NO AL, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS ALL IN ONE DAY!!

 OUR NEIGHBOR MONICA'S MAGNOLIA TREE IS IN BLOOM

Each morning when I peer out of our large east-facing living room window I can see my view turning greener by the day as the trees and shrubbery continue to quickly grow and fill in my view.  Disappearing quickly is winter's gray and stark colorless landscape.  Oh, how wonderful to see those horrible horrible winter months gone!!  While looking out the window a white pick-up truck backed into our driveway with my load of stone dust.

 GOLDCOAST DELIVERS MY STONE DUST

My seven bags of mulch for the front yard flower beds didn't go far so Pheebs and I were back to Gold Coast Landscaping for seven more bags again this morning.  Buy six and get one free is their Spring special at the moment.  And a swing down around Bayfield's foggy harbor and beach area before heading home.

 A FOGGY MORNING AT BAYFIELD'S BEACH 

 AFTER BEING IN STORAGE ALL WINTER THE BOAT DOCKS NEED A GOOD HOSING OFF

 I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW THEY GET THIS DRYDOCKED FISHING BOAT BACK INTO THE WATER AGAIN

NICE TO SEE THESE TREES IN THE HARBOR LEAFING OUT

 A MONTH FROM NOW THIS BOATING AREA WILL BE A HUB OF ACTIVITY

 HOME AGAIN AND TIME TO GET TO WORK

I very much appreciated today's cooler air as I busied myself in the front yard.  I got right at wheelbarrowing a dozen heavy waterlogged half-wheelbarrow loads to an area between our front deck and the frog pond.  In between loads, I spread four more bags of mulch.  I had to take a couple breaks to rest my legs, right knee, lower back, and a couple dozen other muscles today.  All par for the course when using muscles that haven't been used for a very long time.  And, I had to keep telling myself over and over, "NO AL, you do not have to do this all in one day"!!  If I were to ever have a tattoo which thank heavens I never will, but speaking hypothetically, I would have those above words tattooed on my right arm in bold block letters where I could see them clearly every day.  NO AL, you do not have to do this all in one day'!!   

 MY VERY WET AND HEAVY STONE DUST PILE WITH A COUPLE WHEELBARROW LOADS ALREADY TAKEN OUT OF IT

 AND SO IT BEGINS

 AS THE STONE DUST DRYS IT BECOMES MUCH LIGHTER BOTH IN COLOR AND IN WEIGHT

 IT LOOKS LIKE KELLY SNAPPED A COUPLE PICS OF ME SPREADING MULCH

 LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER GOOD WORKING DAY TOMORROW

Finished my book The True Meaning Of Life by Judith Hindle and I do agree with much of what she has to say.  But, it is a classic example of reading with an open mind but not so open that your brains fall out.  The next book in my queue is Beneath A Scarlet Sky by author Mark Sullivan.

MONICA'S MAGNOLIA TREE

Al's Music Box:)) Mr. Blue is a popular song written by DeWayne Blackwell that was a hit for The Fleetwoods, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1959, giving the group its second chart-topping hit of the year. Roy Lanham played guitar on the track, and Si Zentner played the trombone.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  By the time you read through this, you will understand 'TANJOOBERRYMUTTS'  The following is a telephone exchange between a hotel guest and room service in a hotel ...

Room Service: "Morrin. Roon sirbees."
Guest: "Sorry, I thought I dialed room service."
Room Service: " Rye . Roon sirbees...morrin! Joowish to oddor sunteen???"
Guest: "Uh..... Yes, I'd like to order bacon and eggs."
Room Service: "Ow ulai den?"
Guest: ".....What??"
Room Service: "Ow ulai den?!?... Pryed, boyud , pochd?"
Guest: "Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry..Scrambled, please."
Room Service: "Ow ulai dee bayken? Creepse?"
Guest: "Crisp will be fine."
Room Service: "Hokay. Ansahn toes?"
Guest: "What?"
Room Service: "An toes. ulaisahn toes?"
Guest: "I don't think so.."
RoomService: "No? Udo wan sahn toes???"
Guest: "I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'udo wan sahn toes' means."
RoomService: "Toes! Toes!...WhyUoo donwan toes? Ow bow Anglish moppin we botter?"
Guest: "Oh, English muffin! !! I've got it! You were saying 'toast'... Fine...Yes, an English muffin will be fine."
RoomService: "We botter?"
Guest: "No, just put the botter on the side."
RoomService: "Wad?!?"
Guest: "I mean butter... Just put the butter on the side."
RoomService: "Copy?"
Guest: "Excuse me?"
RoomService: "Copy...tea.. meel?"
Guest: "Yes. Coffee, please... And that's everything."
RoomService: "One Minnie. Scramah egg, creepse bayken, Anglish moppin, we botter on sigh and copy ... Rye ??"
Guest: "Whatever you say."
RoomService: "Tanjooberrymutts."
Guest: "You're welcome"
Remember I said "By the time you read through this you will understand, 'TANJOOBERRYMUTTS'

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- "If you don't like the news, go out and make some."

- "Few women admit their age, Few men act it! "

- "Women who seek to be equal to men lack ambition."

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THIS WHOLE IDEA COULD BE A BIG BUST

 IT'S THAT MARSH MERRIGOLD TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

An overcast gloomy looking morning but at least temperatures came up to 73F. under sunny skies later.  By late afternoon it was thunder, lightning, and rain.  Groovy.  

 I THINK BY THE TIME THESE FELLERS IN FRONT OF SHOPBIKE COFFEE ROASTERS WRAP IT UP THEY WILL NO DOUBT HAVE ALL OF THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS SOLVED

Pheebs and I headed to Gold Coast Landscaping south of Bayfield earlier today to have a look at some mulch for the flower beds.  On the way, Richard went by the other way and pulled over.  I did a U-turn and we slipped down a side street for a morning Pow-Wow.  From there I continued on to Goldcoast and ended up bringing 7 bags of mulch home.  Because we grow more moss than grass in much of our front yard due to all the shade I was also looking for something different to put down in the mossy areas.  I have decided on something called 'stone dust'.  A truck will drop off 3 square meters (one ton) of this fine gravel on Tuesday and I will then set to work wheelbarrowing it to and around the front yard to where the mossy areas are.  This whole idea could be a big bust but how will I ever know if I don't give it a try eh.  If it is a bust, we'll just sell the house and move to Portugal and live in a Villa with lots of pretty flowers year-round and no snow.  

 IT IS A BROWN MULCH I DECIDED ON

From Gold Coast, Pheebs and I headed to Bayfield's cemetery for a walk around the roads.  If I didn't know I had a hip replacement ten weeks ago, I wouldn't even know I had a hip replacement.  From the cemetery, we headed home because I had work to do

 SEEN AT THE CEMETERY THIS MORNING

I spent a few hours in the front yard spreading around three of the seven bags of mulch, leveling the bird bath, re-running some outdoor electrical cords, and half a dozen other little things.  I finally had to come in when my legs told me it was time to sit down and give them a rest.  Also, due to the day's humidity, I had to throw myself into the shower as soon as I came in to rid myself of the uncomfortable stickiness on my skin caused by the humidity.  That will be a common occurrence this summer I'm sure.    

Al's Music Box:)) No Time is a song by Canadian rock band The Guess Who, composed by guitarist Randy Bachman and lead singer Burton Cummings.  There are two versions of the song. The original recording was done for The Guess Who's album 'Canned Wheat'. But it is the re-recording (as featured on the 'American Woman' album) that was released as a single in 1969 and is the better-known. It is slightly faster in tempo and has the two verses transposed, but the extended Bachman guitar solo was cut. The single peaked at No. 5 in the U.S. and was the third in a string of million-selling singles that all hit No. 1 in Canada for The Guess Who.  The song is basically a reverse Dear John letter stating, "No time left for you." Of the song, Randy Bachman said, “That was our country-rock song... Me and Burton trying to be like Neil Young and Stephen Stills."

 BAYFIELD'S BEACH

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Scientists at Rolls Royce built a gun specifically to launch dead chickens at the windshields of airliners and military jets all travelling at maximum velocity. The idea was to simulate the frequent incidents of collisions with airborne fowl to test the strength of the windshields.  American engineers heard about the gun and were eager to test it on the windshields of their new high speed trains. Arrangements were made, and a gun was sent to the American engineers.  When the gun was fired, the engineers stood shocked as the chicken hurled out of the barrel, crashed into the shatterproof shield, smashed it to smithereens, blasted through the control console, snapped the engineer's backrest in two and embedded itself in the back wall of the cabin like an arrow shot from a bow..  The horrified engineers sent Rolls Royce the disastrous results of the experiment, along with the designs of the windshield, and begged the British scientists for suggestions.  Rolls Royce responded with a one-line memo:  Defrost the chicken..

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Teacher: Why don't you brush your teeth? I can see what you had for breakfast this morning. Student: What did I have? Teacher: Egg! Student: You're wrong! That was yesterday!

- Years ago someone in California hollered “Gold,” and people drove from all directions. That’s the way they still drive in California.

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Billy and John were given a toboggan for their birthday. After they had been out playing in the snow, Billy was in tears.  “Now, John,” said his father, “I told you to let Billy use the toboggan half the time.” “And I did,” said Billy; “I had it going down, and he had it going up.”

