‘HEY DAD WANNA HAVE A GAME OF GEARSHIFTS’

ALTHOUGH WE STARTED OUR DAY UNDER DARK CLOUDY SKIES WE FINISHED IT UP WITH A BIG BLUE SKY OVERHEAD

To look out one's window this morning was enough to make one just go crawl back into bed and pull the covers over one's head.  A wet layer of snow on the ground with temps hovering around the freezing mark and tall pine trees bending in the icy cold wind.  No not nice, not nice at all!!  Way too many of those gol darn ding dang dark desolate days going on here at the moment.  And lets not forget depressingly dull. 

AND IT WAS EVEN COLDER OUT THERE IN OUR FRONT YARD THAN IT LOOKED

NOW THAT’S NO WAY TO TREAT A BRAND NEW DECK!!

DEFINITELY HAD TO WARM UP THE JEEP BEFORE WE VENTURED OUT THIS MORNING

Had some meds to pick up at Walmart in Goderich so after using a stiff corn broom to push a load of heavy wet snow off the Jeep Pheebs and I were on our way heading north along wet slushy roads.  I was heartened by signs of our early morning sky clearing out over the lake to the west and a few faint sun splashes appearing through a couple holes in the heavy cloud cover to the east.

A BLEAK LOOKING MORNING AS WE PULLED OUT OF OUR PARK

HEADING NORTH ON PORTAR HILL LINE I WAS HEARTENED TO SEE SKIES CLEARING OUT OVER LAKE HURON TO THE WEST

AND A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS TO THE EAST

LOOK CLOSELY TO THE BOTTOM LEFT WHERE THERE ARE 2 WILD TURKEYS BY THE ROAD….ONE IS EASY TO SEE AND ONLY THE HEAD OF THE OTHER ONE IS VISIBLE BEHIND IT

ROADS WERE A BIT SLUSHY BUT NOT BAD….A COUPLE HOURS LATER THEY WERE COMPLETELY DRY

HEADING WEST WITH A BIT OF SNOW BLOWING ACROSS THE ROAD AND IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY STRAIGHT AHEAD YOU CAN SEE THE BLUE WATERS OF LAKE HURON ON THE HORIZON

Small coffee with a muffin at McDonalds is usually $1.88 but not this morning.  In fact not ever anymore.  Be forewarned folks McDonald's muffin prices have gone up.  Cost me a whopping $2.10 and I thought to myself, 'oh no I'm gonna have to find me a full time job again if this habit of ours is to continue'. 

LAKE HURON LOOKED ANGRY THIS MORNING

NICE TO SEE THOSE SKIES SLOWLY CONTINUING TO CLEAR

It was a spin down around the beach and harbor area for us to have a look at Lake Huron's angry waves but with fierce frigid onshore winds a blowin there was no way we were getting out of the Jeep except for once when I had to jump out of the Jeep to retrieve my hat which blew right out the passenger side window bouncing off Pheebs nose when I opened the driver's side window to take a photo.  (Whewww that was a long sentence and I almost ran out of breath typing it)

IT WAS WHILE TAKING THIS PHOTO A BIG GUST OF ICY COLD WIND BLEW MY HAT OFF RIGHT THROUGH THE PASSENGERS OPEN WINDOW AFTER FIRST BOUNCING OFF PHEEBS NOSE……AND OH WHAT A CUTE LITTLE NOSE IT IS TOO:))

CAN YOU HELP ME FIND MY HAT??

A stop a the Walmart Pharmacy secured my meds and from there it was over the the Canadian Tire store for a couple window boxes which I hope to grow some morning glories in.  Picked up a bird feeder on sale, couple of 25 Watt light bulbs for outside, a garden hose on/off valve, 2 'S' hooks, a can of WD40, two packets of morning glories and a peanut butter based suet pack for the Woodpeckers.  Now for me that was quite a generous Friday morning haul.

YOU CAN SEE HOW LAST NIGHT’S BIG WINDS BLASTED THE NORTH SIDE OF THE TREES

Under clearing skies we made our way home on bare dry roads.  As pretty as the snow looked against widening patches of blue skies I was happy to see it melting quickly.  We were home before 11 and with the sounds of dripping all around us I was inspired to stay outside and continue with any yard work that didn't require me to strain my left arm.  Well of course that didn't leave me much leeway but I at least did make some progress and I was happy about that.  Also very happy when I checked our latest weather forecast to see we may very well be pushing the 70F mark for Sunday and Monday under mainly sunny skies.   Today I think we got up to about 35F with a wind chill factor of about 150 below zero I think!!

‘HEY DAD WANNA HAVE A GAME OF GEARSHIFTS’

‘OKAY OKAY YOU GOTTA GUESS WHAT GEAR I’VE GOT IT IN NOW DAD’

SOOOOOOO NICE TO SEE MORE AND MORE OF THAT COLOR BLUE UP THERE

‘THE SKY MIGHT BE LOOKING BLUE DAD BUT IT’S STILL KINDA GRAY AND WINTERY DOWN HERE ALONGSIDE THE ROADSIDE’

WELL IT’S SURE BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE SPRING TO ME PHEEBS

JUST LOOK AT ALL THAT GREEN EH:))

A word of gratitude and appreciation again to everyone for all your kind words and comments.  I know I’m not good at commenting back and answering emails but know that my heart’s thoughts are in the right place and I have all you fine folks to thank for that…………….. 

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ACROSS THE ROAD FROM OUR PARK….PRETTY DARN NICE I’D SAY

I SNAPPED THIS PICTURE OF OUR HOUSE JUST BEFORE TURNING INTO THE DRIVEWAY THIS MORNING

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A grandmother was surprised by her seven-year-old little helper early one morning. He had made her a coffee! She drank what was probably the worst cup of coffee in her entire life and when she got to the bottom, to her utter amazement, there were three little green, army men in her cup.  Puzzled, she asked, "Honey, what are these army men doing in my   coffee?"Her grandson answered, "Grandma, you know how it says on TV, 'The best part of waking up is soldiers in your cup.''

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When you dream in color, it's a pigment of your imagination.

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The Senate is investigating deceptive sweepstakes practices. These companies target the elderly and make them think they will receive a bunch of money, but in reality they never see any of it.   The most popular of these scams is called Social Security.

DESPITE OUR MISERABLE WEATHER IT WAS AN ENTERTAINING BLUE JAY KIND OF DAY

‘OH REALLY SO THAT’S WHAT YOU THINK OF ME EH’

Rains came in the night leaving us with a cold and damp morning drizzle.  Only option I had was to get myself outside into the carport storage area and one of our sheds to continue working on my clean-up and re-organization projects.  Dressed warm I spent most of the morning puttering about with a bunch of putterable stuff.  All little things but all giving me a sense of accomplishment and on dismal dreary days a sense of accomplishment although maybe hard to come by is a welcome feeling indeed. 

‘YOU KNOW I REALLY DON’T THINK WE SHOULD BE MEETING LIKE THIS’

‘WELL WHY DID YOU SAY YOU LOVED ME THEN’

‘I SAID NO SUCH THING’

‘OH YES YOU DID’

Watched with great amusement this afternoon as two Blue Jays landed on our bird station and proceeded to have quite a heated discussion between them.  A lot of squawking and jumping around but I think love triumphed in the end.

‘WELL ALRIGHT SO WHAT IF I DID SAY IT’

‘WELL SAY IT AGAIN AND THIS TIME MEAN IT!!

‘ALRIGHT ALRIGHT I’LL SAY IT AGAIN AND I’LL EVEN WHISPER IT IN YOUR EAR THIS TIME’’

‘I LOVE YOU DEAR’

It was one month ago today we arrived home from the Southwest and the month of March seems to have already passed quickly.  To bad the weather has been so crappy but it’s the way it is.  I guess this way we have more to look forward to when the good stuff does get here someday.

‘AWWWW GEE HONEY THAT WAS MIGHTY NICE OF YOU TO SAY THAT’

It was tempting this afternoon to haul our power washer out and get at that Motorhome but knowing my arm needs more time to heal it was quite a tussle I had going on with my younger ‘let’s do it’ self and my older ‘don’t do it Dummy’ self.

‘ARE YOU SURE YOU REALLY MEANT IT THOUGH’

‘OF COURSE I’M SURE DEAR’

Here’s our weather forecast for the next 12 hours or so……’Periods of rain changing to snow and local blowing snow early this evening. Snowfall amount 2 to 4 cm. Wind northeast 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming north 60 gusting to 80 this evening. Low minus 1.  Fri, 7 Apr
Mainly cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries early in the morning’……Awwww Nuts!!!!!!  Our snowfall actually began at exactly 5:56 p.m. & some of the snowflakes looked about as big as snowballs.  At the time of publishing tonight it was still snowing.  Kinda put me right in the Christmas Spirit it did. Sleigh Ride 

‘OKAY THEN HOW’S ABOUT A LITTLE PECK ON THE BEAK BIG BOY’

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Last week our police station was broken into and the commode was stolen from the rest room. Yesterday the police reported that the investigation is ongoing but they still have nothing to go on.

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A pastor was opening his mail one morning and one envelope had only a single sheet of paper with a single word printed on it: “FOOL!”The following Sunday the priest announced, “I have known many people who have written letters and forgotten to sign their name. But this week I received a letter from someone who signed his name and had forgotten to write a letter.”

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Whenever someone calls me ugly, I get super sad and hug them, because I know how tough life is for the visually impaired.

MEDICAL APPOINTMENT WENT OKAY THIS MORNING AND YET ANOTHER CLOUDY COLD DAMP DAY

AN OLD LOG LIES PARTIALLY SUBMERGED IN THE REFLECTED POND WATERS OF LAST AUTUMNS LEAVES

Knowing I might be awhile at Goderich’s Maitland Valley Medical Clinic this morning I gave Pheebs the choice of coming along and waiting for me or staying home.  Well that was a dumb question on my part and in no short order she let me know she was going and that was that no matter how long I took in the clinic.  Turns out it was slightly over an hour but it wasn’t hot and sunny out so she was comfortably happy to have a snooze in the Jeep.

I BELIEVE THAT TO BE SOME KIND OF SURFACED ROOT SYSTEM

My Nurse Practitioner spent a fair bit of time with me this morning getting some meds straightened out and discussing a few other concerns I’ve had especially about my legs.  I don’t think I had ever remembered to point out the varicose veins especially in my left leg.  After showing them to her she is going to line up a Doppler Scan of my legs plus a prescription pair of pressure stockings.  Maybe it is the varicose veins that have been causing me many of the leg pains over the years.  Finishing up there I walked next door and had blood drawn for my Urologist appointment next Tuesday.  I sure had one happy little doggy waiting for me when I finally made my way back to the Jeep.

REFLECTIONS IN A POND

As a reward for Pheebs being so good I stopped and filled up with gas at one of two gas bars in Goderich where she always gets a doggy treat.  Thanks to the Solo and Shell gas bars for doing that and whenever I pull into one of those two places Pheebs just goes Bonkers knowing the attendants will give her a treat.

SPRING SEEMS TO BE ON HOLD WAITING FOR SUNNY WARM DAYS…..SPRING ISN’T THE ONLY THING WAITING, SO ARE WE THE PEOPLE!!

Quick stop at Walmart for a few things then over to Tim Hortons drive-thru.  I am really getting to like their new Carrot Cake muffins.  A bit sticky on the fingers and steering wheel with the soft creamy center but we cleaned up nicely.

SAW THIS ON A FARM SOUTH OF AUBURN THIS MORNING AND NO I DON’T THINK IT’S A TRACTOR OR A COMBINE

From Hortons it was straight away out into the countryside to see if we could scratch us up some photos for tonight’s post.  Also with the next two days forecast to be downright cold, wet, and miserable I knew we needed to get ourselves out for a couple hours before being stuck in the house for another 48 hours.  With gray skies overhead it was a drab day so we had to pull out all the stops to even find a few photos. 

