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

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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