A THICK FOG HANGING IN THE PINE TREES

Parting our living room curtains this morning I saw a thick fog hanging in the pine trees.  Knowing that fog meant 'no wind', Pheebs and I headed out to our wide-open country road walking spot and had ourselves a stroll up the gravel road and back.  Home again I hauled out our shop vac.  The Jeep's interior hadn't been cleaned since last Fall sometime so I busied myself vacuuming out all the debris.  Needless to say, it was quite a mess in there.  I also forked half a dozen wheelbarrow loads of yard waste into our utility trailer.......  And here is an example of how great it always felt years ago when returning home from our winter's southwest travels..... March 28th, 2009.  Angola Michigan To Bayfield Ontario...'We're Home':))  

 A FOGGY START TO OUR DAY

SUNSHINE IS QUICKLY BURNING THE FOG OFF

 THE JEEPS INTERIOR WAS WAY OVERDUE FOR A CLEANING

Al's Music Box:)) The Sounds Of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel from the album 'Sounds Of Silence'.  1966

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Bubba and Earl were fishing down by the Ohio River on different sides of the riverbank at night. Bubba was catching a whole bunch of fish for his family, but Earl hadn't caught any and was frustrated and called out to Bubba, "How come you've been catching all them there fish and I ain't caught a single one?"  Bubba replied, " I don’t know.... why don’t ya come on over here?"  "I don’t know.... I don’t see a bridge, and there ain't no boat, and I don’t swim to well" Bubba picks up his flashlight, turns it on, and replies, " Why don’t you walk across this here beam of light?" Earl was outraged and replied "do you think am stupid? When I get halfway across you'll turn the flashlight off!!!"

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'NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN'

SPRING FLOWERS SEEN IN GODERICH THIS MORNING

Al's Music Box:)) Nights In White Satin by the Moody Blues from the album, 'Days Of Future Passed'.  1967

GROANER'S CORNER:((  An aged farmer and his wife were leaning against the edge of their pig-pen when the old woman wistfully recalled that the next week would mark their golden wedding anniversary.  "Let's have a party, Homer," she suggested. "Let's kill a pig."  The farmer scratched his grizzled head. "Gee, Ethel," he finally answered, "I don't see why the pig should take the blame for something that happened fifty years ago."

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A BIG BRIGHT SUNSHINY DAY

Al's Music Box:)) Hello Stranger by Barbara Lewis from the album 'Hello Stranger'.  1963

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A little boy was overheard talking to himself as he strutted through the backyard, wearing his baseball cap and toting a ball and bat.  "I'm the greatest hitter in the world," he announced. Then, he tossed the ball into the air, swung at it, and missed. "Strike One!" he yelled.  Undaunted, he picked up the ball and said again, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!" He tossed the ball into the air. When it came down, he swung again and missed. "Strike two!" he cried.  The boy then paused a moment to examine his bat and ball carefully. He spit on his hands and rubbed them together. He straightened his cap and said once more, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!" Again, he tossed the ball up in the air and swung at it. He missed. "Strike three!"  "Wow!" he exclaimed. "I'm the greatest pitcher in the world!"

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WE DID NEARLY REACH 5OF TODAY

 I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE IT IS ALL THE SYMMETRIC LINES IN THIS PHOTO THAT CAUGHT MY EYE

Only half of this morning's freezing rain happened and it wasn't the freezing part.  However, the high winds warning did happen as predicted.  Pheebs and I slipped out of the driveway shortly before ten, headed into Bayfield, and were soon home again.  There wasn't much happening in Bayfield.  And there wasn't much happening for the rest of the day here at home either.  We did reach nearly 50F today and all the ice in our driveway is finally gone:)) 

 SAW THIS OLD 1786 CANNON AND ACCOMPANYING STONE CANNONBALL WASHED UP ON BAYFIELD'S BEACH THIS MORNING

Al's Music Box:)) Take It Easy by the Eagles from the album 'Eagles'.  1972  This is from their Farewell Tour live in Melbourne Australia in 2004. 

GOLDFINCHES ON OUR BIRD STATION TODAY

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Two guys were doing construction on a house. One of them who was nailing down siding would reach into his nail pouch, pull out a nail, and then either toss it over his shoulder or nail it into the siding.  The other guy, figuring this was worth looking into, asked, "Why are you throwing those nails away?"  The first guy explained, "If I pull a nail out of my pouch and it's pointed towards me, I throw it away 'cause it's defective. If it's pointed toward the house, then I nail it into the siding."  The second guy was outraged. He yelled, "You moron! The nails pointed toward you aren't defective! They're for the other side of the house!"

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Our 15-year-old daughter, Melanie, had to write a report for school about World War II, specifically D-Day and the invasion of Normandy.  “Isn't there a movie about that?” she asked.  I told her there was, but I couldn't think of the name.  Then it came to her, “Oh, I remember! Isn't it something like ‘Finding Private Nemo'?”

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BY GOLLY, OUR CROCUS FLOWERS ARE BLOOMING

 CROCUS FLOWERS

Despite a cold northeast wind, I think it was the first time this year Pheebs and I were able to get a full walk in at our country road walking spot.  Following that we circled around a few country roads and stopped in at Richard's place to drop a few things off on our way home.  

 SO GREAT TO BE OUT ON OUR WALKING ROAD AGAIN

 CANADA GEESE IN A CORNFIELD

 AREA FIELDS ARE FINALLY FREE OF SNOW

 THE THREE AMIGO BUNS

 SO NICE TO SEE BLUE SKIES THROUGH THE TALL PINE TREES

Home again I chopped away at some more driveway ice and began the Spring clean-up in our carport.  Periods of sunshine helped warm up the cold air.  And by golly, our crocus flowers are blooming.  And the chipmunks are out racing around again too.  And Little Red is out and about in full force as well.  Oh tis quite a rejuvenating time of year it tis.  And it's about to get even more rejuvenating real soon when we finally begin to get some warmth in the air:)) 

 MORE CROCUS FLOWERS ON THE WAY

It was one year ago this afternoon that Kelly was rushed by ambulance to the Goderich Hospital and then transferred to London's University Hospital.  It was the first of two ambulance trips for her in 2022.  By Ambulance To The Hospital  

Al's Music Box:)) The Year Of The Cat by Al Stewart from the album 'Year Of The Cat'.  1976

 YEP, SPRING IS SPROUTING ALRIGHT

GROANER'S CORNER:((  You know that tingly little feeling you get when you like someone?  That's common sense leaving your body.

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- I just got a job running Old McDonald's farm. I'm the new CEIEIO.

- What do you call a sandwich box swinging from a bell rope?
The lunchpack of Notre Dame

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SOMETIMES IT'S JUST FUN TO BE IMPATIENT

 THIS PHOTO SUMS UP OUR JEEP RIDE THIS MORNING

A foggy morning but that's okay because it means milder weather and any kind of milder weather at this time of year is good.  And with all the rain overnight and this morning making the snow disappear, it means Spring's flowers will be waking up soon.  Pheebs and I followed the Jeep's windshield wipers into Bayfield and back earlier today.  I saw my first Robin of the year and it was in our front yard.  We ended our day under partly sunny skies:))

 DESPITE A COLD POURING RAIN THESE BAYFIELD FISHERMEN WERE NOT DETERRED

BAYFIELD'S SOUTH PIER IS FINALLY FREE OF ICE AND SNOW

Despite knowing Mother Nature will take care of the ice in our driveway soon enough, and being the impatient person I am, I was nevertheless out in the driveway this afternoon with my trusty long pole ice chopper hammering away at that frozen water stuff.  Sometimes it's just fun to be impatient:))

 SPENT A BIT OF TIME THIS AFTEERNOON CHOPPING UP OUR DRIVEWAY ICE

Ellen's Groove:)) Ellen is at it again practicing a new funky bass line for an upcoming project.  'Getdown"  And here too is a family photo of Ellen with her Mom and Dad.

Al's Music Box:)) Summer Breeze by Seals and Crofts from the album 'Summer Breeze'.  1972

 DOWNY WOODPECKER

 MOURNING DOVE

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A well-worn one-dollar bill and a similarly distressed twenty-dollar bill arrived at a Federal Reserve Bank to be retired. As they moved along the conveyor belt to be burned, they struck up a conversation.  The twenty-dollar bill reminisced about its travels all over the country. "I've had a pretty good life," the twenty proclaimed. "Why I've been to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the finest restaurants in New York, performances on Broadway, and even a cruise to the Caribbean.""Wow!" said the one-dollar bill. "You've really had an exciting life!"  "So tell me," says the twenty, "where have you been throughout your lifetime?"  The one-dollar bill replies, "Oh, I've been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Lutheran Church ..."  The twenty dollar bill interrupts, "What's a church?"

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Little Johnny watched, fascinated, as his mother smoothed cold cream on her face.  "Why do you do that, Mom?"  "To make myself beautiful," she answered. She then began to remove the cream with a tissue.  "What's the matter?" Johnny asked.... "Giving up?"

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COUNTLESS ENJOYABLE, ENTERTAINING, AND EDUCATIONAL HOURS

 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER

A grey day but Pheebs and I did get out for a short Jeep ride and an afternoon powerwalk around the Park's pond.  And I heard my first Killdeer this morning too.  Today's predicted rain never happened. 

SNOW IS FAST DISAPPEARING OFF THE FARM FIELDS

 LOOKS LIKE THIS FARMER IS THINNING OUT HIS PROPERTY'S BUSH LOT

I have been an avid reader for much of my life with the exception of the years between 1979 and 2014.  Thankfully, it was 9 years ago now that my old reading hobby was finally rekindled with a device coincidentally called a Kindle.  For years I had trouble reading small print in books, newspapers, and magazines. (still do) Thanks to Kelly in 2014 for suggesting I try a Kindle reading device, my reading interest immediately kicked into gear again and took off.   Finally, with a large easily readable bold black font against a bright white background, I have for almost every day since, spent countless enjoyable, entertaining, and educational hours with my beloved Kindle.  

 THIS WAS THE DAY ON MARCH 22ND 2014 AT OUR HOUSE IN CONGRESS ARIZONA THAT THIS RED KINDLE READER CAME INTO MY LIFE

WHAT A GREAT THING THIS HAS BEEN FOR ME

Al's Music Box:)) Gentle On My Mind by Glen Campbell from the album 'Gentle On My Mind',  1967  I always thought this was a very well-written song with my favorite line being 'I dip my cup of soup back from a gurglin cracklin cauldron in some train yard'.  Notice how smoothly the words gurglin-cracklin-cauldron flow together.  The song was written by the late John Hartford.

 MOURNING DOVE ON A PREVIOUS TEMPORARY BIRD STATION

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The topic for my third-grade class was genetics. Smiling broadly, I pointed to my dimples and asked, “What trait do you think I passed on to my children?”  One student called out, “Wrinkles!”

Q: Why don't people like to eat next to basketball players?
A: Because they dribble too much!

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A Dutchman was explaining the red, white and blue Netherlands flag to an American.
"Our flag is symbolic of our taxes. We get red when we talk about them, white when we get our tax bills, and blue after we pay them."  The American nodded. "It's the same in the USA only we see stars too!"

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