PUT ON MY PAJAMA BOTTOMS AND DROVE MYSELF TO THE CLINTON HOSPITAL

Pulling on my best pair of red plaid pajama bottoms I slipped into my spanking brand new gray/black corduroy slippers and threw on a silky short sleeve pizza patterned shirt.  I then walked myself out into the cool morning air, hopped in the Jeep and promptly drove myself to the Clinton Hospital.   Although feeling quite fine I had to have myself at the hospital by 8 o'clock for a bone density test.  Lady on the phone had told Kelly if her husband didn't want to wear a hospital gown he could wear pants as long as there were no metal buttons or zippers.  I decided pajama bottoms fit the bill perfectly and in order to be properly dressed I chose bedroom slippers to go with my jammies.  I was careful on my way to and from the hospital hugging the speed limit all the way.  I didn't need to be pulled over and caught cruising along in my red plaid pajama bottoms, gray/black bedroom slippers and short sleeved pizza patterned shirt.  I did get a few sideways glances in the Hospital waiting room though……………………………..:))  

MY MORNING’S ‘BONE DENSITY SCAN’ ATTIRE

Twenty three minutes after walking into the hospital I walked out of the hospital again, hopped into the Jeep and drove my gray/black slippers, red plaid pajama bottoms and pizza patterned short sleeve shirt home whereupon I had a decision to make.  Still feeling a bit pooky I could either flop myself into my recliner or drag myself back out the door and toss myself into the Jeep again.  I chose the latter so with cameras and doggy on board we headed out the driveway for some fresh country air.

SEEN IN CLINTON THIS MORNIG WAS A 1960 CHEVY IMPALA AND A YELLOW VOLKSWAGON OF UNKNOW YEAR….WISHED I HAD A DOLLAR FOR EVERY MILE I PUT ON VW ‘BEETLES’ YEARS AGO

Despite heat and humidity already building we had a very welcome and refreshingly cool brisk breeze coming in off Lake Huron.  With all windows down we picked us up a Tim Horton's coffee and carrot muffin in Clinton and straight away headed northeast out into the countryside.

No point stopping at the Hullett Marsh because of all the biting insects in the air so we just kept rolling along thoroughly enjoying all the beautiful rural scenery surrounding us.  Decided to head on up through Amish country and see if the folks had begun harvesting wheat yet but they hadn't so no wheat sheaves stacked in the fields.  Maybe by this week-end.

ONE OF OUR LEG STRETCH STOPS ALONG THE MAITLAND RIVER

NOW HERE’S A NICE SIGN OF THE COMING AUTUMN:))

Passing by Amish farms I quickly came to the conclusion Monday must be laundry day for these folks.  Farm after farm I went by had long lines of clean clothes hung up flapping in the wind.  Saw kids playing and womenfolk tending to large gardens.  Again, what a serene setting I found myself in and I couldn't' help but wonder what these peaceful people would think if they knew about all the manic chaos going on in the world right now whether it be political or otherwise.  I'm sure what we take as today's  unfortunate normalcy would be absolutely terrifying and incomprehensible to these hard working Amish folks.  From events I have seen and heard on TV this past week to what I saw in the countryside this morning I couldn't help but make comparisons to living on two entirely different Planets.  Maybe that's part of my underlying desire to live in the countryside.  Put a big locked gate at the end of the long laneway, throw the TV out the window and grow vegetables so we wouldn't have to go into town again.  It's quite a dreamer I am……….

FOR 1 HORSEPOWER THIS FELLA IS TOWING QUITE A LOAD

We stopped at Lake Wawanosh or Lake Wawasmash as Pheebs and I call it and again had the place to ourselves.  Small lakes like this are not necessarily the norm in these here parts and I figure based on it's cold clear water it must be spring fed.  How nice to be standing by the water's edge with birds singing and a warm westerly wind ruffling across Wawanosh's rippling surface.  All this madness in the world can't be real can it????

LAKE HURON WINDS RIPPLE THE WATERS OF LAKE WAWANOSH

From the quiet waters of Lake Wawanosh we began our slow trek homeward stopping here and there whenever a photo opportunity presented itself but again most of today's pics were drive-bys.    And once again I took so many photos this morning I will again have to space them out over the next few blog posts.  I wonder maybe if I were to get myself a set of horse blinders and strap them on my head I might not see so many beautiful photographic things every day.    

I’M THINKING THESE WAGONS ARE USED IN THE ANNUAL FARMERS CHRISTMAS PARADE

Still not out of the woods in the 'not feeling well' department but I did feel better today than I did Sunday.  Probably just some little bug or something that got under my skin.  In the long run and in my 71 years on this Planet I have been very fortunate to have spent the majority of that time in relatively good health.  (except for the bad old drinking days that is) So far so good and I will continue to keep my fingers crossed........................... 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Points To Ponder:: 

-  Love is grand; divorce is a hundred grand.
- I am in shape. Round is a shape.
- Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.
- Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; Professionals built the Titanic.
- Conscience is what hurts when everything else feels so good.
- Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.
- Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly and for the same reason.
- An optimist thinks that this is the best possible world. A pessimist fears that this is true.
- There will always be death and taxes; however, death doesn't get worse every year.
- In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday.
- I plan on living forever. So far, so good. 
- If marriage were outlawed, only outlaws would have in-laws.
- It's frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
- Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.
- Age doesn't always bring wisdom. Sometimes age comes alone.
- You don't stop laughing because you grow old, you grow old because you stopped laughing.
- People who wonder whether the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable.

NOT FEELING QUITE UP TO PAR

Although not feeling well today Pheebs and I did manage a short Jeep ride first thing getting ourselves out the door before 8 a.m..  Not a lot of photos as I mainly concentrated on simply immersing myself in what was to me a beautiful mid July summery Sunday morning.  Quietly enjoyed Huron Counties beautiful rural countryside and left my cameras sitting in place except for a couple photos.  Upon arriving home I wasn’t able to dredge up much energy and spent most of the day in my recliner.  I am hopeful my energy levels will be back up to par by morning…………………..

SPOTTED THIS SHED IN VARNA AND THOUGHT TO MYSELF, ‘NOW THAT’S OUR KIND OF PROPERTY, ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPING’…. LOVE IT:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  The Laws of Golf::
LAW 1: No matter how bad your last shot was, the worst is yet to come. This law does not expire on the 18th hole, since it has the supernatural tendency to extend over the course of a tournament, a summer and, eventually, a lifetime.
LAW 2: Your best round of golf will be followed almost immediately by your worst round ever. The probability of the latter increases with the number of people you tell about the former.
LAW 3: Brand new golf balls are water-magnetic. Though this cannot be proven in the lab, it is a known fact that the more expensive the golf ball, the greater its attraction to water.
LAW 4: Golf balls never bounce off of trees back into play. If one does, the tree is breaking a law of the universe and should be cut down.
LAW 5: No matter what causes a golfer to muff a shot, all his playing partners must solemnly chant "You looked up," or invoke the wrath of the universe.
LAW 6: The higher a golfer's handicap, the more qualified he deems himself as an instructor.
LAW 7: Every par-three hole in the world has a secret desire to humiliate golfers. The shorter the hole, the greater its desire.
LAW 8: Topping a 3-iron is the most painful torture known to man.
LAW 9: Palm trees eat golf balls.
LAW 10: Sand is alive. If it isn't, how do you explain the way it works against you?
LAW 11: Golf carts always run out of juice at the farthest point from the clubhouse.
LAW 12: A golfer hitting into your group will always be bigger than anyone in your group. Likewise, a group you accidentally hit into will consist of a football player, a professional wrestler, a convicted murderer and an IRS agent -- or some similar combination.
LAW 13: All 3-woods are demon-possessed.
LAW 14: Golf balls from the same "sleeve" tend to follow one another, particularly out of bounds or into the water (See Law three).
LAW 15: A severe slice is a thing of awesome power and beauty.
LAW 16: "Nice lag" can usually be translated to "lousy putt." Similarly, "tough break" can usually be translated "way to miss an easy one, sucker."
LAW 17: The person you would most hate to lose to will always be the one who beats you.
LAW 18: The last three holes of a round will automatically adjust your score to what it really should be.
LAW 19: Golf should be given up at least twice per month.
LAW 20: All vows taken on a golf course shall be valid only until sunset.

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

A man and his wife were driving their Recreational Vehicle across the country and were nearing a town spelled Kissimee.  They noted the strange spelling and tried to figure how to pronounce it - KISS-a-me; kis-A-me; kis-a-ME. They grew more perplexed as they drove into the town.  Since they were hungry, they pulled into a place to get something to eat. At the counter, the man said to the waitress: "My wife and I can't seem to be able to figure out how to pronounce this place. Will you tell me where we are and say it very slowly so that I can understand."  The waitress looked at him and said: "Buuurrrgerrr Kiiiinnnng."

I DON’T KNOW IF GHOSTS EXIST OR NOT BUT IF THEY DO I MIGHT KNOW WHERE TO FIND SOME

IN CASE ANYONE HAS BEEN WONDERING HOW SPENCER AND FROGGI HAVE BEEN DOING I’M HAPPY TO SAY THEY HAVE NOW MOVED INTO THE HOUSE AND TAKEN UP RESIDENCE IN OUR NEWLY RENOVATED BED AND STORAGE ROOM:))

All 3 of us headed out the door this morning and piled into the Jeep heading for A&W in Goderich plus destinations beyond.  We had our bacon and egg breakfast coupons with us.  Well one of us did anyway and it wasn’t absent minded me.  I ended up having to pay full price for my breakfast and had to borrow the money from Kelly to do so.  She keeps me on a very strict weekly allowance:((

AWHILE BACK I RE-CONFIGURED THE JEEP BY PUTTING THE REAR SEAT DOWN WHICH NOW GIVES PHEEBS MORE ROOM BACK THERE….EASIER TO LOAD IN A RHINOSAUCEROUS TOO IF WE SHOULD HAPPEN TO COME ACROSS ONE

CAMERA TRIPOD AND WINDBREAKER ON RIGHT WITH MY CAMERA BAG, A COUPLE BLANKETS, WORK GLOVES, BASEBALL CAP WITH A LIGHT ON THE VISOR AND A COVERED PLASTIC BIN WITH A QUART OF OIL, JUMPER CABLES, A TOWING STRAP, HUNTING KNIFE, FIRST AID KIT AND HALF A DOZEN OTHER USEFUL ITEMS I HAVE LONG AGO FORGOTTEN ABOUT

From A&W we hopped over across to Walmart to pick up some prescriptions at the Pharmacy and were soon headed north out of Goderich.  Stopped to look at a couple properties for sale then headed another few miles up highway 21 to a place we were at last summer looking for a small table to put in the Motorhome.  Lakeside Flea and Farmer's Market  This place is ‘HUGE’!!

LAKESIDE FLEA MARKET BARN

SPOTTED THIS NEAT PAINTING ON THE SIDE OF AN OLD TRUCK TRAILER

LOTS OF MOST EVERYTHING FOR SALE HERE BUT THE REAL MYSTERIES FOR ME ARE INSIDE THE BIG BARN ITSELF

A bit hard to describe the Lakeside Flea Market except to say imagine one of the largest farm barns you can stacked from floor to rafters with thousands and thousands and thousands of just about everything you can think of with the majority of stuff dating well back into yesteryear.  And everything is for sale.  And ‘WOW’ talk about stuff!!

HERE’S MY IDEA OF A ‘SELFIE’

Both times we have been here there have not been any people around and for me that is one of the things I love best about this place.  There is an eerily stony silence here as one wanders the narrow isles surrounded by so many objects of one’s past.  It’s like I am suspended in time and wandering through a stuffy old museum with all it’s secrets quietly watching me pass by.  As I made my way through, around and sometimes almost over objects I felt an ominous presence and thought to myself as I looked around corners that I might just see a pale ghost gliding soundlessly through one of the long dusty dim lit isles.  If there are such things as ghosts I’m thinking this would be a fine place for them to hang out with all the old memories stumbling about everywhere.

HEY IF THAT’S A GHOST DOWN THERE THEN SHE MUST HAVE JUST GOT A HAIRCUT A WEEK AGO OR SO…..KEEP A SHARP EYE FOR YOU MAY SEE THIS LITTLE KELLY GHOST A FEW MORE TIMES BEFORE WE GET OUT OF HERE…..IF WE DON’T GET LOST THAT IS

   

THIS PLACE EVEN SMELLS OLD AND REMINDED ME OF THE ‘BIRDCAGE THEATRE IN TOMBSTONE ARIZONA

  

OLD MILK BOTTLES

SO THIS IS WHERE ARNOLD PALMERS OLD GOLF CLUBS ENDED UP

DID YOU SEE THE GHOST??

EVEN A CHRISTMAS SECTION

Is this place junky one might ask and my answer to that it all depends on what one thinks of as junk.  If your a Costco fanatic then this place may not be your cup of tea but if you are an antique hunter and have the interest and time to spend then this is the place for you where for sure there are hidden gems and treasures to find.  There is so much stuff in this big barn I’ll bet even the owner has long forgotten just what is all actually here.

THIS SECTION NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Now I am neither a big box store shopper or an antique buff and my reasons for liking this place are probably far different than the majority of folks coming here.  I didn’t look at prices on things today and had no interest in buying anything.   No, for me this place has character, a slow ghostly pulse if you will.  it has a feeling, a vibe, an arousing of senses, mystery, and an overall dark unknown about it. 

HOPE YOU DON’T THINK I’M HAVING A BIG EGO FIT HERE BUT THIS IS MY SECOND ‘SELFIE’ AND I’M EVEN WAVING

KELLY BOUGHT A YELLOW BOWL MADE IN NEW YORK NEW YORK AND HERE SHE IS DICKERING ON THE PRICE….I ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO BE WELL OUT OF EAR SHOT WHEN THE DICKEING STUFF STARTS

When I climbed the wide metal stairs to the barns second floor and stood looking about I thought to myself I bet there have been people come up here who were swallowed up, lost forever and never been seen or heard from ever again.  I also thought with all the dark corners and stacks and piles of things that there may very well be hidden passages amongst all these relics of the past just waiting for someone to come and unlock all the mysteries.  What a scarily great place for kids to play and I would have loved to wiggle and crawl around looking for even more dark corners.   I’m guessing an overnight stay here could be very unnerving to say the least but nothing to fear but fear itself so they say.

We were  home again just after lunch and spent some time outside again.  Oh how wonderfully refreshing it has been with these cooler temperatures and so much so that I have been able to take Pheebs out for afternoon walks two days in a row.  Even took my clippers along and did a bunch of trail maintenance Friday. No mugginess, no sticky sweats and no bugs.  If I had my way I would put a lock on these temperatures from now right into Fall.  So much healthier with night time temps in the mid to upper 50’s and daytime temps in the low 70’s.  Almost makes me want to jump up and dance a jig:))

Just when I thought all those spammers had finally given up and cleared out of our Shout Box they were back in full force Thursday night and Friday morning.  I had to delete 17 of them.  If you see a comment in the Shout Box and the person’s name has a line under it don’t click on it.  I’m not saying bad things will happen to you but it’s their way of luring you to their site where they are probably selling something.  Another sure fire way to detect spammers is the poor and broken English.  Also if the comment is full of over the top flattery or gushy praise don’t let your Ego fool you into thinking their gushiness is all true:))

AND YES THAT IS EVEN A HULA HOOP UNDER THE WINDOW

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Two men were digging a ditch on a very hot day. One said to the other, 'Why are we down in this hole digging a ditch when our boss is standing up there in the shade of a tree?'  'I don't know,' responded the other. 'I'll ask him.' So he climbed out of the hole and went to his boss. 'Why are we digging in the hot sun and you're standing in the shade?'
'Intelligence,' the boss said.  'What do you mean, ‘intelligence'?'  The boss said, 'Well, I'll show you. I'll put my hand on this tree and I want you to hit it with your shovel as hard as you can.'  The ditch digger took a mighty swing and tried to hit the boss' hand. The boss removed his hand and the ditch digger hit the tree.  The boss said, 'That's intelligence!'  The ditch digger climbed back down to his hole. His friend asked, 'What did he say?'  'He said we are down here because of intelligence.'  'What's intelligence?' said the friend.  The ditch digger put his hand on his face and said, 'Take your shovel and hit my hand.'

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

Three guys, a Polish guy, a Jewish guy and an Italian guy sign up for the police academy. The Jewish guy goes in first and the Captain says to him, "We have to ask you one question before we admit you in to the academy, Who killed Jesus?" The Jewish guy says "The Romans did it."  The Captain says, "Right, you're admitted." The Italian guy goes in next. The Captain asks him the same thing. "We have to ask you one question first before you're admitted to the Police Academy. Who killed Jesus?"  The Italian guy says "The Romans did it."  The Captain says, "Right, you're admitted."  The Polish guy goes in and the Captain repeats the question. The Polish guy says "Gee, I don't know." The Captain tells him to go home and think about it for a week and come back and tell him.  The Polish guy goes home and his wife asked him how his first day went at the academy, and he says to her, "You won't believe it! My first day on the job and they assigned me to a murder case!"