I WAS NOT INTO IT SO HAD TO GET MYSELF OUT OF IT

MOST OF MY PHOTOS TONIGHT ARE OF THIS ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK WHICH POSED SO NICELY FOR ME OUTSIDE OUR SUNROOM WINDOW THIS AFTERNOON

Had I made a bet it would be raining this morning I would have lost that bet.  A great green rain monster headed our way seems to have stalled over the State of Michigan.  Hope you were able to get your water wings on over there folks.

  

 

Couldn’t seem to kick the thought all day that it was Saturday.  Looked like a Saturday, felt like a Saturday & maybe from old habits & ways I was wishing it was Saturday.  Saturday mornings have always been my fav.

 

Took me awhile to shift myself into painting mode today or should that be painting mood.  Well, with the exception of a couple letters I pretty much figure it means basically the same thing.  For me painting is just one of those things that one has to be in the right frame of mind to do or it’s never going to get done.  Once I get started I’m usually fine but it’s just that pre-prep thought about it that is the hard part…….. Now having said all that earlier in the day I set about painting this afternoon only to find out about 20 minutes after I started that my mood was not into it & I had to hastily get myself out of it.  Maybe I’ll try that painting thing tomorrow, or next week or how about later in the year when the nice colors of Autumn are upon us.

 

With temperatures ever so slowly warming up how nice once again to have our doors open to to the sounds of Robins, Red Wing Black Birds, Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Orioles, Sparrows, Red Breasted Grosbeaks, Black Capped Chickadees, Canada Geese overhead & the occasional chattering of old Crows in the tree tops.  Background these aerial choruses with Spring’s nearby Peeper Frogs & I’d say things are shaping up nicely here on the outskirts of Bayfield’s quaint little village on the cliffs overlooking mighty Lake Huron.

Thanks to the folks who dropped around to have a look at & leave a comment on my buddy Jim’s new blog.   He emailed me today saying he couldn’t believe the number of hits he had on his site already:))  Lifetime Sentences  And to you folks who sent emails regarding his blog I forwarded them to Jim.  Drop on by & you won’t be disappointed by his often humorous short tales of life’s fancy & folly.

GUESS WHO I CAUGHT EATING OUR AZALEA BUDS AGAIN!!!!

GROANER’S CORNER:((     Two men contracted to paint a small community church. Being very frugal(cheap), they pinched and scraped to spend the absolute minimum on materials. Then, when they were only partway through the job, they determined that they did not, after all, have enough paint to complete the job. Not wishing to spend any more money if they didn't absolutely have to,they decided they would just dilute the water-based paint they were using so that it would last longer. They did this a couple more times before they finished, which caused striping on the church as the paint got lighter each time it was thinned. The painters had just about gotten to the top of the steeple, when, all of a sudden, the sky darkened, and the rain started to pour down. As the paint streamed down the sides of the church, a voice boomed from the heavens: "Repaint, you thinners! Repaint, and thin no more!"

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What happened when a ship carrying red paint collided with a ship carrying blue paint?
Both crews were marooned.

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Recently someone nearly got away with stealing several paintings from the Louvre. However, after planning the crime, breaking in,evading security, getting out, and escaping with the goods, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas.When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such a foolish error, he replied, "I had no Monet to buy Degas to make the VanGogh."

MY GOOD FRIEND JIM HAS JUST LAUNCHED HIS OWN BLOG:))

(NO THIS IS NOT A PICTURE OF JIM)  I DON’T KNOW WHAT KIND OF BIRD THIS IS BUT IT’S GOT AN EVEN GRUMPIER FACE THAN I DO

Well let’s just cut to the chase shall we.  Soon as Monday’s overnight clouds cleared this morning you already know where Pheebs & I headed for.  Rhymes with Gullettt Smarsh.  Another fine day to be outside surrounded by fresh country air & natures wondrous sounds of Spring. 

THE AREA WE WALKED THROUGH THIS MORNING IS USUALLY FLOODED AS EVIDENCED BY THE PHOTO BELOW WITH ALL THE SNAILS

IT WAS A DIFFERENT SOUNDING BIRD FLYING BY THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION….I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS

MANAGED TO CATCH MYSELF ANOTHER SWALLOW IN FLIGHT

LOOKING WEST A FORESTED COUNTRY ROAD ONCE RAN THROUGH HERE PAST THAT LINE OF STUMPS & IF YOU LOOK TO THE HORIZON YOU CAN SEE A NOTCH IN THE TREE LINE WHERE THE ROAD ONCE RAN THROUGH

HAD THIS BEEN 60 YEARS AGO I WOULD HAVE BEEN STANDING ON A COUNTRY ROAD LOOKING EAST

A relaxing afternoon spent puttering around in our gardens outside.  Air is still a touch on the cool side but those warming rays of sunshine sure felt good & how nice it is feeling that genuine physical tiredness at the end of the day when things have been accomplished.

CAUGHT THIS FLOCK OF CANADA GEESE COMING IN FOR A LANDING

WING FLAPS ARE DOWN AS THEIR SPEED SLOWS

A BANKING TURN TO THE RIGHT

LANDING GEAR DOWN

TOUCHDOWN ON RUNWAY TWO NINER NINER

A word of thanks to everyone regarding my photos.  A keen eyed reader in our Shout Box noticed how my photos were sharper over the past few days.  Here’s the reason for that.  A week ago Monday I stopped in to Henry’s Camera Store in London with a question about a clicking sound in my new 70-300mm lens.  The store manager checked out the lens saying the VR stabilizer clicking sound was normal.  He tried the lens with the VR (vibration reduction) switch on & off.  Unnoticed to me when he handed me back the lens was the VR switch in the ‘off’ position & being my usual forgetful self I never thought to check that.  For the next 4 days I have to say I was disappointed with many of my photos & in fact I used some file photos for my posts instead.  The disappointing photos were soft looking & not clear & sharp like many of those taken with my previous identical lens.  I tried this & that but just couldn’t figure it out how to get the results I was looking for.  Discouragement set in.  I don’t know just exactly when it was the following Friday night but I think it was slowly floating off to dreamland when ‘BAM’ the light came on.  No not the light beside my chair but the light inside my head.  “The VR switch Al, the VR switch”!!  I got right up, went over & picked up my camera & lens & sure enough the VR switch was in the ‘OFF’ position.  Next day with the VR switch ‘ON’ I saw a difference in my photos so it proved to me the importance of having that vibration reduction technology.  At some point I hope to get myself in the habit of using a tripod but until I can find the patience for that I will just keep on doing things in my old hand held way.  Here’s a Wikipedia description of the VR technology……………{{Vibration Reduction (VR) systems compensate for image blur caused by small, involuntary movements (from unsteady hands, shooting from a moving vehicle, etcs) Known as camera shake. VR can be found in many Nikon products, such as interchangeable lenses for SLR cameras, digital cameras and binoculars}}

MANAGED TO SNAG A FEW MORE FARM HOUSES ON THE WAY HOME

A week ago Monday my all time good friend & best Buddy Jim & I had ourselves another marathon coffee blow-out & during those 5+ hours one of the many things we talked about was blogs, bloggers, & blogging.  Jim’s a newspaper man by trade & has made a career out of the print media.  I’m happy to say he has finally thrown his hat into the blogging ring & just a few days ago Jim launched Lifetime Sentences.  Sometimes a political writer, oft times a humor writer, & all times a fine writer.  You can find Jim’s blog on my sidebar from here on in & if your needin yourself a chuckle ya better drop on by & see what he’s got cookin over there to tickle your ribs with.  By the way Jim is also a singer-songwriter-guitar player & a month ago in Stratford Ontario he opened a concert for well known Canadian composer, songwriter, & traveling folksinger, Valdy.  Jim & I have been close friends for over 36 years.   

Looks like another rain soaked day heading our way Wednesday so I’ll take advantage of that & do some painting.  Our renovations have started & we made a decision today to go ahead with replacing our old $$money guzzling$$ electric furnace with a new gas furnace.  Looks like that will take place around the end of this month.

GROANER’S CORNER:(( There were two guys working for the city. One would dig a hole, he would dig, dig, dig, the other would come behind him and fill the hole, fill, fill, fill. These two men worked furiously. One digging a hole, the other filling it up again.  A man was watching from the sidewalk and couldn't believe how hard these men were working, but couldn't understand what they were doing. Finally he had to ask them.  He said to the hole digger, "I appreciate how hard you work, but what are you doing? You dig a hole and your partner comes behind you and fills it up again!"  The hole digger replied, "Oh yeah, must look funny, but the guy who plants the trees is sick today."

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO

When first out with Pheebs around 7 this morning I found myself humming a popular tune song by BJ Thomas years ago.  Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head.And it seemed with those very same raindrops falling upon my head that was exactly what I remembered for the few minutes standing there with her.  A couple hours later lured outside by several wondering sun splashes Pheebs & I were in the Jeep headed for Walmart. 

HOW NICE TO SEE ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAKS BACK IN YOUR FRONT YARD AGAIN

Didn’t need a whole lot of things at the big Wallyworld but grabbed myself a 4 wheel battering ram anyway & headed off into the store just in case local Walmartians were feeling a big grumpy on a Monday morning.  Fortunately not many fellow shoppers were to be found & I was soon able to gather up what I needed & make my way back out into the parking lot without any ram-jam shopping cart incidences.

