I SO MUCH MISS THOSE GREAT DAYS

ON THE WAY TO PICK UP MY GOOD BUDDY RICHARD THIS MORNING

Another in a series of mighty fine late October days.  The weather 22 years ago today certainly wasn't like this.  It was the final day for us in the old farmhouse at the old Weenie Roast Ranch near Fullarton Ontario. We had lived there for over 7 years.  It was a cold and dark rain-soaked night when we left our old haunt and moved the last load of stuff to where we now live in the Bayfield Pines Community near Bayfield Ontario.  It was Halloween night 2002 and the weather had played a 'trick' on us but it sure was a 'treat' that cold, and dark night to move into our warm cozy little place right here under the tall swaying Pine trees:))  

 FIERY SUMAC LEAVES

Coffee and muffins time for Richard and me so I picked him up this morning and off we went to cruise a few roads we hadn't been on for a while.  Always nice to change up the scenery from time to time and especially so now that we still have some gorgeous Autumn colors left in the countryside. 

 WE WERE SURPRISED BY A GOLFCART LOAD OF SCARY PARK CHARACTERS THIS AFTERNOON

 THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT IN OUR PARK IS VERY MUCH ALIVE AND WELL:))

I BORROWED THIS PHOTO FROM ANOTHER PARK RESIDENT

Kelly and I headed down to the south end of our Park this afternoon for a walk in the hardwood forest located there.  This is an area we often walked with our dogs in the earlier years of living here.  Sometimes we would make our way down a steep hundred-foot forested embankment to the Bayfield River far below.  But, that was years ago when we were younger and could do things like that on the spur of the moment without even having to worry about anything like getting back up the embankment again.  Actually, we had a purpose for being in that forest today.  We were looking for something we didn't find.  A bench.  Oh well, it was just great to be outside doing something we so much enjoyed doing in our RVing years.  We loved looking for things like old western Ghost Towns, (Charleston) lost gravesites, (Johnny Ringo and some Confederate soldiers) historical markers, old mines, Crested Saguaro Cactus, hidden trails, natural water tanks in the Kofa Mountains, the hard-to-find Mary Kidder ranch and old Fort Rucker in the Chiricahua Mountains, and Cochise's council rocks in Arizona's Dragoon Mountains.  We found the dump site for the old army Camp Furlong in Columbus New Mexico, Marshall South's homestead atop Ghost Mountain in California's Blair valley, and his gravesite in Julian California.  The endless list goes on and on and it was always one of our favorite things to do.  Get ourselves up in the morning and head out the door early to go places and find and do things we had never seen or done before.  I so much miss those great days............   

 WE DROVE SUBIE UP INTO THE HARDWOOD FOREST

 YOU CAN SEE IT WASA VERY WINDY AFTERNOON

 AN OLD FARM GATE IN THE WOODS

HEADING BACK TO THE CAR

 MAKING OUR WAY BACK OUT OF THE FOREST

Al's Music Box:)) Ghost Riders In The Sky by Geoff Castelucci is a cowboy-styled country/western song written in 1948 by American songwriter Stan Jones.  The song tells a folk tale of a cowboy who has a vision of red-eyed, steel-hooved cattle thundering across the sky, being chased by the spirits of damned cowboys. One warns him that if he does not change his ways, he will be doomed to join them, forever "trying to catch the Devil's herd across these endless skies".  Stan Jones stated that he had been told the story when he was 12 years old by an old Native American who resided northeast of the Douglas Arizona border town, a few miles behind D Hill, north of Agua Prieta. Sonora. The Native Americans, possibly Apache, who lived within Cochise County, believed that when souls vacate their physical bodies, they reside as spirits in the sky, resembling ghost riders. He related this story to Wayne Hester, a boyhood friend (later owner of the Douglas Cable Company). As both boys were looking at the clouds, Stan shared what the old Native American had told him, looking in amazement as the cloudy shapes were identified as the "ghost riders" that years later, would be transposed into lyrics.............Here is an instrumental version of the same song played on a steel guitar.  Ghost Riders.  And of course, the version I grew up with....Frankie Laines version of Ghost Riders In The Sky.  And, because it's Halloween, here is Bobby (Boris) Pickett and the Crypt Kicker Five with The Monster Mash.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A car was involved in an accident on the street. As expected a large crowd gathered. A newspaper reporter, anxious to get his story could not get near the car.  Being a clever sort, he started shouting loudly, "Let me through! Let me through! I am the son of the victim."  The crowd made way for him.  Lying in front of the car was a donkey.

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[1] Regular naps prevent old age, especially if you take them while driving.

[2] Having one child makes you a parent; having two makes you a referee.

[3] Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the other is the husband!

[4] I believe we should all pay our taxes with a smile. I tried – but they wanted cash.

[5] A child's greatest period of growth is the month after you've purchased new school uniforms.

[6] Don't feel bad. A lot of people have no talent.

[7] Don't marry the person you want to live with, marry the one you cannot live without, but whatever you do, you'll regret it later.

[8] You can't buy love, but you pay heavily for it.

[9] Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.

[10] Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.

[11] Marriage is give and take. You'd better give it to her or she'll take it.

[12] My wife and I always compromise. I admit I'm wrong and she agrees with me.

[13] Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others.

[14] Ladies first. Pretty ladies sooner.

[15] A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

[16] You're getting old when you enjoy remembering things more than doing them.

[17] It doesn't matter how often a married man changes his job, he still ends up with the same boss.

[18] Real friends are the ones who survive transitions between address books.

[19] Saving is the best thing. Especially when your parents have done it for you.

[20] Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something

[21] They call our language the mother tongue because the father seldom gets to speak!

[22] Man: Is there any way for long life?
Dr: Get married.
Man: Will it help?
Dr: No, but then the thought of long life will never come.

[23] Why do couples hold hands during their wedding? It's a formality just like two boxers touching gloves before the fight begins!

[24] Wife: Darling today is our anniversary, what should we do?
Husband: Let us stand in silence for 2 minutes.

[25] There is only one perfect child in the world and every mother has it.

[26] There is only one perfect wife in the world and every neighbor has it!

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                           Al's Art Gallery

''YAHOUIE LOUIE' PHEEBS AND I ARE BACK 'ON THE ROAD AGAIN':)))))

 A COUPLE OF HAPPY GUYS TO FINALLY BE OUT AND ABOUT THIS MORNING

In a perfect world, it would have been a big bright, sunny morning with warm temperatures for our first day back on the road in 6 weeks.  However, it is what it was and with Willy Nelson's song, 'On The Road Again' rolling around in my head, we happily headed out into the countryside with Pheebs window down and the heater on despite a cold rainy drizzle and cloudy skies overhead.  It was 37F.  I had hoped to start our day off with a good old country road walk but it was not to be so we headed off to Goderich to follow our usual McDonald's coffee and harbor routine and to pick up some stuff at Walmart.  Peanut butter, coffee, etc.

 HOW GREAT TO TURN RIGHT OUT OF THE PARK AND HEAD FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE

 WE EVEN SAW 'OLD LONESOME'

 I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE TWO ALGOMA SHIPS ANCHORED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE GODERICH HARBOR

 THE ALGOMA NIAGARA

 THE ALGOMA INTREPID

 BOTH SHIPS WERE RIDING HIGH OUT OF THE WATER SO THEY MUST NOT HAVE ANY CARGO ABOARD

Too cold and damp outside for me to be out there so it was another inside job.  A few bird pics and more reading.  Because I mistakenly had my camera's ISO setting waaaay too high (6400) today's photos are grainy and mottled looking but I've decided to include them anyway.  You know me....'perfection only' is not my game and they don't call me, 'One-Shot Charlie' for nothing.  

METHINKS IT'S A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER

 GOLDFINCH

 MOURNING DOVE

 GRACKLE

 A RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD AND PROBABLY A MAIL WITH THAT BRIGHT RED WING BAR

Kelly talked to her daughter Rebecca in Spain today.  Rebecca thinks we should move there.  Hmmmmm.  I wouldn't mind going for a couple weeks or maybe a month just to see what it's like but under our present circumstances I don't see that happening any time soon.  

 THESE TWO APPEAR TO BE IGNORING EACH OTHER

 'GET OFF THE BIRD STATION BLACKIE!!!!'

 'I'M NOT LISTENING YOU REDHEADED DINGBAT'

 'ALRIGHT THEN I'LL JUST TAKE MY PEANUT AND GO HOME'

 THERE'S THAT DARTH VADER GRACKLEGATOR AGAIN TRYING TO SCARE A MOURNING DOVE BUT IF PUSH COMES TO SHOVE THE MOURNING  DOVE WILL PUT THE BOOTS TO THE GRACKLE

 HMMMM, LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY'S GOT THEIR BEAK IN THE AIR OVER SOMETHING AGAIN

 'I GOT A SEED' ....'WELL I GOT A SEED TOO!!'

 JUST LANDED WITH HIS TAIL STILL IN A FLAIR

A Blast From Our Past:)) It was a Sunday morning on December 20th, 2009 in Arizona's Cochise County when we set out to find a cowboy gunslinger's grave from the late 1800's.  We knew it was somewhere at the foot of the Chiricahua Mountains.  Today We Found The Final Resting Place Of Tombstone's Infamous.....Johnny Ringo

 A LANDING APPROACH FOR THIS RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD

 A GRACKLE TAKE OFF

 OVER AND UNDER

 A RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD COASTING IN HOPING TO MAKE A PERFECT TWO-POINT LANDING

 OOOOPS, HE DIDN'T QUITE STICK THE LANDING

Al's Music Box:)) On The Road Again is a song written and recorded by American country music singer and songwriter Willie Nelson.  In 1980 Nelson starred in his first leading role in the Jerry Schatzberg film Honeysuckle Rose, about an aging musician who fails to achieve national fame and his relationship with his family, who also are part of his band that travels throughout the United States while playing in different venues. Shortly after signing the contract, Nelson was approached during a flight by Schatzberg and the executive producer of the movie, who requested him to write a song about life on the road to use as the theme song. Nelson quickly wrote the song on a barf bag. The tune featured a "train beat".The song was released with Nelson's 1980 album Honeysuckle Rose, reaching the first position on Billboard's top country albums.  Nelson received a Grammy Award for Best Country Song, while he was nominated for Best Original Song during the 53rd Academy Awards.  (I thought this was a fitting song for Pheebs and I this morning:)) 

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A proud and confident genius makes a bet with a local moron.  The genius says, "Hey moron, every question I ask you that you don't know the answer, you have to give me $5. And if you ask me a question and I can't answer yours I will give you $5,000."  The moron says, "Okay."  The genius then asks, "How many continents are there in the world?" The moron doesn't know and hands over the $5.  The moron says, "Now me ask: what animal stands with two legs but sleeps with three?"  The genius tries and searches very hard for the answer but gives up and hands over the $5,000.  The genius says, "Dang it, I lost. By the way, what was the answer to your question?"  The moron hands over $5.

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- My wife asked why I spoke so softly in the house.  I said I was afraid Mark Zuckerberg was listening!  She laughed.  I laughed.  Alexa laughed. Siri laughed.

- A kangaroo mom with seven babies in her pouch told another kangaroo mom, "These sleepovers are killing me."

- The key to looking amazing is looking like crap most of the time so that it is even more amazing.

- My body is just a filter.....coffee goes in sarcasm comes out.

- Marriage is a relationship in which one is always right and the other is the husband.

- I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon......I'll let you know.

- I haven't lost all my marbles yet but I know there is a hole in the bag somewhere.

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