IT KEEPS ME FROM SEIZING UP

MY LITTLE FROG POND WATERFALL

For the beginning of this sunny day, it was a brisk north wind a-blowin', but it had a slight touch of warmth in it, and that made for an enjoyable walk on this mid-May morning.  Following my walk, I headed into Bayfield for a little drive around to see what I could see.

 WITH EACH PASSING DAY, MORE AND MORE BOATS ARE APPEARING IN THE BAYFIELD RIVER

LOOKS LIKE A COUPLE OF HARBOR SEALS OUT THERE AROUND BAYFIELD'S SOUTH PIER

NOPE, THEM'S ISN'T SEALS, THEMS IS SURFBOARDERS

 PADDLING OUT TO CATCH A WAVE

 AND TO THINK THAT JUST OVER A SHORT MONTH AGO THERE WAS STILL ICE ON THE LAKE

OH DEAR, A FACE PLANT INTO A WAVE

 THE COLD WATER IS MORE TURBULENT CLOSE TO THE PIER

Home again, I busied myself around the yard, puttering.  I think I am going to have to include'puttering' as one of my most favorite hobbies.   I do not include cleaning eavestroughs as enjoyable puttering, but somewhere between all my little putters, I cleaned out the eaves troughs.  They were sure packed with pine needles.  

THE RED BUD TREE BESIDE THE DRIVEWAY IS BEGINNING TO SHOW COLOR

 CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT I HAD FOR BREAKFAST BUT I CAN REMEMBER PLANTING THAT TALL 50' POPLAR TREE IN THE BACK YARD TWENTY YEARS AGO

High noon found me in the barber's chair at the Bayfield Village Clippers.  In less than fifteen minutes, I was shorn, out of the chair, and out the door.  Well, most of me was because I left some of myself behind on the floor around the chair.  And, I left enough hair behind to notice the cool morning air while walking back to the car.  Should have brought a hat to keep my expanding bald spot warm.

 CONDITIONS ARE PERFECT HERE FOR GROWING HOSTAS

Home again, I was right back into puttering mode, and if someone were to ask me what I was busy with, I would be hard-pressed to remember all the piddly little things I busied myself with.  I think after a long boring inside winter, just to be outside on a sunny day is the magic itself, even if it's picking up a stone and moving it from point A to point B, and along the way, tossing a few peanuts out here and there for the Chipmunks. Topping up a bird feeder, throwing a couple of sticks into the utility trailer, pulling a few weeds, fishing some pine needles out of the frog pond, cleaning the car mirrors, watering some grass seed, stopping for a coffee, maybe a couple of windows need cleaning, etc.  And a dozen other etc's.  I like puttering along doing all those things.  In my little world, it makes me a happy camper.  And of course, at this age, there is always the bottom line.....it keeps me from seizing up.

 MY LITTLE BUNNY PATH NEAR THE DRIVEWAY ON THE SOUTH EAST SIDE OF THE HOUSE

 THE PROMINENT GROUND COVER HERE IS PERRIWINKLE

Thanks to reader Barb M for emailing to let me know that my blog's 'moderated' comment section is definitely not working.  I have no idea how to fix that.  Oh, if only Kelly were here to solve yet another technical problem for me.  She always had the patience, and some how the know how, for all that kind of stuff.  And, she had an ability to fix little mechanical things too.  I am such a boob at all that kind of stuff.

Al's Music Box:: Calypso by John Denver.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( An old Indian lined up all of his 10 little Indian sons and stood in front of them. He then asked, "Who push port-a-potty over cliff?" Nobody answered him. He then asked again, "Who push port-a-potty over cliff?"Again nobody  answered. The old Indian said, "I tell story of Georgie and Georgie father. Georgie chop down cherry tree. Georgie tell truth, Big Georgie no punish." So the Indian asked again, "Who push port-a-potty over cliff?" To which the littlest Indian replied, "I push port-a-potty over cliff." The old Indian then shakes and spanks him, for his punishment. When he is done, the little Indian asks, "Georgie tell truth, Georgie no get punish. I tell truth, I get punished. Why you punish, father?" The old Indian replied, "Big Georgie not in cherry tree when it got chopped down!!!"

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- What did the dancer feel after a week of non-stop rehearsals? The agony of de-feet.

- How do you make a tissue dance? You put a little boogie in it!

- What kind of dog does a magician have?
A Labracadabrador!

- What do you get when you cross a rabbit with shellfish? An Oyster Bunny!

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The banker fell overboard from a friend's sailboat. His friend grabbed a life preserver, held it up, not knowing if the banker could swim, and shouted, “Can you float alone?” “Obviously,” the banker replied, “but this is a heck of a time to talk business.”

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery

WHAT AN ABSOLUTELY AWFUL WEATHER DAY

IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO SEE THE ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS BACK AT THE FEEDERS AGAIN  

With a few things to pick up in Goderich I headed off under a drizzly, cold rain.  My usual stops, but I noticed down at the harbor on the road out to Rotary Cove that they were in the process of taking down the Rotory Cove Arch that has been there for quite a few years.  May it had become unsafe over the years.  

 A COLD AND WET DRIVE TO GODERICH THIS MORNING

 NOT A GOOD DAY FOR AREA FARMERS

 SAW THIS LARGE SHIP JUST OFFSHORE FROM GODERICH'S HARBOR

 IT'S THE ALGOMA ENDEAVOUR REVERSING INTO THE HARBOR TO TAKE ON A LOAD OF SALT AT THE SALT MINE

AIDING THE ALGOMA ENDEAVOUR IS THE TUG OCEAN A SIMARD

After picking up a few things in Goderich this morning, I headed off to Clinton to stop into a Glass place to get an estimate on the cost of replacing one of our sunroom windows.  The double-pane window sits right in front of the computer desk and is the main window I look out of and often take pictures through.  Air has gotten in between the two pieces of glass and compromised the window, making it dull and unclear.  Oh, I can see out of the window okay but all the colors are dull.  The estimate I received was over $500 for the window, plus labor and tax.  In other words, it would rip a big hole in a thousand-dollar bill.  Needless to say, I will just have to put up with the window the way it is, and that's it.  Soooooo, because of that window, what I've done is to move the hanging bird feeder that was directly in front of the computer desk, over a few feet where I can now see it through a smaller paned clear glass window.  Much better for pics now.

 ATOP MY TALL LADDER RE-HANGING THE BIRDFEEDER, WHICH I WILL BE ABLE TO CLEARLY SEE THROUGH THAT NARROW WINDOW BEHIND IT

I CAN NOW SEE THE FEEDER THROUGH A 'CLEAR GLASS' WINDOW FROM MY DESKTOP COMPUTER CHAIR

I HAD TO RE-ARRANGE MY DESKTOP TOO FOR A CLEAR VIEW OUT THAT WINDOW TO THE LEFT

Weatherwise, this has been a cold spring, and I think today epitomizes the many miserable days we have been having.  Yes, I'm crabbing about the weather again.  High winds, rain, and temperatures at night are bouncing off the freezing mark.  Miserable, depressing, and dismal would sum up today quite nicely.  I know, I know.....I'm crabbing, but some days the weather just needs to be crabbed at!!!!

Readers may have noticed a couple of unfortunate changes to my blog.  Because of a recent troll, I have had to make a change to my comment section.  Before, I had it set that anyone could leave a comment on my post, but I had to change the setting to where the blog's moderator (me) has to approve each comment.  Those comment approvals are supposed to come into my Outlook email program.  So far, I have not received any comments to be moderated, so something may not be working properly there.  Not sure.  After seeing a few of the same very nasty comments in my 'Shoutbox' as well, I had no choice but to remove the Shoutbox because there was no moderation feature with it.  The comments were gross, and readers do not have to read that kind of stuff. I have considered myself very fortunate over the years with my public blog, and my opinionated writing, sometimes to have escaped all the nastiness and ugliness of the internet's low-life creatures, but I guess it was only a matter of time until some morbidly sick low-life troll finally glommed onto my blog.  Why does there have to be so many mentally twisted, negative people in this world!!  I guess to some degree it has always been like that, but I don't think nearly to the degree where it is now, with the dark side of the internet making things a whole lot worse........

Al's Music Box:: The Last Farewell by Roger Wittaker.

 TIS THE SEASON OF THE DANDELION

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man was bragging about his sister who disguised herself as a man and joined the Army. "But wait a minute," said the listener, "She'll have to dress with the boys and shower with them too, won't she?" "Sure," replied the man. "Well? Won't they find out?" "Yes the will, but who's gonna tell?"

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- Is there anything worse than when it’s raining cats and dogs? Yes! Hailing taxis.

- If a child refuses to nap, are they guilty of resisting a rest?

- Did you hear about the kidnapping at school? It’s OK, he woke up.

- I could tell a joke about pizza, but it’s a little cheesy.

- What’s the best kind of bird to work for at a construction company? A crane.

- I used to be addicted to soap, but I’m clean now.

- I only know 25 letters of the alphabet.
I don’t know y.

What did the buffalo say to his son when he dropped him off at school? “Bison!”

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The flower vendor was usually an old hand at unloading his last few bunches of flowers at the end of the day. Appealing to a businessman on his way home, the vendor said, "How about a nice bunch of roses to surprise your wife?" "Haven't got a wife," responded the businessman gruffly. "Then how about some carnations for your girlfriend?" proposed the vendor without missing a beat. "Haven't got a girlfriend." "You lucky guy!" The vendor broke into a big smile. "Why not buy both bunches and celebrate!"

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery