MOTHERS DAY PHOTOS ARE IN AND WE HAVE BEES IN OUR BLOSSOMS

MAJORITY OF TONIGHT’S PHOTOS ARE FROM AROUND OUR YARD TODAY….’THIS STEMLESS DANDELION’ FLOWER CAUGHT MY EYE:))
Must have forgot to plug myself in again last night and woke up with energy levels still on the low side.  Nice sunny morning but temperatures are still cool for this time of year.  Pheebs and I did manage a short drive into and around Bayfield but were soon home again at which time I plunked myself into my reading chair for the second morning in a row. 

SAILBOATS ARE BEGINNING TO FILL UP THE SLIPS LINING BAYFIELD’S HARBOR AND I IMAGINE WITH OUR MAY 24TH LONG WEEK-END COMING UP THEY WILL MOSTLY ALL BE FILLED BY THE END OF THE WEEK

SEEN THIS NICE ‘HOT-ROD’ CRUISING THROUGH BAYFIELD THIS MORNING
With a number of projects  awaiting my attention outside I finally managed to gather myself together some enthusiasm and drag myself outside.  Power washer was sitting there so I started with that and power washed another dozen patio stones.  Figured while I had the power washer going I might as well start the next phase of our back yard deck project and that was to power wash the old porch deck adjacent to the new deck.  Did that.  When it dries out I’ll stain the old deck to hopefully blend it in better with the new deck addition.  With all that power washing I figured the next best thing on tap for the day was a wee power nap and as soon as I had taken care of that little ditty I was back outside again and got me some serious puttering going on.

NEW DECK BOARDS ARE THE BROWNER ONES ON THE EXTREME LEFT AND ALL OTHERS TO THE RIGHT ARE ONES I WILL BE STAINING ONCE THEY DRY

MORE YARD PUTTERING TODAY

Kelly made it home about 5:30 Sunday afternoon from her Mother’s Day in Cambridge.  A good time was had by all but boy was she ever tired. 

KELLY WITH THREE OF HER FIVE CHILDREN…FROM L TO R REBECCA, BEN, KELLY, SABRA

KELLY LIKES ‘RETRO’ CLOTHES SO SABRA GAVE HER THIS STYLISH ‘DESIGUAL’ COAT FOR MOTHERS DAY

GRANDCHILDREN KEENAN AND ELLA SITTING ON THE STEPS WITH GRAMMA



Kelly’s off to University Hospital early in the morning for an abdominal ultra-sound.  She’s driving herself over to London this time because she has some stores she wants to leisurely browse  around in afterwards.  The word ‘leisurely’ is the active word there as long  as I’m not sitting out in the parking lot waiting so I have been designated to ‘stay home’.

CHERRY BLOSSOMS ON THE LEFT AND LILACS ON THE RIGHT

LILAC BLOSSOMS ARE MY AUNT JEAN’S FAVS

THERE ARE BEES IN OUR CHERRY BLOSSOMS
    
FLOWERS BELOW ARE PRIMROSE


A BUSH FERN DELICATELY UNFOLDS ALONGSIDE A RED TULIP >>>>>>
Would you believe I had my Rand McNally atlas out this afternoon looking at things west of the Mississippi River wishing winter months were warmer in Utah.   There is beautiful scenery all over the American Southwest but Utah just seems to have it in spades.  Because of our short window of seasonal time in the States each year we have only ever been able to visit Utah either on our way south in the Fall or heading home in the Spring.   I think we’ll have to spend some time thinking how we can somehow spend more of our time seeing more of Utah this coming winter.  As you know with our Congress Az home now sold we are ‘foot loose and fancy free’ once again:))

TULIPS NEAR OUR DRIVEWAY
GROANER’S CORNER:(( A man wrote a letter to a small hotel he planned to visit on his vacation: "I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well-groomed and very well behaved. Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night?"  An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who said, "I've been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I've never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware or pictures off the walls. I've never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. And I've never had a dog run out on a hotel bill. Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, you're welcome to stay here, too."
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Two golden-agers were discussing their husbands over tea. "I do wish that my Elmer would stop biting his nails. He makes me terribly nervous."  My Billy used to do the same things," the older woman replied, "but I broke him of that pesky habit."  "How?"  "I hid his teeth!"
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The teacher of the earth science class was lecturing on map reading.After explaining about latitude, longitude, degrees, and minutes the teacher asked, 'Suppose I asked you to meet me for lunch at 23 degrees, 4 minutes north latitude and 45 degrees, 15 minutes east longitude . . .?'
After a confused silence, a voice volunteered, 'I guess you'd be eating alone.'

TURNED OUT TO BE A COLD AND WINDY LOW ENERGY DAY

AT THE HULLETT MARSH I SAW THIS GOOSE FAMILY MAKING THEIR WAY ALONG THE TOP OF A DYKE

Kelly had the Sunfire’s wheels rolling by 8:20 this morning heading for Cambridge Ontario and her daughter’s house for Mothers Day.  Pheebs and I had the Jeep’s wheels rolling 5 minutes later for……..well I don’t know where we were headed for but we were headed for somewhere I assumed. 

DRIVING BY THIS FIELD I NOTICED SOME BLACK DOTS

A LOOK THROUGH MY TELEPHOTO LENS TOLD ME THEY WERE CANADA GEESE

A COLD CLOUDY MORNING

Having woke up to cheery sunny skies it was not long before we were under a cloud cover with temps in the mid 40’s and a cold wind blowing.  Pheebs and i did half heartedly make it over to the Hullett Marsh but with winds picking up it was simply too cold to enjoy the gray day.  We were back home before 10 and the skies cleared about half an hour later.  No matter it still felt cold with the gusting winds.  Tried twice to get myself interested in my yard projects but my heart and energies weren’t into it so I contentedly sought out our sunroom’s warm toasty corner and immersed myself in my latest book.  Before going to bed tonight I must remember to plug myself in and charge myself up.

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Here in Kentucky, you don't see too many people hang-gliding. Bubba decided to save up and get a hang-glider. He takes it to the highest mountain, and after struggling to the top, he gets ready to take flight. He takes off running and reaches the edge-------into the wind he goes!  Meanwhile, Maw and Paw Hicks were sittin' on the porch swing talkin bout the good old days when Maw spots the biggest bird she ever seen!"Look at the size of that bird, Paw!" she exclaims.  Paw raises up," Git my gun, Maw."  She runs into the house, brings out his pump shotgun. He takes careful aim. BANG...BANG.....BANG.....BANG! The monster size bird continues to sail silently over the tree tops.  "I think ya missed him, Paw," she says.
"Yeah," he replies, "but at least he let go of Bubba!"

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"When I saw you driving down the road, I guessed 75 at least." "You're wrong, officer, it's only my hat that makes me look that old."

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A little child was in church for the first time and watched as the ushers passed the offering plates.  When they neared the pew where he sat, the youngster said in a little voice loud enough for everyone to hear:  "Don't pay for me, Daddy. I'm under five."

KIND OF A MULCHY DAY

AN EARLY MORNING WAVE FROM A FARMER OUT WORKING HIS FIELDS

Saturday mornings always have been and still are my fav and this morning was no exception.  Sunny and just the right temperature at 60F for working around outside without freezing or sweating to death.  Needing more mulch for our flower beds the furry little Snookums and I slipped up to Goderich’s Canadian Tire Store and picked us up another 8 bags of cedar mulch. 

I DON’T THINK PHEEBS BELIEVED ME WHEN I TOLD HER THESE WERE ALL YUMMY DOG FOOD BAGS

SPOTTED THIS FORD FALCOM FUTURA GOING THROUGH McDONALDS DRIVE-THRU….NOT MANY OF THEM LEFT ANYMORE

FARMERS AGAIN BUSY FERTILIZING AND PLANTING

IT’S ALWAYS KINDA NICE SEEING HOW NEAT FARM FIELDS LOOK THIS TIME OF YEAR

TREES ARE REALLY LEAFING OUT FAST NOW

THIS NICE WELL KEPT FARM IS LESS THAN HALF A MILE EAST OF US

Came straight home again and used up all 8 bags of dark cedar mulch in the front yard.  I think another 500 bags should do it.  Well Okay not quite that many but i do need more.  Aside from power washing a bunch of patio stones and some weed whacking that was about it for me today but for sure I will be back at it again tomorrow.

EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN OUR FRONT YARD WE PUT HERE….WHEN WE MOVED TO THIS HOUSE BACK IN LATE OCTOBER OF 2002 THERE WAS ‘NOTHING’ IN THIS FRONT YARD

THIS FRONT YARD ORNAMENTAL TREE SMELLS SO NICE BUT WE DON’T KNOW WHAT KIND OF TREE IT IS DESPITE PLANTING IT OURSELVES YEARS AGO

After wrenching my left arm last month wrestling with our heavy utility trailer I’m happy to say the arm has surprisingly healed up.  From the amount of pain I had in that arm I thought for sure it would take all summer to heal.  And another surprise.  A little over a month ago I reached a point where the aching in my legs had become intolerable and yet here I am today with my legs feeling about the best they have felt for a few years.  So what happened!!  I had stopped taking my arthritis medicine (Arthrotec) in early February figuring it might have had to do with some bleeding I had.  It didn’t.  Resumed taking my Arthrotec pills in early April and within 24 hours my legs began feeling better and have continued to feel better ever since.  I don’t know what’s in that Arthrotec stuff but it sure has been a lifesaver for me these past 20 years or so.  I still  haven’t heard any results from the Doppler Ultra-Sound they did on my legs a few weeks ago so I can only assume they didn’t find any problems.  I guess the bottom line is that I’m feeling pretty good at the moment despite all my previous complaining.

MULSCH MULCH EVERYWHEREAND UNDER THIS MULCH A THINK LAYER OF PINE NEEDLES EVERYWHERE AS WELL

   

Okay so this is how two different minds work.  The latch on our backyard gate has been giving us some problems and finally reached a point where it wouldn’t latch.  I looked at it and figured maybe if I took the post latch off, inserted a small block of wood behind it and re-attached the latch all might be good.  Kelly came out, looked at the latch, determined the problem I of course hadn’t seen and thought maybe by laterally moving the latch over slightly it might work.  Never one to trust my own judgement and problem solving abilities in these types of matters I immediately scrapped my idea, grabbed my orange Black & Decker battery operated thing-a-ma-bob, popped out the 4 screws and did what Kelly suggested.  Gate latch works perfect now.  Like it says on my blog’s right hand column, Kelly’s the one with the most good brains here at the Bayfield Bunch.

A RELAXING SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT OUR HOUSE

Here we are into the second week of May already and I haven’t even re-installed the battery and fired up my motorcycle yet.  In over twenty years this is the latest ever i have not had my bike on the road.  Several reasons for that I guess with one of them being all the cold wet weather we have had this Spring.  The other reason is I know I have to sell it because I have hardly ridden it the past couple years and my motorcycle interest seems to have finally ebbed away.  Yet part of me still wants to hang onto it.  Nicest motorcycle I’ve ever had and I know when it’s gone that will be the end of my motorcycle riding days forever.  Anyway if there’s anyone in the area looking for a sharp looking quality motorcycle with low mileage (44,780 kilometers or 27,825 miles) and in great shape I just happen to have one.  2002 Honda Shadow Aero 1100, spoke wheels, leather saddle bags, Harley-Davidson light package and windshield,  This bike is built for highway cruising and to the best of my knowledge there is not a thing wrong with it.  $4,200.

Four of Kelly’s five children and six grandchildren live in the Cambridge area so tomorrow Kelly is headed over to her oldest daughters house where the whole gang will get together for Mother’s Day.  Always a special day for Kelly:))

BLOSSOMS ON OUR SAND CHERRY TREE

GROANER’S CORNER:((  When the store manager returned from lunch, he noticed his clerk's hand was bandaged, but before he could ask about the bandage, the clerk had some very good news for him.  "Guess what, sir?" the clerk said. "I finally sold that terrible, ugly suit we've had so long!"  "Do you mean that repulsive pink-and-blue double-breasted thing?!" the manager asked.  "That's the one!"  "That's great!" the manager cried, "I thought we'd never get rid of that monstrosity! That had to be the ugliest suit we've ever had! But tell me, why is your hand bandaged?"  "Oh," the clerk replied, "after I sold the guy that suit, his seeing-eye dog bit me."

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I was visiting my daughter last night when I asked if I could borrow a newspaper.
'This is the 21st century,' she said. 'We don't waste money on newspapers. Here, use my iPad.'.
I can tell you this... That fly never knew what hit him!

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One night a man stumbled into the police station with a black eye. He claimed he had heard a noise in his back yard and went to investigate. The next he knew, he was hit in the eye and knocked out cold.  An officer was sent to his house to investigate, and he returned 1 1/2 hours later with a black eye.  "Did you get hit by the same person?" his captain asked.  "No," he replied. "I stepped on the same rake."