I WAS NOT A HAPPY CAMPER SUNDAY NIGHT

Caustiously, I opened the curtains this morning, hoping not to see a whole lot of new snow.  And, I didn't. Saturday night's light snowfall was still there, but nothing had been added to it.  It was 28F outside and I didn't feel too encouraged to go outside in that.  But then, the Sun popped out and made up my mind for me.  I wasn't long in hooking the utility trailer to the Subaru and away we all went to the Park's recycling area with a load of leaves.  I kinda figured this might be my last load for the season, but, maybe not.  Home again, I unhooked the trailer and then proceeded to rake up even more leaves into piles strategically placed for Spring pick-up, should I decide not to take any more loads to the dump this year.  I did take a few pics in the Park on my way to and from the dump this morning.

 BELOW FREEZING OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES HAVE PUT A FINAL END TO MANY PLANTS

WITH A THIN LAYER OF ICE ON OUR FROG POND, THE SURROUNDING ROCKS STILL HAVE A DUSTING OF SNOW ON THEM FROM SATURDAY NIGHT

 A SNOWY LOAD OF LEAVES

 UNLOADING AT THE RECYCLING AREA

 A BRIEF BURST OF SNOW WHILE THE SUN WAS SHINING SO IT MUST HAVE BEEN A LITTLE SNOW CLOUD GOING OVER

 MORE TREE PLANTING IN THIS DAMAGED AREA OF FOREST

 THAT ORANGE TRAFFIC CONE LIES ON ONE OF THE CONCRETE PADS WHERE A NEW MOBILE HOME WILL SOON BE SET UP

HALF OF A NEW HOME ARRIVED THIS MORNING TO BE SET UP ON ONE OF THE OTHER RECENTLY POURED CONCRETE PADS

 ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE NEWLY ARRIVED HOUSE HALF CAN BE SEEN ANOTHER NEW MOBILE HOME THAT HAS BEEN FULLY ASSEMBLED

 THIS IS THE ONE i HAD PICTURES OF A WEEK AGO WHEN IT WAS STILL IN TWO PARTS AND HADN'T BEEN JOINED TOGETHER YET

 STOPPED ON MY WAY BACK FROM THE RECYCLING AREA TO TAKE A FEW PICS

I was not a happy camper Sunday night after waiting all week for the next installment of 'The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch', only to find out that it was preempted by another similar show by the same production company called 'The Treasure of Oak Island'.  Now, I'm not knocking the Oak Island show, but it was Skinwalker I had waited all week to see.   

A NEIGHBOR HAS DONE A NICE JOB IN CREATING THIS LITTLE AREA

 A HYDRANGEA HEAVILY LADEN WITH SNOW

Al's Music Box:: Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain by Willie Nelson.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A farmer named Muldoon lived alone in the Irish countryside except for a pet dog he had had for a long time.  The dog finally died, and Muldoon went to the parish priest, saying, "Father, the dog is dead. Could you possibly be saying a Mass for the poor creature?"  Father Patrick told the farmer, "No, we can't have services for an animal in the church, but I'll tell you what, there's a new denomination down the road apiece, and no telling what they believe in, but maybe they'll do something for the animal."  Muldoon said, "I'll go right now. By the way, do you think $50,000 is enough to donate for the service?"  Father Patrick replied, "Wait a minute, why didn't you tell me the dog was Catholic."

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After the christening of his baby brother in church, Little Johnny cried all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him what was wrong, and finally, the boy sobbed, “That priest said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I want to stay with you guys!”

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Six guys were playing poker when Smith loses $500 on a single hand, clutched his chest and dropped dead at the table. Showing respect for their fallen comrade, the other five complete their playing time standing up. Roberts looks around and asks, "Now, who is going to tell the wife?" They draw straws. Rippington, who is always a loser, picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, don't make a bad situation any worse than it is. "Gentlemen! Discreet? I'm the most discreet man you will ever meet. Discretion is my middle name, leave it to me." Rippington walks over to the Smith house, knocks on the door, and the wife answers and asks what he wants. Rippington says, "Your husband just lost $500 playing cards." She hollers, "TELL HIM TO DROP DEAD!" Rippington says, "I'll tell him.

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery

WE GOT SNOWED ON

Imagine my surprise when I parted our living room curtains this morning and saw snow on the ground.  Not long after that, it even started to lightly snow, and continued on and off throughout the day.  Luckily, with our temperatures sitting right on the 32°F freezing mark, the snow did not accumulate to much.  Our driveway remained bare, and the area roads were wet.

 QUITE A SURPRISE TO SEE SNOW THIS MORNING

FRONT YARD

VIBRANT COLOR IN OUR PARK ENTRANCEWAY FLOWERBED

I didn't really need any groceries, so I had to convince myself I did, just so I had a legit reason to get out of the house and go somewhere.  Besides, things were looking kinda pretty outside with the wet snow clinging to the trees.  So, off to Goderich I went.

