I COULD LITERALLY SIT DOWN AND EAT BY THE BUCKETFUL

MONARCH BUTTERFLY IN A WHEAT FIELD

With another fine summer's evening upon us, Woodsy and I saddled up the E-Bikes once again Wednesday night, and this time we headed east out of the Park into the open countryside.  I was again reminded of my motorcycle days when cruising through the country and passing through all the delightfully different smells and aromas.  It could be a bunch of lilac bushes alongside the road, or acres of new mown hay in the many farmers' fields.  I've always liked the smell of a cattle barn, but not so much the scent of a skunk somewhere nearby and maybe close to the road.  Sometimes it can simply be the smell of fresh air itself.  Passing forests have a smell all of their own, and how nice the aroma of many different flowers in their seasons.  Sometimes on the wind drifts the scent of the lake itself, and sometimes an earthy smell if a farmer is hard at work plowing a nearby field.  Many of these aromas are not detected when inside a car, but with the open concept of a bicycle or a motorcycle, they are easily detected and enjoyed.  But a bicycle has one big advantage over a motorcycle when it comes to all those various smells, and it is simply the silence.  The silence, coupled with the countryside smells and enhanced by the surrounding beauty, just makes for a complete, memorable, and enjoyable outdoor experience.  I am sure grateful to Woodsy for surprising me with an E-Bike for my birthday early last October.  It has brought me even closer to the countryside that I love.

 ANOTHER NICE TWILIGHT BIKE RIDE WITH FRIENDLY FARM FOLKS WAVING AS WE GO BY

 WOODSY LINES UP A SUNSET PHOTO

Despite a heavy cloud cover, I could feel the hot sun's rays right through those clouds on my walk this morning.  It sure seems to me that the sun's heat and the air's humidity are both waaaaaay stronger nowadays than forty or fifty years ago.  Yes, some of that may have to do with my age but I do sincerely believe that there has been a serious change to the Earth's atmosphere.

 THE GOLDEN WHEAT FIELD BESIDE MY WALKING ROAD IS VERY CLOSE TO BEING HARVESTED

Many readers will know of my dislike of salads.....and any kind of a salad.  Well, I must amend that a wee bit.  Woodsy makes a salad that I could literally sit down and eat by the bucketful.  And, I'll call it, 'Watermelon Salad because its main ingredient is watermelon.  I think I have written about this salad before and had included a picture.  I had intended to take another picture today and include it with this post, but wouldn't you know it, I gobbled the salad all up before thinking of a picture.  Here are the ingredients.......Watermelon, cucumber, feta cheese, cooked chicken, with a honey dijon dressing.

HERE'S ONE OF MY LITTLE PALS LOOKING IN THE PATIO DOOR EARLIER THIS MORNING TO SEE IF I AM UP YET

HERE WE ARE WATCHING TV TOGETHER THIS MORNING

 SOME OF TONIGHT'S PHOTOS ARE NOT AS SHARP AS THEY SHOULD BE, BUT I CAN'T BE LUCKY ALL THE TIME

Al's Music Box:: Stranger On The Shore by Acker Bilk.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( One day, the little Moron's neighbor comes over to his house, and finds him crying, and asks him what happened. The little Moron said that his mother had passed away. The neighbor made him some coffee and calmed him down a little and then left. The next day the neighbor went back over to the house and found the little Moron crying again. He asked him why he was crying this time. The little Moron said, "I just got off of the phone with my sister. Her mother died too!"

-----------------------------

Q. What did the digital clock say to the analog clock?

A. Look, No hands!
--------------------------------

- Do you know what always catches my eye? Short people with umbrellas.

- My family told me to stop telling Thanksgiving jokes, but I told them I couldn't just quit "cold turkey."

- Why do pilgrims’ pants always fall down? Because they wear their belt buckles on their hats!

- What did the hipster say the day after Thanksgiving? I liked the leftovers because they were cool.

- What do you call a turkey on the day after Thanksgiving? Lucky.

----------------------------

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Dawn!
Dawn who?
Dawn leave me out here in the cold!

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Deanna!
Deanna who?
Deanna-mals are restless open the cage!

Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Tamara.
Tamara who? Tamara we'll have turkey leftovers!

