THE LITTLE CHAP WAS QUITE EXITED

 A BALTIMORE ORIOLE DROPPED BY THIS MORNING

I had gone to the well of words Tuesday and found the well dry, hence, no post.  Plus, I hadn't taken any photos.  Most of the day had been sunny and humid, but by late afternoon, storms rolled in, and areas south of us, from Sarnia to Hamilton, had severe weather with tornado warnings.  Funnel clouds were spotted in the air, and the storm left a lot of damage in its wake.  Power outages and downed trees in London.  We had wind and rain, but that was about it.  Oh, and Lorraine and I did get out for an E-bike ride through the countryside in the afternoon.  All paved roads of course.  But oh my, one big wind gust almost landed Woodsy in the grassy ditch on the other side of the road.

 UNDERNEATH OUR REDBUD TREE AFTER TUESDAY EVENING'S STORM WENT THROUGH

From Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday's short sleeve shirts and shorts, I was back to a T-shirt, long sleeve shirt, and my Winter jacket this morning when I attempted a walk.  Key word there was 'attempted'.  With high winds trying to blow my car door closed, I managed to get out, but only took about 6 steps and then climbed right back into the car, turned around, and went home.  Oh, I could have pushed myself through the cold wind, like years ago, but this is now, and if I'm not really into doing things that aren't enjoyable and comfortable anymore.

 ON THE WAY OUT OF THE PARK THIS MORNING, I NOTICED A FEW COLORFUL CRITTERS

And, by golly, for the first time this year, I was finally able to mow some of the grass I have planted.  Hey, and I even sharpened the lawnmower blade this year, and I hosed off the battery-powered motor.  I was on a role.  Late this morning, Woodsy heard a bird chirping outside, and asked me if I knew what it was.  I didn't.  Moments later, she called for me to come into the sunroom.  There, on the windowsill, sat a Baltimore Oriole chirping up a storm.  It kept pacing around and looking in the window, and we couldn't figure out what it was looking at.  Back and forth it went, constantly chirping at something.  Lorraine slipped out and put a slice of Mandarin on the sill, but the Oriole wasn't interested in food, and it wasn't until I slipped outside with my camera that I realized what had its attention.  The Oriole was totally focused on.....itself.  Yes, it was seeing its own reflection in the glass, and that had the little chap quite excited.

 THE ORIOLE SEES ITS REFLECTION IN ONE OF OUR SUNROOM WINDOWS

 A DOUBLE REFLECTION

Al's Music Box:: If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Actual exchanges between pilots and control towers::

Tower: "Eastern 702, cleared for takeoff, contact Departure on frequency 124.7"
Eastern 702: "Tower, Eastern 702 switching to Departure. By the way, after we lifted off we saw some kind of dead animal on the far end of the runway."
Tower: "Continental 635, cleared for takeoff behind Eastern 702, contact Departure on frequency 124.7. Did you copy that report from Eastern 702?"
BR Continental 635: "Continental 635, cleared for takeoff, roger; and yes, we copied Eastern... we've already notified our caterers."

******************
One day the pilot of a Cherokee 180 was told by the tower to hold short of the active runway while a DC-8 landed. The DC-8 landed, rolled out, turned around, and taxied back past the Cherokee. Some quick-witted comedian in the DC-8 crew got on the radio and said, "What a cute little plane. Did you make it all by yourself?" The Cherokee pilot, not about to let the insult go by, came back with a real zinger: "I made it out of DC-8 parts. Another landing like yours and I'll have enough parts for another one."

******************
The German air controllers at Frankfurt Airport are renowned as a short-tempered lot. They not only expect one to know one's gate parking location, but also how to get there without any assistance from them. So it was with some amusement that we (a Pan Am 747) listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground control and a British Airways 747... call sign Speedbird 206.
Speedbird 206: "Frankfurt, Speedbird 206! clear of active runway."
Ground: "Speedbird 206. Taxi to gate Alpha One-Seven."
The BA 747 pulled onto the main taxiway and slowed to a stop.
Ground: "Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?"
Speedbird 206: "Stand by, Ground, I'm looking up our gate location now."
Ground (with quite arrogant impatience): "Speedbird 206, have you not been to Frankfurt before?"
Speedbird 206 (coolly): "Yes, twice in 1944, but it was dark, And I didn't land."

******************
While taxiing at London 's Gatwick Airport , the crew of a US Air flight departing for Ft. Lauderdale made a wrong turn and came nose to nose with a United 727. An irate female ground controller lashed out at the US Air crew, screaming: "US Air 2771, where the hell are you going? I told you to turn right onto Charlie taxiway! You turned right on Delta! Stop right there. I know it's difficult for you to tell the difference between C and D, but get it right!"
Continuing her rage to the embarrassed crew, she was now shouting hysterically: "God! Now you've screwed everything up! It'll take forever to sort this out! You stay right there and don't move till I tell you to! You can expect progressive taxi instructions in about half an hour, and I want you to go exactly where I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you! You got that, US Air 2771?"
"Yes, ma'am," the humbled crew responded. Naturally, the ground control communications frequency fell terribly silent after the verbal bashing of US Air 2771. Nobody wanted to chance engaging the irate ground controller in her current state of mind. Tension in every cockpit out around Gatwick was definitely running high. Just then an unknown pilot broke the silence and keyed his microphone, asking:
"Wasn't I married to you once?"

