I FULLY EXPECTED TO HAVE A BAD DAY....BUT, I DIDN'T:))

After the past couple of bad days, I figured for sure I would end up in Goderich's Emergency room again, but it didn't happen.  At least not at the time of posting this tonight.  I woke up feeling okay this morning and, surprisingly, I stayed that way all day.  Even my energy levels hung in there, and I didn't experience any stomach pains.

 TODAY'S PHOTOS ARE FROM MY TUESDAY MORNING DRIVE

 A HAY RAKE AWAITS THE FARMER'S TRACTOR TO ENABLE IT TO DO ITS JOB

 BUZZARD ON A FENCE POST

Rains came overnight and part of this morning, but as soon as they stopped, I was outside in our metal shed finishing up the last of the big clean-up in there.  It was a good feeling to finally accomplish something before tiring out.  With that done, I tackled the interior clean-up of the Subaru.  Vacuuming and armoraling the dash, etc., took me well over an hour, and it was again a nice feeling of accomplishment.  If all goes well, I plan to wash Lorraine's car tomorrow.

 A RHODODENDRON FLOWER IN FRONT OF OUR SUNROOM WINDOW

Our cloud cover finally dispersed, and we ended the day under sunny skies with a smattering of clouds at 70F.  In my world, that's about a perfect temperature.  After supper tonight, Lorraine and I will head off to the Woodland Drive-In for ice cream cones.  We'll slip around Bayfield, looking at all the nicely landscaped homes, and grab us a sunset if it looks like it's going to be a good one.  Well, at least that's the plan anyway...........

 OUR FRONT YARD FROGS ARE BACK

Al's Music Box:)) Stand Tall is the title of an international hit single by Burton Cummings, taken from his eponymous debut album. The song was released less than two years after "Dancin' Fool", the final hit single by the group for which Cummings had been lead singer, The Guess Who.  The recording was issued as the album's lead single in the fall of 1976, spending 21 weeks on the US Billboard hot 100 and reaching number 10. It reached number 5 on the US Cash Box Top 100, and spent four weeks at number 4 in Canada. The track became a Gold record. "Stand Tall" was an even bigger Adult Contemporary hit, reaching number 2 in the US and spending one week at number 1 in Canada.  It was kept from the number 1 position on the US AC chart by the Captain and Tennille's hit, "Muskrat Love".  While the song was climbing the charts, Casey Kasem reported on American Top 40 that shortly following Cummings' departure from The Guess Who to pursue a solo career, his girlfriend of nine years left him for another man. "Stand Tall" was born from him taking his frustration, challenges and despondency to the piano and forging the melody there.  In his native Canada, Burton Cummings was nominated for the Juno Award as 1977 Composer of the Year for "Stand Tall".  

Groaner's Corner:(( A sailor meets a pirate in a bar, and they take turns boasting of their adventures on the high seas. The sailor notes that the pirate has a peg-leg, a hook, and an eyepatch.  The sailor asks, "So, how did you end up with the peg-leg?"  The pirate replies, "We were in a storm at sea, and I was swept overboard into a school of sharks. Just as my men were pulling me out a shark bit my leg off."  "Wow!" said the sailor. "What about your hook"?  "Well...", replied the pirate, "While my men and I were plundering in the Middle East, I was caught stealing from a merchant, and the punishment for theft in the Middle East is the loss of the hand that steals."  "Incredible!" remarked the sailor. "How did you get the eyepatch"? "A seagull dropping fell into my eye.", replied the pirate. "You lost your eye to a seagull dropping?" the sailor asked incredulously. "Well...", said the pirate, "..it was my first day with the hook."

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- I'm reading a book called "Quick Money for Dummies"... By Robin Banks.

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Tech Support: 'What does the screen say now?'
Person: 'It says, 'Hit ENTER when ready'.'

Tech Support: 'Well?'

Person: 'How do I know when it's ready?'

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An explorer walked into a clearing and was surprised to see a pigmy standing beside a huge dead elephant. "Did you kill that?" he asked. The pigmy answered: "Yes". "How could a little bloke like you kill something as huge as that?" "I killed it with my club" replied the pigmy. "That's amazing," said the explorer. "How big's your club?" The pigmy replied: "There's about 150 of us"
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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly & Pheebs Corner

 NOT SURE WHERE WE WERE HERE

 A MORNING ROCK SCRAMBLE

 IN ONE OF OUR CLASS C MOTORHOMES

Al's Art Gallery

 

TRYING TO KEEP CONCERNED READERS IN THE LOOP

 AN OLD FILE PHOTO, AND I STILL HAVE THIS COWBOY HAT TOO

Sorry folks, I had intended to do a post on Tuesday, but my day went sideways on me.  Tuesday started out fine with sunshine and warm temps.  I took the Subaru for a nice country road drive and snapped some photos. I stopped at our walking spot on Stirling Line, and with Pheebs beside me in spirit, we walked the quarter mile up the road and back.  From there, I headed home feeling not too bad.  An hour later, the energy and strength drained out of me again, and my day spiralled.  The stomach pains started later in the day, worsened, and stayed with me until I finally fell asleep.  I'm beginning to wonder if maybe I have developed an ulcer due to all the stress over the past 6 months.  This morning I phoned my Nurse Practitioner person and made an appointment for June 20th or sooner if a cancellation becomes available.  Lorraine thought we should have gone to Emergency last night.  I've had half a dozen short, sharp stomach pains today, and if it ramps up again, that is what we will have to do.  Sorry for all this 'downer' news, but I'm just trying to keep concerned readers in the loop.  These have not been easy days...........

HOSPITAL PROCEDURE WENT WELL AND I'M ALREADY FEELING MUCH BETTER:))

 AN OLD FILE PHOTO AND HEY, I STILL HAVE THAT TELESCOPE

Lorraine had me at the Stratford Hospital in good time late this morning, but oh my, I was feeling awful by the time we got there.  Luckily, everything at the hospital went off without a hitch today.  Dr. Bukala, minutes before my procedure, asked me how I was feeling, and I told him 'not good'.  He said, I'm not surprised after the condition you were in when you were admitted to the hospital 3 weeks ago.  Of course, I don't remember the procedure, thank heavens, but I do remember waking up in the recovery room at 2:20.  And, I could tell right away I was feeling better.  And I've continued to feel better ever since.  I didn't see Dr. Bukala after the surgery, so I assume all went well, and he may have gotten all the kidney stones out.  I have to phone his office tomorrow for another appointment in a weeks time to have the stent taken out.  No anesthesia needed for that, so I can drive myself to the hospital and back.  I was taken by wheelchair to the hospital lobby, where Lorraine was already waiting for me.  She wasn't long in finding a Tim Hortons coffee shop, and I soon had the first coffee of the day in my hand.  As well as a double chocolate donut.  My weight had dropped another two pounds over the last few days to 165, and I figured a double chocolate donut might help check the weight loss.  When Woodsy pulled into the Tim Hortons parking lot, I put my window down.  I had laid a couple of instruction papers from the hospital on the dash, and when Woodsy opened her car door, a big gust of wind blew the papers right out my window, across the boulevard, and into four lanes of traffic.  But it was Woodsy to my rescue as she snagged one paper by the curb and the second paper in the first of four lanes of traffic.  Without incident, we made it back to Bayfield, and I just kept feeling better all the way.  It's obvious to me now that my left kidney was not functioning properly these past weeks, and no doubt caused my lethargic and sickly feeling all along.  When we got home, I felt like mowing the grass, but I didn't.  Had two bowls of Lorraine's fabulous homemade chicken soup, and I was good to go.  We'll see how tomorrow goes.  Thanks to everyone for your heartfelt concerns:))  

MAYBE A QUICK NOTE TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY

 OLD SOL DIPS INTO A CLOUD BANK OVER LAKE HURON

After publishing Saturday night's post, Lorraine and I headed for the Woodland Drive-In for a couple small 'Twist Cones'.  From there, it was down to the beach area for the sunset and then home.  I was beat.

 WOODSY DIDN'T WANT ME TO PUT THIS PHOTO IN BUT I WANTED TO SHOW THE ICE CREAM CONE

It was an effort to get myself out the door this morning and take the Subaru for a drive around a few country roads.  It's just not the same without Pheebs and my interest is fading.  I managed to take a few half hearted photos and came home.  Woodsy and I did make it to Goderich for a couple of stops at Food Basics and Walmart.  I was glad to get home, and as the day progressed, I just continued to feel sicker.  In the morning, Lorraine will drive me to the Stratford Hospital, where I will undergo a kidney stone procedure at 1:30 pm, which will last approximately one hour.  If everything goes well, I hope to be home by 5 o'clock.  I am really hoping this kidney stone procedure is going to make me feel better.  But with pains in the front side of my abdomen now, I'm wondering if there is something else going on somewhere.  I probably won't write a post tomorrow night, but maybe a quick note Tuesday or Wednesday sometime.

SAW A FEW HORSES THIS MORNING

 NO, NOT A HORSE

 FARMERS HAVE BEGUN HAYING

Al's Music Box:)) All American Boy by Bill Parsons is a 1958 talking blues song written by Orville Lunsford with songwriting credits to Bill Parsons and Orville Lunsford.  The song reached number 2 on the Billboard chart, kept from the number one spot by "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" by the Platters.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Two guys were doing construction on a house. One of them, who was nailing down siding would reach into his nail pouch, pull out a nail, and then either toss it over his shoulder or nail it into the siding.  The other guy, figuring this was worth looking into, asked, "Why are you throwing those nails away?"  The first guy explained, "If I pull a nail out of my pouch and it's pointed towards me, I throw it away 'cause it's defective. If it's pointed toward the house, then I nail it into the siding."  The second guy was outraged. He yelled, "You moron! The nails pointed towards you aren't defective! They're for the other side of the house!"

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- My brain is like the bermuda triangle. Information goes in and then is never found again.

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An urgent call was put in for a plumber at noon but he didn’t arrive until 5 hours later. “How is it?” he asked, entering the house. “Not so bad,” replied the homeowner. “While we were waiting for you to arrive I taught my wife how to swim.”

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It was the first day of school, and the teacher was asking the little boy about his family.  "And what does your Daddy do?"  "He's a magician."  "That must be exciting, what tricks can he do?"  "He can saw people in half."  "That is clever, and tell me, do you have any brothers or sisters?"  "Yes, one half brother, and two half sisters."

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly's Corner

 LOOKING FOR CRYSTALS SOUTH OF QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA

 KELLY ATTEMPTS TO GIVE CHECKERS A BATH

Al's Art Gallery