HAPPY NEW YEAR AND ALL THE BEST TO EVERYONE

Sorry for skipping so many blog posts these last few weeks, but with so little going on these days, combined with this stormy winter weather, some days I just don't get to my blog. I don't especially like this because I enjoy getting out, doing things, taking photos, and then sitting down at my keyboard and creatively putting it all together at the end of each day.  With my hobbies of travel, photography, and writing all bundled together, I do enjoy both the physical and mental exercise they bring me.  I shall endeavor to do better in '26'.....Our winter storm continues, but it is much worse for people living further inland.  Many road closures are still in effect.  We thought maybe we would head off to Clinton again this afternoon, but as soon as we ventured the short distance out of the Park to where our sheltered forest meets the open farm fields, I knew we would not be going to Clinton.  High winds were whipping the snow into a frenzy and creating white-outs.  We turned around and headed back home, where I continued with my sunroom rearranging project.

IT WAS A GOOD DAY FOR REARRANGING THE SUNROOM AGAIN

A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO I SAW THIS HERD OF CHOCOLATE TURTLES SCRAMBLING ACROSS OUR KITCHEN COUNTER....I THINK WOODSY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT.

Tuesday:: Our winter storm continues, but not with the same ferocity of Monday's high winds.  However, many road closures are still in effect as the winds of today blow all that loose snow around.  Plus, it's still snowing on and off.  Needless to say, I was on the end of my snow shovel again this morning.  Luckily, there was only about three inches on the ground, and I was quickly able to clear the paths to the bird feeders and shovel off both decks.  I was about to start on the driveway when I heard a welcome sound.  Frank, having just finished Monica's drive and walkway, was headed over with his snowblower to do our driveway.  We had ourselves a short chat (about the weather of course) and within ten minutes, he had our driveway clear and was headed home to do his own driveway.  What a guy-What a guy:))  Woodsy and I did slip into the west end of Clinton Tuesday afternoon for a stop at Elliott's Liquidation.  Surprisingly, the highway was dry and bare with the exception of a few snow patches and some ground drifting.  Had it been any worse, we would not have ventured out, and if we had, and it was bad, I would have immediately turned around. 

 JUST A BIT OF GROUND DRIFTING  TUESDAY, SO IT WAS OKAY TO GO TO CLINTON AND BACK

 SEEN IN OUR PARK WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

 WE HAVE SQUIRRELS SQUIRRELS EVERYWHERE

Wednesday::  Well, here we are at the end of another year.  As with each passing year, I am always glad to turn life's psychological page and let the oldness of the previous year slip off into the sunset.  And, in the sunrise of a new year with its many unknowns, I will again try to cope with and do my best for whatever approaching storms it has in store for me.  And, I look forward to the smiles, good times, and feelings of joy during the sunny days ahead.  To everyone out here, I wish you all the very best and a Happy New Year:)))) 

 SPOTTED THIS MALE CARDINAL IN ONE OF OUR FRONT YARD CEDAR TREES

 I THINK HE'S TRYING TO REMAIN INCOGNITO

'A-HA' THERE HE IS

BLUE JAYS AT THE BIRD STATION

 ONCE THE BLUE JAYS WERE OFF THE BIRD STATION, A JUNCO AND THE MALE CARDINAL WERE ON IT

 A FEW MINUTES LATER, A COUPLE OF MORNING DOVES STOPPED BY FOR LUNCH

Al's Music Box:: Moments To Remember by The Four Lads on New Years Eve.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Two natural gas company service personnel, a senior training supervisor, and a young trainee, were out checking meters in a suburban neighborhood. They parked their truck at the end of an alley and worked their way to the other end.  At the last house, a woman looking out her kitchen window watched the two men as they checked her gas meter. When they finished, the senior supervisor, proud of his physical condition, challenged his younger co-worker to a foot race back to their truck.  As they approached the truck, they realized that the woman from the last house they checked was huffing and puffing right behind them. They stopped and asked her what was wrong.  Gasping for breath, she replied, "When I saw two gas men running as hard as you two were, I figured I'd better run, too!

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Two little Morons were in a parking lot trying to unlock the door of their Mercedes with a coat hanger. They tried and tried to get the door open, but they couldn't.

The one with the coat hanger stopped for a moment to catch his breath, and his friend said anxiously, "Hurry up! It's starting to rain, and the top is down."

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“Learning to walk in high heels will keep you on your toes.”

Q: Why do farmers put bells on cows?

A: Their horns don't work.

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I work in a busy office, and when a computer goes down, it causes quite an inconvenience. Recently, one of our computers not only crashed, but it made a noise that sounded like a heart monitor.  "This computer has flat-lined," a co-worker called out with mock horror. "Does anyone here know how to do mouse-to-mouse?

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al' Art Gallery

WE ARE CAUGHT UP IN A MAJOR SNOW STORM

Well, I figured I had been doing pretty good this past week or so by not starting any of my posts off with the weather.  However, after a full day of rain and freezing rain on Sunday, and a full-on snowstorm slamming into us today, I feel I would be remiss if I didn't mention something about the weather.  Holy smokes, are we ever getting hammered.  First, to have ventured outside on Thursday would have been foolhardy because everything was covered in a sheet of ice, and I'm sure many who did ended up at Hospital Emergency wards with broken bones.  When I woke up this morning at 7:15, the temperature was 45F., and less than two hours later, the temperature had dropped to below freezing and continued down to 21F by late afternoon and was still dropping.  It's known as a 'flash freeze'.  The impending snowstorm that one weather forecast was calling a 'cyclone bomb' hit us about 8:30 a.m. and continued for the rest of the day, with many road closures and accidents being reported.  With the tall pine trees twisting and bending in the high wind, we even had continuous rare whiteouts in our sheltered Park.  At times, we couldn't even see across the road to our neighbor's house.  For the second day in a row, we remained housebound, and I only ventured out a couple of times to stock up the bird feeders.  Lorraine did venture out later to see how our neighbor Monica was doing.  Why we haven't lost power yet is nothing short of a miracle.  And, I think this storm is maybe expected to continue for a few days.

As expected, my Kindle/laptop hookup did not go well.  Not well at all.  The problem, of course, was on my end again and had to do with passwords, verification codes, user names, and my poor short-term memory, along with my usual impatience with this kind of stuff.  Rather than give you a detailed blow-by-blow of my grinding frustrations, let me just say I had to make three phone calls to Amazon.ca before finally, finally, finally, a patient lady was able to help me.  By the time my four-hour ordeal was over, my nerves were totally shot.  Trying to take instructions over a phone is akin to driving a nearly 40-foot Motorhome towing a car through Chicago's morning rush hour traffic in the dark.  Ya, been there, done that!!  Anyway, the Kindle is working, and I was able to successfully download another book.  Thank you to readers for trying to help in the comment section of yesterday's post.  Had I not got myself so bogged down in incorrect passwords, wrong phone numbers, and user names, etc. I might have had a chance following those suggestions.  One of the ongoing problems I am having with all this confusement is that Kelly had set up a lot of these programs and accounts over the years, as well as her phone.  And, it is that same iPhone I am now using.  Problems with passwords, user names, etc.  Anyway, I'm over the Kindle/Amazon dilemma for now, but I'm sure it won't be long before I am once again knee deep in another techy dilemma of some kind..........

Al's Music Box:: Stranger On The Shore by Acker Bilk.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A Canadian preacher was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute.  The substitute wanted to know what to play.  ‘Here's a copy of the service,' he said impatiently. ‘But, you'll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances.' During the service, the minister paused and said, ‘Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected, and we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up.'  At that moment, the substitute organist played, *'O Canada.'  And that is how the substitute became the regular organist!

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A rookie police officer was out for his first ride in a cruiser with an experienced partner. A call came in telling them to disperse some people who were loitering.  The officers drove to the street and observed a small crowd standing on a corner. The rookie rolled down his window and said, "Let's get off the corner, people."  A few glances, but no one moved, so he barked again, "Let's get off that corner...NOW!" Intimidated, the group of people began to leave, casting puzzled stares in his direction.  Proud of his first official act, the young policeman turned to his partner and asked, "Well, how did I do?"  "Pretty good," chuckled the veteran policeman, "especially since this is a bus stop!"

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- Doctor, Doctor My little boy has just swallowed a roll of film!  Hmmmm. Let's hope nothing develops.

- Doctor, Doctor I snore so loud I keep myself awake.  Sleep in another room then!

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Pamela: "You're half an hour late. I've been standing here like a fool."

Bill: "I can't help how you stand."

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A Hindu devotee asked God, represented by the multi-armed Lord Narayana, this question. "My dear Lord," he said. "I understand that you have innumerable inconceivable potencies. But out of all of them, the energy of light seems to be the most amazing. Light pervades the spiritual world; it illuminates the material universes, and life is impossible without it." He continued, "I would like to know how you make it work."  "Oh, that's easy," was the reply. "Many hands make light work."

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery