TODDLING OFF IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

HAVING A CLOSER LOOK AT TUESDAY NIGHT'S HALF MOON WITH MY 7x50 BINOCULARS

After publishing Tuesday night's post, I was out the door, into the Subaru, and off out into the countryside for a wee bit of stargazing.  Of course, with a big, brightening half Moon in the sky, I knew it wasn't the best time for viewing stars, but I wanted to take full advantage of being able to be outside on a reasonably mild early October night.   I headed for my high spot on Tower Line Road and was surprised to see several sets of very bright lights moving slowly across the landscape where I knew there to be no roads, just fields.  But, due to the time of year, it didn't take me long to figure this one out though, as a large cloud of dust enveloped the roadside across from the tall communication tower ahead of me.  In that brightly lit cloud of dust emerged a large green John Deere combine.  This farmer, burning the midnight oil, was in the process of harvesting his bean field.  I also saw in his headlights a large eighteen-wheeled truck parked darkly off to the side of the road.  Minutes later, a second set of bright lights came up out of the field onto the road and headed for the truck.  It was a tractor pulling a large grain bin with a large boom.  It sidled up beside the truck, stopped, swung its boom shute out over the truck's open trailer, and began transferring its load of beans into the large truck bin.  Quite a sight in the moonlight as dust swirled up into the night sky, illuminated by the tractor's lights and also a bright, beaming spotlight on the end of the long boom shute.  It was something to behold in the cool darkness of an early October night.

 YOU CAN SEE THE COMMUNICATION TOWER ON THE LEFT AND THE LIGHTS OF CLINTON ON THE HORIZON

iPHONE PICS

With my crunchy peanut butter supply getting down to less than two jars, I made a mad dash to Goderich's Walmart this morning.  Picked up a few more groceries while there, and the bill came to over $ 99.00!!  I figure if I'm going to survive to any kind of ripe old age, I had better quit eating before I run out of money.  

 AREA FARMERS ARE BUSY PREPARING THE LAND FOR NEXT SPRING'S CROPS

HARVESTING BEANS IS A VERY DUSTY BIT OF BUSINESS

 SAW A FEW HORSES ALONG THE WAY

THE FEDERAL HUNTER WAS DOCKED AT THE GODERICH GRAIN TERMINAL TODAY

 TWO CREWMEN ARE DWARFED BY THE SHIP'S HUGE HATCH COVERS

Home again, I happily spent my time outside.  Took a utility trailer load of yard waste to the Park's recycle area, and watered all my new back yard grass again, cleaned out another flower bed, three more frogs to the Park's pond, and raked up a few more wheelbarrow loads of pine needles. In between all that, I think I did some other stuff too, but how would I know.  This aging process definitely has its drawbacks!!  Woodsy will be back Friday to wind me up again and get me toddling off in the right direction with my wheelbarrow and shovel in hand.  

 TOOK A QUICK SWING AROUND OUR PARK BEFORE PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY

JUST UNLOADED ANOTHER UTILITY TRAILER FULL OF YARD WASTE

THE OLD OWNER DAMAGED PARTS OF THE PARK, AND IT IS ENCOURAGING TO SEE THE NEW OWNERS WORKING DILIGENTLY TO REPAIR MUCH OF THAT DAMAGE

 ANOTHER LITTLE FROGGY IN THE BUCKET IS WAITING TO BE TAKEN TO THE PARK'S BIG POND

 THIS ONE PHOTO PRETTY MUCH  SUMS UP MY AUTUMN DAYS THIS YEAR

Al's Music Box  Taxi by Harry Chapin.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( It was a particularly tough football game, and nerves were on edge. The home team had been the victim of three or four close calls, and they were now trailing the visitors by a touchdown and a field goal. When the official called yet another close one in the visitors' favor, the home quarterback blew his top. How many times can you do this to us in a single game?" he screamed. "You were wrong on the out-of-bounds, you were wrong on that last first down, and you missed an illegal tackle in the first quarter. The official just stared. The quarterback seethed, but he suppressed the language that might get him tossed from the game. "What it comes down to," he bellowed, "is that you STINK!" The official stared a few more seconds. Then he bent down, picked up the ball, paced off 15 yards, and put the ball down. He turned to face the steaming quarterback. The official finally replied, "And how do I smell from here?"

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Question: What’s the best way to make a small fortune in the stock market?
Answer: Start off with a big one.