PULLING OUT ONTO BAYFIELD RIVER ROAD, I SPOTTED THIS LADY WALKING HER DOG

ON MY WAY TO GODERICH ON WET ROADS

 A STAND OF SUMAC TREES

 MONDAY MORNING, SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL BE IN THEIR SHELTER AT THE END OF THE FARM LANE WAITING FOR THE SCHOOL BUS

 THAT'S QUITE A UNIQUE RURAL MAIL BOX

 EVEN COWS HAD THEIR WARM COATS ON THIS MORNING

Following my usual route, I grabbed a coffee to go at McD's and headed on down to the harbor.  Lake Huron mirrored the cold gray skies, and its water surface remained relatively calm, considering the high winds we had over the past few days.

 THE FEDERAL HAMILTON WAS IN PORT THIS MORNING AT THE GODERICH GRAIN TERMINAL

 SEE THAT MARBLE LOOKING ROCK IN THE FOREGROUND??  I WONDER HOW MANY READERS REMEMBER ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, WHEN I BLOGGED A NUMBER OF TIMES HOPING THAT ROCK WOULDN'T BE BURIED UNDER ALL THE SHORELINE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON THERE AT THE TIME.

 I WONDER IF A FLOCK OF PENQUINS HAS LEFT THIS STASH OF ROCKS HERE:))

 THIS GULL IS ALL BUNCHED UP AGAINST THE COLD WESTERLY WIND SWEEPING ACROSS LAKE HURON

 AND, THERE HE GOES

 ANOTHER GULL TAKES ITS PLACE AND STARES AT ME

A stop at A&W for a 'Buddy Burger' and then off to Walmart just down the road.  Well, what a Zoo Wally-World was.  I think all the areas 11 a.m. church services had just let out, and everybody headed for Walmart.  I think people were in a panicked Christmas mode, thinking that Christmas was only three weeks away.  And, I heard mumblings from people about a snow squall warning in tonight's weather forecast.  No wonder the toilet paper aisle emptied so fast.

 HEADING HOME

 AND OLD STONE WALL LEADS DOWN INTO A GULLY

 NO LEAVES LEFT ON THESE TREES

 ALMOST HOME

 YES, THERE DEFINITELY WAS SNOW IN THE AIR TODAY

Home again, I headed inside, where it was toasty warm, and stayed there.  This new recliner of mine is just waaaaay too comfortable, and it snags me just about every time I walk by.  Or, do I snag it?  Oh well, whichever way it works is mighty fine with me.  In fact, I might wear it out over the winter and need a new one in the Spring.  And, speaking of Spring.......Ok, I guess I'd better not go there.

ALONGSIDE THE ROAD IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE

Al's Music Box:: Love Will Keep Us Alive by the Eagles and song by Timothy B. Schmit, the bass player.  

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Three sons left home, went out on their own, and prospered. They discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother.  The first said, "I built a big house for our mother."  The second said, "I sent her a Mercedes with a driver."  The third said, "You remember how our mother enjoys reading the Bible. Now she can't see very well. So I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took the elders in the church 12 years to teach him. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse, and the parrot recites it."  Soon thereafter, their mother sent out her letters of thanks. "William," she said, "the house you built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house.  "Arnold," she said, "I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home, so I rarely use the Mercedes. And that driver is so rude! He's a pain!"  "But David," she said, "the chicken you sent was delicious!"

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An angry wife said to her husband on phone: "Where the hell are you?" Suppers been on the table for over an hour!!

Husband: "Darling, you remember that jewelry shop where you saw the diamond necklace and totally fell in love with it, and I didn't have money that time, and I said, 'Baby, it'll be yours one day'?"  Wife, with a smile and blushing: "Yes, I remember that my love!"
Husband: "Well, I'm in the pub right next to that shop."

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A man stumbles up to the only other patron in a bar and asks if he could buy him a drink. "Why of course," comes the reply. The first man then asks: "Where are you from?" "I'm from Ireland," replies the second man. The first man responds: "You don't say, I'm from Ireland too! Let's have another round to Ireland." "Of course," replies the second man. I'm curious, the first man then asks: "Where in Ireland are you from?" "Dublin," comes the reply. "I can't believe it," says the first man. "I'm from Dublin too! Let's have another drink to Dublin."

"Of course," replies the second man. Curiosity again strikes, and the first man asks: "What school did you go to?" "Saint Mary's," replies the second man, "I graduated in '62."  
"This is unbelievable!", the first man says. "I went to Saint Mary's and I graduated in '62, too!"  About that time in comes one of the regulars and sits down at the bar. "What's been going on?" he asks the bartender. "Nothing much," replies the bartender. "The O'Malley twins are drunk again."

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery