DAY AFTER DAY, HOUR AFTER HOUR, AND MINUTE BY MINUTE

Another gray November day but at least it wasn't raining hard or snowing and the 49F temperature was at least doable.  I can almost count the number of leaves left on our Redbud tree outside the east-facing livingroom window.  Winter is right around the corner and steadily bearing down on us.  I think I will just tip back in my recliner, pull a blanket over my head, wait for Spring, and in the words of Eddie Arnold, Make The World Go Away  Well, after I finish the blog that is.......

It was off to Goderich Pheebs and I went this morning.  Kind of an intermittent drizzle but not enough to keep Pheebs window up.  She was a happy little camper with her nose out the window and the wind rushing by flapping her ears around.  I can tell she likes when that happens.  Nothing new in our usual coffee-harbor-gas-Walmart routine and it wasn't long before we were on our way home again.

 FLYING HER EARS IN THE WIND

 A LARGE SHIP IN THE PORT OF GODERICH THIS MORNING

 THE SHIP'S NAME IS MUSALA AND HAVING BEEN BUILT JUST LAST YEAR THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN IT

 THE DECK BOSS IN THE WHITE HELMET IS SAYING TO THE CREW, 'HEY GUYS I CAUGHT A FISH THIS BIG IN THE HARBOR AN HOUR AGO, DOES ANYBODY WANT TO MAKE A PET OUT OF IT'??

 THEY ALL TURNED THEIR BACKS ON THE DECK BOSS SO I GUESS NOBODY'S INTERESTED EXCEPT THAT HELMETLESS GUY DRIVING A LOADER WHO HOLLERED OVER, 'HEY WAIT A MINUTE I'LL TAKE IT' 

Looking ahead at the 14-day weather forecast I see no reason for panic yet when it comes to turning off our outside water and draining the hoses, etc.  When that time does come it won't take me long to do it.

 HEADING OUT TO ROTARY COVE IN A BIT OF A DRIZZLE

 A FEW GULLS WERE HAVING A GREAT TIME PLAYING IN THE WIND

 ABOUT TO TAKE OFF

 THERE HE GOES

Last night (Sunday) I hauled the TV out of our spare room and set it up in the sunroom again.  I watched my one-hour show, 'Skinwalker Ranch', then unplugged the TV and carried it back to the spare room.  This is my 6th day without checking news channels and I must say that I am way better off for it.  Partially, because of news channels, I'm still irritable but I'm hoping with time that irritation will dwindle and greatly diminish.  I don't know what's going on in the world right now and I'm trying not to care anymore.  As I've said before, I've had enough of the madness.  It's difficult for a sort of news junkie like myself but I'm at a point now where for my own peace of mind I cannot and will not ingest the daily chaos any longer.  I have done this before and 'slipped' back but I am working hard with myself right now to put this 'news junkie' side of me to rest once and for all.  I may wear out my eyes reading books but I figure it's better than wearing out my brain by subjecting it to seeing people and countries tear each other apart day after day, hour after hour, and minute by minute................... 

 SEEN IN GODERICH....THIS LITTLE FELLOW OBLIVIOUSLY TALKED HIS MOM AND DAD INTO TAKING HIM FOR A SPIN IN HIS LITTLE BLUE ROADSTER

 HEADING HOME WITH HER WINDOW DOWN

Al's Music Box:(( Everything I Own by David Gates and Bread.  After the first song, this video will go on to play more David Gates songs.  'Aubrey Was Her Name', etc. including 'If'.  I like all the songs except for 'Friends and Lovers' not so much.  All songs show lyrics. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Gates was surrounded by music from infancy, as the son of Clarence Gates, a band director, and Wanda Rollins, a piano teacher. He became proficient in piano, violin, bass and guitar by the time he enrolled in Tulsa's Will Rogers High School. Gates formed his first band, The Accents, with other high school musicians which included a piano player, Claude Russell Bridges, who later in life changed his name to Leon Russell.  During a concert in 1957, the Accents backed Chuck Berry.  In 1957, David Gates and the Accents released the 45 "Jo-Baby" / "Lovin' at Night" on Robbins record label. The A-side was written for his sweetheart, Jo Rita, whom he married in 1959 while enrolled at the University of Oklahoma studying law and pre-med.  In 1961, he and his family moved to Los Angeles, where Gates continued writing songs, and he worked as a music copyist, as a studio musician, and as a producer for many artists including Pat Boone.  Success soon followed. His composition "Popsicles and Icicles" hit No. 3 on the US Hot 100 for The Murmaids in January 1964.  The Monkees recorded another of his songs, "Saturday's Child". By the end of the 1960s, he had worked with many leading artists, including Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, Merle Haggard, The Ventures, Duane Eddy and Brian Wilson.  In 1965, Gates arranged the Glenn Yarbrough hit, "Baby the Rain Must Fall". In 1966, he produced two singles on A&M Records for Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band.  According to a 1996 article in People, Gates has remained married to high school sweetheart Jo Rita since 1959. Together they raised four children: three lawyers and a cardiothoracic surgeon.  Gates, who studied the cattle ranching business while touring with Bread, purchased a 1,400-acre cattle ranch financed by royalties he earned during his time with the band. He lives happily with his wife in Mount Vernon, Washington, enjoying his retirement.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( I once dated a girl with a twin and people always asked me how I could tell them apart.....It was simple - Alison painted her nails red, and Bob had a beard.

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I went to the doctor with hearing problems.
He said, "Can you describe the symptoms?"
I said, "Homer's a fat bloke and Marge has big blue hair!"

- I just asked myself if I'm crazy, and We all said No.

- People who wonder if the glass is half empty or half full miss the point.  The glass is refillable.

- I told my wife she should “embrace her mistakes.”...............She gave me a hug.

My father is a skilled CPA, but is not great at self-promotion. So when an advertising company offered to put my father's business placard in the shopping carts of a supermarket, my dad jumped at the chance. Fully a year went by before we got a call that could be traced to those placards.  “Richard Larson, CPA?” the caller asked.  “That's right,” my father answered. “May I help you?”  “Yes,” the voice said. “One of your shopping carts is in my yard and I want you to come and get it.”

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Al's Doggy World:))

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Common sense is not a gift. It's a punishment because you must deal with everyone else who doesn't have it.

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