SOMETIMES, I JUST NEED TIME AWAY FROM THINGS

 IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THIS IS EARLY FEBRUARY

Thanks to readers for once again being patient as I stumbled through the past three days.  Long-time readers will have recognized my predictable pattern knowing I would soon get myself sorted out and re-started.  But, it wasn't an easy re-start this time and I had to push myself this morning to begin today's post which I started as I often do with 'Al's Music Box'.  No matter what, I never lose my interest in music.  It's my magic elixir and fixer of many things.

 FOREST SUNSHINE EVERYWHERE

Okay, let's start with a quick recap of the last three days.  Many of this posts photos were taken this past Monday when Pheebs and I, on a glorious sunny morning cruised through the countryside southeast of Bayfield.  With clear blue skies overhead and our front windows down it was like a dark veil had been lifted from around me as I marveled at the rejuvenating Springlike day going on all around us. I just couldn't believe how much better I felt.  At the Lindner Conservation area on Pavilion Road, we stopped for a refreshing walk.  It felt great to get my legs moving again.  On our way home we even stopped in Bayfield and I washed the Jeep. 

 MONDAY MORNING IT WAS ALL ABOUT BIG BLUE SKIES AND QUIET COUNTRY ROADS

 IT WAS A GREAT MORNING FOR HAVING OUR WINDOWS DOWN AND SOAKING UP THE SUNSHINE AND FRESH AIR

 THESE PAST FEW DAYS HAVE BEEN A WONDERFUL PRELUDE TO REAL SPRING DAYS  IN ANOTHER COUPLE MONTHS

 WALKING IN THE SHADOWS OF MORNINGS SUNLIGHT

 STILL SNOW ALONG THIS WOODLAND TRAIL

 SO NICE TO BE WALKING ON FIRM GROUND AGAIN

 MORNING'S VAPOR TRAILS FROM HIGH FLYING JET AIRLINERS

 I STOOD HERE FOR THE LONGEST TIME LOOKING ACROSS THIS FIELD AT THE BIG BLUE SKY AND THE DISTANT OUTLINE OF LAKE HURON'S SHORELINE ON THE HORIZON TO THE LEFT

Home again I was able to spend some enjoyable and much needed time outside puttering around doing some early yard work.  Wednesday was a partially overcast slow day and I had little enthusiasm for doing much of anything except reading.  And then, before I knew it, today was here, and by golly I knew I had a good morning coming up.

 OUR MUSHROOM CROP SEEMS TO BE GROWING WELL ALONG MY LITTLE FAIRY'S PATH BY OUR HOUSE

 WE EVEN SAW THE SHADOW COWBOY THIS AFTERNOON

 AND, IT WAS AMAZING HOW FAST HE TURNED HIMSELF INTO A MARTIAN

It was Richard's turn to drive on this mostly sunny Thursday morning and I had been looking forward to our travels.  On bare and dry roads Richard headed for Goderich where we snagged our coffee and muffins.  From there we were northbound out of Goderich on highway #21 following the coastline to Port Albert a mere 10 miles away  Nice to see some different scenery for a change.  I do have a bit of a bad habit of traveling the same old roads and seeing the same old stuff these days.  Back through Goderich we came and Richard dropped me off at home around 11:45..  I always feel better after any one of our semi-monthly Thursday morning country excursions and today was no exception.  Thanks to Richard my interest in my blog was again re-ignited and here I am.

 AN ORANGE SUNRISE THROUGH OUR PINE TREES THIS MORNING

 MY CHAUFFEUR HAS ARRIVED

 CANADA GEESE AND FISHERMEN AT PORT ALBERT THIS MORNING

It was so nice outside for the first half of this afternoon that I had my leaf blower going as well as my lawn rake cleaning up Winter's debris in our driveway.  How great it felt to be outside in the sunshine doing something.  Pheebs and I did manage a walk around the Park's pond and beyond.  Had my hip not started barking at me we would have gone farther.  But, it is what it is right now and hopefully soon to change.

 A NICE AFTERNOON FOR A WALK AROUND THE PARK'S POND WHICH STILL HAS ICE ON IT

 IF YOU LOOK CLOSE YOU CAN SEE THE SHADOW COWBOY

 A DOGWOOD TREE AT THE POND'S EDGE

 ICE BUBBLES

 I SEE AN OLD LOBSTER TOAD CRAWLING UP OUT OF THE ICE ON THE RIGHT

 AT THE POND'S SOUTH END IS A BABBLING BROOK

 PHEEBS LOVES HER WALKS

Last Tuesday, I had actually made a start on a blog but never finished it.  Here then is what I had started........In Saturday's comment section blog reader Suzi said, "I love your 'blast from the past posts'.  Thanks for taking us back to fun days in the desert".  Encouraged by Suzi's words and knowing I have a few readers who enjoy those desert jaunts of ours I have decided to try and include more of them.  I've taken Suzi's words and will at times include a new blog feature called, 'Blast From The Past'.  So, here goes.....Blast From The Past...February 5th, 2010 found us still boondocked in the shadows of the Kofa Mountains in Arizona.  On this day we made our first hike into Palm Canyon.  The beauty of this land just never stops and there are new adventures around every corner sometimes it seems.  A Little Magic In The Kofa Mountains.  The day after this we set out on a bit of a different quest.  We went 'people hunting'.  Now that was a definite change for us and it was the first time we met Mike and Jim.  Today We Met Mike And Jim But Not Janna And Ellie  (remember to click on the smaller photos to enlarge them) We are still in touch with Janna and Mike and have visited back and forth with them a number of times over the years.  You can find Janna and Mike here at Restoration Cowboy Style.  I think easy-going Mike has got to be one of my favorite guys.

 IN THIS PHOTO OF KELLY AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT IS DWARFED BY THE JAGGED KOFA MOUNTAIN RANGE

Thanks again to readers for being patient with me.  If something drastic had (or would ever happen) I would for sure let you know, but sometimes I just have to push myself away from things, be by myself, and go for a long walk in a quiet forest.  Sometimes that is a physical walk and sometimes it is a mental walk and when they both come together, that is the healing time.  And too, it depends on the availability of the imaginary or real forest and where and when I find it and choose to walk there.                 

 THESE HAVE BEEN GREAT DAYS FOR WANDERING ALONG THE GRAVELY BACKROADS

 PHEEBS AND SOAKING UP MONDAY MORNING'S SUNSHINE AT THE LINDNER CONSERVATION AREA

Al's Music Box:)) The Long And Winding Road is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon-McCartney. Paul McCartney said he came up with the title "The Long and Winding Road" during one of his first visits to his property High Park Farm, near Campbeltown in Scotland, which he purchased in June 1966. The phrase was inspired by the sight of a road "stretching up into the hills" in the remote Highlands surroundings of lochs and distant mountains. He wrote the song at his farm in 1968, inspired by the growing tension among the Beatles. Based on other comments McCartney has made, author Howard Sounes writes, the lyrics can be seen as McCartney expressing his anguish at the direction of his personal life, as well as a nostalgic look back at the Beatles' history. McCartney recalled: "I just sat down at my piano in Scotland, started playing, and came up with that song, imagining it was going to be done by someone like Ray Charles. I have always found inspiration in the calm beauty of Scotland and again it proved the place where I found inspiration.  "In an interview in 1994, McCartney said of "The Long and Winding Road": "It's rather a sad song. I like writing sad songs, it's a good bag to get into because you can actually acknowledge some deeper feelings of your own and put them in it. It's a good vehicle, it saves having to go to a psychiatrist." He also told his biographer Barry Miles in the 1990s that the song was "all about the unattainable; the door you never quite reach ... the road that you never get to the end of".

 I LOVE SEEING THE COLOREEN AT THIS TIME OF YEAR

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man was on the very top diving board of a swimming pool.  He was poised, he lifted his arms, and was about to dive in when the attendant came running up, shouting, “Don’t dive, there’s no water in that pool!”  “That’s all right!” said the man. “I can’t swim anyway!!”

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Gladys was the preacher's wife and accompanied her husband each Sunday to church. One particular Sunday when the sermon seemed to go on forever, many in the congregation fell asleep. After the service, to be sociable, she walked up to a very sleepy-looking gentleman. In an attempt to revive him from his stupor, she extended her hand in greeting, and said, "Hello, I'm Gladys Dunn." To which the gentleman replied, "You're not the only one!"

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A wealthy man died and went to heaven. He was met at the Pearly Gates by Saint Peter who led him down the streets of gold. They passed mansion after mansion until they came to the very end of the street. Saint Peter stopped the rich man in front of a little shack.“This belongs to you,” said Saint Peter.“Why do I get this ugly thing when there are so many mansions I could live in?” the man demanded.“We did the best we could with the money you sent us!” Saint Peter replied.

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