TRADING IN AN OLD SACK OF PROBLEMS FOR A NEW SACK OF PROBLEMS

 MORNING'S CLOUD COVER WAS HEAVY ENOUGH TO HAVE THIS SOLAR LIGHT COME ON IN A PARK RESIDENT'S FLOWER BED

With a cold wet and drizzly morning upon us,  there was no walk for the kid and me.  With that cold and wet came a slight wind out of the east making the 43F temps feel like the mid-30s.  Our Spring so far has been a mixture of too hot and too cold with a few perfect days thrown in between.  Update on Saturday's storm that went through here and intensified the further inland it went.  It ended up killing a total of 8 people with some being in Ontario and some being in Quebec.

 SPOTTED THIS PIECE OF FARM MACHINERY TAKING A WELL DESERVED SUNDAY REST

Today's skies finally cleared so Pheebs and I ventured out for an afternoon walk.  The ground was soggy and we had to dodge some water puddles.  Only thing we saw around the Park's pond was a duck.

 I AM 'GUESSING' THIS DUCK TO BE A FEMALE HOODED MERGANSER

I WASN'T QUITE FAST ENOUGH TO CATCH THE WHOLE DUCK IN THE FRAME WHEN IT TOOK OFF SO FAST

 A PAIR OF COWBIRDS ON ONE OF OUR FEEDERS TODAY.....MALE ON THE LEFT AND FEMALE ON THE RIGHT

It wasn't really necessary to go to Goderich this morning so we went anyway.  McDonalds coffee to go, down to the harbor, and then a stop at Walmart on our way home.  Peanut Butter, OJ, green bananas, spinach, and a box of 'Life' cereal.  Why green bananas??  Because my diabetes person told me the riper the banana, the higher the sugar content.  I've added half a green banana each morning to my yummy shakes.

 HEADING OUT TO ROTARY COVE

 NO, THAT IS NOT A LONG BEACH TOWEL FOR A TALL BASKETBALL PLAYER....IT'S FOR WHEELCHAIR ACCESS ACROSS THE SAND TO THE WATER'S EDGE

 PLUS, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO REACH THE WATER WITHOUT GETTING YOUR NEW SHOES ALL FULL OF SAND

 ABOUT THE ONLY THING ON THE BEACH THIS COLD WET DAY WAS THIS FENCED IN BULLDOZER

 LOOKS LIKE THIS COUPLE IS GOING TO TAKE LITTLE JUNIOR FOR A STROLLER RIDE ON THE BOARDWALK

 AS WE WERE LEAVING THE HARBOR SO WAS  THE ALGOMA CONVEYER LOADED WITH SALT FROM THE GODERICH SALT MINE

Driving home this morning I was thinking about some of the problems we have here in our Park and that reminded me of something I had conjured up and wrote about many Moons ago.  I couldn't find that post so here's my take on the 'Problem Store' anyway.  Everyone, without exception, has problems of some kind or another throughout their lifetime.  Some have more than others and some problems last much longer than they need too.  We have a choice, we can work on our problems or we can dismiss them.  Whatever works at the time.  Problems come in many forms like maybe an old troublesome car that continually needs repairs.  Do we keep the car with all the problems or do we trade it in or sell it.  Marriages can be full of problems so how do we handle that?  Jobs are certainly not without their problems nor is having to live in a problematic neighborhood, etc.  My way of dealing with problems sometimes is this....You gather up the problems you are having with a certain thing and put them in a sack.  You then sling that sack over your shoulder and head off to the 'The Old Problem Store'.   All you gotta do is step inside and sling your old sack of problems up on the counter and tell the person behind the counter you want to exchange your old sack of problems for a new sack of problems.  You do of course realize we humans cannot exist without our varying degrees of problems so an exchange has to be made.  Nobody gets out of this life problem-free so there is no walking out of that store empty-handed.  You have to have something in your problem sack, there is no other way.  Seeing how you had made the decision to trade in your old problems for new problems, there shouldn't be any doubt or hesitation so let's just get on with the new problems shall me.  Besides, what a relief it is to get rid of those old problems and take on the refreshing challenge of your new problems.  Case in point regarding our Park here.  I think as a group, all residents are so ready, willing, and anxious to trade in this sack of long ongoing Park problems with the present owner for a brand new sack of problems with a new owner.  Nothing or nobody is perfect you know and new ownership may solve some of the old problems while at the same time creating new ones of course.  But, that's kinda okay at this point.  Let's just put the past to rest and get on with the unknowns of the future.  In other words, let's just trade in this old sack of problems for a new sack of problems and get on with it shall we:))

 LILAC TREES IN GODERICH

 DEFINITELY A SPRING FLOWER GARDEN

Ellen's Groove:: Ellen does Aretha.          

GROANER'S CORNER:((  "I bet you don't know what day this is", said the wife to her husband as he made his way out the front door. The husband was perplexed, but was always a quick thinker: "Of course I do, my dear. How could I forget!?" With that, he turned and rushed to catch the bus for work.  At 10 AM, the doorbell rang and when the woman opened the door, she was handed a box containing a dozen long-stemmed red roses.  At 1 PM, a foil-wrapped, two-pound box of her favorite chocolates arrived. Later, a boutique delivered a designer dress. The woman couldn't wait for her husband to come home.  The husband was smug when he returned from work, satisfied that he had recovered what could have been a very bad situation.  His wife was indeed surprised: "First the flowers, then the chocolates, and then the dress!" she exclaimed, "I've never had a more wonderful Groundhog Day in my life!"

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IT IS STILL A NAIL-BITER HERE REGARDING OUR PARK'S SALE

 SAW THIS HANDSOM CHAP IN OUR BACKYARD THIS AFTERNOON

It was under a slightly warm and windless cloudy sky that Pheebs and I ventured out into this morning. With boots and paws, we stirred up some gravel at our country road walking spot and following that it was a slow and leisurely 15mph drive around a few more gravely roads before heading home.

THOSE ARE ROWS OF CORN ALREADY GROWING

I poked around outside a while before noticing a rather rapid drop in temperature.  Shortly after that, I heard distant thunder and skies began to darken.  As the thunder drew closer, the skies became dark enough to set off our nightlight sensors.  And then came the rain, and did it ever come!! (we didn't know it at the time but this storm continued to pick up strength as it traveled east heading inland causing major damage with 80mph winds causing the deaths of two people due to falling trees)

 IT WAS REALLY RAINING HARD IN OUR FRONT YARD

 RAINWATER GUSHING OUT OF ONE OF OUR DOWNSPOUTS

It was probably the sound of the rain pounding on our steel roof that lulled me to sleep in my sunroom recliner.  By the time I regained consciousness, the rain had stopped and skies had brightened.  Even a few brief hints of sunshine.

 AFTER THE RAIN

 THIS BUSY BUMBLEBEE HAS A LEG UP ON ITS POLLEN COLLECTING OPERATION

Putting on my duck boots Pheebs and I headed out for a walk through the wet grass over around the Park's pond.  It was nice to hear the bullfrogs chuggerruming.  After the rain, everything looked so fresh and clean.  Our area's Spring foliage is at about its best right now. 

SPRING'S VIBRANT FOLIAGE AROUND OUR PARK'S POND

 AND WHAT WOULD BE A WALK AROUND THE POND WITHOUT ANOTHER TURTLE PICTURE

Home from our walk I took a stroll around our back yard where some of our lilac trees are in bloom.  Not all of them have blossoms every year.  Our 30' Japanese lilac does not have a single flower on it.  Lots of leaves but no white blooms.

OUR BACKYARD LILACS

   

It is still a nail-biter here regarding our Park's sale and it remains unknown whether the proposed final deal signing has been officially reached yet or not.  It doesn't look like it so far and I wouldn't be surprised if this whole crazy thing collapses yet again.  It is a rather bizarre situation going on here at the moment and a lot of residents are very much on edge about it.  It's almost like that feeling one gets when they feel something good or not good is about to happen but they don't know when and what it will be.  But they do know where it will be!!         

