IT'S NICE TO HAVE MY SHATTERED NERVOUS BACK IN PLACE AGAIN

 ALONGSIDE MY WALKING ROAD THIS MORNING

Sunday:: It was a lovely summer's eve for a walk in the countryside.  Following that, I picked up a coffee to go and took a slow drive around Clinton before heading back out into the countryside.  On my way to my night spot, I slowly drove up the long winding lane leading to the Huron Hospice house.  I sat in the dimly lit parking lot out front thinking of Kelly and all the wonderful memories of our thirty-two years together.  Especially our seven years at the old rustic farmhouse near Fullarton Ontario, and later, our thirteen RVing years and winter travels to the American Southwest.  So many memories from what now seems so long ago.  From Huron Hospice to my night sky spot is only a little over a mile as the crow flies and I later sat there for a long time with my music and my thoughts.

HEADING TO MY WALKING ROAD SUNDAY NIGHT I PASSED THIS RECENTLY HARVESTED WHEAT FIELD

 CORN STOCKS ARE TOWERING AT 6 AND 7 FEET NOW WITH THEIR TASSLES BEGINNING TO FORM

 I STARTED MY WALK JUST AS THE SUN WAS SINKING INTO THE HORIZON

 DROVE BY CLINTON'S TWO LARGE BASEBALL DIAMONDS WHICH ARE INSIDE A LARGE OVAL HORSE RACING TRACK AT THE CLINTON RACEWAY....AND THAT'S THE HALF MOON YOU SEE UP THERE

 I BELIEVE THE GAME THEY ARE PLAYING IS CALLED 'SLOW PITCH'

AND, WOULD YOU BELIEVE.....CLINTON HAS ITS VERY OWN CASINO

 SUNDAY NIGHT'S MOON

Monday:: The morning dawned with sunshine flooding through the living room window.  A new day, a new week.  Perhaps a new perspective, perhaps not.  Regardless, I had to head for Goderich and do battle again with my bank.  Friday morning, due to a crack in my debit card, I had to stop in to the bank and get a new one.  No problem, well not until I got home and tried to access my bank account.  No go!!  I called the number on the back of my card for assistance, but the lady on the other end with a heavy french accent was unable to help me because I had a problem understanding her.  Frustrated, I hung up and back to the bank in Goderich I went.  Some readers may remember the hard time I had last summer trying to access my banking site that resulted in a weeks long merry-go-round of frustration.  I still get upset thinking about that agonizing debacle.  Anyway, before heading to the bank in Goderich this morning, I called the number on the back of my card one more time and got a lady who had me going into my computer, deleting stuff, and wanting me to download a different browser.  Anyway, nothing worked, so off to the Goderich bank I went.  The lady at the counter tried her best to help me, but she said she could only do so much and I would have to finish the process on my computer at home.  So, home I went. Of course, when I got home and tried to finish up what the bank lady told me to do.....it was all for nothing and I was totally upside down again.  Flusteration I calls it!!  Finally, I phoned my financial advisor guy at the bank and made an appointment for Tuesday afternoon for him to help me with this.  He's the fellow who solved the same problem for me last year, and I think it took him all of about one minute to do that. He did try to help me over the phone, but of course I couldn't comprehend what he was telling me to do.  For him, it probably was like trying to tell a brick wall to go jog around the block three times.  Physical work and related challenges I can usually handle and get through okay, but this brainy tech stuff nowadays just destroys me instantly. I unfortunately let this thing ruin the rest of my day. It's rare for me to have a headache, but I sure had a doozer Monday.

 IT'S THE SUMAC TREES THAT GIVE THE FRONT YARD A TROPICAL LOOK

 DAY LILIES GROW THICK ALONG THE EDGE OF THE FROG POND

Tuesday:: It was a hard rain on the steel roof that woke me up sometime in the night, but that was okay because we very much needed that rain.  Many of the outside ferns had already wilted and died from lack of water.  The day dawned cloudy at 71F with a brisk southwesterly wind blowing, but that was okay, because it helped me deal with the 96% humidity and made my morning walk doable.

IT WAS A BRISK SULTRY BREEZE BLOWING  ACROSS MY WALKING ROAD THIS MORNING

 I THINK THIS WHEAT FIELD IS IN ITS FINAL DAYS BEFORE HARVEST

 THESE TURBULENT-LOOKING CLOUDS LATER LED TO THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON

 YES INDEED, IT SURE WAS WINDY THIS MORNING

With my afternoon bank appointment for 3 p.m. I headed off to Goderich on the early side to pick up a few things at Walmart.  Arriving at my bank, it took my financial advisor guy about a minute, using my phone, to gain me access to my bank account again.  Can you spell R.E.L.I.E.F.  It's nice to have my shattered nerves back in place again.

 

 IT WAS A RAIN-SOAKED DRIVE TO GODERICH THIS AFTERNOON

Al's Music Box::  Memphis by Johnny Rivers.

 FLOWERS IN DOWNTOWN GODERICH IN FRONT OF MY BANK THIS AFTERNOON

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The topic of a seventh-grade science class was Dolly, the sheep cloned in Scotland several years back. The teacher discussed how scientists removed the nucleus from the sheep egg cell and replaced it with the nucleus from the parent cell. The students were fascinated, one in particular. "This is amazing," he said. "I had no idea sheep laid eggs."

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Q: How did the little Moron break his arm?
A: He fell out of a tree while he was raking leaves.

- Sometimes I wake up grumpy…
But other times I let him sleep in!

- If someone with multiple personalities threatens to commit suicide, is that considered a hostage crisis?

- Bruce Lee had a vegan brother. Broco Lee.

- I have been teaching my dog to fetch tools from my workshop…He's not perfect, but he knows the drill!
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When I turned 18, I went down to the courthouse to petition to change my name.
The clerk asked me why. "Just look at my application," I said. "If you were named Oskar Von Wootengootenbootenshoot, wouldn't you want something different?"
The clerk said, "I suppose you've got a point." I said, "Yeah, I don't like Oskar, either."
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While sports fishing off the Florida coast, a tourist capsized his boat. He could swim, but his fear of alligators kept him clinging to the overturned craft. Spotting an old beachcomber standing on the shore, the tourist shouted, "are there any gators around here?!" "Naw," the man hollered back, "Ain't been any for years!" Feeling safe, the tourist started swimming toward the shore. About halfway there, he shouted to the guy again, "How'd you get rid of the gators?" "We didn't do nothin'," the beachcomber said. "The sharks got 'em."

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery

A MIGHTY FINE WAY TO END THE WEEK I'D SAY

 A FEW MORE PHOTOS AROUND THE FRONT YARD TODAY

With Saturday's high wind gusts ripping through the Park, I do remember hearing a slight crackling sound outside somewhere.  I later saw a branch in the Redbud tree hanging low to the ground.  Oh-oh, a busted limb.  So, skipping my morning walk, I got my tall ladder out and with saw and shears in hand, proceeded to get that branch down before the day heated up.  It was 59F when I got up this morning around 8, and that was great for me to be outside dealing with this problem.  Half an hour later, I had the branch down and loaded into the utility trailer.  Cleaned up the twigs and leaves and hauled the load down to the Park's recycling area.  For me, a successful accomplishment is always a nice way to start the day.

 A BROKEN REDBUD TREE BRANCH

 ALL LOADED UP IN THE UTILITY TRAILER AND OFF I GO

 THE TWO FROGGY BUDDIES WERE BACK ON THEIR FAVORITE ROCK AGAIN TODAY

 THERE ARE THREE FROGS IN THIS PHOTO

Spent some relaxing time on the front porch with my camera in hand this afternoon, and that is pretty much where tonight's blog photos came from.

A CROW ON THE BIRD STATION ROOF

 ANOTHER CROW SAT FOR THE LONGEST TIME ON A DEAD BRANCH NOT TOO FAR IN FRONT OF ME....IT WAS QUITE A CHAT WE HAD

 WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS LITTLE CHAP WALKING ALONG THE STONES AT THE EDGE OF THE FROG POND, I THOUGHT IT WAS A CHIPMUNK, BUT NO IT WASN'T.....

 IT WAS A LITTLE RED SQUIRREL OUT FOR A SUNDAY AFTERNOON STROLL

With clear sunny skies today, it is with certainty that I will be out for an evening walk, a pleasant, slow cruise through the rural countryside, and a stop at my spot on Tower Line Road to have a look at the night sky.  A mighty fine way to end the week, I'd say:))  

 A FEW MORE HOSTA BLOOMS

Al's Music Box:: Lonesome Town by Rick Nelson.

I THINK THIS BLACK SQUIRREL HAS BEEN ROOTING AROUND IN THE FLOWERBEDS CEDAR MULCH

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A dietitian was once addressing a large audience in Chicago: "The material we put into our stomachs is enough to have killed most of us sitting here, years ago. Red meat is awful. Soft drinks erode your stomach lining. Chinese food is loaded with MSG. Vegetables can be disastrous, and none of us realizes the long-term harm caused by the germs in our drinking water. "But there is one thing that is the most dangerous of all and we all have eaten or will eat it. Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?" A 75-year-old man in the front row stood up and said, "Wedding cake."

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A Manager of a retail clothing store is reviewing a potential employee’s application and notices that the man has never worked in retail before. He says to the man, “For a man with no experience, you are certainly asking for a high wage.” “Well Sir,” the applicant replies, “the work is so much harder when you don’t know what you’re doing!"

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Mary Clancy goes up to Father McGuire after his Sunday morning service, and she's in tears. He says, "So what's bothering you, Mary, my dear?" She says, "Oh, Father, I've got terrible news. My husband passed away last night." The priest says, "Oh, Mary, that's terrible. Tell me, Mary, did he have any last requests?" She says, "That he did, Father."
The priest says, "What did he ask, Mary? "
She says, "He said, 'Please, Mary, put down that damn gun.' "

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Ten Reasons Why God Created Eve...

10. God worried that Adam would always be lost in the garden because he knew men would never ask directions.

9. God knew that Adam would one day need someone to hand him the TV remote because men don't want to see what's on television, they want to see WHAT ELSE is on television.

8. God knew that Adam would never buy a new fig leaf when the seat wore out and therefore would need Eve to get one for him.

7. God knew that Adam would never make a doctors appointment for himself.

6. God knew that Adam would never remember which night was garbage night.

5. God knew that if the world was to be populated there would have to be someone to bear children, because men would never be able to handle it.

4. As 'Keeper of the Garden' Adam would never remember where he put his tools.

3. The scripture account of creation indicates that Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when God caught him hiding in the garden.

2. As the Bible says, 'It is not good for man to be alone.' He only ends up getting himself in trouble.

AND the #1 REASON WHY GOD CREATED EVE is ...

When God had finished the creation of Adam, He stepped back, scratched his head and said, 'I KNOW I can do better than THIS!!'

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery