JUST ME IN THE SUBARU TO DOWNTOWN LONDON AND BACK

A sliver of sunlight at sunrise and that was it for the day.  But, that was okay because at least it was above freezing and it wasn't raining, snowing, or blowing.  It was a drive into Bayfield this morning for Pheebs with a couple of stops thrown in at Foodland for apples.  Our second stop was at the Porters Hill Wild Bird Seed Company for a couple 20-pound bags of birdseed.  And yes, all of our birds are back at the feeders again:))

With a few ongoing camera issues, I hopped into the Subaru this afternoon and drove over to downtown London's Camera Canada store.  I had never been there before.  Nice store and I found them very helpful.  It was a great drive there and back with most of the way under sunny skies.  And yes, I even had the sunroof open for a few miles.  Why?? Because I could.  And I'm sure I was much warmer than the four motorcyclists I saw go by on their Harleygators.  

A Blast From Our Past:: It was January 31st, 2012 and we were boondocked at the infamous Slab City (The Slabs) near Nyland, California.  We were here to see Solar Mike and have a solar problem looked at on our 2002 Damon Challenger Class A Motorhome. I Think I Could Easily Become A Slabber Some Day           

 THAT'S OUR RIG AND JEEP OUT THERE....OVER THE YEARS WE WERE PROBABLY HERE A HALF DOZEN TIMES FOR SOLAR INSTALLATIONS, ETC

 HEADING SOUTH ON CLARENCE STREET IN DOWNTOWN LONDON THIS AFTERNOON

Al's Music Box:(( Big Iron is a country ballad written and performed by Marty Robbins, originally released as an album track on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959, then as a single in February 1960 with the song "Saddle Tramp" as the B-side single. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.  It tells the story of an Arizona Ranger's duel with a 24-year-old outlaw named Texas Red in the "town of Agua Fria." The townspeople predict the death of the ranger; an unconcerned Texas Red having already killed "one and nineteen" men, but at the moment they meet, the ranger kills Texas Red with the "big iron on his hip." The ranger's draw was so swift, that Texas Red had not even "cleared leather," killing the outlaw in one shot.  

GROANER'S CORNER:((  An American businessman goes to Japan on a business trip. He hates Japanese food, so he asks the concierge at his hotel if there is any place where he can get a pizza.  The concierge tells him he will call for delivery to his room and takes his order.  Thirty minutes later, the delivery guy shows up. The businessman takes the pizza and starts sneezing uncontrollably.  He asks the delivery man, What the heck did you put on this pizza?  The delivery man bows deeply and says, Just what you ordered -- pepper only.

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- To the person who stole my glasses.  I will find you, I have contacts.

- “To be old and wise, you need to first be young and stupid.”

- “Somedays you eat salad and work out. Somedays you have cupcakes and pizza. It’s called balance.

- “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

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SO, DOWN I SAT

 A SUNNY MORNING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

By golly, we are on a roll here with these sunny days and milder temperatures.  Maybe it's true that the North and South poles are reversing.  Ya, and maybe it's also true that if I flapped my arms fast enough I could fly to the Moon and back too.  By 8 a.m. we were already at 47F and later in the day a 99-year temperature record was broken when temps rose to 56F.  Say, you don't suppose the weather Gods looking down saw my dilemma with all the cold gray days and decided to give me (and a whole lotta other people) a break do ya.......Nawwww, I didn't think so either.  But.........

 NICE TO SEE PEOPLE OUT FOR A WALK ENJOYING THE SUNSHINE AT GODERICH'S ROTARY COVE

Pheebs and I didn't waste any time this morning in getting out of the house and into the sunshine.  With front windows down we almost didn't even need to have the Jeep's heater going.  Of course, the keyword there was 'almost'.  Goderich was our destination but instead of heading there directly, we decided to amble along a few dusty country roads savoring the morning.  And, why not take the gravel roads because after all, I had just washed the Jeep a few days ago, and what's a Jeep if it doesn't always have some dust and dirt on it.

 I'M QUITE HAPPY TO SEE ALL THE SNOW GONE

 GODERICH'S INNER HARBOR IS FREE OF ICE

Home again I made sure I had some good reasons and excuses to keep myself outside.  I busied myself with my lawn rake cleaning up my pathways around the house.  I always find raking things up to be relaxing except when raking leaves.  I do not like raking leaves because leaves have a mind of their own.  They cling to the tines of the rake and generally do not cooperate with where I am trying to move them.  Even raking up dog poop is easier than raking up leaves!!

 STILL A BIT OF ICE AND SNOW ALONG THE SHORELINE

I don't know where all our front yard birds went this past week but they certainly have got up and went somewhere.  Very few birds at the feeders.  It would have been a nice afternoon for a walk around our Park's pond but after my earlier raking the only thing my hip would painlessly allow me to do was sit down.  So, down I sat:(( 

A Blast From The Past...February 8th, 2009 takes us back to our early ranch sitting days near McNeal Arizona.  We were just learning the ropes from ranch owners Jeannie and Ray before they left on an RV holiday of their own.  Storm Clouds And Snow In The Mountains     

Al's Music Box:)) Sugar Shack is a song written in 1962 by Keith McCormack. McCormack gave songwriting credit to his aunt, Beulah Faye Voss, after asking what are "those tight pants that girls wear" to which she replied "leotards". The song was recorded in 1963 by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs at Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. The unusual and distinctive instrument part was played by Norman Petty on a Hammond Solovox keyboard; to be precise it is a Model L, Series A.  On November 29, 1963, "Sugar Shack" received an RIAA certification for selling over a million copies, earning gold record status.  The song is featured in the films Mermaids, Dogfight, Forrest Gump, Congo, and Stealing Sinatra, and in the television show Supernatural.

 A FEW TOUCHES OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON STILL HANGING AROUND

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and worked east from there. Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued by a sign that read: "$10,000 a minute." Seeking out the Pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The Pastor explained that the golden phone was, in fact, a direct line to Heaven and if he paid the price he could talk directly to God. The man thanked the Pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle, San Diego, Chicago, Greensboro, Tampa, and all around the United States, he found more phones with the same sign and got the same answer from each Pastor.  Finally, he decided to go to Canada and see if the churches were different there. Upon entering a church in Bayfield Ontario, behold, he saw the usual golden telephone. But this time, the sign read: "Calls: 35 cents." Fascinated, he asked to talk to the Pastor.  "Reverend, I have been in cities all across the United States, and in each church I have found this golden telephone. I have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but, in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads 35 cents. Why?"  The Pastor, smiling benignly, replied, "Son, you're in Canada now... It's a local call."

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- Why is 6 afraid of 7?  Because 7,8,9.

- Did you hear about the painter who was hospitalized?  His doctor says it was due to too many strokes.

This young man was elated when he turned eighteen in a state where the curfew is 11:00 p.m. for anyone under seventeen years of age. He told his Dad how happy he was that now he could stay out until 3:00 a.m. if he wanted.  “Yes you can stay out as late as you want, but the car is under seventeen and it has to be in the garage by eleven,” his father said.

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SOMETIMES, I JUST NEED TIME AWAY FROM THINGS

 IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THIS IS EARLY FEBRUARY

Thanks to readers for once again being patient as I stumbled through the past three days.  Long-time readers will have recognized my predictable pattern knowing I would soon get myself sorted out and re-started.  But, it wasn't an easy re-start this time and I had to push myself this morning to begin today's post which I started as I often do with 'Al's Music Box'.  No matter what, I never lose my interest in music.  It's my magic elixir and fixer of many things.

 FOREST SUNSHINE EVERYWHERE

Okay, let's start with a quick recap of the last three days.  Many of this posts photos were taken this past Monday when Pheebs and I, on a glorious sunny morning cruised through the countryside southeast of Bayfield.  With clear blue skies overhead and our front windows down it was like a dark veil had been lifted from around me as I marveled at the rejuvenating Springlike day going on all around us. I just couldn't believe how much better I felt.  At the Lindner Conservation area on Pavilion Road, we stopped for a refreshing walk.  It felt great to get my legs moving again.  On our way home we even stopped in Bayfield and I washed the Jeep. 

 MONDAY MORNING IT WAS ALL ABOUT BIG BLUE SKIES AND QUIET COUNTRY ROADS

 IT WAS A GREAT MORNING FOR HAVING OUR WINDOWS DOWN AND SOAKING UP THE SUNSHINE AND FRESH AIR

 THESE PAST FEW DAYS HAVE BEEN A WONDERFUL PRELUDE TO REAL SPRING DAYS  IN ANOTHER COUPLE MONTHS

 WALKING IN THE SHADOWS OF MORNINGS SUNLIGHT

 STILL SNOW ALONG THIS WOODLAND TRAIL

 SO NICE TO BE WALKING ON FIRM GROUND AGAIN

 MORNING'S VAPOR TRAILS FROM HIGH FLYING JET AIRLINERS

 I STOOD HERE FOR THE LONGEST TIME LOOKING ACROSS THIS FIELD AT THE BIG BLUE SKY AND THE DISTANT OUTLINE OF LAKE HURON'S SHORELINE ON THE HORIZON TO THE LEFT

Home again I was able to spend some enjoyable and much needed time outside puttering around doing some early yard work.  Wednesday was a partially overcast slow day and I had little enthusiasm for doing much of anything except reading.  And then, before I knew it, today was here, and by golly I knew I had a good morning coming up.

 OUR MUSHROOM CROP SEEMS TO BE GROWING WELL ALONG MY LITTLE FAIRY'S PATH BY OUR HOUSE

 WE EVEN SAW THE SHADOW COWBOY THIS AFTERNOON

 AND, IT WAS AMAZING HOW FAST HE TURNED HIMSELF INTO A MARTIAN

It was Richard's turn to drive on this mostly sunny Thursday morning and I had been looking forward to our travels.  On bare and dry roads Richard headed for Goderich where we snagged our coffee and muffins.  From there we were northbound out of Goderich on highway #21 following the coastline to Port Albert a mere 10 miles away  Nice to see some different scenery for a change.  I do have a bit of a bad habit of traveling the same old roads and seeing the same old stuff these days.  Back through Goderich we came and Richard dropped me off at home around 11:45..  I always feel better after any one of our semi-monthly Thursday morning country excursions and today was no exception.  Thanks to Richard my interest in my blog was again re-ignited and here I am.

 AN ORANGE SUNRISE THROUGH OUR PINE TREES THIS MORNING

 MY CHAUFFEUR HAS ARRIVED

 CANADA GEESE AND FISHERMEN AT PORT ALBERT THIS MORNING

It was so nice outside for the first half of this afternoon that I had my leaf blower going as well as my lawn rake cleaning up Winter's debris in our driveway.  How great it felt to be outside in the sunshine doing something.  Pheebs and I did manage a walk around the Park's pond and beyond.  Had my hip not started barking at me we would have gone farther.  But, it is what it is right now and hopefully soon to change.

 A NICE AFTERNOON FOR A WALK AROUND THE PARK'S POND WHICH STILL HAS ICE ON IT

 IF YOU LOOK CLOSE YOU CAN SEE THE SHADOW COWBOY

 A DOGWOOD TREE AT THE POND'S EDGE

 ICE BUBBLES

 I SEE AN OLD LOBSTER TOAD CRAWLING UP OUT OF THE ICE ON THE RIGHT

 AT THE POND'S SOUTH END IS A BABBLING BROOK

 PHEEBS LOVES HER WALKS

Last Tuesday, I had actually made a start on a blog but never finished it.  Here then is what I had started........In Saturday's comment section blog reader Suzi said, "I love your 'blast from the past posts'.  Thanks for taking us back to fun days in the desert".  Encouraged by Suzi's words and knowing I have a few readers who enjoy those desert jaunts of ours I have decided to try and include more of them.  I've taken Suzi's words and will at times include a new blog feature called, 'Blast From The Past'.  So, here goes.....Blast From The Past...February 5th, 2010 found us still boondocked in the shadows of the Kofa Mountains in Arizona.  On this day we made our first hike into Palm Canyon.  The beauty of this land just never stops and there are new adventures around every corner sometimes it seems.  A Little Magic In The Kofa Mountains.  The day after this we set out on a bit of a different quest.  We went 'people hunting'.  Now that was a definite change for us and it was the first time we met Mike and Jim.  Today We Met Mike And Jim But Not Janna And Ellie  (remember to click on the smaller photos to enlarge them) We are still in touch with Janna and Mike and have visited back and forth with them a number of times over the years.  You can find Janna and Mike here at Restoration Cowboy Style.  I think easy-going Mike has got to be one of my favorite guys.

 IN THIS PHOTO OF KELLY AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT IS DWARFED BY THE JAGGED KOFA MOUNTAIN RANGE

Thanks again to readers for being patient with me.  If something drastic had (or would ever happen) I would for sure let you know, but sometimes I just have to push myself away from things, be by myself, and go for a long walk in a quiet forest.  Sometimes that is a physical walk and sometimes it is a mental walk and when they both come together, that is the healing time.  And too, it depends on the availability of the imaginary or real forest and where and when I find it and choose to walk there.                 

 THESE HAVE BEEN GREAT DAYS FOR WANDERING ALONG THE GRAVELY BACKROADS

 PHEEBS AND SOAKING UP MONDAY MORNING'S SUNSHINE AT THE LINDNER CONSERVATION AREA

Al's Music Box:)) The Long And Winding Road is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon-McCartney. Paul McCartney said he came up with the title "The Long and Winding Road" during one of his first visits to his property High Park Farm, near Campbeltown in Scotland, which he purchased in June 1966. The phrase was inspired by the sight of a road "stretching up into the hills" in the remote Highlands surroundings of lochs and distant mountains. He wrote the song at his farm in 1968, inspired by the growing tension among the Beatles. Based on other comments McCartney has made, author Howard Sounes writes, the lyrics can be seen as McCartney expressing his anguish at the direction of his personal life, as well as a nostalgic look back at the Beatles' history. McCartney recalled: "I just sat down at my piano in Scotland, started playing, and came up with that song, imagining it was going to be done by someone like Ray Charles. I have always found inspiration in the calm beauty of Scotland and again it proved the place where I found inspiration.  "In an interview in 1994, McCartney said of "The Long and Winding Road": "It's rather a sad song. I like writing sad songs, it's a good bag to get into because you can actually acknowledge some deeper feelings of your own and put them in it. It's a good vehicle, it saves having to go to a psychiatrist." He also told his biographer Barry Miles in the 1990s that the song was "all about the unattainable; the door you never quite reach ... the road that you never get to the end of".

 I LOVE SEEING THE COLOREEN AT THIS TIME OF YEAR

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man was on the very top diving board of a swimming pool.  He was poised, he lifted his arms, and was about to dive in when the attendant came running up, shouting, “Don’t dive, there’s no water in that pool!”  “That’s all right!” said the man. “I can’t swim anyway!!”

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Gladys was the preacher's wife and accompanied her husband each Sunday to church. One particular Sunday when the sermon seemed to go on forever, many in the congregation fell asleep. After the service, to be sociable, she walked up to a very sleepy-looking gentleman. In an attempt to revive him from his stupor, she extended her hand in greeting, and said, "Hello, I'm Gladys Dunn." To which the gentleman replied, "You're not the only one!"

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A wealthy man died and went to heaven. He was met at the Pearly Gates by Saint Peter who led him down the streets of gold. They passed mansion after mansion until they came to the very end of the street. Saint Peter stopped the rich man in front of a little shack.“This belongs to you,” said Saint Peter.“Why do I get this ugly thing when there are so many mansions I could live in?” the man demanded.“We did the best we could with the money you sent us!” Saint Peter replied.

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SOMETIMES

Sometimes when I have nothing to say, it is better that I say nothing.