WE SURE HAVE US SOME BACK COUNTRY ROADS HERE IN HURON COUNTY

We were home by noon and with my left arm still giving me trouble again today I came inside out of the damp cold and stayed there.  I had hoped to get the power washer going today to get the salt off the Motorhome but figured it would be smarter for me to rest my arm for the next couple days and hopefully do it this Saturday when warmer weather is forecast.  Bruce was here finishing up the last of the new decks lattice work but it was something he could manage on his own without my help.  Not that I’ve been of much help to him anyway.  He has a lot more fortitude and smarts for that sort of thing than I do.

WE HAVE MANY CEDAR TREE GROVES HERE IN HURON COUNTY

GROANER’S CORNER:(( The counselor was giving advice to a young man: "To gain self-confidence, you must avoid using negative words, such as CAN'T and NOT. Do you think you can do that?"  The young man responded, "Well, I can't see why not."

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“It was cold in the bedroom so I laid down next to the wood-stove and slept like a log.”

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An old fisherman wrote to a mail order house the following: "Please send me one of those gasoline engines for my boat that you show on page 438, and if it's any good, I'll send you a check."  In a short time, he received the following reply: "Please send check. If it's any good, we'll send the engine."

THIS MORNING I MANAGED TO SURVIVE MY FIRST EVER COLONOSCOPY PROCEDURE:))

ON OUR WAY HOME FROM THE GODERICH HOSPITAL THIS MORNING IT IS PRETTY APPARENT OUR WEATHER IS BACK INTO THE DUMPSTER AGAIN

Okay so now that my first ever colonoscopy procedure is behind me what do I think??  I was told right up front the worst part of the whole ordeal was the preparation part meaning the days leading up to the actual procedure itself.  My attitude towards things like this may be a little different than most folks but I always assume and prepare myself for the worst and when things aren't as bad as I had assumed they would be I actually feel pretty good.  I'm not one to go into things thinking everything is going to be wonderfully fine and no problem.  So coming from that perspective I thought everything went really well.

SHORT ON NEW PHOTOS TONIGHT SO THESE PICS FROM MY FILES SHOW SOME CANADA GEESE ON OUR PARK’S POND AWHILE BACK

Monday was a long day with my only food intake being lime Jello, chicken broth and raisin Gatorade.  Managed to stuff myself with some water in between those things and at no time did I feel ravenously hungry enough to eat a horse.  I did go through 2 tins of chicken broth though and that kind of put me over the top.  And because I only drink maybe one full cup of coffee each day I wasn’t bothered by any caffeine withdrawals although I may have had several peanut butter spasms.

THAT GAP IN THE TREES LEADS TO NICE FORESTED WALKING TRAILS

At 5 p.m Monday afternoon I drank the first of three Purg-Odan packets to begin the process of flushing myself out.  I had heard this was pretty bad tasting stuff but it wasn’t.  It is now flavored with orange crystals and for the most part tasted much like a simple glass of orange juice.  And there was no after taste of any kind but I washed it down with a slug of raisin Gatorade anyway.  It was exactly an hour later when the effects of the Purg-Odan suddenly made itself known and I can tell ya right up front you do not want to be very far away from your very much most favoritist toilet right up to the time of the colonoscopy procedure itself.  Trust me on that one.  Took the second packet at 8 p.m Monday night and the last packet at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Kelly and I were at Goderich’s Alexandra Marine Hospital in good time Tuesday morning and by 9 a.m. they had me disrobed and shackled to the bed with heavy leg irons, a straight jacket, black bag over my head covered by something that felt like a football helmet.  Well Okay maybe that’s how I assumed it was going to be but here’s what it really was like. See, I was felling better already.

Only thing they let me keep on was my socks and of course one of those awkwardly backwards blue hospital gowns.  Laid myself down on a bed and a warm blanket was draped over my bottom half.  Good thing they didn’t put it up to my neck because I might have been a bit inclined to vent a little humor by pulling the blanket up over my head.  This could have resulted in me being wheeled to the morgue instead of the operating room.  Close call there.

Had a nice nurse person helping me with things and it wasn’t long a young anesthesiologist fellow came in and introduced himself.  He had questions for me as well and once it was determined I would be a good specimen for a colonoscopy he wished me luck.  While talking to this nice fella the nurse had slipped around to the other side of the bed and deftly slipped a very sharp needle under my skin atop my right wrist.  Through the attached IV tube is where the anesthetic chap would soon be shooting the joy juice into me.  Minutes later another nurse dressed in what look like a thin pale yellow raincoat came in and informed me I would be going with her.  Well Okay.

It was a short bed ride down the hall to the operating room where they wheeled me in under a barrage of bright lights.  I remembered my last time in an operating room in Stratford Ontario.  I was there to have a kidney stone laser blasted and the attendant parked me in the hall and told me to get off the bed and walk into the operating room whereupon I had to climb up on the butcher block bed all by my very self.  Well with my untied open back hospital gown blowing in the breeze it was quite a performance as I recall……:((  But back to today.

There were 2 nurses in the OR maybe three and between them they got me lined up correctly on the bed I lay upon.  Legs over here, butt over there.  Yikes who lifted up the blanket!!  The green garbed anesthesiologist fellow with what looked like a flattened Chef’s hat on with some mosquito netting mixed in busied himself in front of a monitor and another electronic device beside the bed.  The very last thing I remember is him saying ‘you might feel a slight burning sensation where the IV tube enters your wrist.  I never did feel that, in fact I never felt anything at all at anytime.  For all I know they could have taken my socks off and chased each other around the room with them.

From a seemingly far away place I heard a faint voice talking to someone and the voice was familiar.  With the fog gradually clearing my mind was slowly able to identify that voice as being that of Kelly.  Eyes kind of flickered open and there she was at the foot of my bed talking to the nurse……with a big Tim Hortons coffee in her hand.  Oh so that was it eh, I didn’t make it and this is what heaven looks like eh…..or, or, maybe someplace else.  It took a few more whiffs of fog to lift before I realized I was back in the recovery room, a room I had just left minutes before right??  Wrong!!  Unbeknownst to me time had passed and my procedure was successfully long behind me.

NO PICTURES PLEASE

With a few good jolts of Kelly’s coffee my mind cleared quickly and a very welcome reality based sense of relief set in.  Aside from a few minor cramps I was feeling pretty darn good.  No pain or discomfort anywhere.  Nurse asked me if I would like a couple cookies.  I was tempted to say no not a couple……how’s about a dozen please.  Wasn’t long and I was on my feet and dressed.  Doctor Dalvi, who performed the colonoscopy came in to see me saying everything looked fine and that he did remove a small polyp.  I have an appointment with him in few weeks to go over any other results and findings.  I really like this Doctor who happens to be a young fellow as well.  I can’t remember where or when I crossed the line from all Doctors and medical personnel being older than me to now being younger than me.  How the heck did that happen anyway.

HEY WAIT A MINUTE DID SOMEBODY JUST MENTION TIM HORTONS COFFEE

We were soon out the door of the hospital and on our way home but first a stop at A&W where they had a special on Mama Burgers.  I was needing that.  With a snack in my pocket for Pheebs we were soon back on the rainy fog shrouded highway with Kelly driving and me in the passenger seat for a change.  It was somewhere before noon we pulled into our driveway whereupon I went inside and passed copious amounts of gas until the last remaining few cramps were gone.  It’s Okay, the Nurse told me to do that.  I felt like I was back in action once again and ready to rumble.  Sore arm is feeling a tad better today too.  Now if we could just get rid of this miserable cold wet weather!!!!

AHHHH YES AND LOOK THERE’S A COUPLE PACKAGES OF COOKIES LAYING ON MY TUMMY

But…………..I’m not out of the ‘Doctor Appointment’ woods just yet.  In the morning I have to be at the Maitland Valley Medical Clinic for a 9 a.m. appointment with my Nurse Practitioner and next Tuesday is an 11 a.m. appointment in Clinton with my Urologist guy.  (Dr. Bukala) Up to this point so far so good:))  Oh, and I gotta drop off another bucket of blood at the Vampire Clinic tomorrow too:((

OKAY OKAY OLD GROGGY FACE IS STARTING TO COME AROUND NOW

In case anyone is wondering what it was that kicked all this off and brought us back from the Southwest earlier than usual this year I can tell you it was blood in the toilet one morning early last February while we were in Borrego Springs California.  That coupled with a few other things was the catalyst that told me I had better get myself smartened up a wee bit and address a few medical issues instead of avoiding them like I usually do.  Also knowing that it might involve a number of medical appointments and possibly some procedures and treatments I wanted to get everything lined up now in the early Spring months and not in the summer or Fall when things could interfere with our Southwest travels whereupon Doctor appointments scheduled for the winter months could throw a nasty monkey wrench into our travel plans.  So that in a nutshell is why we hurried home at the beginning of March instead of the end of March……………..:))

THAT BIG RED THING IS A REFLECTION OF OUR PARK’S DUMPSTER AND DID YOU SEE THE LOW PROFILE GOOSE??

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A Few Business Mergers From The Past::

Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W.R. Grace Company merge to become Hale Mary Fuller Grace.

Polygram Records, Warner Brothers, and Keebler Crackers merge to become Polly-Warner-Cracker.

3M and Goodyear merge to become MMMGood.

John Deere and Abitibi-Price merge to become Deere Abi.

Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining merge to become Zip Audi Do Da.

Honeywell, Imasco, and Home Oil merge to become Honey I'm Home.

Denison Mines, and Alliance and Metal Mining merge to become Mine All Mine.

Federal Express and UPS merge to become FED UP.

Xerox and Wurlitzer will merge and begin manufacturing reproductive organs.

Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will merge and become Fairwell Honeychild.

3M, J.C. Penney and the Canadian Opera Company will merge and become 3 Penney Opera.

Knott's Berry Farm & National Organization of Women will merge and become Knott NOW!

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Officer to driver going the wrong way up a one way street. 'And where do you think you are going?' Driver: 'I'm not sure, but I must be late as everyone else is already coming back.'

A PAINFULL LEFT ARM BRINGS AN ABRUPT HALT TO MY OUTSIDE SPRING CLEAN-UP

NICE TO HEAR SEE RED WING BLACKBIRDS BACK

I didn’t stray too far from inside our house today.  As it turns out I couldn't have done much outside anyway.  About 5 days ago while in the driveway wrestling with our heavy utility trailer in our pea stone driveway I pulled the muscles in my left arm.  However being a typical male instead of resting that sore arm I continued doing yard work, lifting heavy rocks and stuff plus hooked and unhooked the utility trailer two more times.  This morning when I woke up I could not straighten my arm out without a lot of pain so that was the end of my plans to wash the Motorhome.  Moved it back into it's spot and came in the house where I remained for the rest of the day plunked in my recliner in front of the TV.  Came to the conclusion the only thing worse than nighttime TV is…….daytime TV!!

At the time of publishing tonight I still can't straighten my left arm all the way out.  Discouraging because I know how long it takes for muscles to heal now at this age.  And right in the middle of my Spring clean-up too.  Oh ya then there’s that little hospital thingy in the morning.  Gadzooks what a bummer:((

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Some years ago, Michael J. Flanagan, a successful New York contractor, was standing on the deck of the Staten Island Ferry when a car got loose and sent him into the river where he drowned. The following Sunday his widow, all decked out in deepest black, was standing on the church steps after Mass, receiving condolences and enjoying every minute of it, when an old friend of the contractor came up.  "I'm sorry, Mary, for your trouble," offered the friend. "Did Mike leave you well fixed?" "Oh, he did!" she said. "He left me almost a half million dollars."  "Well now, that's not bad for a man who couldn't read or write."  "Nor swim either," added the widow.

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Patient: The problem is that obesity runs in our family
Doctor: No, the problem is that no one runs in your family