THANKS TO KELLY, MY BLOG IS UP AND RUNNING AGAIN BUT WE'RE NOT QUITE OUT OF THE WOODS JUST YET

If it were not for Kelly, none of us would be reading this right now.  After my blog wouldn't publish Thursday night, Kelly set to work first thing Friday morning to find out what had happened and how to fix it.  She put a lot of hours in trying everything she knew and a whole lot of things she didn't.  First thing this morning she was at it again with her efforts even involving a phone call to a tech support place somewhere.  But in the end, it was due to her perseverance, determination, and clever mind that finally won the day.  The breakthrough came about 1:30 this afternoon when she finally made her way past the last of the many hurdles, barriers, and stumbling blocks.....and the blog finally published my Thursday night post.  I wished I could tell you what exactly went wrong but it's complicated.  And why it happened in the first place we still don't know.  It seems to have had something to do with domains, http, https, www, IP addys, domain names, etc, etc, and a thousand more, etc's!!  I should add here that we are not exactly out of the woods yet on this problem because I have noticed that on other blogs when I click our Bayfield Bunch blog the error message is still coming up.   There is still something wrong somewhere and I am worried that whatever caused the blog to not publish Thursday night could very well happen again.  If my blog turns up missing, just know that Kelly is still working on the problem.  Fingers crossed.  

 YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT A ROSE BETWEEN TWO THORNS SO HOW ABOUT A PATCH OF DAISIES BETWEEN TWO THISTLES

I've been writing this blog since 2006 and as of today, I have published 5,491 posts.  If not for Kelly solving all the blog glitches along the way (and there have been many) my blog would have died an early death probably only months after I first started it.  She deserves all the credit for fixing it and keeping me going.  About the only thing I am good at fixing is a peanut butter sandwich.  Well, on a good day that is.

Okay, so for a quick catch-up, I will start with Friday......It was a drizzly cool and cloudy morning that saw Pheebs and I out for a short Jeep ride.  Home again, I switched vehicles and headed to Exeter for the last of my five physio appointments at the Russett Rehabilitation Center.  The lady there showed me a lot of exercises to do for my arthritic hip over this past month, and it is up to me now to follow through with these exercises at home.  The idea is to strengthen the muscles around the hip joint and to keep that hip moving.  Just like Elvis:))

 ENJOYING A SMOKE AT BAYFIELD'S BEACH FRIDAY MORNING

 A FEW RADIO PERSONALITIES WERE IN TOWN FOR A FEW DAYS

 SPOTTED THIS EARLY MORNING FARMER PICKING UP SOME HAY BALES WHILE ON MY WAY TO EXETER

Saturday....A slight mist hung in the morning air as Pheebs and I once again stirred up some gravel on our country road walk.  Sunshine later broke through that mist around 11:30 a.m.

 SATURDAY MORNING MIST

 AN AFTERNOON WALK AROUND OUR FROG POND FOR PHEEBS AND I

 IT LOOKS LIKE A 'RHINO NOSE POND GATOR' TO ME

 A YOUNG PAINTED TURTLE SURFACES FOR A PINCH OF AIR 

 DRAGONFLY

 ANOTHER DRAGONFLY

Thanks to my blog readers for being patient with this blog problem we had and a special thanks to the concerned folks who emailed us wondering if everything was alright.  Well, it's alright now but it sure wasn't alright when it wasn't alright.  My hopes weren't anywhere near Kelly's hopes for solving the problem and I envisioned my blogging days being over.  Instead of my mind thinking of things to write when the blog was fixed, I was thinking of things to do now that my blog was gone.  Between taking and editing photos, writing the post, and putting it all together I would say I probably spend about 5 hours a day on it.  For the most part, those are all good hours for me.  Physically it gets me out each day looking for photos and mentally it keeps the creative side of my mind fully occupied.  Despite the discouraging times, it is my blog that often as not, keeps my head above water.  Knowing that people enjoy what I'm doing is a huge incentive for me to keep it going.  To say I was in a dilemma this past day and a half would be putting it mildly and so much so that I was in the early thinking stage of putting all my camera gear away in the bedroom closet.  A big thank you to all my readers and a hugely big thank you to Kelly for once again making this enjoyable hobby of mine a daily reality:))))  Now, if you missed my Thursday night post just scroll to the bottom of this post and look for the word 'Older Post' on the right side and click it. 