 I THINK THIS MIGHT BE A TYPE OF AZALEA

 CHIPPY'S DOING A HANDSTAND

 TRILLIUMS, HOSTAS, AND FERNS

Ellen's Groove:: A 'fun practice session' with Ellen and her Dad, Hovak.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  There was a man sitting at a bar, and he looks over at the gentleman sitting next to him and says, "Hey, you look familiar.  Are you from around here?" The man answers, "Yeah, I live down the street."  "No kidding?" says the first man, "Well, so do I. And hey, you look about my age. Where did you go to high school?"  "Oh I went to Francis Lewis over on Utopia. Graduated in '66.  How 'bout you?"  "Get out. I went to Francis Lewis. And I graduated in '66, too." "Where'd you go to college?"  "Beloit, in Wisconsin."  "No way! I went to Beloit too. What dorm?"  "Kevin Sullivan dorm."  "Sullivan? You're not going to believe this . . ."  Joe the bartender walks over, and the first guy says, "Joe, you won't believe it in a million years. This guy went to the same high school as me, graduated the same year I did and went to the same college. We were even in the same dorm. Isn't that amazing?"  Joe looks at them both and says, "Yeah, that's just plain amazing."  A third man comes in and says, "Hey Joe. What's new?" Joe says, "Not much. The Johnson twins are drunk again."

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I'M THINKING SHE IS GETTING AS WORSE AS ME

It was a marvelous weather morning earlier on with a brisk breeze out of the south moving volumes of warmer air into our area.  It was a short sleeve shirt walk with no need for a jacket.  Following our walk, Pheebs and I slowly cruised around a few country roads soaking up all those wondrous fresh air farm smells.  Snagged a few photos and we headed for home.

HEY, I THINK I SPOTTED ALBERT EINSTEIN THIS MORNING:))

 YUP, THAT'S HIM ALRIGHT AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE GAVE UP THAT GENIUS MATH STUFF AND GOT INTO HARNESS RACING.....GOT A HAIRCUT TOO

 SPOTTED A FEW WILD TURKEYS IN A FIELD ABOUT A QUARTER-MILE AWAY

For me, the day heated up a little too fast and it wasn't long before I was back inside with my sunroom floor fan keeping me cool.  Caught up on some more reading with a few zzzzzzz's thrown in for good measure.

LILACS ALONG A FARM LANE

 SOME TULIPS ARE ALMOST PAST THEIR PRIME

 ROADSIDE DANDELIONS

The muscles in my legs are finally adjusting and my left leg is totally pain-free but I cannot say the same thing for my right leg.  Short sharp pains continue in my hip and groin area when walking.  No pain when I'm sitting or if I don't put any weight on the leg.  I'm hoping it will come around just as the left leg did but the sometimes numbing pain in my right leg has been cropping up now and again for well over a year.  It has been more frequent these past couple months.

Kelly was up to Goderich and back this afternoon picking up a few groceries and another new prescription.  It's quite a time she is having with the newer meds since her London hospital stay.  It's the side effects that give her the biggest problems and she is trying to adjust to that as best she can.

 A BUSY TIME OF YEAR FOR AREA FARMERS AND I'VE NOTICED IN SOME FIELDS THE CORN IS ALREADY UP ABOUT 3 INCHES

No afternoon walk today.  Too hot and too humid for me.  The weather station said 75F but with the humidity factored in it felt like 84F.  Even Kelly found the day too hot.  I think she is getting as worse as me.  Saturday is calling for 64, Sunday 54, and Monday 50.  Yup, I'm liking that a lot better:))

 'OOOOOHHHHH', HOW I LOVE MY FRESH MOWN HAY AND BROCCLI FOR BREAKFAST

GROANER'S CORNER:((  One day the big animals and the little animals decided to have a football game. As the first half went along, the big animals were scoring at will. Every time they got the ball they would run it in for a touchdown.  Then came the second half...First play: The elephant runs the ball up the middle. WAP!! Tackled for a five-yard loss. The little animals go back to the huddle cheering and congratulating each other.  "Who made that tackle?" asked the ant.  "I did," said the centipede.  Second play: The rhinoceros runs the ball up the middle. WHOMP!! Tackled for another five-yard loss.  Back in the huddle, the flea asked, "Who made that great stop?" "I did," said the centipede.  Third play: The gorilla tries an end sweep, led by the hippo throwing the lead blocks. SMACK!! Centipede tackles him for a ten-yard loss.  Back in the huddle, the gnat asked the centipede, "Where were you in the first half?"  The centipede replied, "Puttin' on my shoes!"

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