Saturday, December 21, 2024

MY 97 YEAR OLD AUNT JEAN IS STILL A PRETTY SHARP COOKIE

I think the last time Pheebs and I were at a 'Burger King' was in Wickenburg, Arizona about 10 ago.  This morning, we set off to go to Burger King again, but not to Wickenburg.  We headed to Exeter Ontario where I knew a new Burger King to be.  It wasn't the only reason we went to Exeter though.  I'm almost out of Melita #1 coffee filters.  Canadian Tire in Goderich carried them at one time until they didn't.  Home Hardware in Goderich carried them until the store burned down last May.  So, the closest place with #1 coffee filters is at Home Hardware in Exeter Ontario a 22 miles from here.  Slightly longer than 16 miles from Congress to Wickenburg Arizona which incidentally had 3 round-a-bouts along the way.   Anyway, that was our reason to drive to Exeter on this cold and gray winter's morn.

 I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE PATCHES OF BLUE SKY WHEN PHEEBS AND I ROLLED OUT OF THE PARK THIS MORNING
 THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT MOST OF OUR DAY LOOKED LIKE
We rolled out our driveway at 9:20 and upon exiting the Park I was surprised to see encouraging patches of blue sky.  We took the highways to Exeter and before long we were at the Home Hardware store.  I scooped the last two Melita #1coffee filters off the rack and thanked my lucky stars they at least still had two left.  From there it was over to Burger King a short distance away.  We 'Whopperized' ourselves with a few fries to boot.  The burg was kinda juicy so needless to say part of it ended up on my shirt and my pants.  All very parr for the course with me.  Sitting in the parking lot we finished up the burg and fries as best we could.  It will probably be the last burg and fries I have for a long time.  As with a number of other foods, I seem to have lost my taste for burgs and fries too.  Just as well I guess, and I might add, it's about time too.  There was nothing wrong with the Whopper and fries.  It's just me.  Heading home we stayed off the highways and meandered ourselves along half a dozen snowy gravel roads.  Snapped a few pics while emboldened by a few sun splashes along the way.

 EXETER'S NEW BURGER KING
 PHEEBS IS LASER FOCUSED ON THE DRIVE-THRU WINDOW WHERE THE WHOPPER WILL COME FLYING OUT OF
 HEY, AT LEAST I'M GETTING MY VEGGIES FOR THE DAY
 SHARING WITH MY BEST PAL
AND YES, THINGS WOULDN'T BE NORMAL IF I DIDN'T GOOB MYSELF WITH SOME JUICY TOMATO DROPPINGS AND A CHUNK OF LETTUCE
SOMETIMES MY TRUSTY NAVIGATOR CURLS UP ON THE FRONT SEAT AND GOES TO SLEEP....IT IS AT THESE TIMES WE OFTEN GET LOST
 'I'M NOT SLEEPING DAD, I KNOW WHERE WE ARE'
 DRIVING THE COFFEE FILTERS HOME
I think we were home around noon when an odd thing happened and I'm sure that Kelly was behind it.  I was standing at the kitchen sink when a thought popped into my mind.  Go look under the placemat on the computer desk in the sunroom.  I did that, and there on a piece of  paper, was written my SIN number as well as Kelly's.  Well, I hoped it was mine.  Then, a second odd thing happened.  I saw an email in our 'Outlook' email program from Aunt Jean in Florida.  In it she said...."Hi Allan,  After our telephone visit last night, I got to thinking that I perhaps had the number you're looking for.  Remembered to check my files & sure enough, there it was.  Here it is, ???-???-???.   Take care my dear.  Love & Hugs........Jean".  I checked Jean's number with the number on the piece of paper and 'Walla' they matched.  Yessiree, my 97-year-old Aunt Jean is still a pretty sharp cookie:))  Now I can get those other 3 envelopes finally mailed.

 IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I LAST TOOK A PHOTO OF A BARN BLOCK QUILT
 I LIKE HOW THAT LITTLE RED SHED HOLDS ITS OWN AGAINST THE SURROUNDING BIG GRAY FARM BUILDINGS
 OH-OH SHED FALL DOWN AND GO BOOM
 MAYBE THEY CAN MAKE A CHICKEN COUP OUT OF IT
 IDLE FARM MACHINERY PATIENTLY AWAITS NEXT SUMMER'S BUSY DAYB
 I REMEMBER THEM PUTTING THE RED ROOF ON THAT FARM HOUSE YEARS AGO
For the third afternoon in a row, I haven't had one ounce of energy to spare.  I spent most of my time in my living room recliner nodding off every time I tried to read something on my laptop.  Thanks to commenter Ron from Franklin, Tennessee on last night's post, I have tapped into Rich Bowlin On YouTube with his iPhone tips for Seniors.  How great to have a clear English-speaking instructional Senior person on YouTube for a change.  Anyway, as soon as I can get all these dosing zzzzzz's out of my head and clear up my mind, I will be following this fellow's instructions with Kelly's iPhone 15 in hand.   Wish me luck.  
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A Blast From Our Past:)) Our Sunday Search For Cochise's Council Rocks...It took us two tries to finally find the location of the Indian Chief Cochise's council rocks in the Dragoon Mountains of southeastern Arizona but 14 years ago yesterday we did indeed find that location.  Remember to click on the smaller pictures to enlarge them.
 A WANDERING DRAINAGE DITCH CUTS THROUGH A FARMER'S FIELD

BARE BRANCHES REFLECTED IN A COLD DECEMBER CREEK
 I'VE ALWAYS KIND LIKED THIS HILLTOP HOUSE FOR SOME REASON
Al's Music Box:)) The Master's Call “The Master’s Call” is a song featured on Marty Robbins’ iconic 1959 album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs.  Written and performed by Robbins in a strophic song structure, “The Master’s Call” is a redemptive tale about a young man who leaves home behind to plunder and rob as an outlaw.  One night the speaker is rustling cattle, which was once “a common hazard of early settlers in Texas,” when he finds himself reflecting upon his sinful life.  Distracted by strange voices and visions, the narrator is thrown from his horse and faced with the stampeding herd of cattle.  The narrator cries out for mercy and witnesses the face of Jesus Christ in a flashing bolt of lightning.  The same bolt of lightning kills the charging cattle, thus saving his life and reaffirming his faith in God.  The song’s intended message is that God has a reason for everything, and it ends with the narrator devoting his life and soul to his savior.  From the moment “The Master’s Call” begins we are subject to somber background vocals mournfully singing alongside a soft guitar harmony.  These aspects immediately set the tone of the track before any words are exchanged.  Thus by the time that Robbins sings the first line, “When I was but a young man I was wild and full of fire,” we already have the feeling that this is going to be a sad tale.  Sure enough, the speaker ends up leaving his parents to lead a life of sin.  Since it is composed in the strophic form, the instrumentation does not change much during the course of the song.  However, “The Master’s Call” is a powerful song that builds in intensity as the song progresses, and Robbins’ vocal inflections convey a considerable emotional depth to the listener.  Robbins sings with passion, and he sings less calmly and more passionately as the song builds.  We can truly feel the remorse in his voice as he sings: And I cried oh Lord forgive me, don’t let it happen now.  I want to live for you alone, oh God these words I vow.  These lines actually lead up to the song’s emotional climax, in which the speaker privately realizes the sinfulness of his life and the years that he has wasted pursuing unjust causes.  Robbins’ singing during this verse is powerful and commanding, even when compared to the rest of the song.  In fact, this is the one part in which the instruments deviate from their regular structure.  The guitar branches out and does its own thing, seemingly reflecting the speaker’s own loss of control.  Before long the pace of the song has returned to normal, and the speaker is back to the present moment again and out of the moral dilemmas brewing in his head.  As listeners, we have to almost readjust after such a raw display of emotion.  The song’s themes of redemption, faith, and devotion are indubitably related to Marty Robbins’ own religious beliefs. When asked in an interview whether he believed God played a role in his career, Robbins had the following to say: “I started praying for this long before I ever got it, and long before I ever got into the business. Because I do believe in prayer. And I prayed for all these things, and God gave me the strength to get them. I have never set up any particular goal. Never. I just let it happen. Because I knew it was going to happen”.  Robbins’ faith in a wise and benevolent God is evident in this song, in which a sinner is spared and allowed a second chance at life.  “The Master’s Call” is arguably one of the most powerful tracks from Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs.  Haunting background vocalists and memorable guitar playing set a somber stage for the listener, but ultimately only serve to complement Marty Robbins’ outstanding talent as a singer and a songwriter.  This song’s instrumentation, vocals, and overall message make it an incredibly engaging and potentially enlightening experience for listeners.

 GOLDFINCH
GROANER'S CORNER:(( Although this married couple enjoyed their luxury fishing boat together, it was the husband who was always behind the wheel operating the boat. He was concerned about what might happen in an emergency. So one day out on the lake he suddenly said to his wife, "Ok honey, this is a drill. Pretend that I am having a heart attack. You must get the boat safely to shore."  She was initially surprised and flustered, but she soon settled down and was able to safely drive the boat to shore.  Later that evening, the wife walked into the living room where her husband was watching television. She sat down next to him, grabbed the remote control, switched the channel, and said to him, "OK honey, this is a drill. Pretend I'm having a heart attack. You must set the table, cook dinner, and wash the dishes."

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- Why is it called a "building" when it is already built?
- do they call them "apartments" when they are all stuck together?
- Why is there an expiration date on SOUR cream?
- If you keep trying to prove Murphy's Law, will something keep going wrong?
- Why does flammable and inflammable mean the same thing?
- How can someone "draw a blank"?
- Shouldn't there be a shorter word for "monosyllabic"?
- Why is the word "abbreviate" so long?
- Why did kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
- What is another word for "thesaurus"?

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A Policeman said to a fair haired lady: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?  The fair haired lady replied: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.

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- They say money talks, but mine just waves goodbye.

The depressing thing about tennis is that no matter how much I play, I’ll never be as good as a wall.

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"A guy was so happy that it was St Patrick's day, he was literally bouncing off the walls!"  "What was his name, you might ask?"  "Rick O'Shea."
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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly's Corner
 KELLY WALKING WITH HER SISTER IN LAW LESLIE IN SARASOTA FLORIDA

 KELLY WITH HER OLDEST SON JASON AT BAYFIELD'S MAIN STREET SANTA CLAUSE PARADE ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO
Al's Art Gallery
















Friday, December 20, 2024

OUT INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE WHERE WE ARE THE HAPPIEST

PHEEBS WAS HAPPY TO FINALLY BE OUT AGAIN FOR A CAR RIDE THIS MORNING
How nice to wake up after having a good night's sleep for a change and knowing my presence was not required to be anywhere at any given time for any given reason.  Due to appointments, I hadn't been able to take Pheebs with me for a car ride the past few days, so this morning despite the ground completely covered in snow and still snowing, Pheebs and I headed out with no particular hard-nose destination in mind.  My favorite kind of stress-free destination. 

 NICE TO SEE AREA HIGHWAYS FREE OF ICE AND SNOW ON OUR WAY TO CLINTON THIS MORNING
 EVERGREEN TREES ON A GOLF COURSE FAIRWAY
 A WINTER'S CREEK MEANDERS ITS WAY THROUGH MY CAMERA FRAME AS WE GO BY
 A SNOWY FOREST BUSH LANE

Well, okay we did have somewhere to go but it wasn't stress-related too much.  Our first stop was the Bayfield Post Office to mail two of five important envelopes regarding Kelly's passing.  I can't mail the other three envelopes until I find my Social Security Number to put in with them.  I spent over an hour again this afternoon trying to find our income tax stuff.  Our second stop this morning was the Bayfield Library to see if the nice computer lady (Alena) was there and could show me how to find my iPhone's home screen.  I was so discouraged by not being able to find it despite being shown how less than 24 hours before.  Alena wasn't in today but another nice lady had my home screen (where all the icons are) up in about one-tenth of one second.  I had been doing the exact same swipe up as she did but she pointed out where I might have gone amiss pressing a little button on the right-hand side of the phone.  I was very grateful for her quick help and have at least a fighting chance that I know where to find the 'Settings' icon now.  For our next stop, we headed over to Clinton where I first picked up a Tim Hortons coffee to go and then dropped off a 'death certificate' at the law firm where Kelly and I have our wills.  A quick gas fill-up at the Shell Station in Clinton's north end and away Pheebs and I went out into the countryside where we are the happiest.  We were back on the country roads with forests, streams, open skies, horizons, rambling farmer's fields, hills and dales.  How refreshing it was to be back in our element cruising along slow with Pheebs window down and soothing ambient music on Subies SiriusXM satellite radio.  We slowly ambled our way northwest of Clinton taking a few photos along the way.  

 FOR ALL THE YEARS I HAVE BEEN DRIVING BY THIS FARM I HAVE NEVER SEEN A HORSE IN ANY OF THESE CORRALS
Home again, I spent time on little projects around the house such as looking for our income taxes.  That girl sure must have hidden them away in a safe place alright.  Maybe above a ceiling panel, underneath a loose floorboard in our unit, or behind a false wall panel.  Or, maybe she just put them on top of the fridge or something.  Wherever they are, I still haven't found them.  

Al's Music Box:)) What In The World's Come Over You is a song written and performed by Jack Scott. It was featured on his 1960 album What in the World's Come Over You.  The song was produced bySonny Lester.  It reached #2 in Australia, #2 in Canada, #5 on the U.S. pop chart, #7 on the U.S. R&B chart, and #11 on the UK Singles chart in 1960.  The song ranked #14 on Billboard magazine's Top 100 singles of 1960. 

NICE TO SEE A TOUCH OF CHRISTMASY COLOR WHEN WE GOT BACK TO OUR PARK
GROANER'S CORNER:(( I came home from work this evening and said to my wife, "Are we having salad for dinner?"  "Yes we are, how did you know?" she asked.  I replied, "Because I can't hear the smoke alarm."

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A man was at home watching TV with his friends when he heard a noise. He ran out just in time to see a thief drive off in his car.
"Did you see their face?" his friends asked when he came back inside.  "No, but it's okay - I got the licence plate number!"

- “Did you hear about the lost sausage? It was the missing link.”

- I drink decaf coffee.  I like my coffee how I like my men - missing everything I need.

- Family is important because they’re the only people who know what you’ve been through, and that’s because they caused most of it.

- Men love fixing things except themselves.

- It’s been raining for days now and my husband seems very depressed by it.  He keeps standing by the window, staring. If it continues, I’m going to have to let him in.

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::
KELLY'S CORNER

POWDER DUMP WASH WEST OF OCOTILLO WELLS, CALIFORNIA ON A MORNING HIKE
 AT OUR RANCH SITTING LOCATION NEAR MCNEAL ARIZONA ONLY 20 MILES FROM THE MEXICAN BORDER AT DOUGLAS, ARIZONA

Al's Art Gallery