 IN OUR FRONT YARD

 A LILY FLOWER IN OUR FROG POND

 AND SPEAKING OF FLOWERS:))

Al's Music Box:)) It's All In The Game by Tommy Edwards.  1958

GROANER'S CORNER:((  In class, the teacher was trying desperately to get the students to think. He asked, “If the Pilgrims were alive today, what would they be most famous for?”One student quickly responded, “Their age.”

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What do fairies learn in school?  The elf-abet.

The fairy website has a low-quality image.
It's very pixielated

I just paid for a boat ride to a magic themed renaissance carnival. The price was reasonable.  It was a fair fairy faire ferry fare.

Who granted the fish a wish?  The fairy codmother.

Why don’t fairies live under toadstools?
Because there’s not mushroom.

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PHEEBS GOES TO THE GROOMER

A welcome touch of summer coolness in our sunny June air this morning.  A short Jeep ride for Pheebs and I again. 

CORN FIELDS ARE GROWING AND FILLING IN

Our front deck has been in need of a good power washing for the past few years and until today I didn't seem to have enough enthusiasm to do it.  So, without any further ado, I hauled out the washer, hooked up the garden hose, plugged the electric cord in, hit the power switch, and 'whooosh' I was off like a herd of turtles in a cloud of heifer dust.  Our electric power washer isn't as strong as a gas-operated one so it's a bit of a process going back and forth over and over along each deck board.  It didn't peel off all of the already peeling deck paint but it did rip off a fair bit.  It was a tediously repetitive job but I took a number of sit-down breaks along the way and after a number of hours I finally had it done.  The sit-down breaks were not the norm for me but luckily with this aging thing comes a few extra smarts.  Well, so I have heard anyway but don't hold me up as an example.

 WELL, AT LEAST I FINALLY GOT THE POWERWASHER AS FAR AS THE DECK

 AND AWAY I GO

Finally, after having to cancel two dog grooming appointments these past couple of months due to our wonky schedule we did get Pheebs to the Bark in Style groomers today.  While she was in there we nipped out to the south end of Clinton to Kate's Station for a bite to eat.  We picked up our squeaky clean little Pheebs around 2 p.m.  The Gals sure do a great job there and we always come home with a very spiffy-looking doggy. 

 HERE COMES PHEEBS OUT OF THE GROOMERS

 HAVING A LITTLE SNOOZE ON THE WAY HOME THIS AFTERNOON

Resuming my deck washing I finally finished up the job around 3 p.m.  Glad that job is done so now I will have to think of what to put on the deck to seal the deck boards.  I also managed to level and rake out the area where the utility trailer had been parked and sow in a bunch of grass seed.      

 WELL, AT LEAST MOST OF THE OLD PAINT IS OFF THE DECK

 WITH A BIT OF LUCK THESE TWO PATCHES OF DIRT WILL SOON TURN GREEN

Al's Music Box:)) Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel from the album 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'.  1970  By the way, this is the whole album.

GROANER'S CORNER:)) The United Nations proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga!

- I got chucked out of yoga class yesterday.  Apparently, I misinterpreted the Half-Moon Pose.

- I recently took up yoga, and the instructor asked me how flexible I am…I said I can only do Fridays.

- Where do you go if you can't afford yoga classes?  The omless shelter.

- What did the yogi tell his dog? Nama, stay!

- What do you do when a yoga guru goes missing?  Nothing. They'll find themself.

- What do an ambulance and a yoga class have in common?  They both contain stretchers.

- Why did the yogi refuse anesthetic at the dentist?  He wanted to transcend-dental-medication!