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It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker.
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A panda bear walks into a restaurant and orders a meal. After eating, he pulls out a gun, shoots the place up, and runs away. Quickly, the bartender runs after him, yelling, "HEY YOU CAN'T DO THIS!!!" The panda turns around and yells, "Yes, I can. Look me up in the encyclopedia!" So, the bartender looks up "Panda" in the encyclopedia, and it reads "Panda: increasingly rare species of bear that can be found in the eastern part of Asia. It eats shoots and leaves.”

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT OUR SEPTIC TANK, YOU MIGHT AS WELL SKIP THE FIRST PARAGRAPH AND PICS

I had to be  up and dressed on the early side Monday morning because I didn't know when the 'Honey Wagon' was coming.  The Honey Wagon??  Ya, you know, the septic tank truck to pump out the septic tank.  I always heard that truck referred to as the honey wagon.  Well anyway, it was 7:50 a.m. when the big white soup truck rolled up to the head of our driveway and backed in.  A big, burly fellow emerged, and with two crowbars, he soon had the heavy concrete lid off the tank.  No need to lift the tank lid out of the hole, he just pulled it up and slid it over.  And here I was thinking they would need a hydraulic lift or something.  I'm a nice boy, but kinda slow sometimes.  The job took thirty-five minutes from the truck backing in to the truck pulling out.  Nice chap on the end of a big hose, and I could tell from watching from inside that he did a thorough job.  Two thumbs up for H Dale Septic Tank Service from Seaforth, Ontario.

 GETTING OUR SEPTIC TANK PUMPED OUT BRIGHT AND EARLY ON A MONDAY MORNING

AND THERE GOES THE HONEY WAGON OFF TO ITS NEXT PUMPING JOB

Another lovely late September morning, and I took full advantage of the cooler air and closed up the septic hole, leveled the ground, and raked the pea stone gravel back in place.  Also, planted more grass seed up to the porch steps alongside where the septic hole had been dug.  I absolutely love this time of year with its cooler temperatures and sunny days, and I so enjoy working away outside with my shovels, rakes, clippers, and wheelbarrow, etc.  Mowed some grass and transported two more frogs to the Park's pond.  In other words, another great day.

NOW COMES THE JOB OF FILLING IN THE HOLE

 ALL DONE

 WOODSY CATCHES ME SQUEAKING IN THE DOOR

 THREE FROGS IN THE WHITE BUCKET WAITING TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE PARK'S BIG POND

Today, being Tuesday, it was another fine weather day.  More outside work, and Woodsy has been doing a great job at cleaning out a lot of overgrown flowerbeds.  She is a hard worker and has re-energized my interest and enthusiasm for getting things spiffed up and looking good again.  Things had kind of gotten ahead of me this past year or so.  She headed back to Stratford late this afternoon, but will be back at the end of the week.  She left enough food in the fridge for the next three days to feed the whole Chinese army.

HEADING OUT OF THE PARK THIS MORNING

 THIS BIG MAPLE TREE HAS ALREADY LOST MOST OF ITS LEAVES

 A HARVESTED BEAN FIELD BEING FERTILIZED FOR THE NEXT CROP

Saturday night, we made it out in time for ice cream and a sunset at Bayfield's Pioneer Park and the beach.

MONDAY NIGHT SUNSET

Al's Music Box Nature Boy by Nat King Cole.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Ron, an elderly man in Australia, had owned a large farm for several years. He had a large pond at the back. It was properly shaped for swimming, so he fixed it up nice with picnic tables, horseshoe courts, and some orange and lime trees. One evening, the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn't been there for a while, and look it over. He grabbed a five-gallon bucket to bring back some fruit. As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond. He made the women aware of his presence, and they all went to the deep end. One of the women shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave!" Ron frowned, "I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim naked or make you get out of the pond naked." Holding the bucket up, Ron said, "I'm here to feed the alligator."

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The prospective son-in-law was asked by his girlfriend's father, "Son, can you support a family?" "Well, no, sir," he replied, caught off guard by the question. "Your daughter and I were thinking we'd just have to support ourselves; the rest of you will have to fend for yourselves."

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Buckwheat of the Little Rascals fame grew up, became a Muslim, and changed his name. He now goes by Kareem of Wheat.

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If you can show me a man with a comb over, I can show you a man who thinks that by crushing a bag of chips, you make more chips.
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Two lawyers were walking along, negotiating a case. "Look," said one to the other, "let's be honest with each other."
"Okay, you first," replied the other. That was the end of the discussion.

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery