TO LONDON'S VICTORIA HOSPITAL AND BACK TODAY

 CHICORY FLOWERS UNDER A BENCH

It had been a week and a half since Kelly's last plasmapheresis treatment and in the last couple of days her severe itching problem had returned.  So, it was all three of us in the Subaru this morning heading for London's Victoria Hospital.  Being Saturday, traffic was a tad lighter.  Dropped Kelly off at the hospital for her treatment at 12:20 and minutes later Pheebs and I under cloudy skies with a light drizzle in the air had ourselves out of the car for a walk at London's Westminster Ponds Nature Area

 A COUPLE SHAKY PHOTOS THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF AN ORNGE AIR AMBULANCE  UNLEADING SOMEONE TODAY AT LONDON'S VICTORIA HOSPITAL

 ON OUR WAY TO THE WESTMINSTER PONDS AREA I SPOTTED THESE THREE CANADA GEESE ON THE ROAD 

 THESE GUYS NEVER GAVE AN INCH AS WE SQUEAKED BY

 OUR PARKING SPOT FOR A COUPLE HOURS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON

 OFF WE GO ON THIS SHORT STRETCH OF  OLD PAVED ROAD

 I WAS GLAD TO SEE SHE WALKED AROUND THIS PUDDLE INSTEAD OF THROUGH IT

 HAD THE TRAIL NOT BEEN SO MUDDY WE WOULD HAVE DEAKED IN HERE

 I HEARD THE AIR AMBULANCE HELICOPTER LIFT OFF THE PAD AT THE HOSPITAL AND WAITED FOR IT TO FLY OVER

 IT IS PROBABLY HEADING TO IT'S HOME BASE IN LONDON'S EAST END AT THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Overnight rains had left the trails muddy and the grass wet but we did manage a half-hour walk in the baseball diamonds area before the light drizzle turned to rain.  We spent most of our time in the car but did get out for a shorter second walk later.  I do all the reading and Pheebs does all the snoozing.  Later, noticing an error message on my cell phone I knew right away it wasn't working correctly.  That meant Kelly couldn't call when she was ready to be picked up.  Tried turning the phone off and on several times but that didn't fix it.  I guesstimated the time (2:30 p.m.) that she might be done and drove over to the hospital to park near the door where she would be coming out.  The timing was perfect as Kelly walked out the door just as we pulled up to the curb.  

 HEADING BACK TO THE CAR THROUGH THE WET GRASS AND YES, MY TOES GOT SOAKED THROUGH MY RUNNING SHOES

 VISIBLE IN THIS PHOTO IS THE CUPOLA ON THE MAIN BUILDING HERE AT TOP LEFT, THE LOWER BASEBALL DIAMOND UPPER CENTER, SUBIE'S ROOF UPPER RIGHT AND PHEEBS AT LOWER RIGHT

 BACK TO THE CAR ABOUT TEN SECONDS BEFORE THE RAIN STARTED

 A BIG DRINK AFTER A HALF HOUR'S WALK

 MY READING PLATFORM

 A COUPLE OF HAPPY CHARACTERS

It was a rainy day drive most of the way home and we never stopped anywhere for coffee or eats.  It was shortly before 4 p.m. when I backed into our driveway.  If not sooner, we'll be back to Victoria Hospital in a week.  It will depend on the severity of Kelly's itching. 

 A FEW THINGS WE SAW ON OUR WALK TODAY

 JUNIPER BERRIES

 CHECKING OUT A BEEBLE BERRY BUSH

Before heading to London this morning, Pheebs and I took a swing through Bayfield to see whatever we could see.  For a summer Saturday morning there wasn't much going on along Mainstreet and I think the inclement weather had something to do with that.

 HEADING OUT FOR A SATURDAY MORNING CRUISE ON LAKE HURON

 CALM WATERS FOR A PADDLE

 THIS LADY PREFERRED A STROLL ON BAYFIED'S BEACH WITH A CUP OF COFFEE IN HAND

 KIND OF A STUBBY LITTLE BOAT

 ANOTHER COLORFUL HYDRANGEA SEEN IN BAYFIELD

 AND A  RATHER SNAPPY LOOKING CAR ON BAYFIELD'S MAIN STREET

Al's Music Box:)) Crazy Mama by JJ Cale from the album 'Naturally'.  1971

GROANER'S CORNER:(( If you are from the northern states and planning on visiting or moving to the south, there are a few things you should know that will help you adapt to the difference in lifestyles:

1. If you run your car into a ditch, don't panic. Four men in a four-wheel-drive pickup truck with a 12-pack of beer and a towchain will be along shortly. Don't try to help them, just stay out of their way. This is what they live for.

2. Don't be surprised to find movie rentals and bait in the same store. Do not buy food at this store.

3. Remember: "Y'all" is singular, "All y'all" is plural, and "All y'alls'" is plural possessive.

4. Get used to hearing "You ain't from around here, are ya?"

5. You may hear a Southerner say "Oughta!" to a dog or child. This is short for "Y'all oughta not do that!" and is the equivalent of saying "No!"

6. Don't be worried about not understanding what people are saying; they can't understand you, either.

7. The first Southern expression to creep into a transplanted Northerner's vocabulary is the adjective "big ol'," as in "big ol' truck " or "big ol' boy." Most Northerners begin their new Southern-influenced dialect this way. All of them are in denial about it.

8. The proper pronunciation you learned in school is no longer proper.

9. Be advised that "He needed killin'" is a valid defense here.

10. If you hear a Southerner exclaim "Hey, y'all, watch this," stay out of the way. These are likely to be the last words he'll ever say.

11. If there is the prediction of the slightest chance of even the smallest accumulation of snow, your presence is required at the local grocery store. It doesn't matter whether you need anything or not. You just have to go there.

12. When you come upon a person driving 15 mph down the middle of the road, remember that most folks here learn to drive on a John Deere, and that this is the proper speed and position for that vehicle.

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KELLY IS HAVING TO MAKE CHANGES TO HER DIET

A LEISURELY DRIVE THROUGH THE ROLLING FARM FIELDS OF HURON COUNTY

With a nice looking and good feeling mid-summer morning going on, Pheebs and I weren't long in getting our legs in gear out at our gravel road spot.  Following that, we cruised around a few country roads looking for a photo or two.

 THE FACEMASK KEEPS FLIES AND BUGS OUT OF THE HORSES EYES

 A CURIOUS LLAMA

 WOOLY SHEEP

Twice a year I have an appointment to talk with my diabetes person regarding how I'm doing.  This morning it was by phone and in December it will be in person.  She said according to my numbers I'm still doing okay and have remained pre-diabetic.  This doesn't come naturally for me anymore and I have to constantly work at it by not eating or drinking all my favorite things like donuts, muffins, butter tarts, cake, ice cream, fudge, chocolates, cinnamon buns, pie, etc.  No butterscotch, chocolate, or vanilla milkshakes either.  Now, I do have my occasional slips but I have not taken back any of my previously bad eating habits since being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes three years ago.  I should also mention that I do take Metformin and have not had any trouble with it at all.  So, so far so good:))  

 BINDWEED FLOWERS

 A FIELD OF BEANS

 PERHAPS A FLYING SAUCER LANDED OUT THERE.....NOPE, WATER POOLED IN THAT HOLLOW AFTER WEDNESDAY'S HEAVY OVERNIGHT RAIN

 THIS FIELD OF BARLEY SEEMS TO FLOW ACROSS THE COUNTRYSIDE

 BINDWEED AND CHICORY

 A FARMYARD FLOWER GARDEN

Kelly's son Ben, his two boys, and girlfriend Gizelle are taking a summer break at nearby Deer Park Lodge for a week.  Ben had to slip up to Goderich this morning for groceries so phoned his Mom to see if she wanted to go along.  Kelly said sure and off they went.  Since talking with a dietician last Wednesday at the liver committee review in London's University Hospital Kelly has had to make some changes to her diet.  At only 103 pounds they told her she needs to get 'bulked' up' so this morning she bought a number of grocery items to build up her weight and strength.  Instead of skim milk, she has switched to 3% milk.  And, instead of her usual low-fat yogurt, she bought the 'extra creamy' 15% Greek Yogurt along with a number of other protein-related items.  And I think she came home with a big tub of Tahitian Vanilla Bean ice cream as well.  I suggested she put a padlock on that ice cream tub just in case I were to trip over a kitchen mat and accidentally fall face-first into that Tahitian Vanilla Bean ice cream container open on the counter:))  

 HERE'S KELLY AND HER SON IN GODERICH AT CAIT'S CAFE FOR BREAKFAST THIS MORNING

Al's Music Box:)) Annies Song by John Denver from the album 'Back Home Again'.  1974

