TO LONDON'S VICTORIA HOSPITAL AND BACK ON A WARM SPRING MORNING

 I THINK THAT MAMA GOOSE HAS A NEST NEARBY IN THESE TANGLES ROOTS SOMEWHERE

It was an early start for the Bayfield Bunch this morning with Kelly having a 9 a.m. Plasmapheresis appointment at London's Victoria Hospital in the south end of the city.  It is her second of six treatments.  We rolled out of our driveway at 7:30 with our destination of 58 miles being reached an hour and twenty minutes later.  A beautiful Saturday morning drive with very light traffic all the way there and all the way back.  Less than five minutes after dropping Kelly off at Victoria Hospital's North 'B' entrance Pheebs and I had our paws and boots on a trail at the nearby wildlife area behind Parkwood Hospital. 

 A NICE EASY DRIVE TO LONDON AND BACK TODAY

With a thin cloud cover, it was a touch cool but I had brought a jacket and the coolness soon warmed up.  Not many people on the trails for a Saturday morning and that of course was quite alright with me.  This area we were walking in has a history.  With a few buildings still remaining it was first established in 1920 after the Great War to treat homecoming soldiers with mental and nervous disorders.  This location also served as a military hospital following World War Two as well.  Here is a link to the history of this old military location.  Western Counties Veterans Lodge.  Cudos to the city of London for retaining this beautiful large piece of rural property and keeping it out of the hands of land developers.  A true oasis in a sea of housing developments, noisy roadways, and shopping malls. 

THIS IS WHERE PHEEBS AND I PARKED THIS MORNING WITH ONE OF THE OLD BOARDED UP-BUILDINGS IN THE BACKGROUND

 JUST THINK OF THE SAD AND TRAGIC STORIES THESE OLD WALLS COULD TELL

 ANOTHER OF SEVERAL OLD BUILDINGS STILL STANDING

 WE CAME ACROSS THE FOUNDATIONS OF SEVERAL OTHER BUILDINGS

 THE STONE FIREPLACES ARE STILL INTACT IN THESE RUINS

It was a nice leisurely walk this morning for Pheebs and I as we ambled along a few hardened muddy trails following along the north edge of Walker's Pond in an area also known as Westminster Ponds.  Constantly in the background was the low din of London's nearby traffic which surrounds this wildlife sanctuary.  It wasn't loud enough to be annoying though.  However, with two major hospitals within half a mile, it was not uncommon to hear the wailing sirens of ambulances racing to the hospitals.  

PHEEBS AND I HEAD WEST ON THE NORTH SIDE OF WALKERS POND

 HERE I AM WITH MY BEST PAL PHEEBS AND MY NEWEST BEST FRIEND MR, CANE

I THINK THIS LITTLE FELLOW IS TRYING TO HIDE ON US

 PEEK-A-BOO WE SEE YOU

 WE ARE FOLLOWING A YELLOW-MARKED TRAIL

 WOODEN BRIDGE OVER A SWAMPY AREA

Walkers Pond is also thought of as a small lake and I could see ducks and geese on the water.  Although this pond was once stocked with fish I didn't see any anglers around and maybe that is because of all the old dead toppled trees and brambles in the area along the shoreline where we walked.

 WALKER'S POND

 THERE SURE WERE SOME BIG TREES HERE AT ONE TIME

NOT VERY ACCESSIBLE FOR FISHING FROM THE SHORE

Pheebs and I walked west along the trail until we came to a spot I recognized from our walk a few days ago.  We turned around there and retraced our steps back to the Subaru.  We had been walking for forty minutes and by the time we got to the car the sun was out full tilt.  I had to quickly discard my jacket.  With windows down and the moonroof open Pheebs and I sat in the car for maybe half an hour.  Me reading and Pheebs snoozing.  My cell phone rang at about 9:45 with a nurse saying Kelly was ready to go and would be waiting at the entranceway.  Minutes later, Pheebs and I were there and picked her up.  Our first stop was at a Subway shop on Adelaide Street for a couple take-out subs.  Minutes later at a different location, we picked up a couple Tim Hortons coffee and quickly blew ourselves right out of the north end of London into the relaxing peaceful countryside.  An hour later we were home.  Kelly was feeling very weak and tired and slightly nauseous by the time she exited the car and headed into the house.  Luckily, the nausea went away and she crashed in her recliner for most of the rest of the day.  And, to add to Kelly's problems, she had a filling fall out of a tooth this morning.  That's going to be another Dentist appointment for her with that one being in Exeter Ontario.  Oh, and somewhere in all this we have to make an appointment for Pheebs at the Groomers in Clinton.  

 THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SMALLER PONDS IS THIS AREA AS WELL

 I DON'T NORMALLY SIT DOWN AT REST AREAS BUT I DID TODAY TO GIVE MY LEG A REST...WELL THAT LASTED FOR ABOUT TEN SECONDS AND I WAS ON MY WAY AGAIN

 NO NOT A GATOR...JUST AN OLD LOG FULL OF CURIOUS HOLES

 WE MADE IT BACK TO THE CAR

 IN THIS SHOT STRAIGHT UP THROUGH OUR MOONROOF YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE TWO NOSES:))

I spent the next hour cleaning the interior of the Subaru.  It had been in desperate need of vacuuming so I got that done as well as doing a general cleanup.  It's amazing the mess two people and a dog can make in a vehicle in such a short period of time.  Well, I guess eating messy sauce-dripping subs doesn't help much I thought as I picked a piece of gooey lettuce off the steering wheel, wiped a small dollop of mayonnaise off the gearshift, fished out a stretch of onions between the seats, some green peppers on the floor as well as some sticky honey mustard sauce not only on the seat but on my shirt as well.  Finally getting all that cleaned up it was thankfully my turn to head inside and crash into my own recliner in front of a fan.  The past couple of beautiful days have been a tad too hot for me but with temps dropping back down into the forties for most of next week I'll soon be missing these hot couple of days.  Tomorrow our calendar is clear but come Monday we will be off and running again starting with a morning appointment for me at the Maitland Valley Medical Center about this annoyingly sore leg of mine.  Luckily, it didn't give me too much grief on our leisurely walk this morning.........

Ellen's Groove:))  In this video, Wrath Of The Rising King you can easily see why Ellen is a natural musician.  The music just bubbles right out of her.    

MY SIDE SHOT SELFIE WHILE SPENDING MY TEN SECONDS SITTING ON THE BENCH

 AND WHILE PHEEBS AND I WERE OUT ENJOYING OUR WALK HERE WAS POOR KELLY IN THE HOSPITAL HOLDING UP TWO FINGERS TO SHOW THAT THIS IS THE SECOND OF HER SIX TREATMENTS...SHE SAID IT WAS PAINFUL TODAY

Al's Music Box:))  Spirit In The Sky by Dr. and the Medics from the album 'Laughing At The Pieces'.  1986  Ya might want to crank up your stereo because you can really rattle your upstairs windows with the heavy bass line in this one:))

 I TRY TO DISSUADE PHEEBS FROM DRINKING OUT OF CREEKS, PONDS, AND RIVERS BUT SHE BEAT ME TO IT HERE

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Person asked a young Engineer fresh out of MIT, "And what starting salary were you looking for?"  The Engineer said, "In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package."  The interviewer said, "Well, what would you say to a package of 5 weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, a company matching retirement fund for 50% of your salary, and a company car leased every 2 years -- say, a red Corvette?"  The Engineer sat up straight and said, "Wow! Are you kidding?"  And the interviewer replied, "Yeah, but you started it."

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Do you have delusions of obesity? If so, you might be a hippochondriac.

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