MY SUNROOM PROJECT TODAY

Standing and looking out our living room window upon another grey wintery day I made two small decisions.  One, I was not going to go back into that spare room and continue with the clean-up project, and Two....I was not going to stay in the house and not take Pheebs out for her morning car ride.  And, with that, we were out the door and on our way.  Tim Hortons for a coffee to go in Clinton was our first stop with a second stop at the Shell Gas Station to top off Subie's tank.  From there, it was northwest out of Clinton into the snow-covered countryside we went to see if we could snap a few pics along the way.

 WINTER'S FENCED IN MOONSCAPE

WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION HERE WAS THE LITTLE BLACK DOG RUNNING DOWN THE FARM LANE BARKING LIKE A HORSE

Home again, I had decided while we were out for our Sunday morning drive that I was going to put my 'spare room' project on hold for a while.  Two days of going through old memories was a bit much so I decided on another project.  I had given the Sunroom a good cleaning several months ago except for under and behind the computer desk.  Today was the day to do that so with a few grunts and groans I moved the desk just far enough ahead that I could squeeze myself in behind it to not only clean the window but to vacum out all the cobwebs that had gathered back there this past year.  A good dusting and a wiping with a damp cloth went a long way to spiffing up the whole area.  Cleaned off the desk top as well and rearranged some things after bringing in a couple bricks and a piece of wood from the shed.

 MY SUNROOM PROJECT BEGINS

 PULLED THE DESK OUT SO I COULD CLEAN AROUND THAT MOSH OF WIRES

I ALWAYS KEEP A DOZEN BRICKS AROUND BECAUSE THEY OFTEN COME IN HANDY FOR SOMETHING

MY NEW TEMPORARY COMPUTER DESK SET UP...TEMPORARY??  YA, BECAUSE I OFTEN GET BORED WITH STUFF AND CHANGE THINGS AROUND

Somewhere between the computer desk project and thellate afternoon sun going down, I did manage to shovel all my outside pathways clear.  Luckily there was only about three inches of fluffy light fallen snow.  It was still a cold day though with a temperature of 23F and a wind chill factor of 14F.  Not nice!!  Scotty, I hope you are up there tracking my coordinates in case I hurriedly need you to beam me up:))

WHAT'S NICER THAN A BUNNY IN THE FRONT YARD

 TWO BUNNIES AND A FLYING BIRD THAT'S WHAT:))

A Blast From Our Past:)) On this day in 2009 we were boondocked near Borrego Springs, California.  In the morning we decided to take ourselves for A Hike Into Hell Hole Canyon.

THESE ARE TEDDY BEAR CHOLLA CACTI AND YOU NEVER EVER WANT TO GET TOO CLOSE TO THESE GUYS OR YOU COULD BE IN FOR A WORLD OF PAIN...AND I TELL YOU THAT FROM EXPERIENCE

Al's Music Box:)) Moonlight Serenade is an American swing ballad composed by Glenn Miller with subsequent lyrics by Mitchell Parish. It was an immediate phenomenon when released in May 1939 as an instrumental arrangement, though it had been adopted and performed as Miller's signature tune as early as 1938, even before it had been given the name "Moonlight Serenade". In 1991, Miller's recording of "Moonlight Serenade" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.  Miller studied the Schillinger technique with Joseph Schilling, who is credited with helping Miller create the "Miller sound", and under whose tutelage he composed "Moonlight Serenade".  The song evolved from a 1935 version entitled "Now I Lay Me Down to Weep", with music by Glenn Miller and lyrics by Eddie Heyman to a version called "Gone with the Dawn" with lyrics by George Simon, and "The Wind in the Trees" with lyrics by Mitchell Parish. In his biography of Glenn Miller, George T. Simon recounted how vocalist Al Bowlly of the Ray Noble Orchestra sang him the Eddie Heyman lyrics to the Glenn Miller music of "Now I Lay Me Down to Weep" in 1935. The Noble Orchestra never recorded the song. Finally it ended up as "Moonlight Serenade" because Robbins Music bought the music and learned that Miller was recording a cover of "Sunrise Serenade", a Frankie Carle associated song for RCA Victor. They thought "Moonlight" would be a natural association for "Sunrise".  Jazz critic Gary Giddins wrote about the song's impact and legacy; "Miller exuded little warmth on or off the bandstand, but once the band struck up its theme, audiences were done for: throats clutched, eyes softened. Can any other record match 'Moonlight Serenade' for its ability to induce a Pavlovian slobber in so many for so long?" (The New Yorker, May 24, 2004).  The 1939 RCA Victor studio recording of "Moonlight Serenade" was released by the U.S. War Department as Army V-Disc 39A, VP 75, Theme Song, in November 1943. The recording was also released as the Navy V-Disc No. 160A and the Marine Corps V-Disc No. 160A. A V-Disc test pressing of a recording of the song from November 17, 1945 by the AAF Band was made but the disc was not issued. A new recording by Glenn Miller with the American Band of the Allied Expeditionary Forces (AEF) was broadcast to Germany in 1944 on the radio program The Wehrmacht Hour.  The song was recorded on April 4, 1939 at the RCA Victor Studios in New York City and released on the RCA Bluebird label. It was a Top Ten hit on the U.S. pop charts in 1939, reaching number three on the Billboard charts, where it stayed for a total of fifteen weeks. It was the fifth most popular hit of 1939 in the Billboard year-end tally, where Miller had five records in the top 20.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Adam was walking around the Garden of Eden feeling very lonely, so God asked Adam, "What is wrong with you?" Adam said he didn't have anyone to talk to. God said he was going to give him a companion and it would be a woman.  He said, "This person will cook for you and wash your clothes, she will always agree with every decision you make. She will bear you children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them. She will not nag you and will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you've had a disagreement. She will never have a headache and will freely give you love and passion whenever needed."  Adam asked God, "What will a woman like this cost?"  God said, "An arm and a leg."  Adam said "What can I get for just a rib?"....The rest is history

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"Darling, I just called to tell you how awesome you are. You really are the love of my life…"  "Sir, I’m sorry, this is a brewery!"

"Oh, I know…"

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At the doctor's office, Tom was getting a check up. "I have good news and bad news," says the doctor. "The good news is you have 24 hours left to live." Tom replies, "That's the good news?!" Then the doctor says, "The bad news is I should have told you that yesterday."

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Dear God, so far today, I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, and I haven't lost my temper.  I haven't been grumpy, nasty or selfish, and I'm really glad of that!
But in a few minutes, God, I'm going to get out of bed, and from then on, I'm probably going to need a lot of help.  Thank you! Amen.

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A blonde gyt is going to London on a plane; how can you steal his window seat?  Tell him all seats going to London are in the middle row.

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kellys Corner

CHECKERS, CORA, AND KELLY ON A MORNING HIKE IN WILLIS SLOT CANYON NEAR CANNONVILLE, ,UTAH

 SITTING ON THE RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON

 CROSSING THE SAN PEDRO RIVER NEAR THE GHOST TOWN OF CHARLESTON, ARIZONA (NEAR TOMBSTONE)

Al's Art Gallery

AND TAKE ME BACK TO A HAPPIER TIME

 SURE DID COME ACROSS A LOT OF PEZ DISPENSERS TODAY

Another cloudy cold morning and pulling back the living room curtains I could see that it was snowing heavily.  The thermometer said 24F.  Not nice and not encouraging.  Pheebs and I never left the house:((  I sometimes wish I had a small camper van and could load Pheebs up and head for the sunny deserts and mountains of the Great American Southwest.  But, it's only a fleeting thought.  It's only an old dream now.  If I can hang on and put up with this dreaded winter weather for another three months, it will be on its way out with warm sunny feeling good days ahead.  In the Spring I can at least get outside and find things to keep me busy and occupy my mind.

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I worked away again in our spare room today. I've mentioned a few times what a daunting task this is to sift through everything trying to organize things and make it all neat and tidy.  What I haven't mentioned is the overall sadness in my heart as I hold things in my hand each day that were not long ago an integral and loving part of our lives.  With each thing is attached a memory of the loved one who has slipped quietly away.  Nearly thirty-two years of memories.  Maybe it's a handwritten note on a piece of paper, a pair of socks, a photo, a chocolate bar tucked away in a safe place.  A coffee cup, a shoelace on her desk, or an empty candy wrapper on a table by her bed.  With each box opened, a flood of new memories.  With each drawer opened, a step back in time.  With every piece of clothing in a closet, a tear, and with every pair of shoes waiting to be taken for a walk again, a sadness in my heart.  Yes, it is a daunting task with my mind knowing it has to be done, and my heart wanting to pause, put me on hold, and take me back to a happier time.

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The snow kept up pretty much all day and I just kept plugging away inside.  Two more undeniable signs this morning that Kelly's presence is here with Pheebs and I.  Beside our kitchen door sits a table and it is here where I fill up the bird feeders and also place my flip phone and two Sony cameras in readiness for heading out in the morning.  I always make sure these three devices are turned off for the night.  I was filling the second of two bird feeders when my eyes were suddenly attracted by the clear white screen light on my Flip Phone popping up.  Also at the same instant, the display screen on my Sony RX90 camera came on and I right away noticed the camera was sitting right side up on its base with the lens extended.  I never ever set that camera down that way, I always lay it down face first.  Always!!  So, what turned both those devices on at the same time and what physically set that Sony camera on its base?? Other signs have been happening and here's one from yesterday.  I put a new roll of toilet paper on the holder Friday morning.  I've probably done this thousands of times over the years and I always do it the same way.  Later in the day, I noticed that the roll of toilet paper had been backrolled a turn and slightly twisted.  And no, Pheebs didn't do that!!  Many will 'pooh-pooh' this kind of stuff but for those who have read the books, done the research, and think clearly with an open mind, know and understand exactly what I am talking about here.

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Okay, so what food items did I pick up at Jerry Raders yesterday.  Well, first off I made sure to get a large container of turnip.  Turnip is the only vegetable that I like the taste of and it goes with most anything.  A dollop of turnip with my beef lasagna and breaded chicken. I can mix it in with my chicken pot pies and hey, how about a dollop of turnip on my cereal, or mix it up with some ice cream.  Turnip and donuts, turnip and pancakes, turnip and butter tarts, turnip and apple pie.  Oh my, the possibilities are endless.  Also at Jerry Rader's Friday morning, I picked up that 'Farmer's Pizza', one chicken noodle soup, one Cream of Turkey soup, and one packet of Chicken Nuggets.  Oh, and a Turkey Salad Sandwich.  If I can ever get that frozen Butterball Turkey out of my fridge's freezer I'll be able to fill it up with even more Jerry Radar products:))

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Al's Music Box:)) I Feel Fine is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released in November 1964 as the A-side of their eighth single. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership. The recording includes one of the earliest uses of guitar feedback in popular music.  Lennon wrote the song's guitar riff while the Beatles were in the studio recording "Eight Days a Week" in October 1964, and kept playing it between takes. He later recalled: "I told them I'd write a song specially for the riff. So they said, 'Yes. You go away and do that', knowing that we'd almost finished the album Beatles for Sale.  Anyway, going into the studio one morning, I said to Ringo, 'I've written this song but it's lousy'. But we tried it, complete with riff, and it sounded like an A-side, so we decided to release it just like that."  Both Lennon and George Harrison said that the riff was influenced by a riff in "Watch Your Step", a 1961 song written and performed by Bobby Parker and covered by the Beatles in concerts during 1961 and 1962.  Paul McCartney said the drums on "I Feel Fine" were inspired by lRay Charles's 1959 single "What'd I Say.  At the time of the song's recording, the Beatles, having mastered the studio basics, had begun to explore new sources of inspiration in noises previously eliminated as mistakes (such as electronic goofs, twisted tapes, and talkback). "I Feel Fine" marks one of the earliest examples of the use of feedback as a recording effect in popular music. Artists such as the Kinks and the Who had already used feedback live, but Lennon remained proud of the fact that the Beatles were perhaps the first group to deliberately put it on vinyl.  "I Feel Fine" is written in four quarter time with drummer Ringo Starr's R&B infuenced beat (based on the "Latin" drumming in Ray Charles's hit "What'd I Say"   "I Feel Fine" starts with a single, percussive feedback note produced by McCartney plucking the A string on his bass, and Lennon's guitar, which was leaning against McCartney's bass amp, picking up feedback. This was the first use of feedback on a rock record. According to McCartney, "John had a semi-acoustic Gibson guitar. It had a pickup on it so it could be amplified ... We were just about to walk away to listen to a take when John leaned his guitar against the amp. I can still see him doing it … it went, 'Nnnnnnwahhhhh!' And we went, 'What's that? Voodoo!' 'No, it's feedback.' 'Wow, it's a great sound!' George Martin was there so we said, 'Can we have that on the record?' 'Well, I suppose we could, we could edit it on the front.' It was a found object, an accident caused by leaning the guitar against the amp."  Although it sounded very much like an electric guitar, Lennon actually played the riff on an acoustic-electric guitar(a Gibson model J-160E, employing the guitar's onboard pickup.  Later, Lennon was very proud of this sonic experimentation. In one of his last interviews, he said: "I defy anybody to find a record – unless it's some old blues record in 1922 – that uses feedback that way."  Backed by "She's a Woman", "I Feel Fine" was issued as a single A-side on 23 November 1964 in the United States.  Public demand for the single was unprecedented, according to author Nicholas Schaffner, particularly in the US, where the market had been saturated with Beatles releases over the first seven months of 1964, "making the ensuing gap seem like forever". He recalled that fans remained "glued" to their transistor radios over the ten days between the single's unveiling on radio and its retail release and that this established a fan ritual for all the band's subsequent records.  The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for three weeks in late 1964 and early 1965. Cash Box magazine ranked "I Feel Fine" as the 19th biggest US hit of 1965. It was the sixth single by the Beatles to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in a calendar year (1964), an all-time record. In order, these singles were "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "She Loves You", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Love Me Do", "A Hard Day's Night" and "I Feel Fine". For songwriters Lennon and McCartney, it was the seventh number-one they wrote in the same calendar year, which was another all-time record. The song was the first of six Hot 100 number one chart-toppers. The subsequent singles were "Eight Days a Week", "Ticket to Ride", "Help!", "Yesterday" and "We Can Work It Out".

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A young naval student was being put through the paces by an old sea captain.  "What would you do if a sudden storm sprang up on the starboard?" "Throw out an anchor, sir," the student replied. "What would you do if another storm sprang up aft?" "Throw out another anchor, sir." "And if another terrific storm sprang up forward, what would you do then?" asked the captain. "Throw out another anchor, sir." "Hold on," said the captain. "Where are you getting all those anchors from?" "From the same place you're getting all your storms, sir."

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly's Corner

Al's Art Gallery