PHEEBS HAS A COUPLE PALS IN FOR A SLEEPOVER & WHERE WAS WALT DISNEY REALLY BORN?

  

I’M GUESSING THIS IS AN EASTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL NIKON D40 – 300mm NIKKOR LENS

Figured I'd had enough days of back to back puttering & muttering.   Decided this morning it was time to change-up my scenery a bit for the day.  Grabbed my cameras, strapped on the Jeep & headed off in a north-easterly direction through our pastoral countryside.  It is a time of year when farmer's crops are bursting forth in waving seas of green across the landscape.  Large fields stretching forever between acres of hardwood forests.  Corn & Soy beans  make up the bulk of what is being grown with Alf-Alfa, clover, oats, grass, & barley bringing up the rear.  Our rural countryside has just about every shade of green a person can imagine.  How fortunate we live where we do. 

CORN CROP’S LOOKING GOOD
My 4 hour travels this morning took me through hilly country between Bayfield & Wingham Ontario.  A lot of the area in our neck of the woods is fairly flat so I have a general tendency to drift over to where the hills are.  Not exactly the mountains & canyons of the southwest of course but it's the closest thing we have to that in this area.  Wherever we go I enjoy getting up on high points of land & looking over the countryside stretching out & away for miles & miles around.

YEP, WE HAVE MANY SHADES OF GREEN OUT HERE IN THE COUNTRY

Stopped at a nice patch of wild Phlox alongside a country road & was able to take a few more Butterfly photos.  The added bonus of taking these pictures is the sweet smell of the Phlox itself.  Couple that with the peaceful solitude along the back roads & you have the makings of a very fine day.

  

I’M GUESSING THIS IS AN EASTERN BLACK SWALLOWTAIL NIKON D40 – 300mm NIKKOR LENS   

There has always been some controversy as to the birthplace of Walt Disney.  Below are two conflicting accounts of just where his birthplace really was.  {Walt Disney was born to Elias Disney an Irish-Canadian, and his mother, Flora Call Disney, who was of German-American descent. ‘His father moved to the United States from Canada’ after his parents failed at farming there.} 'OR'  {Disney was born on December 5, 1901, at 2156 N. Tripp Avenue in Chicago's Hermosa community area to Irish-Canadian father Elias Disney and Flora Call Disney, who was of German and English descent.}  Of course many in Canada think it was here but you folks in the States think it was there.  Have also heard since I was a boy that it was this area in Huron County where Walt's Mother & Father had their farm.  And, northeast of Bayfield may just be where that farm was....if he was born in Canada of course.  There is a short half mile stretch of road north of Homesville Ontario called Disney Road.  I checked out that road this morning & there are no farms on it......but there might have been back in 1901 when Walt Disney was born.  Not that it really matters where he was born, but it would be nice to lay that age old discrepancy to rest.

 

THIS IS A SECTION OF DISNEY ROAD

We have quite an action packed house tonight.  A couple of Pheebs Deer Park Lodge Pals are here for a day or two.  Kelly came home with three year old Stella & 5 month old Guinness in the car this afternoon.  Their Mom & Dad had to go to a graduation ceremony near Toronto so we volunteered to look after the two little Rag-a-Muffins.  Their Mom, Kirsten, owns Deer Park Lodge.  Needless to say,  it’s been quite a circus we have going on here & we love it.  Reminds us so much of our early Bayfield Bunch days with Max, Checkers, & the Motormouse.  Took them all for a big walk around the Pine Forest trail after supper & they all loved romping & playing together.  We love to see dogs running free & enjoying themselves.  Didn’t take Stella long to bound right into the Park’s Pond with a big splash.  The guys will be here all day tomorrow & possibly tomorrow night.  Guinness is a male pure bred Burnese Mountain Dog & Stella is a female Australian Shepherd.  How nice to hear a herd of scrambling doggy paws racing up & down our hall again:))

THIS IS STELLA & GUINNESS

 

LITTLE 3 MONTH OLD GUINNESS ON THE RIGHT IS ALMOST AS BIG AS THE PHEEBS

 

GUINNESS STOPS FOR A REST & 3 LITTLE DOGGY BUMS PATROL THE PINE FOREST TRAIL

STELLA & GUINNESS HEAD FOR THE POND

 

IN LEFT PHOTO KELLY IS ON THE DEER PARK LODGE PHONE HANDLING A CALL

GROANER’S CORNER:((  There was once a Snail who was sick and tired of his reputation for being so slow. He decided to get some fast wheels to make up the difference. After shopping around a while, he decided that the Datsun 240-Z was the car to get. So the Snail goes to the nearest Datsun dealer and says he wants to buy the 240-Z, but he wants it repainted "240-S".
The dealer asks, "Why 'S'?"
The Snail replies, "'S' stands for snail. I want everybody who sees me roaring past to know who's driving."
Well, the dealer doesn't want to lose the unique opportunity to sell a car to a snail, so he agrees to have the car repainted for a small fee.
The Snail gets his new car and spent the rest of his days roaring happily down the highway at top speed. And whenever anyone would see him zooming by, they'd say "Wow! Look at that S-car go!"

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- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

ELEPHANT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

 
ON OUR WALK TONIGHT I SPOTTED THIS SINGLE MONARCH BUTTERFLY IN A PATCH OF WILD PHLOX
Aside from some shrub trimming & Motorhome window cleaning I had another one of those rather lack lustre days.  When it started to rain Sunday I rolled the Motorcycle out of the carport to let the rain water wash the yellow Pine pollen off.  Minutes later the rain stopped leaving the bike in a worse looking mess than when it had an evenly distributed dusting of pollen on it.  Our water here is so chlorinated that to wash anything just leaves it coated in white spots.  Hosed down the bike anyway & took it for a quick run around the country block to dry if off.  Back home, a quick wipe with ‘The Solution’ & all was shiny new again.
 
RAIN DROPS MIXED WITH PINE POLLEN MADE QUITE A MESS 
Now that the bulk of medical stuff is out of the way I am a little hard pressed for Blog fodder.  Oh Gee, really.  That stuff might have got a little tiring for some folks after a bit but it did give me some material for awhile & it did help to keep me interested & wile away some hours.  But, not to worry, I am not going to go outside & drop a big rock on my foot just to head off to the Hospital again!!

KELLY SPOTTED THIS ELEPHANT IN THE WOODS ABOUT A MILE FROM OUR PLACE MONDAY & STOPPED TO TAKE A PHOTO OF IT

And, to answer JUDY'S question.  Yes, my header photo is from my files.  In fact, my previous header photo was a file photo as well.  Sometimes I use a current photo & sometimes I do not.  When not traveling, I have a tendency to rely more on my file photos.  Andrea questioned why I wouldn't read at night.  I question that too.  I have posted before about my love of reading when I was younger & the large numbers of books I devoured over those years.  Nowadays, for some unknown reason,  I have to get myself into 'reading mode' & have noticed a tendency to do that more when we are traveling.  Right now I have 3 unread books sitting on a table near the computer patiently waiting for me to get myself into the reading groove.  Gotta work harder at getting my Perusing Mojo working again.

<<< REFLECTIONS IN AN OUTSIDE MIRROR
Here is a great music site.  SONGS TUBE  Lots of old memories.  Click on any Artist, click on any song & ‘Daddy let your mind roll on’.  Some of you may remember that line from ‘Walk Right In’ by The Rooftop Singers in the early 60’s.  I do.  This site also plays YouTube film footage of past concerts along with the songs as well as gives you lyrics.  Remember those good old music days when singers & musicians had to have that real raw talent to make them the great legends & icons we all so fondly remember today.  Remember how each singer had their own distinctive voice & each group their own instantly recognizable sound.  Kinda like the old far out car designs of the mid to late 50’s right up into the late 60’s.  You could tell a Ford from a Chev from a Plymouth a mile down the road.  A singer or group was easily discernable with their own style right from the opening bars of any tune.  I don’t think the word generic had been thought of yet but the word sure sums up many of today’s car designs & music sounds.
  
RON, OUR FRIENDLY PARK MAINTENANCE GUY STOPS BY TO REPLACE A BULB IN OUR OUTSIDE DRIVEWAY LIGHT THIS AFTERNOON…SAME FELLOW & MACHINE WHO RESCUED ME OFF OUR CARPORT ROOF A YEAR AGO THIS MONTH
Think I have figured out why Momma & Poppa Goose left the pond in such a hurry a week & a half ago.  Pheebs & I spotted a big Snapping Turtle on the far bank Monday.  Those Snappers will come up from underneath & snatch small baby Geese & pull them under.  No Snappers tonight but we did see a Monarch Butterfly & of course Pheebs met up with her newest best Pal Dexter on the trail.

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A US Border Patrol Agent catches an illegal alien in the bushes right by the border fence, he pulls him out and says "Sorry, you know the law, you've got to go back across the border right now."
The Mexican man pleads with them, "No, noooo Senior, I must stay in de USA! Pleeeze!"
The Border Patrol Agent thinks to himself, I'm going to make it hard for him and says "Ok, I'll let you stay if you can use 3 English words in a sentence".
The Mexican man of course agrees.
The Border Patrol Agent tells him, "The 3 words are: Green, Pink and Yellow. Now use them in 1 sentence."
The Mexican man thinks really hard for about 2 minutes, then says, "Hmmm, Ok. The phone, it went Green, Green, Green, I Pink it up and sez Yellow?"
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- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

I DON’T THINK ABOUT IT A LOT

Spent a little time with my garden hose & leaf blower cleaning all the Pine pollen off our front porch & deck this morning.  Now, how's that for a great walloping bout of excitement today. 

I am determined tonight to sit here until I can at least get a few paragraphs out.  If I do not take the time to spend on my blog I do not have much of anything else to do most nights.  With the steady decline of quality television shows these days my television option is virtually not existent.  Having enjoyed & lived through the Golden Age of music & television years ago, both Kelly & I are so disappointed in what we see coming from both those one time great entertainment sources.  But, I will leave it at that……………..   

We didn’t get down to see my Uncle Harry last week because of my throat problem.  Not knowing the source of the throat irritation I did not want to carry something into an elderly Care Facility & possibly pass a bug on to Harry.  However, we did slip down this morning & he is doing well.  Harry was always a bit of a natty dresser & he looked good in his pink button up shirt today:))

I suppose it is because we can’t readily access our Arizona house that I force myself not to think about it a lot.  Not much point in trying to plan things to do there until we actually have our boots on the property again.  Works in reverse as well.  When we are in the Southwest I rarely think about our house or what is going on here in Bayfield.  The distance is too great the two differing lifestyles are world’s apart.  When in Bayfield it is Baseball hats & when in Arizona it is Cowboy hats.  Guess maybe in a very uncomplicated way, that just kind of sums it all up.  Definitely looking forward to the annual Fall transition of hats again this year.

There, at least I got a few paragraphs out & feel like I accomplished something today.  Maybe in the morning I’ll swim across Lake Huron & back just to tell you tomorrow night how cold & wet the water was…….Time to take the Pheebs for a walk around the pond.  C’mon Pheebers, let’s you & Dad hit the trail………………….:)) 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A few shorties tonight...... A waiter goes to a corner table where three old ladies were having their dinner and asks, "Is ANYTHING okay?"
Q. Why is Facebook so successful?
A. The secret of it's success - it works on the theory that people find other people's lives more interesting than their own.
-Bill: What is a crate of ducks known as?
Jill : It would be a box of quackers!
-"Look, guide, here are some LION tracks."
"Good. You see where they go and I'll find out where they came from."
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- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

ON THE MEND AGAIN & VINTAGE MOTORCYCLES

AN OLD VINTAGE & REBURBISHED ‘INDIAN’ MOTORCYCLE COMPLETE WITH SIDECAR

Feeling soooooo much better this morning with just a little bit of scratchiness left in my throat.  I am more inclined now to think it was some kind of a 'bug' I picked up in the hospital last Monday.  I base that theory on how totally yucky I had been feeling the past day & a half & especially all day Saturday.  And also the fact I do not remember my throat feeling sore after we left the hospital which might discount the theory of something being inserted in my throat during the lithotripsy procedure.

 

 

AND, THIS OLD INDIAN EVEN COMES COMPLETE WITH A GPS SYSTEM

It was about 8:50 this morning just coming out of the Pine forest when I first saw it.  We had patches of blue sky to the west:))  Minutes later an illuminating splash of sunlight broke through a heavy cloud cover to the east bathing Pheebs & I in a warming sunshine.  Yaaaay, our recent gloomy overcast rainy days were were slowly coming to an end at last:))

Didn't take me long to resume my carport cleaning & reorganizing project.  Also started a list of things to go to the house in Arizona this Fall.  Without a list I would easily forget about half the things that need to go.  By the time I put the first 3 items on the list I had to stroke them off again.  What the heck, might as well load em up now:))

Had planned on taking the Motorcycle to Goderich for a good spot free wash to get all the Pine pollen off.   But, I had to cancel that decision.  No, nothing to do with weather but everything to do with a sad little doggy face peering out the window at me.  Minutes later I was able to turn that sad little face into a happy little face as Pheebs hopped into the Jeep's front seat & we headed ourselves on up the road to the town of Goderich.  Quick stop at a Supermarket & Walmart.  We were home again before we hardly even knew we left.  Just a nice little jaunt through our scenic rural countryside for us two Bums on a quiet Sunday morning.

 

Bayfield's Clangregor Square plays host to many events during the summer months & both the Corvette & Thunderbird car enthusiasts have their day in the Park each year.  Not on the same day of course.  Sometimes it is Vintage cars & today was Vintage Motorcycles.  Not a big turnout under sometimes threatening skies but I did take a drive over & took a few photos.

 

A FEW OF THE BOYS GATHERED ROUND TALKING SHOP

MIKE & PAT out there in Custer South Dakota are the mighty proud Great Grandparents of a couple mighty fine twin Great Granddaughters today.  Lots of excitement there.  And be sure to check out the colorful quilts Pat helped make for the little Gals too.

And, in regards to a couple things in Saturday’s Shout Box…..First, the Agave stock we brought home from California was totally stone dead.  Just like many flowering plants here in Ontario, a stock grows, seeds sprout & pods open.  The stock then dies but not the plant.  It produces a new stock & the cycle begins anew.  Same with the Agave.  We did not dig up or transport across the border a living Agave plant.  We just brought home the dead stock…………  And second, because of the unusual circumstances (Monday’s lithotripsy & I never get sore throats) surrounding the soreness in my throat this week I assumed Emerge would have been the place for me to go to have that looked at.  Oh Dear, there I went assuming something again.  Kelly informed me this afternoon the proper thing for me to do was to have called the Medical Clinic requesting a same day appointment with my Nurse Practitioner & resolving the problem that way.  Geeeeeezzzz, what do I know, I’m just guy……………………………

GROANER’S CORNER:((     A small boy is sent to bed by his father...
[Five minutes later]
"Da-ad..."
"What?"
"I'm thirsty. Can you bring me a drink of water?"
"No. You had your chance. Lights out."
[Five minutes later]
"Da-aaaad..."
"WHAT?"
"I'm THIRSTY...Can I have a drink of water??"
"I told you NO! If you ask again I'll have to spank you!!"
[Five minutes later]
"Daaaa-aaaAAAAD..."
"WHAT??!!"
"When you come in to spank me, can you bring me a drink of water?"

