STANDING THERE ON THAT GRAVEL ROAD

Why I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and stayed awake I don't know but it was the start of a long day because of it.  Imagine our surprise this morning when Kelly opened the living room window curtains to bright skies and no rain.  That was not what we had expected.  Pheebs and I did get out for a country road walk but it was only half of our half mile due to my hip bothering me.  Despite that, I marveled at the beautiful morning going on around us. Loafing along overhead under a deep blue sky were large white and gray puffy clouds.  Enthralled by nature's beauty unfolding in front of me I spotted something about twenty-five degrees above the horizon in the western sky that brought a warm knowing smile to my face.  It was my old long-time friend, Mr. Moon.  I gave him a wave and I think he returned a wink.  Standing there on that gravel road, I watched how the morning sunshine brought out the colors of a distant bush line.  Knowing that these nice weather morning walks would soon be at an end until next Spring, I took in all I could........while I could.  

 AS IT TURNS OUT, THERE WAS SNOW IN THOSE CLOUDS

 Here's my annual Halloween night memory about the night we moved here to our present digs....... Halloween night 21 years ago was cold & pouring rain.  I remember that specific night because it was the night we drove out of the old farmhouse lane near Fullarton Ontario for the very last time.  Kelly had gone on ahead of me in her little 323 Mazda loaded with last-minute household things.   I wasn't too far behind her with our 97 Dodge Ram pick-up truck loaded to overflowing with the very last of our possessions.  Just enough room in the cab for Max & I.  It would be another couple of years before we met Checkers & the Motormouse.  So, with windshield wipers slapping time in the darkened night & the truck heater keeping Max & I warm & toasty, we made the 40-minute drive to our new beginnings.  It was the night we moved from the cold & drafty old rented farmhouse we had lived in for 8 years to our newer home here in Bayfield Ontario.   It was Halloween night & despite a nasty 'trick' the weather was playing on us, it was a real 'treat' to be moving into our very own warm & very cozy little place. 

 THOSE WHITE FLECKS YOU SEE ON PHEEBS ARE SNOWFLAKES

 THIS IS OUR FIRST OFFICIAL SNOW OF THE 23/24 SEASON:((

 OUR BACK DECK

Al's Music Box:)) The Monster Mash was a 1962 song by Bobby (Boris) Pickett.  (Now you really didn't think I was going to let this one slide by on Halloween night did ya!!)  Pickett was an aspiring actor who sang with a band called the Cordials at night while going to auditions during the day. One night, while performing with his band, Pickett did a monologue in imitation of horror movie actor Boris Karloff while performing the Diamonds "Little Darlin". The audience loved it, and fellow band member Lenny Capizzi encouraged Pickett to do more with the Karloff imitation.  Pickett and Capizzi composed "Monster Mash" and recorded it with Gary S. Paxton, pianist Leon Russell, Johnny MacRae, Rickie Page, and Terry Berg, credited as "The Crypt-Kickers". Mel Taylor, drummer for the Ventures, is sometimes credited playing on the record as well, while Russell, who arrived late for the session, appears on the single's B-side, "Monster Mash Party".

A FLIGHT OF SANDHILL CRANES HEADING SOUTH LATE THIS MORNING

GROANERS CORNER:((  A customer at Green's Gourmet Grocery marveled at the proprietor's quick wit and intelligence.  "Tell me, Green, what makes you so smart?"  "I wouldn't share my secret with just anyone," Green replies, lowering his voice so the other shoppers won't hear. "But since you're a good and faithful customer, I'll let you in on it. Fish heads. You eat enough of them, you will be positively brilliant."  "You sell them here?" the customer asks.  "Only $4 apiece," says Green.  The customer buys three. A week later, he's back in the store complaining that the fish heads were disgusting and he isn't any smarter.  "You didn't eat enough, " says Green. The customer goes home with 20 more fish heads. Two weeks later, he's back and this time he's really angry.  "Hey, Green," he says, "You're selling me fish heads for $4 apiece when I can buy the whole fish for $2. You're ripping me off!"  "You see?" says Green. "You're getting smarter already!"

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What’s in a ghost’s nose?  Boo-gers.

What do ghosts wear when their eyesight gets blurry?  Spooktacles.

Why do female ghosts go on a diet?  So they can keep their ghoulish figure.

Where does a ghost go on vacation?  Mali-boo.

Why do demons and ghouls hang out together?  Because demons are a ghoul’s best friend!

What do you get when you put a spider on an ear of corn?  A cobweb.

What do you call a spider with 20 eyes?  A spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiider.

What kind of monster loves to boogy?  The boogieman.

Why didn’t the scarecrow eat dinner?  He was already stuffed.

What do you call a fat pumpkin?  A plumpkin.

How do you fix a broken jack-o’-lantern?  With a pumpkin patch.

Okay, Okay, that's enough of that for another Halloween:))

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