AS IF I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TECHY DIFFICULTIES

 LAKE HURON HAD A COLD DARK GREEN COLOR TO IT TODAY

A drive into Bayfield this morning on bare and dry roads ended as soon as I turned off the highway into town.  All of Bayfield's streets were coated in ice.  I knew enough not to go down the hill leading to the beach because coming back up the ice-coated hill, there is a stop sign at the top.  Even with Subies All Wheel Drive, I was not willing to chance either going down that hill or coming back up it.  I instead stopped for a few photos at Pioneer Park on the bluff overlooking Lake Huron.  A drive along Bayfield's Main Street, a gas fill up at the Bayfield Garage and I was on my way home again.  Later in the afternoon, Lorraine and I headed off to Goderich for stops at, Food Basics, Home Hardware, Giant Tiger, Finchers Craft Store, Rexall Drugs, Zehr's Supermarket, Dollarama, Walmart, and of course Tim Hortons for two coffees to go on the way home.

 THE BAYFIELD RIVER EMPTIES INTO THE LAKE BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH PIERS AT UPPER RIGHT

 CEDAR RAIL FENCING IN PIONEER PARK

 THESE STAIRS LEAD FROM PIONEER PARK DOWN TO THE BEACH AND LAKE HURON SHORELINE

As if I didn't have enough new techy difficulties going on, I decided to voluntarily add another one. Readers might remember a week or so ago, me saying my 14-year-old Kindle Reader had gone ka-flooey, and without it, my enjoyable reading days were over.  I knew there had been some changes going on at Kindle, and with the error message on my screen, I decided that Amazon's newer technology was no longer compatible with my older Kindle.  So, I was faced with two options.  Either I accept my fate and never read another book, or......get myself a new Kindle and try to re-establish a new software connection between the two devices.  With reading being one of my main hobbies, the decision stared me in the face.........  Thanks to Amazon, my new Kindle Paperwhite arrived today, and it was here that my latest techy dilemma began.   Over these past years, I truly have had a poor track record in setting up, installing, downloading, or uploading hardware, software, or whatever.  I was certainly not optimistic about getting this new Kindle configured and set up with Amazon books on the internet.  I hesitated and had second thoughts about even opening the box the Kindle came in.  In the short run, it would be easier to just forget about it and maintain my somewhat shaky mental stability.  But hey, I had some serious cash tied up in that new Kindle, so figured I had best get at it.  So, without further ado, I opened the box, hauled the new Kindle out, and braced myself for the upcoming battle I was about to undertake.  But then I chickened out and decided to wait until Sunday morning, when I had the advantage of having a few more functioning brain cells on the active side of things.  Wish me luck....................

 EVERYTHING TODAY HAD A THIN COATING OF ICE ON IT

 ALL STREETS IN BAYFIELD WERE SHEER ICE

Al's Music Box:: Michael Row The Boat Ashore by the Highwaymen.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Grandma and Grandpa were sitting in their porch rockers, watching the beautiful sunset and reminiscing about "the good days," when Grandma turned to Grandpa and said, "Honey, do you remember when we first started dating, and you used to just casually reach over and take my hand?"  Grandpa looked over at her, smiled, and took her aged hand in his. With a wry little smile, Grandma pressed a little farther, "Honey, do you remember how, after we were engaged, you'd sometimes lean over and softly kiss me on the cheek?"  Grandpa leaned slowly toward Grandma and gave her a lingering kiss on her cheek.  Growing bolder still, Grandma said, "Honey, do you remember how, after we were first married, you'd kind of nibble on my ear?"  Grandpa slowly got up from his rocker and headed into the house. Alarmed, Grandma said, "Honey, where are you going?"  Grandpa replied, "To get my teeth!"

----------------------------------------

Arthur was sitting outside his local pub one day, enjoying a quiet pint and generally feeling good about himself, when a nun suddenly appeared at his table and started decrying the evils of drink.  "You should be ashamed of yourself, young man! Drinking is a Sin! Alcohol is the blood of the devil!"  Now Arthur gets pretty annoyed about this and goes on the offensive.
"How do *you* know, Sister?"  "My Mother Superior told me so."  "But have you ever had a drink yourself?  How can you be sure that what you are saying is right?"  "Don't be ridiculous - of course I have never taken alcohol myself." "Then let me buy you a drink - if you still believe afterwards that it is evil, I will give up drinking for life."
"How could I, a Nun, sit outside this public house drinking?!"  "I'll get the barman to put it in a teacup for you, then no one will know."  The Nun reluctantly agrees, so Arthur goes inside to the bar.  "Another pint for me, and a triple vodka on the rocks", then he lowers his voice and says to the barman, "... and could you put the vodka in a teacup?"  "Oh no!" replied the barman," It's not that drunken Nun again, is it!?"

--------------------------------------------

Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery

AN ALL DAY FREEZING RAIN

 ICE COATED MOST EVERYTHING TODAY

Not meaning to be an old Scrooge, I do have to admit that at this time of year, I am always so glad to see Christmas disappearing in the rear view mirror.  And, to add to that, New Year's Eve will soon be in that same mirror, disappearing just as fast as I look ahead to getting on with the future and letting the past drift away to wherever old pasts go......Freezing rain today has made conditions outside very hazardous.  Needless to say, it was an inside day.

 OUR DRIVEWAY WAS LIKE A SKATING RINK AND A PLACE TO BE AVOIDED

 THIS BACKYARD DOGWOOD HAS A THIS COATING OF ICE

ICYCLES EVERYWHERE

Finally, finally, finally, I was able to figure out how to transfer photos from my iPhone to my computer using iCloud.  But oh my, what a struggle it has been trying to understand the whole seemingly simple process.  For me, at this age and stage of things, the word 'simple' is simply not a realistic part of my vocabulary anymore.  So many things have become an increasing struggle.  But, not to be glum chum, I'm sure 2026 will have some exciting moments along the way, peppered with enough uncertainties to grasp the very best of my undivided attention.  

Al's Music Box:(( Sunshine On My Shoulder by John Denver
GROANER'S CORNER:((  A couple of little Morons in a pickup truck drove into a lumberyard. One of them walked into the office and said, "We need some four by twos."  The clerk said, "You mean two by fours, don't you?"  The man said, "I'll go check," and went back to the truck. He returned a minute later and said, "Yeah, I meant two-by-fours."  "All right. How long do you need them?"  The customer paused for a minute and said, "I'd better go check."  After a while, the customer returned to the office and said, "A long time. We're gonna build a house."

--------------------------------

Our parish priest was making a visit to my nephew's home. He knocked on the door, and the little 4-year-old boy went to the door and way the priest. He called to his dad, "Hey, Dad! That guy that works for God is here!"

-------------------------------------

A small boy was lost, so he went up to a policeman and said, "I've lost my dad!"  The policeman said, "What's he like?"  The little boy replied, "Chips and beer."

----------------------------------------

I joined a gym recently. I don't have the best history in the world of sticking with my fitness regimens, but I feel like this time is gonna be different. I figure one of two things is gonna happen: either I'll get into shape, or I'll just resign myself to paying an $85 a month fat tax.
-------------------------------------------

Al's Doggy World

CHECKERS

 PHEEBS

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery