OUR FRONT YARD WINTER BIRD TRAFFIC IS BEGINNING TO RAMP UP

THE DARK-EYED JUNCOS ARE BACK FOR ANOTHER WINTER

It was a bitingly cold north wind that thwarted our country road walk plans.  Arriving at our spot this morning, I stepped out of the Jeep under overcast skies and then quickly stepped right back in again.  I had neglected to factor in the wind chill and not thought to dress warmer for that.  I guess my mind was off thinking about other things again.

 IF FARMER'S DON'T HARVEST THEIR CORN SOON THEY MIGHT NEED A SNOWPLOW ON THE COMBINE

 A MEETING OF THE RUMPS

In Saturday's post, I had a number of Autumn photos I had taken as I drove around the perimeter of Bayfield's Clan Gregor Square.  Below is an aerial view of Bayfield including the Square.  The east looking photo was taken on October 18th by Papple Aviation.  

 CLAN GREAGOR SQUARE IS CENTER, BAYFIELD'S MAIN STREET BOTTOM LEFT, BAYFIELD'S FIRE HALL BOTTOM RIGHT...ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE SQUARE HIGHWAY 21 RUNS THROUGH THE PHOTO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT...THE BAYFIELD CEMETERY IS  AT THE TOP RIGHT JUST BEYOND AND TO THE LEFT OF THE WATER TOWER, AND OUR PARK IS A SHORT DISTANCE OUT OF THE PHOTO AT THE TOP LEFT CORNER WHERE THE BAYFIELD RIVER IS VISIBLE 

Back from their northern summer habitat, I noticed today that the Dark-eyed Juncos have returned to our front yard birdfeeders for the Winter.  With today's colder air, feathered traffic really picked up this afternoon. Cardinals, Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Juncos, Black-Capped Chicadees, Rose Breasted Nuthatches, and three different kinds of Woodpeckers.  I almost had to go out into the yard and act as an air traffic controller to direct all the incoming and outgoing flights.  I can already see that we will go through another whole train car load of birdseed this Winter.  But, I love sitting here at the computer or in my recliner and looking out to all my little Pals happily chowing down and enjoying themselves.  And, after a summer's absence, I think those pesky Squirrels are beginning to gather as well.  I don't mind feeding the little Critters if they would only know enough to keep their little mugs out of the birdfeeders!!  Well, that ain't a-gonna never happen:((

 RED BELLIED WOODPECKER

 BLUE JAY

 FEMALE CARDINAL

 BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE

 MOURNING DOVE

JUNCO

And to think that here we are beginning the last week of October already.  The only good thing about that is that in one month from now we'll be into the last week of November and one month closer to Spring.  I said to Kelly today that if we get through all this upcoming medical stuff and somehow come out the other side in some semblance of reasonable health we gotta somehow figure out how to get ourselves out of this wretched cold damp and freezing unhealthy winter climate and somehow make our way south to warmer dry temperatures.....................   

Al's Music Box:)) Sleepwalk by Santo and Johnny from their 1959 album, 'Santo and Johnny'.  As children, both Santo and Johnny Farina were encouraged by their father, Tony, to learn the steel guitar and write their own music. This music would be recorded on a Webcore Tape Recorder their father had bought for them. Unable to fall asleep one night after a gig, the Farina brothers decided to write some music, using the tape recorder to first record the harmonies to what would become "Sleep Walk".  After adding and finalizing the steel guitar melody, Johnny Farina believed they had a hit song, so he spent a year and a half talking with various music publishers about the possibility of professionally recording "Sleep Walk".

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Did you hear about the jailed dude who was found in his cell with half a dozen bumps on his head? He tried to hang himself with a bungee cord.

- Hear about the dude who wanted to be an explorer? He bought a piece of sandpaper thinking it was a map of the Sahara Desert.

Two children ordered their mother to stay in bed one Mother's Day morning. As she lay there looking forward to breakfast in bed, the smell of bacon floated up from the kitchen.  But after a good long wait, she finally went downstairs to investigate. She found them both sitting at the table eating bacon and eggs.  "As a surprise for Mother's Day," one explained, "we decided to cook our own breakfast."
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