TRAVEL WITH THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))

Thursday, June 26, 2025

IF YESTERDAY I FELT LIKE THE ENERGIZER BUNNY, TODAY I WAS THE SLUGGISH SNAIL

Another nice Wednesday evening with sunshine and beautiful high cloud patterns. I again drove out to my country road walking spot, and as the sun settled into the horizon, I took myself for a walk up the gravel road and back. From this spot in the countryside, and as the sky darkened, I could again see the many red lights atop numerous wind turbines flashing in unison along the southern horizon several miles away. In that line of flashing lights, I've always noticed two flashing white lights. Last week, on a drive down the Bronson Line south of Bayfield, I quickly located one of those two flashing white lights atop a tall metal tower. I assume they have something to do with the programming and communicating with the wind turbines in their areas. The second flashing light to the southeast, I could tell, was much farther away. Last night, just after dusk, I decided to head off and see if I could find that second white flashing light tower. Why?? Well, just because I could I guess, and also because I am a curious character about things like that. Heading south on Parr Line through the whistlestop of Varna, I kept my eyes on the horizon to the southwest, occasionally catching glimpses of the distant white flashing light. I crisscrossed several country roads trying to zero in on its location. At one point, after losing track of the light, I stopped atop a hill, got out of the car, and right away spotted the flashing light behind me to the southeast. Because of its brightness, I figured it was not too far away, and I had my search in the bag. Turning around, and after making a couple of right and left turns back to Parr Line and driving another two or three miles.....I never saw the light again. Not even once. It just seemed to vanish into thin air. Of course, I was disappointed I didn't find it, but on the upside, what a great little adventure I had traveling through the quickly darkening countryside with my windows down and my favorite soothing ambient music on Sirius XM satellite radio. Not everyone's idea of a little adventure of course, but for me, it was special. I was off doing something different for a change. Just me, my music, and a beautiful summer's night. I was back home around ten, and oh my, what a nice night for a slow drive through the countryside. Now, if only I would have had a furry little Pal with me navigating the way, I'm sure we would have found that elusive flashing white light in no time:))

HEADING EAST ON BAYFIELD RIVER ROAD WEDNESDAY NIGHT

TWILIGHT'S SOFT HUE ALIGHTS ON A FARMER PICKING UP HAY BALES

A HIGH PICTURESQUE CLOUD COVER MADE FOR A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET

AS I SET OUT TO FIND THE FLASHING WHITE LIGHT, I SAW SEVERAL FARMERS WORKING LATE TO GET THEIR HAY BALED BEFORE THIS MORNINGS RAIN CAME

Today dawned under cloudy skies. Checking my live Exeter radar map, I could see a large storm cell packing lightning, thunder, and rain heading east across the lake to the north of us. Running low on vital supplies (peanut butter) it was off to Goderich I went. Minutes after arriving in Goderich, the skies opened up with a deluge of rain. So much in fact, I had to pull over down in the harbor area because even with wipers on high, it was hard to see where I was going. Later, after a rainy stop at Walmart, I headed home with the weather improving the further south I went. Stepping out of the car at home, I heard a sound I didn't like. 'Generators' were running, and that meant only one thing. The power was out!! It was 11 a.m. Rains finally eased up and we had our first sunsplash at 12:15. Feeling hungry and with no way to cook myself up a gourmet meal, I headed into Bayfield for a stop at Subway. Poor timing on my part because it was the lunch hour and people were lined up to the door. Back in the car, I headed on down to the Woodland Drive-In. Only a couple of people ahead of me, and it wasn't long before I was wolfing down a footlong hot dog with the works. Clean shirt this morning so I was careful to make sure I didn't miss out on dropping a couple of mustard and ketchup onion pieces on it. Back into the laundry that shirt goes.

ON MY WAY TO GODERICH THIS MORNING, I SAW THIS CROP SPRAYING MACHINE HEADING OUT OF A FIELD

IT BEGAN RAINING HEAVIER JUST AS I HEADED DOWN THE HILL IO THE HARBOR

THIS IS THE 'FIRST EVER OPP (ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE) PICK-UP TRUCK I HAVE EVER SEEN

NO IDEA WHAT THESE FELLAS WERE UP TO ON MY WAY HOME THIS MORNING

By the time I finally got home, the power was back on (it probably came on about 7.6 seconds after I pulled out of the driveway) and the sun was trying to make an appearance. And, after the rain, the humidity was building and that pretty well knocked out my plans for the rest of the afternoon. I had hoped to get the utility trailer load of yard waste dumped, amongst other things. But, if yesterday I felt like the Energizer Bunny, today I was the sluggish snail. Besides, with all the rain, I knew the Park's recycling area would be a mud pit. Good excuse huh.

YEARS AGO, KELLY AND I PLANTED A SMALL JAPANESE LILAC TREE WHICH HAS DONE QUITE WELL AND IS NOW IN FULL BLOOM

Ellen's Groove:)) I like this older video of just Ellen and her dad, Hovak, playing a funky little tune called, Don't Stop The Music

I REALLY ENJOYED MY FOOTLONG HOT DOG TODAY

RESTORATION REPAIRS CONTINUE AT BAYFIELD'S ALBION HOTEL

Al's Music Box:)) Longer by Dan Fogelberg.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant and resumed their trip. When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table. And, she didn't miss them until after they had been driving about twenty minutes. By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around in order to return to the restaurant to retrieve her glasses. All the way back, the elderly husband became the classic grouchy old man. He fussed and complained and scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive. The more he chided her, the more agitated he became. He just wouldn't let up one minute. To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant. And as the woman got out of the car and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her, "While you're in there, you might as well get my hat".

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What do you call a broken can opener? A can’t opener.

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A man who smelled like a distillery flopped on a subway seat next to a priest. The man's tie was stained, his face was plastered with red lipstick, and a half empty bottle of gin was sticking out of his torn coat pocket. He opened his newspaper and began reading. After a few minutes the disheveled guy turned to the priest and asked, "Say, Father, what causes arthritis?" "Mister, it's caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol and a contempt for your fellow man." "Well, I'll be damned!" the drunk muttered, returning to his paper. The priest, thinking about what he had said, nudged the man and apologized. "I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to come on so strong. How long have you had arthritis?" "I don't have it, Father. I was just reading here that the Pope does."

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly & Pheeb's Corner

TOOK THIS PHOTO OF KELLY FROM THE ROOF OF OUR CONGRESS, ARIZONA HOME

Al's Art Gallery

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

I WAS SO ENERGIZED TODAY I EVEN WENT FOR TWO SELFIES

OUR FIRST TWO DAY LILIES OF THE SUMMER JUST OUTSIDE OUR LIVING ROOM WINDOW

Despite a cloud cover that moved in Tuesday evening, I kicked myself out the door anyway and took myself for a drive into and around Bayfield. No sunset, and dark clouds out over the lake. By the time I made my way home, it was raining and the temperature had dropped about fifteen degrees to 70F from this afternoon's nearly 85F. Oh my thought I, what a welcome relief from the heat and humidity.

WITH DARK CLOUDS MOVING IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST OVER LAKE HURON, A BOATER HURRIES FOR THE BAYFIELD MARINA

A SEA-DOO COMING IN OFF THE LAKE HEADS UP THE BAYFIELD RIVER

Rain came in the night, leaving everything all wet and soggy this morning, but I didn't let that interfere with my backlog of yard work. With a delightful working temperature of 65°F, I was out the door by 8:30 and right at it. In fact, the car never left the carport all day. With so much yard work ahead of me, I didn't want to waste any time getting at it. 'Strike while the iron is hot' they say, and strike I did. With the exception of a short coffee break around 11 a.m. I kept at it right up until 2:30 this afternoon when I took a second coffee break, and then went back outside again. Oh my, I thought, how nice to feel like my good old young self again. I mowed all the grass, including both sides of the road out front. And, I weed-whacked all the weeds I could find. I blew off the front porch and deck with the leaf blower, trimmed back, and cut off a lot of dead branches on all the trees and shrubs around the property. Two large wheelbarrow loads of yard cuttings to the utility trailer. What a very much most enjoyable day I had getting all this work done. Finally, a feeling of accomplishment for a change, and not only that, but the joint looked a tad better too. Oh, and I slipped over to neighbor Monica's place and trimmed up her Magnolia tree, and some overgrown lilac branches that were encroaching on her back deck. I was on a roll for most of the day:)))) Oh hey, just 6 short months to Christmas Day 2025 and just 6 short months ago....it was, well....Christmas Day 2024:((((

TRIMMING OUR BASSWOOD TREE

GOING AROUND PICKING UP MY PILES OF YARD CLIPPINGS
Al's Music Box:)) In My Room by The Beach Boys.
I WAS SO ENERGIZED TODAY I EVEN WENT FOR TWO SELFIES
GROANER'S CORNER:(( Yesterday, I watched our wedding video in reverse. It was quite uplifting to see myself removing the ring from my wife's finger, exiting the church, and heading out for drinks with my closest buddies.

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A Sunday School teacher asked, "Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark?" "No," replied Johnny. "How could he with just two worms?"
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Passenger to Airline Ticket Agent: I want my brown suitcase sent to Los Angeles, my green suitcase sent to Kansas City, and my tan suitcase sent to New Orleans.
Ticket Agent: I'm sorry, sir; this flight is to Nashville. We can't do that.

Passenger: Why not ? You did it last time.

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An American manufacturer is showing his machine factory to a potential customer from Albania. At noon, when the lunch whistle blows, two thousand men and women immediately stop work and leave the building. "Your workers, they're escaping!" cries the visitor. "You've got to stop them." "Don't worry, they'll be back," says the American. And indeed, at exactly one o'clock, the whistle blows again, and all the workers return from their break.

When the tour is over, the manufacturer turns to his guest and says, "Well, now, which of these machines would you like to order?" "Forget the machines," says the visitor. "How much do you want for that whistle?"

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