WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS HAVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE

SIGNS OF SPRING ON OUR PARK'S POND

Pheebs and I this morning decided to pop in and visit our good friends Richard and Gayle who have recently moved back to our area.  They are doing fine and it probably won't be long before Richard and I head out on one of our enjoyable Thursday morning country road coffee tours.  I figure this increasingly crazy world we live in is long overdue for another darn good straightening out:))

 GOLDFINCHES ARE QUICKLY SLIPPING BACK INTO THEIR SUMMER COLORS

 'I'M READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP MR, DEMILLE'

With sunshine, mid-forties temps, and no wind, it was a decent afternoon to get outside and do some good old early Spring puttering.  Hauled out a few summer yard things, changed the birdseed station again, sorted through some stuff in our sheds, and raked up some more birdseed husks, etc.  Nice to be out in the fresh air.

 HOW NICE TO SEE OUR BACKYARD EMERGING FROM UNDER THE SNOW AGAIN

 IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE I HAVE A BACKYARD CAMPFIRE GOING

 NOT SATISFIED WITH MY LATEST BIRDSEED STATION I HAVE NOW SET UP THIS ONE

Glancing across the road in front of our house this afternoon I was surprised to see all the snow had melted off the trail under a growth of tall pine trees leading to the Park's pond.  I quickly rounded up Pheebs and minutes later we were off for an afternoon walk.  Again, I was surprised to see how much ground was showing through the snow.  The snowpack is going down fast.  With two days of rain coming in it will really knock the ka-bloobers out of that cold white stuff.

A FEW DAYS AGO THIS AREA STILL HAD A LOT OF SNOW IN IT

 PHEEBS LEADS THE WAY ACROSS A PATCH OF SNOW AT THE NORTHEAST END OF OUR PARK'S POND

MOST OF THE POND'S SURFACE IS STILL FROZEN EXCEPT FOR A SMALL PATCH WHERE THE 2 MALLARD DUCKS AND 2 CANADIAN GEESE ARE

I finished another rather remarkable and eye-opening book a couple days ago called UFO of GOD.  It's the story of the Chris Bledsoe family from near Fayetteville North Carolina.  I found this family's story honestly compelling.  The book tells how this very religious man through mental and physical hardship and ridicule came to first understand and then accept and embrace the undeniable connection between the UFO phenomenon and religion.  Because of all the reading I have done these past three years, that is something I had suspected for quite some time.........Today I started a new book by retired Colonel John B Alexander called, Reality Denied.  With each and every one of these books, I always look forward to the journey it will take me on and what new things I will learn along that journey's way:))  Quote: 'We are spiritual beings having a human experience'.         

 SO GREAT TO SEE ALL THE ICE AND SNOW MELTING OFF OUR DRIVEWAY

Al's Music Box:)) Poor Side Of Town by Johnny Rivers from the album 'Changes' 1966

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Little Johnny's new baby brother was screaming up a storm.  Johnny asked his mom, where did he come from?  He came from heaven, Johnny.  Wow! I can see why they threw him out!!

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A police recruit was asked during the exam, "What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?"  He answered, "Call for backup."

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YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN ARIZONA WHEN:
- You notice your car overheating before you drive it.
- You know a swamp cooler is not a happy hour drink.
- You can say 115 degrees without fainting.
- You can be in the snow, then drive for twenty minutes and it will be over 100 degrees.
- You discover, in July, that it only takes two fingers to drive your car.
- You can make sun tea instantly.
- You run your air conditioner in the middle of winter so you can use your fireplace.
- You notice the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
- You realize that Valley Fever isn't a disco dance.
- Hotter water comes from the cold water tap than the hot one.
- You can pronounce the words: "Saguaro", "Tempe", "Gila Bend", "San Xavier", "Canyon de Chelly", "Mogollon Rim", "Cholla", and Tlaquepaque".
- You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
- Sunscreen is sold year-round, kept at the front of the checkout counter, 
- Hot air balloons can't go up, because the air outside is hotter than the air inside.
- No one would dream of putting vinyl upholstery in a car.
- You can understand the reason for a town named "Why." (Yep, the Bayfield Bunch has been in 'Why' Arizona a number of times over the years)

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LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THIS SNOW BEING GONE AND A LOOK BACK TO CANYON dE CHELLY

 MOTHER NATURE'S ICE SCULPTURE AT GODERICH'S ROTARY COVE ON THE SHORES OF LAKE HURON

Drawing the curtains back on our east-facing living room window this morning we were pleasantly greeted with a fiery sunrise.  A refreshingly positive omen to herald in the coming of Spring later in the day.  Under clear blue skies Pheebs and I slipped up to Goderich for gas, coffee to go at McDonalds, a swing down around the harbor, and a stop at Walmart before heading home.  Despite the warming rays of the Sun and today's 43F temps, it was the icy winds that kept me inside except for a short period when I slipped out and fired up my lawn rake to rake up a bunch of husks and seeds from under the bird feeders.  I am so much looking forward to all this snow being gone and I can get on with the big Spring clean-up.  And morning and afternoon walks with Pheebs again too:))

 OMG THE JEEP SPRUNG WINGS AND BEFORE WE KNEW IT PHEEBS AND I WERE FLYING OVER THE SWISS ALPS THIS MORNING

OKAY OKAY SO WE WERE JUST AT A SPOT WHERE SNOW FROM GODERICH'S STREETS IS DUMPED

 AN ICY SHORELINE

 ICE-COATED ROCKS ALONG THE SHORELINE

Thirteen years ago right now we were in northeast Arizona camped at a small campground near Chinle alongside one of Arizona's most beautiful and most overlooked scenic canyons.  And this canyon has a sad history.  I'm talking about Canyon de Chelly of course. (pronounced Canyon de Shay) This was the last stop before leaving the southwest and heading for home in 2011.  I have two links for our stay there.  Our First Look At Canyon de Chelly and Hiking The 'Whitehouse Ruins' Trail At Canyon de Chelly 

Al's Music Box:)) A Horse With No Name by America from the album 'America'.  1971

GROANER'S CORNER:(( All the grandkids were visiting for Thanksgiving. Before dinner, Grandma made a lengthy speech about being thankful for her extra-special blessings, her four grandchildren. Two seconds after she stopped speaking, all hell broke loose and the kids were yelling and grabbing for the homemade rolls. Grandma sat there, eyes closed with a tight squint on her face. When asked what was the matter, she replied, "I'm just praying for a little patience to handle all these blessings."

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SPRING OFFICIALLY ARRIVES AT 5:24 MONDAY AFTERNOON:))))))))

 THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE AT TIMES OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE THIS MORNING

With Spring officially arriving Monday afternoon at 5:24 it means that this morning's blustery winter weather here in our area was the last nasty blast of the 2022/23 winter season.  After a stormy morning, our skies did clear by early afternoon and we ended up with blue skies and sunshine.  With better weather days ahead and the official end of winter, maybe I can get these cold weather blahs out of my head and focus on the positive change of a new season's sunny warm days ahead.   

 DEFINITELY NOT A NICE MORNING TO BE OUT AND ABOUT

HITHER COMES A SNOWPLOW AND IT WAS THE ONLY OTHER VEHICLE THAT WE SAW ON OUR JEEP RIDE 

 I GENERALLY MOVE WELL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP OR PULL INTO A DRIVEWAY WHEN I SEE A PLOW COMING.........IT'S MY WAY OF HELPING TO LOWER THE SNOWPLOW OPERATOR'S STRESS LEVEL 

 A SPLIT SECOND AFTER THIS SHOT THE DRIVER GAVE ME A BIG WAVE:))

 SNOW BLOWING AND DRIFTING ACROSS THE ROAD AS WE HEAD FOR HOME

Al's Music Box:)) Midnight At The Oasis by Maria Muldaur from the album 'Maria Muldaur'.  1973

 THIS IS THE LAST NASTY FEW HOURS OF THE OFFICIAL 2022/2023 WINTER

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The first woman was elected U.S. president. She called her mom to make sure she was coming to the inauguration. "I don’t know, dear. What would I wear?”"Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll send a designer to help you.”"But you know I need special foods for my diet.”"Mom, I’m going to the president. I can get you the food you need.”"But how will I get there?”"I’ll send a limo, Mom. Just come!”"OK, OK, if it makes you happy.”The great day came, and Mama was seated with the future cabinet members. She nudged the man on her right. “See that girl, the one with her hand on the Bible? Her brother’s a doctor!”

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A LOOK BACK TO THE VALLEY OF FIRE

MALE CARDINAL

With strong winds gusting through our pine trees driving the 23F down to 7F it was not a good morning to even set foot out of the house.  But, out of the house, the foots and paws went.  With the Jeep in four-wheel drive due to icy roads under a skiff of snow we cranked up the heater and headed into Bayfield for a drive-around.  Along Bayfield's beach, the winds were driving the snow sideways while along the roadways it was picking it up and whipping it into swirling snow devils.  Sunday will be another bad weather day and then for the next 14-days straight all daytime temps will be above freezing anywhere from 34F to 43F+.  It's that time of year when we Northerners expectantly hang onto our long-range 14-day weather forecast.  (Amazingly enough, we ended today under partially sunny skies)

 THIS PHOTO SUMS UP OUR MORNING

 WATER RUNOFF FROM AREA FARM FIELDS HAS TURNED THE BAYFIELD RIVER BROWN

 LAKE HURON WAS NOT A HAPPY CAMPER TODAY

 BLUSTERY BLOWING SNOW ALONG BAYFIELD'S MAIN STREET

 A FEW HARDY WALKERS WERE OUT AND ABOUT 

Twelve years ago today we were northeast of Las Vegas Nevada in a valley known for its fire.  We of course were hiking around in the Valley Of Fire State Park for several days.  Here is my post for one of those days..... There Was Fire In The Valley

Al's Music Box:)) Smooth Operator by Sade (Shaw-day) from the album 'Diamond Life'.  1984  Sade is one of my all-time favorite female singers along with kd Lang.

 KELLY BAKED A COUPLE OF YUMMY OATMEAL MOULASSIS LOAVES OF BREAD TODAY

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Are your investments in order? Below are some of the latest rumors from Wall Street.  In the wake of the AOL/Time Warner deal, here are the latest mergers we can expect to see:

Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W.R. Grace Company merge to become Hale Mary Fuller Grace.

Polygram Records, Warner Brothers, and Keebler Crackers merge to become Polly-Warner-Cracker.

3M and Goodyear merge to become MMMGood.

John Deere and Abitibi-Price merge to become Deere Abi.

Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining merge to become Zip Audi Do Da.

Honeywell, Imasco, and Home Oil merge to become Honey I'm Home.

Denison Mines, Alliance, and Metal Mining merge to become Mine All Mine.

Federal Express and UPS merge to become FED UP.

Xerox and Wurlitzer will merge and begin manufacturing reproductive organs.

Fairchild Electronic3M, J.C. Penney and the Canadian Opera Company will merge and become 3 Penney Opera.

Knott's Berry Farm & National Organization of Women will merge and become Knott NOW!

Honeywell Computers will merge and become Fairwell Honeychild.

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OVERNIGHT RAIN AND WARMER TEMPS PUT A BIG DENT IN OUR SNOW LOAD

NICE TO SEE FARM FIELDS ONCE AGAIN REAPPEARING THROUGH THE MELTING SNOW

On this day in 2009, we took ourselves for a drive up and over the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona.  What a great day that was.  Up And Over The Chiricahua Mountains To Portal Arizona  And, a year later on March 18th while staying at the Lost Dutchman State Park we did one of the greatest scenic drives in Arizona.........The Apache Trail.

 THE APACHE TRAIL

Our overnight rain continued all night right up until eight this morning when it turned into a drizzle before finally petering out a couple hours later.  It was a short Jeep ride for Pheebs and I in the drizzle and we were soon home again.  The milder temperatures and rain have really made a big impact on the snow level.  However, we have two nasty snow days beginning on Saturday.  Feeling a bit better this morning, Kelly subarued herself up to Goderich and back.

 WITH OVERNIGHT RAINS AND MELTING SNOW AREA CREEKS, RIVERS, AND PONDS, ARE GUSHING

 PATCHES OF MIST ALONG THE ROADS THIS MORNING

Al's Music Box:)) All Night Long by Lionel Ritchie from the album 'Can't Slow Down'.  1983

 WATER POOLING IN LOW SPOTS

GROANER'S CORNER:((  By following the simple advice I heard on a Dr. Phil Show, I have finally found inner peace.  Dr. Phil proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started.  So I looked around my house to see things I started and hadn't finished; and, before leaving the house this morning I finished off a bottle of Merlot a package of Oreos, a pot of coffee, the rest of the Cheesecake, some Saltines and a box of Godiva Chocolates.  Dr. Phil was right...you have no idea how I feel right now!

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