A RED WING BLACKBIRD DROPPED BY OUR FEEDER TODAY FOR A WEE SNACK

Morning’s earlier sun splashes were long gone as we headed across the road to A&W.  I had another one of those darn $4.99 breakfast coupons so I wasn’t long in filling my face again.  And that price includes a big cup of coffee too.  I really do need to make some changes to my eating habits you know………

LOOK CLOSELY……’BIG RED’S’ ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FEEDER

HMMMM, WILL I HAVE THE BLACK OLIVES OR THE ANCHOVIES TODAY??

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MY FRIENDS CALL ME SNAGGLEPUSS >>>>>>>

Not much going on down around the harbor as we cruised along Goderich’s beautiful beach.  No big lake freighters tied up off-loading or taking aboard any kinds of cargo.  Nobody at the dog walking area so parked the Jeep & off we went.  The day was so gray not even the birds were flying & I was surprised not to see a single Sea Gull.  No ducks, geese or cormorants out floating on the water either.  Only sound was a gentle lapping of waves along the shoreline.

GENTLE WAVES LAPPING THE SHORE

AND TO THINK WE ONLY LIVE ABOUT A MILE FROM LAKE HURONS BEAUTIFUL SHORELINE

SLEEPING IN ON A MONDY MORNING

A COUPLE DUCKS PADDLING AROUND IN ONE OF THE LARGEST FRESH WATER LAKES IN THE WORLD

Gazing out over the vast waters of Lake Huron I couldn’t help but think how different our living areas are each year.  How great it is to be here in South Western Ontario’s rolling farm lands with it’s patchwork quilt fields & surrounding forests in late Spring, Summer, & early Fall.  Lakes & rivers, swamps & grasslands.  And just a mile west of us the third largest fresh water lake in the entire world joined to the largest & second largest fresh water lakes on the Planet.  Swimming & boating with small coastal towns dotting Huron’s shoreline.  Fishing boats coming & going from secure cozy harbors.  Large great lakes freighters & even larger ocean going ships from around the world share the waters with countless colorful sailboats upon the aqua greens & blues of Lake Huron making their way to & fro like tiny butterflies skimming along a water’s edge.  How different from our late Autumn, Winter, & early Spring days spent in the splendor of the great American Southwest with it’s sweeping colored deserts & majestic mountain ranges surrounding & following one wherever they go.  Stars from horizon to horizon on dark desert nights with fiery sunrises & sunsets setting mountains ablaze at the beginning & end of back to back sunny days.  Canyons, ridge lines, Sahara sand dunes, & green deserts for as far as the eye can see with mountain rivers & lakes nestled in tall pine forests.  Yes we are fortunate indeed to live the lifestyle we do in such beautiful areas & it is the stark contrast between the two lands that is the absolute key in making it all so special for us.  Twice a year we so look forward to traveling from one land of beauty to another & it is the anticipation of those 2 lifestyle changes that I think is one of the most exciting parts of our lives.  Always, always, always, something to look forward to:))

‘BIG RED’

 

IF YOU DIDN’T ALREADY KNOW THIS WAS A CARDINAL I WONDER WHAT YOU WOULD THINK IT WAS

 

YUM:))

Think it was around noon when sky’s began to clear & oh what a lifting of Spirits that always is for me to see sunshine & blue skies.  Enough so that Pheebs & I weren’t long in hooking up the utility trailer & gathering us a big pile of yard waste to haul down to our recycling area.  After inactively spending too much time sitting around the house the past few days it was great to get some physical exercise going on again.  My good friend & neighbor Richard & I with a bit of huffing & puffing ‘pushed’ an old dead 30’ foot tree over.  Between us we had 149 years of pushing power:))  He fired up his chain saw & cut the tree into sections & I loaded them up & hauled them away.

AND WE FINALLY HAVE DANDELIONS GROWING AGAIN

NICE TO SEE THAT BIG BLUE SKY THIS AFTERNOON & EVEN SOME BLOSSOMS TOO:))

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Three criminals are sentenced to exile in the desert and can only bring one personal item.  "I brought a loaf of bread, so when I get hungry, I'll have something to eat," said the first criminal.  "I brought a water skin, so that when I get thirsty, I'll have something to drink," said the second.  The third criminal looks proud of himself. "I brought a car door, so when it gets hot, I can roll down the window."

 

"A writer is a writer not because they write well & easily, because they have amazing talent, or because everything they do is golden.  A writer is a writer because, even when there is no hope, even when nothing they do shows any sign of promise, they keep on writing anyway"...... Author Unknown