IT RAINED FROM THE TIME WE GOT UP TO THE TIME WE WENT TO BED SO WE HAD US A 3 EGG OMELET

BECAUSE OF AN ALL DAY RAIN THE ONLY PHOTOS I MANAGED TODAY WERE FROM OUR COVERED FRONT PORCH

With Kelly in Spencerport NY it was a slightly different routine at our house this morning.  Coffee didn’t come to me so I had to go to it.  I have a little 2 cup coffee maker that I sometimes use and will be using for the next couple weeks.  I pre-set it at night with filter, coffee, and water so only have to flick the switch on in the morning.  I only ever make 1 cup and it’s de-calf.  Coffee out of the way I next whupped up my morning shake.

AND ANOTHER FRONT YARD FLOWERING PLANT I CAN’T REMEMBER THE NAME OF

OUR RED BUD TREE IS DROPPING IT’S BLOSSOMS AND TURNING OUR DRIVEWAY PINK

OUR SUNBURST LOCUST IS LEAFING OUT NICELY

RAINDROPS ON A BUDDING SUNBURST LOCUST BRANCH

Dodging between rain showers I took Pheebs for a walk around the Pine tree trail about 9 and an hour later had an early lunch when I fired up the stove and made us a 3 egg sausage and cheese omelet with some celery thrown in.  And it was a mighty fine omelet too.  Still drizzling rain so there was no point in scrambling the Jeep to go anywhere.  As it turns out it rained for the whole day.

OUR NEIGHBOR MONICA GAVE US THOSE FLOWERS IN THAT CLOSEST HANGING PLANTER

Kelly opened the big box with all the camera equipment in it and took a few photos with her Blackberry.  Yep I’m still pretty excited alright.  In the donor’s email they said, “you could trade these lenses or camera away for other equipment you’d like (perhaps through the local camera shop”)….Well I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this and researching additional Nikon lens information.  I will definitely keep the Nikon D7200 and Sony RX100 cameras.  The 2 Nikkor lenses are close to what I already have so here’s what I am thinking about doing.  For over 10 years now I have had to carry 2 bulky DSLR cameras and lenses around to cover the distance spectrum from 18mm to 300mm.  One lens from 18 to 55mm and the other lens from 70-300 millimeters.  For a long time I have always wanted a macro lens for extreme close-ups but they have always been way to pricey for me.  While on-line looking at macro lenses I suddenly remembered Nikon makes a Nikkor 18 to 300 millimeter all in one lens with the bonus being it also has macro capabilities.  Aha a light bulb snapped on.  If I were to trade in or sell the two Nikkor lenses that  have been given to me plus my 70 to 300 lens I already have I could get myself down to carrying only one camera and one lens.  Less weight and less bulk.  Wow how much easier and convenient would that be for me.  The newer and lighter NIKKOR 18-300 lens is the way I am leaning at the moment.  Also if I were to sell my Nikon D3100 camera that would still leave me with my D3400 and the bigger and better new to me D7200.  Decisions, decisions……….

I CAN SEE THIS CAMERA GEAR IS VERY WELL PACKED AND I UNDERSTAND IT IS IN MINT CONDITION

For supper tonight we plan to grill us a Calimari with chimmicuri marinade, roasted garlic, fennel polen sea salt, moroccan olives, cherry tomato salsa, and topped with a lemon mayonaisse.    Might have us side of roated apple chutney as well.  For dessert we will do a Poached Pear Pot Au Creme.’  And a fine drink with this wondrous meal??  Well a big glass of cold skim milk of course.  And if you believe any of this I’ve got a bridge for sale in Brooklyn for ya too:))

Okay for our real supper tonight I rustled us up a bowl of chicken soup laced with a few boiled potatoes I found in the fridge.  Followed that with a roast beef sandwich and a big glass of cold skim milk.  For dessert I thought I’d try something different for a change so had myself a peanut butter and honey sandwich.  Yes indeed cooking is my specialty alright.

With the days non stop rain I did a lot of reading today, bonked around on the computer and watched a bit of TV.  It was simply one of those days for staying in the house and I felt Okay about doing that.  Spent a fair bit of time in my recliner dozing with Pheebs on my lap doing the same.  I can tell she is missing Kelly because she has been following me around like a little lost shadow.

MORE BLOOMS IN OUR FRONT YARD THAT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEYARE

A nice story over at RV’s Sues camp near Twin Falls Idaho this week.  Here’s the beginning of Sue’s story…… Reggie and Homeless Dog:

A FOOT PATH THROUGH OUR JUNGLE

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A rich man was trying to find his daughter a birthday gift when he saw a poor man with a beautiful white horse. He told the man that he would give him $500 for the horse.
The poor man replied, "I don't know mister, it don't look so good," and walked away. The next day the rich man came back and offered the poor man $1000 for the horse. The poor man said, "I don't know mister, it don't look so good." On the third day the rich man offered the poor man $2000 for the horse, and said he wouldn't take no for an answer. The poor man agreed, and the rich man took the horse home. The rich man's daughter loved her present. She climbed onto the horse, then galloped right into a tree. The rich man rushed back over to the poor man's house, demanding an explanation for the horse's blindness. The poor man replied, "I told you. It don't look so good."

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A truck driver was driving along on the freeway. A sign comes up that reads "low bridge ahead." Before he knows it the bridge is right ahead of him and he gets stuck under the bridge.
Cars are backed up for miles. Finally, a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks around to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, "Got stuck, huh?" The truck driver says, "No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gas."

KELLY MADE IT SAFELY TO SPENCERPORT NEW YORK TODAY

A QUIETLY PEACEFUL MORNING IN THE HULLETT MARSH

Under warm and cloudy Spring skies Kelly was packed up and on the road by 9:15 heading for Spencerport New York to visit and help out her 92 year old Mother for a couple weeks.  Pheebs and I with long faces stood in the driveway and waved goodbye.  Us guys will be counting the days until she is home again.  Minutes after she left the sun briefly popped out of the clouds for a short while.

SAYING GOODBYE TO THE PHEEBS

AND OFF TO SPENCERPORT NY SHE GOES

With not much planned for this morning Pheebs and I took ourselves for a quick toot over to Huron Counties Hullett Marsh where we had us a wee walk and snapped a few pics.  We were back home again before 11.

LOTS OF WATER IN THE MARSH THIS SPRING

A PAIR OF DUCKS TAKE FLIGHT

<<<< I THINK WE ARE GOING TO END UP WITH SOME MUDDY PAWS IN THE JEEP

By 1 o’clock I was back in Clinton again at Huron Tirecraft.  It was time to switch some tires on the Jeep.  Off with the heavily treaded winter type tires  and on with our smoother Canadian summer tires.  Heading home I could easily tell the summer tires were smoother and quieter than our all terrain off road tires.

ALREADY SOME OF THE COUNTRYSIDES NEWLY PLANTED FIELDS ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF THIS YEAR’S VARIOUS CROPS

Saddened this morning to read Donna Weibel has passed away.  Many readers will remember Donna and Sam from Sam's blog Fifth Wheel Vagabonds.  Sam's last post was December 11th 2016.  Sam has been in a nursing home these past months but I did read today that he is home again.  These are difficult times for the Weibel family.

BUSY TIME OF YEAR FOR FARMERS AS THEY MOVE EQUIPMENT FROM FIELD TO FIELD

An email from Kelly said she made it to Spencerport Okay.  It’s generally about a 5 hour drive and she said the traffic was heavy.  Her route takes her between a number of major cities like Toronto, Hamilton, St Catherines, and Buffalo New York.  She crosses the border at Lewiston then heads in the general direction of Rochester.  Not an easy drive even at the best of times.

SPOTTED THIS LITTLE FELLOW OUTSIDE OUR SUNROOM WINDOW THIS AFTERNOON….I’M GUESSING THIS TO BE A FEMALE BALTIMORE ORIOLE

Well now let me see what Pheebs and I scrounged up for supper.  One chocolate chip cookie, a banana with some vanilla yogurt, and half a sausage.  We chased that down with a yummy peanut butter and honey sandwich topped off with a small glass cold Skim milk.  A cold glass of Skim milk is my favorite drink of all time.  Ahhhh yes, a supper fit for a King I’d say.  Of course it was only the sausage I shared with Pheebs because she had all her own yummy food which by the way she never shares with me. 

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A man got really drunk one night in his local pub. The barman refused to serve him any more alcohol and told him he should be heading home. The man thought this was a good idea so he stood up to leave but fell over straight away. He tried to stand up again but only fell over again. He thought if only he could get outside and get some fresh air he'd be grand. So he crawled outside then tried to stand up and fell over again. In the end after falling over lots more he decided to crawl home. When he got back to his house he pulled himself up using the door handle but as soon as he let go he fell over again. He had to crawl up the stairs and managed to fall over onto the bed and fell asleep. When he finally woke up the next morning his wife asked him what he was doing at the pub last night. He denied it but she said, "I know you were there..." he maintained his innocence until "...the barman rang to say you forgot your wheelchair again!!

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Q: How do you find Ronald McDonald in a nudist colony?  A: Look for sesame seed buns.

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The two partners in a law firm were having lunch when suddenly one of them jumped up and said, "I have to go back to the office - I forgot to lock the safe!"  The other partner replied, "What are you worried about? We're both here."

A FEW DROPS OF RAIN HERE AND THERE BUT OTHERWISE AN OKAY WEATHER DAY

Stepping out into warmer air with Pheebs this morning about 5:30 we were greeted by a chorus of songbirds all around and I thought to myself what a marvelous way to start the day.  

ONLY PHOTO I FOUND IN GODERICH THIS MORNING WAS THIS LONE SEA GULL ON THE SHORES OF LAKE HURON

Bit of an on again off again rainy drizzle this morning but I enjoyed working away at a small backyard project anyway.  Wasn’t too cold and it wasn’t too hot.

I TOOK OUT AN OLD OVERGROWN FLOWERBED EARLIER TODAY AND PUT A PATH BETWEEN THESE PINE AND MULBERRY TREES

About 9 Pheebs and I headed off to Goderich for a Walmart stop to pick up some additional boxes of Harvest Crunch cereal for Aunt Jean in Florida.  Kelly will send them from Spencerport NY later in the week or next week.  As of Wednesday morning Pheebs and I will be batching it for a couple weeks until Kelly returns from visiting her Mother.  Oh boy oh boy will us guys ever be ODing on peanut butter sandwiches.  I do possess the basics of cooking and can do a good job of it if pushed but cooking holds no interest for me.  Zero, Zilch, Nothing!!  I’m kinda proud of the fact i wouldn’t even know how to start the BBQ but not to worry, Pheebs and I are very capable and will be just fine.  We got toast:))

I’VE BEEN PUTTING OFF A PATIO STONE PROJECT IN THIS AREA. MAYBE NEXT WEEK OR MAYBE NEVER….THE STONES I WOULD USE WOULD BE MUCH SMALLER THAN THE ONES YOU SEE TEMPORARILY PLACED HERE

   

THAT PINE CONE ON LEFT IS FROM CALIFORNIA’S MOUNT PALOMAR AND WE PICKED IT UP ALONG THE ROAD TO THE MOUNT PALOMAR OBSERVATORY IN EARLY 2016 AND THAT LITTLE FELLOW ON THE DOOR WAS GIVEN TO US BY OUR GOOD FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS GAYLE AND RICHARD MANY MOONS AGO

IN THE FIRST BARREL I KEEP PEAT MOSS, MIDDLE BARREL IS POTTING SOIL, AND THE THIRD BARREL IS MULCH

 

SOON OUR PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS WILL BURST FORTH WITH BRIGHT YELLOW FLOWERS

Despite our cloudy skies and 62F temps it was a mighty fine day for working around outside in the gardens.  Walmart’s garden center has the best prices around for Spring plants so we came home with an Asiatic Lily plant, a clump of Golden Japanese Forest Grass, a swatch of Feathered Reed Grass, and a Peony plant.  Say, I wonder how my cactus gardens are doing on Ghost Town Road in Congress Arizona………….

OUR FRONT YARD IS REALLY FILLING IN FAST

WE SURE HAVE A LOT OF VARIOUS HOSTAS ON OUR PROPERTY AND EACH YEAR THEY EXPAND

 

PEONY PLANT AND FEATHER REED GRASS

 

GOLDEN JAPENESE REED GRASS AND AN ASIATIC LILY

ANOTHER FRONT YARD FLOWERING TREE-SHRUB WE HAVE FORGOT THE NAME OF

 

GREEN AS GREEN AS GREEN CAN BE

Looks like we have a bunch of rainy weather ahead of us so I’m not sure how Pheebs and I are going to handle that.  With our little bright yellow raincoats on I guess.  It was good that we took ourselves for a walk around the Park’s pine tree trail this afternoon while the weather is still good.

WE COULD TELL PHEEBS WAS SAD TODAY WHEN SHE SAW KELLY PACKING HER CAR

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A customer was bothering the waiter in a restaurant. First, he asked that the air conditioning be turned up because he was too hot, then he asked it be turned down cause he was too cold, and so on for about half an hour.  Surprisingly, the waiter was very patient, he walked back and forth and never once got angry. So finally, a second customer asked him why he didn't throw out the pest.  'Oh, I really don't care or mind,' said the waiter with a smile. 'We don't even have an air conditioner.'

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“I lost my rare deck of Tarot cards. I was sad. They cost me a fortune.”

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A woman who was driving down the highway pulled over to the side of the road when the policeman driving behind her turned on his lights and siren.  She didn't have her seat belt on so as soon as she stopped, she quietly slipped it on before the officer got to her window.  After talking to her about speeding, the officer said, "I see you are wearing your seat belt. Do you believe in wearing it at all times?"  "Yes, I do, officer," she politely replied.  "Interesting," said the officer. "Do you always loop it through your steering wheel like that?"