******************
A Pan Am 727 flight, waiting for start clearance in Munich , overheard the following:
Lufthansa (in German): "Ground, what is our start clearance time?"
Ground (in English): "If you want an answer you must speak in English."
Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany. Why must I speak English?"
Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): "Because you lost the bloody war!"

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

Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery

MY ONLY RECOURSE TO REMAIN OUTSIDE WAS TO BARE MY LEGS

     THE FRONT YARD FROG POND LILIES ARE DOING WELL

With skies clouding over and the wind increasing Sunday night, a 'Squal Warning' popped up on my phone.  Hoping for some scary storm photos rolling in across the lake, Woodsy and I headed for Bayfield's Pioneer Park which overlooks Lake Huron and has an unobstructed view of the western sky.  Alas, skies were calm and there were no signs of a storm brewing. With clouds sitting on the horizon, there was no sunset so, after a drive around Bayfield, we headed back home. 

 A RED WING BLACKBIRD ON THE FEEDER THIS AFTERNOON

 A GRACKLE

 A GRACKLE AT THE FROG POND'S EDGE DROPS IN FOR A DRINK OF WATER ON A HOT DAY

THIS SQUIRREL PROOF BIRDFEEDER IS JUST THAT...SQUIRREL PROOF, AND THIS LITTLE FELLA CANT GET AT THE BIRDSEED

 THIS LITTLE SQUIRREL IS NOT A HAPPY CAMPER

 AND, THIS IS OUR ONE RESIDENT FROG

It was nice to wake up to warm winds and sunny skies this morning.  And to think, a year ago at around this time I was stuck in a hospital bed in Stratford, Ontario.  Since that serious kidney infection, and the subsequent removal of a number of kidney stones, I have been doing great.  My PSA number, since my London prostate cancer treatment, about five years ago, has remained low and not showing any signs of the cancer returning.  Despite my grumblings at times, my 81 year old body has treated me resonably well over the years.  Okay, so there was a hip replacement at one point, but who's counting.  Really, I have no complaints:))

 SAW THIS HAPPY LITTLE FAMILY PEDDLING ALONG BAYFIELD'S MAIN STREET EARLIER TODAY

 A WINDSURFER HEADS OUT INTO THE CHILLY WATERS OF LAKE HURON THIS MORNING

 ALTHOUGH TRY AS HE DID, WE NEVER DID SEE HIM GET AIRBORNE

It's not often, here at home, and especially at this time of year, that I actually take the time to sit down and simply enjoy my surroundings.  But, with coffee in hand this morning, I went out onto the front porch, sat myself down in the shade, and thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of warm summer like air on my skin, and listening to all the Spring song birds in the air.   Blue Jays, Red Winged Blackbirds, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Cardinals, Mourning Doves, and an assortment of Finches and Sparrows. Also, I could hear water trickling over the rocks in our front yard frog pond.  Only one frog in it at the moment.  Others will soon come to join the little fellow.  With my laptop on my lap all the while on the porch, there were Chipmunks running about, and the following did actually happen.  One little chippy came up the side of my chair, hopped onto my pant leg, and then scurried right across my laptop's keyboard and down the other side of the chair.  Of course, right across from me, Lorraine sat feeding the little monkeys peanuts.  Also, today, with all the trees leafing out now, I could hear the warm scented wind whispering through the leaves.   And, oh my, the aroma of our Lilac trees.  My Aunt Jean's favorite.  But, by 2 p.m. with temps at 84F and the humidity building, my only recourse to remain outside was to bare my legs and put a pair of shorts on while having a fan going full tilt two feet from my face, cooling me off.  Well, hello summer!!

 THE LITTLE CHIPMUNK RAN RIGHT ACROSS THE BOTTOM END OF MY LAPTOP COMPUTER

ALTHOUGH THOSE FAN BLADES LOOK STATIONARY, THEY ARE MOVING ABOUT 105 MPH

 THAT FAN GOING FULL TILT WAS  NEARLY BLOWING THE HAIR RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD....WHISKERS TOO

Al's Music Box:: Whispering Pines by Johnny Horton.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( All too rarely, airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight "safety lecture", and their other announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:

1. On a Continental Flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort, and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."

2. On landing, the stewardess said, "There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this aircraft."

3. As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Washington National, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"

4. After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Memphis, a flight attendant on a Northwest flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a
landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."

5. "In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child, pick your favorite."

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

On a visit to the zoo, a small 3 year old boy passes the stork exhibit and looks up at the birds intently. As his family then moves on, he turns to his father and says, "Gee Daddy, they didn't even recognize me."

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

Biblical Theme Songs
Noah: "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head"
Adam and Eve: "Strangers in Paradise"
Lazarus: "The Second Time Around"
Esther: "I Feel Pretty"
Job: "I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues"
Moses: "The Wanderer"
Jezebel: "The Lady is a Tramp"
Samson: "Hair"Salome: "I Could Have Danced All Night"
Daniel: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
Esau: "Born To Be Wild"
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: "Great Balls of Fire!"
The Three Kings: "When You Wish Upon a Star"
Jonah: "Got a Whale of a Tale"
Elijah: "Up, Up, and Away"
Methuselah: "Stayin' Alive"
Nebuchadnezzar: "Crazy"

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

Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery