IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS MAGIC IN THE AIR AGAIN

Another fine summer's morning and a tad warmer than the past few days.  I didn't waste any time getting out to my rural walking spot for a leisurely stroll.  Although the exercise is good for my legs, it is never my priority for walking.  For me, it is simply being out walking in Mother Nature's wonderland and enjoying all the sights, sounds, and smells all around me.  I'm not one for walking and talking (except to myself) but I am one for listening to all the wonderous sounds around me, whether it be birds, bugs, cows, chickens, or coyotes.  I simply love all those sounds as well as any of nature's sounds that a gentle breeze or a gusting wind may bring my way.  In the southwest, I particularly loved the sound of the wind whispering through the Saguaro Cactus thorns.

 I SPOTTED THIS DEER IN A BEAN FIELD ON MY WALKING ROAD THIS MORNING

 IT DIDN'T WAIT FOR ME TO TAKE A SECOND PHOTO AND TOOK OFF RUNNING

 IT CROSSED THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME HEADING FOR A FOREST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD

AND, THIS WAS THE LAST I SAW OF IT

 WHEN I TOOK THIS PHOTO EARLIER TODAY, I DID NOT SEE THE BIRD IN THE PINE TREE UNTIL I GOT HOME AND EDITED THE PHOTO

Wanting to hang onto that feeling this morning, I decided not to head straight back home and instead made my way south down through Varna to a favorite stretch of mine at the far east end of Pavilion Road. Poking along with front windows down and the sunroof open, it felt like there was magic in the air again.  It's been a long time since I have felt that.  Beautifully soothing soft ambient music on the radio with no time or destination in mind.  I have a number of favorite hobbies, and these lone morning drives stem from way back in the early seventies when I lived in Vernon, British Columbia.  Oh, how I loved getting out by myself for those wondrous Sunday morning drives along the logging roads with beautiful forests and lakes all around.

HEADING SOUTH ON PARR LINE, SOMETHING CAUGHT MY EYE IN A FIELD OF STRAW BALES TO MY LEFT

 FROM A DISTANCE, I THOUGHT IT WAS A HAWK BUT AS I DREW CLOSER I SAW THAT IT WAS A TURKEY VULTURE PERCHED ON A STRAW BALE

 OH-OH IT HAS ITS EYE ON ME

Morning drives have been a part of my life for a long time.  The only thing missing this morning of course, was the Pheebs.  I miss looking over and seeing her sweet little face looking back at me, and I miss slowly rubbing her warm little tummy as we would amble our way slowly down the road.

 I JUST LOVE BEING OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE ON THESE BEAUTIFUL DAYS, DUSTING UP THE GRAVEL ROADS

 SPOTTED THESE TWO LADIES OUT FOR A MORNING WALK 

 A FAVORITE WALKING SPOT FOR PHEEBS AND I OVER THE PAST DOZEN YEARS

EVERYTHING IS SO LUSH AND GREEN 

Just think, a month from now we will be closing in on September.  Seems like just last week it was the May 24th weekend in Canada.  I saw signs of the summer moving on this morning, and I know that in less than a month from now, I will begin noticing subtle little changes in the air as the season begins to shift.

 GOLDENROD IS ALREADY BEGINNING TO BLOOM

IN SOME FIELDS, THE CORN IS ALREADY GROWING ITS TASSELS

 AND CORN SILK ON THE HEADS OF CORN COBS CAN BE SEEN

APPLES ARE RIPENING

Arriving back in Bayfield a couple hours later, I slipped around to the Porter's Hill Wild Bird Seed Co. to pick up a couple of twenty-pound bags of birdseed.  It's a beautiful piece of property here with all its flowers and gardens....and birds.  I took a few pics on my way out.  Steve, the owner, always has a cheery smile and a friendly way about him.  Upon leaving the birdseed place, I had a 'spur of the moment thought' and rocketed right across the road into the parking lot of the Woodland Drive-In.  Minutes later, I was happily munching away on a foot-long hot dog with the works:))

 I HAD NEVER NOTICED THIS WINDMILL AT THE BIRDSEED PLACE BEFORE

 THIS WAY TO THE FLOWER GARDEN

 AND, THIS WAS MY YUMMY FOOT LONG HOT DOG TODAY....AND YES I DID GET SOME OF IT ON MY CLEAN SHIRT TOO

Home again, I watered my grass seed, then slipped into the house and brewed myself up a coffee................. I've been enjoying my evening country walks this week and last night, on a drive after my walk, I was able to catch a few rural sunset pics.   What a beautiful area we live in here, and what a beautiful country we live in to boot.  We Canadians are so fortunate in so many ways.

 TUESDAY NIGHT'S SUN GOING DOWN OVER A CORNFIELD

Al's Music Box:)) Theme From A Summer Place by The Letterman.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( NASA was interviewing professionals they were planning on sending to Mars. The touchy part was that only one guy could go and it would be a one-way trip and the guy would never return to Earth.  The interviewer asked the first applicant, an engineer, how much he wanted to be paid for going.   "One million dollars," the engineer answered. "And I want to donate it all to my alma mater -- Rice University."  The next applicant was a doctor, and the interviewer asked him the same question.  "Two millions dollars," the doctor said. "I want to give a million to my family and leave the other million for the advancement of medical research." The last applicant was a lawyer. When asked how much money he wanted, he whispered in the interviewer's ear, "Three million dollars." "Why so much more than the others?" the interviewer asked. The lawyer replied, "You give me three million, I'll give you one million, I'll keep a million, and we'll send the engineer."

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- Why didn't the man report his stolen credit card? The thief was spending less than his wife.

Wife: Whatcha doing?
Me: Nothing.
Wife: You did that yesterday.
Me: I wasn't finished.

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10 Things You Never Hear in Church::

1. Hey! It's my turn to sit in the front pew!
2. I was so enthralled, I never noticed your sermon went 25 minutes over time.
3. Personally I find witnessing much more enjoyable than golf.
4. I've decided to give our church the $500 a month I used to send to TV evangelists.
5. I volunteer to be the permanent teacher for the Junior High Sunday School class.6. Forget the denominational minimum salary. Let's pay our pastor so he can live like we do.
7. I love it when we sing hymns I've never heard before!
8. Since we're all here, let's start the service early.
9. Pastor, we'd like to send you to this Bible seminar in the Bahamas.
10. Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign!

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly & Pheebs Corner

 CULP VALLEY NEAR BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

 AT OUR COUNTRY ROAD WALKING SPOT

Al's Art Gallery

MAYBE, IF I SAT LONG ENOUGH AND THOUGHT HARD ENOUGH

HAD TO REBUILD THIS LITTLE SECTION OF ROCKS IN OUR FRONT YARD FROG POND TODAY AFTER I DISCOVERED A LEAK

Checking the thermometer and knowing I didn't have to go anywhere this morning, my plans were set.  Figured I'd stay home and try to finish up my latest outside project.  For me, 55F was workable.  And so, that's what I did.  Finished sifting the last of the shoveled-up pea stones, raked the whole area, and then rolled it with my roller.  Following that, I generously added peat moss to the area and then spread the grass seed.  One more round of light raking to mix the peat moss, earth, and seeds, and that was it except for the watering, of course, which came next.  All I have to do now is keep watering it and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait , and wait for the new grass to grow.  And, if it does, I'm sure there will be two big, bright green Moons in the sky. It was late morning when I finally slipped into the house for a coffee break.  

 FINISHED RAKING THE AREA AND NOW I HAVE TO ROLL IT

THE GRASS SEED AND PEAT MOSS ARE IN NOW, SO ALL I HAVE TO DO IS WATER IT

I noticed a few days ago that the front yard frog pond was leaking at a luckily very accessible spot.  No, not a hole in the tough plastic lining, but simply an overflow at a low point along the rim of the pond.  I moved a dozen rocks or so, lifted the outer edge of the plastic up, backfilled with some more rocks, and then put the original flat rocks back along the top again.  'Walla', problem solved.  I also pulled out the water pump and cleaned that as well.  I think I have maybe half a dozen frogs in the pond, but today I only saw one.  I also did some other stuff out there, but that was this morning, and this morning is so far behind me now that I can't remember what it was I did.  Maybe, if I sat long enough and thought hard enough, I could remember, but that, too, has a downside.  With all that sitting and hard thinking, my brain could explode, and how would I remember to make my morning coffee after that!!

 THIS IS WHERE THE POND OVERFLOWED, SO I HAD TO LIFT THAT PLASTIC LINER UP HIGHER

 HOSTA FLOWERS

I remember back in the Fall, there was some talk about Amazon canceling the 'books' feature that I  have been using my Kindle with so enjoyably since March of 2014.  I have read many great books, thanks to Amazon and my Kindle.  After Kelly's passing, I lost my interest in reading, so my Kindle has sat idle since early December.  A few days ago, I felt the stirrings of my reading hobby re-emerging, so I charged my Kindle up and headed off to Amazon to see what I could find. Strangely enough, I remembered the process of downloading a book from Amazon, and within minutes, I found a book I liked.  I tried to download it to my Kindle, but.....the book never did show up.  I'm wondering if anyone knows if Amazon finally canceled their book downloading feature after all.  If so, does anyone know any other way for me to upload books into my Kindle?  If not, then I guess my Kindle is just another piece of worthless electronic junk.  Another victim of its time, and for me, losing my Kindle's reading ability would be like losing another old friend.

ON MY WAY TO MY COUNTRY ROAD WALKING SPOT MONDAY NIGHT I SAW THESE BIG 18-WHEELERS OUT IN THE WHEAT FIELD WAITING TO BE LOADED

TO FIND THE COMBINE, ALL I HAD TO DO WAS FOLLOW THE BIG CLOUD OF DUST

 THE FRONT OF THE COMBINE IS TO THE RIGHT

Al's Music Box:)) Tin Man by the group, America.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A little girl was given a tea set for her second birthday. It became one of her favorite toys, and when her mother went away for a few weeks to care for her sick aunt, the toddler loved to take her father a little cup of tea, which was just water really, while he was engrossed watching the news on TV. He sipped each "cup of tea" he was brought and lavished generous praise on the taste, leaving the little girl immensely proud. Eventually the mother returned home, and the father couldn't wait to show her how his little princess had been looking after him. On cue, the girl took him his "cup of tea," and he sipped it before praising it to the heavens. The mother watched him drink it and said, "Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?"

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In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth... After that, everything else was made in China.

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A young couple drove several miles down a country road, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument, and neither wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules and pigs, the husband sarcastically asked, "Are they relatives of yours?" "Yes," his wife replied. "I married into the family."

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly & Pheeb's Corner

 OUR FIRST VISIT OF MANY TO BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA...AND THERE IS FUDGE IN THAT WHITE BAG

 THESE TWO FURRY GUYS ARE WAITING FOR ME TO SHARE MY EGG SALAD SANDWICH.....WHICH I DID

Al's Art Gallery