 BAYFIELD PINES RESIDENTS OUT FOR A MORNING WALK

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A helicopter was flying around above Seattle yesterday when an electrical malfunction disabled all of the aircraft's electronic navigation and communication equipment. Due to the clouds and haze the pilot could not determine his position or course to steer to the airport. The pilot saw a tall building, flew toward it, circled, drew a handwritten sign and held it in the helicopter's window. T he sign said "WHERE AM I?" in large letters.  People in the tall building quickly responded to the aircraft, drew a large sign and held it in a building window. Their sign said, "YOU ARE IN A HELICOPTER.'  The pilot smiled, waved, looked at his map and determined the course to steer to SEATAC (Seattle/Tacoma) airport and landed safely.  After they were on the ground, the co-pilot asked the pilot how the "YOU ARE IN A HELICOPTER" sign helped determine their position.  The pilot responded, "I knew that had to be the MICROSOFT building because they gave me a technically correct but completely useless reply.

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ANOTHER STEP CLOSER TO OUR 'WISE OLD OWL' BADGES....AND, SHARKS IN A WHEATFIELD??

 SPOTTED THIS LITTLE FELLOW NEAR THE PARK'S POND THIS AFTERNOON

Overnight heavy rains left a thick cloud cover overhead this morning as I headed over to my good buddy Richard's place in the Subaru.  It was my turn to drive this time on our semi-monthly country road coffee tour.  Knowing country roads would be muddy I stayed on pavement.  Picked up a couple coffees and accompanying muffins at Bayfield's Tim Hortons and headed off south down around the Grand Bend area.  We noticed a lot of water standing in fields with some area creeks and rivers over their banks.  Rivers had the color of chocolate milk as soil from area farm fields eroded into the rivers.  The rivers in turn carried all that muddy water into Lake Huron turning its normally greeny blue shoreline waters brown.  Bayfield's Tim Horton parking lot was really flooded and we nearly had to put Subie on a barge to float it out of there.  Our morning coffee run lasted a couple hours and by the end of that time I think we both concluded that once again we were one step closer to being awarded our Old Geezers, 'Wise Old Owl' badges:))

 THIS IS TIM HORTONS FLOODED PARKING LOT AREA EARLIER TODAY

 RECENT RAINS HAVE SPURRED LUSH GREEN GROWTH IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

 I THINK HER NAME IS STEPHANIE

 ON MY WAY TO EXETER ON PARR LINE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON I SAW THIS TRIO OF SHARKS CIRCLING IN A WHEATFIELD

 I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT EITHER

Sunshine finally broke through our mid-afternoon cloud cover as skies began to finally clear.  With comfortably cooler humidity-free air upon us, Pheebs and I were soon out the door for a walk around the Park's pond area. 

 COULD OUR PARK'S POND HAVE IT'S VERY OWN LOCH NESS MONSTER

I PLANTED A FEW BUNCHES OF DAYLILIES ALONG THE POND'S BANK YEARS AGO AND THEY ARE STILL DOING WELL

Al's Music Box:)) Moonlight Gambler by Frankie Laine from the year 1956.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A journalist assigned to the Jerusalem bureau takes an apartment overlooking the Wailing Wall. Every day when she looks out, she sees an old Jewish man praying vigorously.  So, the journalist goes down and introduces herself to the old man.  She asks, "You come every day to the wall. How long have you done that, and what are you praying for?"  The old man replies, "I have come here to pray every day for 25 years.  In the morning I pray for world peace and then for the brotherhood of man.  I go home, have a cup of tea, and I come back and pray for the eradication of illness and disease from the earth."  The journalist is amazed.  "How does it make you feel to come here every day for 25 years and pray for these things?" she asks.  The old man looks at her sadly.  "Like I'm talking to a wall."

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International Rock Day, celebrated on July 13 every year, is all about paying tribute to rocks::

.My wife told me she is thinking about selling Egyptian rocks.  It sounds like a pyramid scheme to me.

- Why was the rock couple breaking up?
Because they took each other for granite.

- Why did the rock shower every morning?
He wanted to start the day off with a clean slate.

- What did the stone want to be when it grew up?  A rock star.

- Which rock group is made up of four men who can’t sing?  Mount Rushmore.

- Why was the criminal rock acquitted?
Because his alibi was rock solid.

- What is a geologist’s favorite type of music?  Hard rock.

- Which magazine do rocks subscribe to?
The Rolling Stone.
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