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IT'S NO WONDER I SOMETIMES HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY WEIGHT

A LONE DANDELION ALONGSIDE THE ROAD

The last time I had taken a drive out into the countryside to have a look at the starry night sky was probably late last year sometime.  Sunday night, as soon it was dark enough, the Jeep and I headed out to have a look at the stars.  It was a beautiful night with an unusually warm late April wind blowing as I stood beside the Jeep looking up.  I immediately noticed the Big Dipper was straight overhead.  And then something a little odd.  I had noticed a few faint flashes out of the corner of my eye on my way out to the country road. (our morning walking spot) and while standing there.  I quickly tracked the source of those flashes to the northeast.  On the horizon, with a few periodic flicks of dull orange, I could see what appeared to be a thunderstorm going on maybe in the Wingham Ontario area or beyond.  The strange thing was that when I got home about 20 minutes later and checked our live weather radar there were no storm cells in this whole area for hundreds of miles around.  Odd, I again thought.  My time standing on the country road didn't last too long because at home earlier I hadn't noticed the cloud cover moving in and blotting out the stars.  No matter, it was just so nice to get out and do and see something different for a change.  For me, any time outside on a warm night under a starry night sky is always a very special time.

 OUR FRONT YARD CHIPMUNKS MAKE THEIR HOME IN THE ROCKS SURROUNDING THE FROG POND

 IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE SOME EXTRA HELP AROUND THE YARD SOME DAYS

Despite a few raindrops on the windshield this morning, Pheebs and I headed off to our country road walking spot.  With heavier rain imminent I hesitated before getting out of the Jeep when we got there but then thought 'what the heck, let's go for it'  And, that's what we did and for the first time since my mid-February hip surgery, we did our full half mile walk with not even a squeak or tweak of soreness or pain in my hip.  Now I know half a mile isn't much compared to other daily walkers who routinely do 5 miles or more but it's good enough for Pheebs and I at the moment.  We'll soon be out for longer Conservation area walks now that we have warmer temperatures moving into the area. 

 A FEW PICS FROM ALONG OUR WALKING SPOT ROAD AND I'M THINKING THIS FIELD HAS ALREADY BEEN PLANTED WITH SOMETHING

EITHER APPLE OR CHERRY BLOSSOMS BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE A FEW WEEKS EARLY FOR APPLE BLOSSOMS

A SLIGHT TINGE OF GREEN IS BEGINNING TO APPEAR IN THE FOREST

The only different happening for today occurred early this afternoon.  With a Swiss Chalet coupon Kelly and I headed to Goderich's Harveys where they do Swiss Chalet chicken.  While in Goderich we picked up a few things at Pet Value and Walmart before heading home.  Exciting stuff eh.    

 A BURGANDY TRILLIUM IN OUR YARD

 A WHITE TRILLIUM IN ANOTHER FLOWER BED

 OUR BUSH FERNS ARE UP OUT OF THE GROUND AND BEGINNING TO UNFOLD

It's no wonder I sometimes have problems with my weight.  I come from the late 1940's and 50's era when food was not to be wasted no matter what and that upbringing has stayed with me all these years.  Now,  fast forward to 2024 an last week.  Kelly, needing all the weight-gaining ideas she can come up with, made a chocolate pudding from scratch.  Somewhere along the line, a little something must have gone amiss and the pudding didn't end up being thick enough for her.  Other than that, there was nothing wrong with the pudding.  But here comes the rub.  If Kelly isn't going to eat it, who is??  Well, I think we already know the answer to that don't we.  But here's where the chocolate pudding problem doubles itself for me.  Still feeling the need for chocolate pudding, Kelly pulls out an instant chocolate pudding mix from the cupboard and whips it up.  As sometimes expected, she takes a spoonful of pudding and decides she doesn't like the taste of it either.  Now we have two pots of perfectly great-tasting chocolate pudding sitting on the counter that I cannot just stand by and see thrown out.  I am not from this current throw-away food society (eat everything on your plate Mister or you are not going out to play) and as I said in the first line of this paragraph, 'It's no wonder I sometimes have a problem with my weight.  All my fault of course because I do have the option of saying 'NO'...... or do I:((

 OUR RHODODENDRON CONTINUES TO BLOOM

Al's Music Box:)) Lotta Love is a song written and recorded by Neil Young and released on his 1978 'Comes a Time' album. "Lotta Love" was also covered by Nicolette Larson in 1978.  Larson recalled the suggestion she record "Lotta Love" originated with Neil Young, with whom she had formed a personal relationship while backing him vocally on American Stars 'n Bars. The publishers of Neil Young News quoted Larson as saying:  "I got that song off a tape I found lying on the floor of Neil's car. I popped it in the tape player and commented on what a great song it was. Neil said: 'You want it? It's yours.'

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Only in America: We work hard on a farm so we can move into town, where we can make more money… so we can move back to the farm.  

The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this:  You cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery," and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges, and politicians....It creates a hostile work environment.

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- I finally got eight hours of sleep.  It took me three day, but whatever.

- I run like the the winded.

- When someone asks what I did over the weekend, I squint and ask "Why, what did you hear?"

An office technician got a call from a user. The user told the tech that her computer was not working. She described the problem and the tech concluded that the computer needed to be brought in and serviced.  He told her to "Unplug the power cord and bring it up here and I will fix it."  About fifteen minutes later she shows up at his door with the power cord in her hand.

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