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- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

RECLINERIZED FOR THE DAY:((

Spent the biggest part of my day in the recliner under a blanket not feeling worth a darn.  My throat was really bothering me & I did a lot of sleeping.  I am cautiously optimistic tonight though because I'm feeling better & the sore throat seems to be finally backing off.  Maybe whatever it was has finally run it’s course.  We'll see how things are in the morning.  If the problem persists I will slip up to the Goderich Hospital Monday morning.  Like most guys, I do not like having to go to Emerge unless it is absolutely necessary.  And, how nice to look at the calendar for June & not see it filled with medical appointments like the month of May was.

I see more & more folks using the 'reply' feature in their blog commenting sections.  Thought about it for a bit but for me it just adds an extra something else for me to forget.  I'm having enough trouble with my short term memory as it is without adding any more things to my ‘remember list’.  When I leave a comment on someone's post I rarely go back to see if the poster or another commenter has commented on my comment.  I just never think to do that.  Guess I have always enjoyed the comment section as just that, a comment section rather than a two way communication tool.  Just me trying to make things easier for myself.  Much the same reason I never pursued Google+, Pinterest, or Twitter any further.  Ten years ago I would have enjoyed being right in the middle of all that stuff.....but, that was 10 years ago.  I have to follow the KISS formula these days.  'Keep It Simple Stupid'

My fault for not explaining what TSC meant in my post Thursday night.  I know how annoying it is when people use letters without explaining what they mean.  Tractor Supply Company, (sometimes described as a Country Hardware Store) is correct & they are in both the States & Canada.  In fact, we pass a big TSC supply depot somewhere down around Indianapolis somewhere when we use that route.  TSC is kind of geared to the farming & ranching communities.  It's a great Guy's store & I like their rugged & practical clothing lines.  And Jenny, it was just one shirt I bought Thursday.  At nearly $7 a crack I had to be pretty careful not to spend my whole allowance in one place:))

In Friday's post of the vase & shadow, a commenter correctly guessed about the Century Plant casting the Kokopelli shadow.  That particular seed pod came directly from Blair Valley's Ghost Mountain in California back on January 3rd 2008.  Below is a few photos of Kelly carrying a couple Agave stocks as we headed down the trail from the Marshal South Homestead.    We carried one of them all the way back to Canada & part of it is now in that vase.  The stock itself sits in a wooden barrel on our front porch.  I'm thinking we might have picked that Vase up in Quartzsite, Arizona.   And, regarding the other photo of Kelly & the Pheebs in the chair.  No, they weren’t sleeping, just doing some big hugs & snuggles:))

 
How exciting for Karen & Steve over at SMALL HOUSE...BIG BACK YARD.  Their house has just sold & they are standing at the brink of a whole new great big adventure.  I will reprint my comment to them because it sums up how I feel about their upcoming Full Time adventures......"I can sure feel & understand your excitement. It is a welcome lifestyle change & you will be the better for it both mentally & physically. You are standing at the brink of a great adventure that few people get to experience. How nice to have the whole North American Continent at your feet. And, how nice to trade in a previous lifestyle for something so new & refreshingly exciting. Go for it guys.....I envy you".

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Here are some great songs from the past renamed... 
Some of the artists of the 60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers who can remember doing the "Limbo" as if it were yesterday.

They include:Bobby Darin ---
Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' A Flash
 
Herman's Hermits ---
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker
 
Ringo Starr ---
I Get By With A Little Help From Depends
 
The Bee Gees ---
How Can You Mend A Broken Hip?
 
Roberta Flack---
The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face
? 
Johnny Nash ---
I Can't See Clearly Now 
 

Paul Simon---
Fifty Ways To Lose Your Liver
 
The Commodores ---
Once, Twice, Three Times To The Bathroom

Procol Harem---
A Whiter Shade Of Hair
 
Leo Sayer ---
You Make Me Feel Like Napping
 
The Temptations ---
Papa's Got A Kidney Stone
 
Abba---Denture Queen

Tony Orlando ---
Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall

Helen Reddy ---
I Am Woman; Hear Me Snore
 
Leslie Gore---
It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To 
 

And Last, but NOT least:

Willie Nelson ---
On the Commode Again

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- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

SOME HIGH FASHION SHOPPING AT THE TSC STORE:))

A steady rain moved in overnight & we ended up having ourselves a cold gray damp & very wet day.  Only way to stay active & dry was to keep a roof over one's head.  Pheebs & I did just that this morning as we Jeeped ourselves through the rain to Goderich.  I enjoy any excuse to break up the day & do something different.  Excuse today being we had to pick up some birdseed at TSC.  And, I saw in their flyer they had short sleeve denim shirts on sale for $6.49.  Yep, if I'm a gonna buy myself some new high fashion clothes, it's TSC all the way for this guy. Pheebs did a great job at mooning McDonald's when we went flying by too.

STORMY SKY’S ON THE WAY TO GODERICH
And yes, the first & last photo of Pheebs in Thursday's post are one & the same.  The last one shows how a little 'cropping' & 'soft focus' in Picasa's photo editing program can give a photo a different effect.
---
This bear of a sore throat still has not let go of me.  Did they back a gravel truck down my throat to get a load of kidney stones out our what.  Geeeezzzzzz.
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There is always something kinda cozy about a rainy day.  Gives a feller a legitimate excuse for staying inside the house stretched out in the recliner with remote in hand.  But, not today.  Hauled my iPod & Bose out to the carport & cranked up some tunes.  Turned on a few lights & felt like a contented Caveman happily working away in his darkened little domicile tidying up his slightly dusty & slightly cluttered surroundings.  Sometimes, depending on mood, I kinda like that dusty cluttered feeling.  Neat-O:))

CAN YOU SEE A LIKENESS TO THE SOUTHWEST’S MYTHICAL KOKOPELLI CHARACTER IN THE SHADOW?  MAYBE A LITTLE CANADIAN MOOSE MIXED IN

Kelly had to go into my Facebook settings this morning & untangle me from another devious Facebook deception.  I'm not big on YouTube videos to begin with but saw a couple by friends that looked interesting.  One video about a dog was OK but the other one had some rough language in it.  Next thing I know I see both those videos on Facebook today with my name beside them saying I had watched or liked the videos.  That just ticks me off to end end that Facebook takes liberties like that.  Took Kelly a bit of scrambling to find out where to make the appropriate changes in my settings & get me off a list I had not put myself on!!  No matter, I'm sure Facebook will intervene at some point & coyly change my settings again.  It has happened before!!  I know, I know, why don't I just dump Facebook.  I suppose because it is the only communication tool I have to keep up with a few friends who also have Facebook.  But I'm tellin ya Alice, one of these days........bang-zoom!!!!

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It is nice to see Chipmunks & small Red Squirrels returning to our yard again & we have the Pheebs to thank for that.  It was last summer when several neighbour's marauding cat's frequented our front yard killing all the Chipmunks, small Squirrels & who knows how many Birds as well as pond frogs.  Since Pheebs came to live with us last August cat's have wisely stayed away.  Pheebs won't put up with any kitty cat nonsense in the yard & patrols it regularly to the delight of her little feathered & furry front yard friends.  

I like days when things are happening.  You know the kind of day when you get to the end of it & you have something satisfying to think about.  Something to write about.  When a day is eventful, writing comes easy.  Come to think of it, so does thinking.  I don't know where I'm going with this but it's the end of the day & I don't seem to have a lot to think about, therefore, not a lot left to write about.  Perhaps tomorrow will be an eventful day & writing will come easy again.....

And, some late breaking news from Karen over at SMALL HOUSE - BIG BACK YARD.  As many fellow Bloggers know, Karen & Steve have had their house for sale in preparation for RV full timing.  One word sums it up………….. ‘SOLD’:))

2010 FILE PHOTO…I’M IN BAYFIELD NOW BUT MY WHITE COWBOY HAT IS HANGING INSIDE THE DOOR AT OUR CONGRESS HOUSE IN ARIZONA:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A nurse was showing some student nurses through the hospital.
"This will be the most hazardous section in the hospital for you. The men on this floor are almost well."

   --------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com