AND FOR THAT, I THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU:))

There was a coolness to this morning's brisk East wind but that didn't stop Pheebs from having her passenger side window down.  I had a little smattering of heat going on my side.  Subarus have separate side-by-side heating controls so that comes in handy.  I knew Pheebs wasn't up for a walk so we just motored around a few country blocks, snapped a few pics, and came home. 

 WE HAVE A VERY PASTORAL COUNTRYSIDE HERE IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO CANADA

Pine needles have begun to fall so needing to use up a little free energy, I raked up 3 wheelbarrow loads and forked them into the utility trailer.  Moved our blue gazing ball and heavy concrete base over to beside the fairy path.  Caught (or re-caught) three adult frogs in our front yard pond and transported them over (or back) to the Park's pond.  They will probably be back before sundown.  Kelly suggested I make up a little sign to place beside the road.  'Slow Down - Frog Crossing'.

 AREA FARMERS WERE BUSY THIS MORNING....BUT THEN AGAIN, AREN'T THEY ALWAYS BUSY

 IT LOOKS LIKE THIS MARSHMALLOW FARMER HAD A BUMPER CROP THIS YEAR

 LOOKS LIKE THIS FARMER HAS A GOOD SUPPLY OF STRAW BALES FOR THE WINTER

 SOME MIGHT SAY YOU CAN TAKE THE MEASURE OF A FARMER BY THE NUMBER OF SILOS HE HAS

In our RVing days, it was generally this time of year that we were really getting ramped up for our departure to the Great American Southwest.  I always liked to set our departure date for the third weekend in October hopefully before any bad weather set in.  Once on the road, we didn't dilly-dally anywhere and it was pedal to the metal to get as far south and west as we could.  We didn't want any nasty weather catching up with us plus it was the Southwest where we wanted to spend our time so we didn't stop to look at things along the way (or back).  I have no regrets about that and if we could go again we'd do the same thing.  It was the lure of the mountains and the beautiful desert landscapes we craved and wanted to spend all of our time being a part of.  I never considered it a winter vacation and instead I always looked forward to the complete change of lifestyle.  Just the two of us and our doggy guys boondocking for days and weeks on end out in the deserts and canyons of the southwest.  No people, no traffic, no noise, no problem.  Just the wind whispering through the Saguaros, the Palo Verde, and Mesquite trees.  The smell of the desert air after a rain.  Diamond like stars in the black velvety night sky stretching from horizon to horizon and big full Moons rising over mountain tops casting shadows across the desert floor.  Stunning firey red sunrises and sunsets.  Warm days and cool nights with no humidity in the air.  Deep canyons and long valleys with sweeping vistas for as far as the eye can see.  We always considered the Southwest our home away from home.  We even owned a house and property for a few years in Arizona and I think Kelly actually at one point acquired an Arizona driver's license in Wickenburg.  The sounds of Coyotes, Gambels Quail, Cactus Wrens, and my favorite, Curve Bill Thrashers.  Cool nights and warm days.  And of course, there were always our favorite haunts like Borrego Springs and Slab City in California.  Ajo, Why, Bisbee, Wickenberg, Quartzite, and Yuma, in Arizona.  Oh dear, I've gone and done it to myself again.  Now here I sit with another depressing case of the 'if onlys':((   

 A STOP ALONG THE WAY THIS MORNING

 SOMETIMES THE SCENERY GOES BY A LITTLE FASTER THAN OTHER TIMES

It has been a while since I last thanked all my faithful blog readers, commenters, and emailers for hanging in here all this time.  As I've said a dozen or more times before, if it wasn't for all your continuing support of this blog of mine, there simply wouldn't be a blog.  I draw my inspiration and blogging energy from you folks.  It is all you people who help me each day hold my world together and give me a sense of purpose.  And, for that, I thank each and every one of you:))

SILVER BIRCH LEAVES

Al's Music Box:)) Come And Get Your Love is a song by the American rock band Redbone. The song was originally released as a promo track under the name "Hail" and was later featured on their fifth album, Wovoka (1973), under its current name. The song was released as the album's first single the following year. Written and produced by band members Pat and Lolly Vegas, it is one of the band's most successful singles. It made them the first Native American band to reach the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number five on April 13, 1974.  The song later appeared on many "greatest hits" albums released by the band, as well as on numerous compilation albums of the 1970s. The song features a prominent part for an electric sitar.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and worked east from there. Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued by a sign which read: "$10,000 a minute." Seeking out the Pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The Pastor explained that the golden phone was, in fact, a direct line to Heaven and if he paid the price he could talk directly to God. The man thanked the Pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle, San Diego, Chicago, Greensboro, Tampa and all around the United States, he found more phones with the same sign and got the same answer from each Pastor.  Finally, he arrived in Texas. Upon entering a church in Dallas, behold, he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign read: "Calls: 35 cents." Fascinated, he asked to talk to the Pastor.  "Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone. I have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but, in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads 35 cents. Why?"  The Pastor, smiling benignly, replied, "Son, you're in Texas now... It's a local call."

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- Felt uncomfortable driving into the cemetery.  The GPS blurted out...'you have reached your final destination'.

- Brain Cells, hair cells, and skin cells...they all die constantly but those fat cells seem to have eternal live.

- Hard to believe I used to be 4 pounds 7 ounces.  I've really let myself go.

- Got me an emotional support pet.  It's a chicken.  It's crispy.  It also came with a biscuit.

- Super excited about a brand new week of hanging on by a thread.

- Walmart: You go in for cookies and yogurt and come out questioning the fate of the whole human race.

- You know you're getting older when it feels like the morning after but there was no night before.

- I promised myself I would do something different today.  So, I sat on the other end of the couch.

- 'What was that noise'?  'My shirt fell on the floor'.  'It sounded louder than that.'  'I was in it'.

- I just asked myself if I was crazy and we all said 'no'.

- Why do eggs come in a flimsy styrofoam carton when batteries come in a package only a chainsaw can open.

- If you want to make your Mom happy, clean something.  Anything!!

- I watched a documentary last night on marijuana.  That's probably how I'll watch all documentaries from now on.

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