- Why do vegetable lovers love practicing yoga regularly?  They always want to find their inner peas.

- How did my instructor know I was serious about yoga?  I told her I would be as flexible as possible.

- I didn't believe yoga would fix my posture…  But I stand corrected.

- What did the instructor say when her yoga student couldn't touch her toes?  She said, "Yoga-to try harder tomorrow".

- I've been practicing yoga for decades.  Yep, it's been a pretty long stretch.

- What do you call a bagel that has mastered yoga?  A pretzel.

- Why does everyone love yoga teachers?
They bend over backward for you.

- What do a cow walking backward and a yogi have in common?  They both say oooooom.

- How does the yogi order a pizza?  Make me one with everything.

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TEST -- BLOG PROBLEM

For some unknown reason, my regular blog wouldn't publish tonight.  Stay tuned.v

OUR PARK'S TRUSTING 1950'S WAY OF LIFE HAS UNFORTUNATELY COME TO AN END

 THIS MORNING'S RURAL BREAKFAST LINE-UP

At 10:57 a.m. this morning we reached the longest day of the year.  From here on it's a steady backslide to Winter as each day will become shorter.  Now, how's that for a happy smiley face positive start to my blog today.  Hello summer:))

 I NOTICED THIS TOTALLY HEAT STRESSED BLUE JAY ON OUR FEEDER THIS AFTERNOON

 I WATCHED AS IT SLOWLY TILTED OVER ONTO IT'S RIGHT SIDE

 JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO HEAD OUTSIDE TO RENDER ASSISTANCE IT SUDDENLY SAT UP, FLUFFED UP IT'S FEATHERS, PICKED UP A PEANUT THEN FLEW UP INTO OUR SUNBURST LOCUST TREE IN FRONT OF THE SUNROOM  TO EAT THE PEANUT BEFORE HAPPILY FLYING AWAY

On the way to our countryside walking spot this morning I saw a police cruiser parked on the north side of the Bayfield River Road just west of Sterling Line.  Near the end of a farm lane in the grass sat a newer-looking white 4x4 Ford pick-up truck with its four doors wide open and its front end punched in.  The farmer was also there picking up stuff off his lawn where I saw a hole in the ground.  I figure the truck must have taken out a pole or something.  When I first saw the truck my first thought was 'stolen' and here's why.  For years now the crime rate factor has been steadily creeping west from the Toronto area driving crime rates up in small towns, cities, and country properties along the way.  We knew that crime rate would eventually reach us here on the pristine shores of Lake Huron.  It was just a question of when.  We folks here in the Bayfield Pines Park have been very fortunate all these years to have not been bothered by anything yet.  For the most part many folks never locked their doors, sheds, houses, or cars.  For so long it was like we lived in the 50's here.  That is until two nights ago when neighbors up the street had their Jeep Cherokee stolen in the night right out of their driveway.  Luckily, the Jeep was found the next day abandoned in Mitchell Ontario where it had run out of gas in an intersection.  However, our communities trusting way of life has finally come to an end.  The stealing of that Jeep marked the end of our 1950s confidence.  Last night when I went out to make sure our Subaru was locked it was as if I could hear the sound of doors being locked all around the Park.  Car doors, shed doors, house doors, and garage doors.  For our Park, it marks the end of innocence.  The crime element is finally upon us as low-life scum bags prowl nearby area roads and now streets right here in our very own quiet little Park!!  

 THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THAT WHITE PICK-UP TRUCK

 IT APPEARS THE TRUCK STRUCK SOMETHING TO THE LEFT OF THE FARMER'S POLARIS

With summer temperatures on the rise each day the humidity factor once again enters my life and affects my daily activities.  If I'm going to get anything done outside I had better get it done in the early morning's cooler air.  With Scooter gone, I cleaned up that parking area, leveled it out, and relocated the utility trailer there.  And where the utility trailer had been parked I will rake that area out and plant grass seed.  I did all this before 10:30 a.m. when the heat and humidity drove me inside to the wonderful cool confines of our house.  I love the furnace's warmth in the winter and the air conditioner's coolness in the summer.  A winning combo indeed.   

 CLEANING UP SCOOTER'S OLD PARKING AREA

 RELOCATED THE UTILITY  TRAILER FROM THE LEFT OF THAT DIVIDER TO THE RIGHT OF THAT DIVIDER

I wonder how many folks know that Walt Disney once lived not too far from Bayfield when he was a young boy.  In this CBC Interview, Walt talks about his roots in this area and mentions Goderich a couple times.  Northwest of Clinton is a road called, Disney Road which runs between the Maitland Line and the Fish and Game Line.  Rumor has it that there may have been a Disney homestead somewhere in that area.  The Bluevale place he mentions in the interview is further north and east of Wingham Ontario. 

 THIS MACHINE WITH ITS LONG ARMS FOLDED IN IS USED FOR SPRAYING FERTILIZERS ON AREA FIELDS

A Facebook message from my son two days ago said this, "Hey Pops, just found out that I will be transferring to that rehab hospital on Wednesday. I shouldn’t be in there for too long before I’m able to go home."   A

 HERE'S SEAN ENJOYING SOME SUNSHINE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY DAYS

Al's Music Box:)) After Midnight by JJ Cale from his album 'Naturally'.  1966.  Cale originally wrote and sang this song.  The song went on to gain popularity when Eric Clapton later recorded it.  Here is JJ Cale and Eric Clapton playing the song together at a Live Concert

 'HEY DAD WHERE'S SCOOTER'??

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Three boys are in the schoolyard bragging about their fathers.  The first boy says, "My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, and they give him $50."  The second boy says, "That's nothing. My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, and they give him $100."  The third boy says, "I got you both beat. My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!"

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Here's an old Johnny Carson show segment where he has Tim Conway on. (Carol Burnett Show)  At the end of the interview with Conway, if you prefer to scroll through it, Johnny and Tim do a skit called Jockey Lyle Dorf.  This one even had me laughing.  

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WELL, IT'S FINALLY DONE AND SCOOTER IS GONE

 SCOOTER BEGINS ITS TAKE-OFF ROLL ON THE NEXT ADVENTURE OF ITS LIFE

My first priority this morning was to take Scooter to the gas station and put a wallop of gas in her for the new owner.  I know what it's like to buy a vehicle and drive away only to discover the gas gauge needle bouncing off empty.  Not a nice thing to do to somebody.

 MY SECOND TO LAST PICTURE THROUGH SCOOTER'S WINDSHIELD  COMING HOME FROM THE GAS STATION THIS MORNING

 AND THIS WAS MY LAST EVER PHOTO AS I APPROACHED OUR PARK'S ENTRANCE

The soreness in my right thigh doesn't seem to be going away this time so Pheebs and I once again only did half a walk this morning.

ONE OF OUR FROG POND FLOWERS IS BLOOMING

Scooter's new owner and his son rolled in shortly after 2 p.m.  Kelly handled the paperwork and explained how things worked inside the rig while I explained some of the outside features.  All went well and Jerry the new owner and his son were soon on their way back to Cambridge.  We found both the new owner and his son to be really nice people.  We stood in the driveway and watched Scooter roll out for the last time.  I always feel a touch of sadness every time a vehicle is sold.  And today was no different.  For the second time in 27 years, we are RVless.....................Oh Dear:((    

Al's Music Box:)) Texas by Chris Rea from the album 'Road To Hell'.  1990

BYE BYE SCOOTER AND THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A young couple drove several miles down a country road, not saying a word.  An earlier discussion had led to an argument, and neither wanted to concede their position.  As they passed a barnyard of mules and pigs, the husband sarcastically asked, "Are they relatives of yours?"  "Yes," his wife replied. "I married into the family."

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I was on vacation in Texas and was appalled by the chaotic Dallas traffic.  I asked the bellhop at the hotel why it was so disorderly.  "In some countries, they drive on the right, in others on the left. Here, we drive in the shade."

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