--------------------------

Diner: "I would like a cup of coffee, please."

Waiter: "I'm very sorry, sir, but I'm afraid we're fresh out of coffee today; our coffee maker has been completely exhausted."
Diner: "I'm not surprised, due to how weak it's been lately."

----------------------------

-----------------------

Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery

NICE, FRIENDLY SMALL-TOWN FOLKS AT MICHAELS

 NO, THIS ISN'T US, BUT WE'VE NOTICED A LOT MORE E-BIKES ON THE ROAD THIS YEAR

As soon as the evening air began to cool Tuesday night we saddled up our E-Bikes and headed for Bayfield.  We weren't long in arriving at Rosie's Ice Cream Shoppe.  While Woodsy waited across the street at a sit-down place with the bikes, I headed over to Rosies and snagged us two small kiddy-cones.  Key Lime for Woodsy, and Pralines and Cream for me.  

 RIDING ALONG BAYFIELD'S MAIN STREET, WOODSY PULLS OVER TO ANSWER HER RINGING PHONE

 IN THE LINE UP AT ROSIE'S, THE GIRL ON THE LEFT ACTUALLY HAS A TINY BABY STRAPPED TO HER CHEST IN A PAPOOSE

 YES, WE DO LOVE OUR SUMMERTIME ICE CREAM CONES

 WOODSY SLIPS DOWN THESE STEEP STEPS TO THE BEACH TO SNAP A PICTURE OF THE SUNSET

Following that, we rode down around the south end of Bayfield.  With sunset quickly approaching, we pedalled back through Pioneer Park and down Short Hill Road to Bayfield's beach and out onto the pier.  Lots of people there, with many of them fishing and kids jumping off the pier into the lake.

 OUT AT THE END OF BAYFIELD'S SOUTH PIER

 A SAILBOAT HEADS IN AFTER AND EVENINGS CRUISE

 A YOUNG COUPLE HEADS OUT IN A SMALL MOTORIZED RUBBER BOAT

 KIDS JUMPING OFF THE PIER

Following my almost 'too warm' country road walk this morning, I slipped into Bayfield and picked up two twenty-pound 'anti-squirrel' bags of birdseed at Porter's Hill Wild Birdseed Company.  Dropped off my first prescription at Michaels Pharasave where I recently transferred my account from Walmart's Pharmact.  Nice, friendly small-town folks at Michaels.

 FOUR FROGS IN THE FRONT YARD FROG POND NOW

 TWO 20 POUND BAGS OF BIRDSEED

 JUST INSIDE THE KITCHEN DOOR IS MY SUPPLY OF CRITTER COMFORTS

With the summer's heat and humidity ramping up again, I didn't have much interest for spending any time outside. 

Al's Music Box:: Did She Mention My Name by Gordon Lightfoot.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Charlie decides to learn to try horseback riding without any experience or lessons. He mounts the horse with great effort, and the tall, shiny horse springs into motion. It gallops along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but the Charlie begins to slip from the saddle. Out of shear terror, he grabs for the horse's mane but cannot seem to get a firm grip. He tries to throw his arms around the horse's neck, but slides down the side of the horse anyway. The horse gallops along, seemingly oblivious to its slipping rider. Finally, giving up his frail grip, he leaps away from the horse to try and throw himself to safety. Unfortunately, his foot has become entangled in the stirrup. He is now at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as his head is struck against the ground again and again. As his head is battered against the ground, he is moments away from unconsciousness or even death when Todd, the Walmart manager, runs out to turn the horse off.

----------------------------

What do you get when you cross a kangaroo with a calendar? 

A leap year!

------------------------------

Two little boys were at a wedding when one leaned over to the other and asked, "How many wives can a man have?" His friend answered, "Sixteen... four better, four worse, four richer, and four poorer."

-----------------------------

While driving in Pennsylvania, a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humor because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand-painted sign that read, "Energy efficient vehicle. Runs on oats and grass. CAUTION: Do not step on exhaust."

-----------------------------

Clem and Abner were out hunting when they came upon a couple of tracks. After close examination, the first Clem declared them to be deer tracks. Abner disagreed, insisting they must be elk tracks. They were still arguing when the train hit them.

Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery