen, I'll have to call you back. There's an idiot in the other stall who keeps answering all my questions.'

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- - There was a Roman emperor who never aged after he turned 19. His name was Constant Teen.

- At the age of 65 my Grandma started walking 10 kilometers a day.  She’s 92 now and we have no idea where she is.

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LONDON'S VICTORIA HOSPITAL TODAY......AND I SHOUTED TO HIM THAT 'I JUST SAW A SHARK FIN IN THE WATER'

 I LIKE THE SWIRLS AND PATTERNS IN THE FIELD

For some unknown reason again, I woke up in a bit of a frump this morning. (combination of a grump and a frazzle) I had to tussle with myself to keep my sights set on keeping myself positive.  A walk at our country road spot and home again for Pheebs and I.  

 SHEEP BUTTS HEADING FOR A NEARBY PINE FOREST

 IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE THEY ALL DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW

 A NEIGHBOR'S FARM EAST OF OUR PARK

At 12:21 we were all in the Subaru and headed for London.  Aside from a short delay at the Adelaide Steet Underpass construction site Pheebs and I had Kelly at VictorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrThis is what happens when you doze off at the keyboard with your finger on the r key.  It was actually much longer than this but I shortened it up just to give you an idea of my folly:((  So anyway, what I was saying is that we dropped Kelly off at Victoria Hospital in good time.  Minutes later we were in the Westminster Ponds Area.  If you click this link and look at the photo you will notice a white car at the bottom left.  Not our Subaru of course but that is the exact spot Pheebs and I have parked the last couple of times we have been here.  I had planned on walking across the two baseball diamonds and picking up a trail on the other side today but it was not to be.  There was a baseball tournament or something going on and I knew if Pheebs and I tried to walk around the ball diamonds she would for sure get herself right into the game.  Pheebs would be running up to the players to see if they had any snacks for her.  Instead, we meandered off the other way through an area we have walked around a couple times before.  To put in more time, we walked slower.  

 THIS IS GETTING TO BE A FAMILIAR ROUTINE FOR US

 PHEEBS AND I HAVE WALKED THROUGH THIS 'OLD FOUNDATIONS'  AREA A FEW TIMES BEFORE

 MY FIRST LILAC SIGHTING OF 2023

APPLE BLOSSOMS

WE VENTURED DOWN THIS SIDE TRAIL BUT IT DEAD-ENDED

 BEING LEERY OF MY HIP I DIDN'T VENTURE DOWN THIS STEEP EMBANKMENT TO THE WATER'S EDGE

 SAW THIS PAIR OF SANDALS ON THE SHORE OF WALKER'S POND

 NOT FAR AWAY I SPOTTED SANDAL'S OWNER SO I SHOUTED OUT TO HIM THAT I JUST SAW A SHARK FIN IN THE WATER

 HERE HE IS LOOKING FOR THE SHARK:))

 ACTUALLY, IT WAS TWO BOYS IN FOR A SATURDAY SWIM....AND ALMOST PHEEBS TOO

 THE BOYS SAID THEIR DADS WERE ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE POND FISHING IN A CANOE

 ALTHOUGH I COULD HARDLY SEE THE CANOE, MY NIKON COOLPIX P900 FOUND IT AT A TELEPHOTO RANGE OF 700MM

It wasn't as hot today as the last time we were here and that was quite alright with me.  I actually welcomed a temporary cloud cover.  We walked around for about forty minutes before heading back to the car which luckily we had parked at the same spot as a couple days ago under a flowering Crab Apple tree.  

 PHEEBS AND I RELAXING IN THE SUBARU

 SAME SPOT WE HAD A FEW DAYS AGO

 I'VE GOT TO REMEMBER TO PUT A LAWN CHAIR IN THE CAR FOR NEXT TIME

Kelly's Plasmapheresis treatment took longer than usual today so Pheebs and I spent a fair bit of time reading and relaxing in the car.  But, at last my cell phone rang and it was time to head over to the hospital and pick up Kelly.  With all three of us in the car again we soon headed north out of London with a quick stop at Tim Hortons for a couple coffees to go.  Because it was Saturday the traffic was light and it was a nice quiet country drive all the way home.  

 WATCHING FOR 'MOM'

 AND, HERE SHE IS:)))))

 SPOTTED THIS GROOVY-LOOKING VEHICLE ON OUR WAY HOME THIS AFTERNOON

Sunday morning we will be heading to Kitchener for a Mother's Day get-together with a few members of Kelly's family at the Deer Ridge Golf Club.  Monday we have off, Exeter on Tuesday, and then back to London Wednesday.     

 IT WAS A BUSY DAY FOR AREA FARMERS OUT AND ABOUT ON THEIR LAND

 NOT ALL FARM MACHINERY IS BIG AND SCARY

 AFTER WORKING THEIR DUSTY FIELDS TODAY ALL THESE FELLAS WILL PROBABLY BE IN THE TUB FOR THEIR SATURDAY NIGHT BATHS LATER

Al's Music Box:)) Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie by The Sons Of The Pioneers.  This is my all time favorite version of this song.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Muldoon lived alone in the Irish countryside with only a pet dog for company. One day, the dog died, and Muldoon went to the parish priest and said, "Father, my dog is dead. Could ya' be sayin' a mass for the poor creature?" Father Patrick replied, "I'm afraid not. We cannot have services for an animal in the church. But there is a new denomination down the lane, and there's no tellin' what they believe. Maybe they'll do something for the creature."Muldoon said, "I'll go right away Father. Do ya' think $5,000 is enough to donate for the service?"Father Patrick exclaimed, "Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus! Why didn't ya' tell me the dog was Catholic?"

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My home church welcomes all denominations but really prefers tens and twenties.

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