TIS A YOUNG SWASHBUCKLING WEE LAD I FEEL AGAIN IT TIS

 AFTERNOON WALK

Some days it's just kinda okay to stay in, and after a short drive into Bayfield for Pheebs and I that is just what we did.  It was a cold gusting wind outside this morning and how nice to be home again and walk into a warm comfy cozy house.  And feel good to be there.  We didn't have to rush off anywhere and we didn't have any appointments to attend.  It was a good day to crank up our sunroom's gas-operated Vermont Castings stove and comfortably sink into my recliner with a cup of hot coffee and a good book in hand.

 IN OUR BACK YARD

I did slip out briefly to see if the Jeep would start but it wouldn't.  Turned the key, no clicking or clacking sounds but all the dash lights lit up.  I figured it was a good time to see if our new Moto-Master battery booster would work. Turned the key and got dash lights, but dead silence again.  I next tried jumpstarting the Jeep with regular jumper cables and the Subaru.  Same results, nothing:((((

Under a heavy overcast sky (no rain) and gusty winds, Pheebs coaxed me out for an afternoon walk over by the Park's pond. 

I recently finished my latest book, Moonfleet.  What a riveting page-turning tale this book was.  I sort of vaguely remembered something about an old English church with a large hidden vault underneath it when I think we studied this book in a high school literature class, but the strange thing is that there wasn't one single thing in the whole book I remembered from first reading it over sixty years ago.  Nothing.  But that's okay because I thoroughly enjoyed the story all over again as I must have the first time.  I loved J. Meade Falkner's English prose and writing style.  A true late 19th-century English storyteller.  I enjoyed the book so much that I decided for my next book I would remain in the same era and in the same country.  After some searching, I settled upon another novel and chose, The Secret Garden by author Francis Hodgson Burnett.  I've just started this book and I am already enthralled with what I am reading.  Again, I like the old English writing style.  It was about a year ago now that I also took a break from my usual heavier reading fare and comfortably settled in to read some books of fanciful imagination, whimsical adventure, page-turning suspense, intrigue, and touches of magic and mystical happenings. And it was all sprinkled in here and there to keep me enjoyably captivated.  These were the kinds of books I enjoyed so much as a boy and they are the books I now choose to read for the next little while here in my latter years.  Tis a young swashbuckling wee lad I feel again it tis:))        

LOOKING FORWARD TO MY NEXT BACKYARD CAMPFIRE IN THE SPRING

Al's Music Box:)) Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles from their 1966 album, 'Revolver'.  Paul McCartney said, The first few bars just came to me. And I got this name in my head – "Daisy Hawkins picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been." I don't know why ... I couldn't think of much more so I put it away for a day. Then the name "Father McCartney" came to me – and "all the lonely people". But I thought people would think it was supposed to be my dad, sitting knitting his socks. Dad's a happy lad. So I went through the telephone book and I got the name McKenzie.   The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney with significant lyrical contributions from John Lennon.  McCartney said that the idea to call his character "Eleanor" was possibly because of Eleanor Bron, the actress who starred with the Beatles in their 1965 film Help. "Rigby" came from the name of a store in Bristol, Rigby & Evens Ltd. McCartney noticed the store while visiting his girlfriend of the time, actress Jane Asher.  In an October 2021 article in The New Yorker, McCartney wrote that his inspiration for "Eleanor Rigby" was an old lady who lived alone and whom he got to know very well. He would go shopping for her and sit in her kitchen listening to stories and her crystal radio set. McCartney said, "just hearing her stories enriched my soul and influenced the songs I would later write."

GROANER'S CORNER:((  My first job was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned. I couldn't concentrate. Then I worked in the woods as a lumberjack, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the axe. After that, I tried to be a tailor, but I just wasn't suited for it - mainly because it was a sew-sew job. Next, I tried working in a muffler factory, but that was too exhausting. Then, I tried to be a chef - figured it would add a little spice to my life, but I just didn't have the thyme. I attempted to be a deli worker, but any way I sliced it I couldn't cut the mustard. My best job was a musician, but eventually I found I wasn't noteworthy. I studied a long time to become a doctor, but I didn't have any patience. Next, was a job in a shoe factory. I tried but I just didn't fit in. I became a professional fisherman but discovered that I couldn't live on my net income. I managed to get a good job working for a pool maintenance company, but the work was just too draining. So then I got a job in a workout center, but they said I wasn't fit for the job. After many years of trying to find steady work, I finally got a job as a historian - until I realized there was no future in it. My last job was working at Starbucks, but I had to quit because it was always the same old grind. So, I tried retirement and found that I'm perfect for the job!

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Tim: I wish I had the money to buy an elephant.

Tom: What do you want with an elephant?

Tim: Nothing, I just want the money.

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'AWWWWW NUTS!!!! THE JEEP WOULDN'T START AGAIN:((((

I think we're going to have to trade the Jeep in for a boat if doesn't stop raining.  It even knocked out our power for a while in the night.  I don't know how we went so fast from Summer's late warmth to November's wet, damp, and cold.  But we somehow did by the second week of October.  Oh well, at least this rain isn't coming down in the form of snow.  Now, there's a scary thought.

 OUR OFFICIAL RAIN GAUGE SHOWS WE RECEIVED HALF A WHEELBARROW LOAD OF WATER IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS

I had to get behind myself and push hard to get out the door into the cold rain-soaked morning.  Even at this age, staying inside and doing nothing is still not an option for me.  I just have to get out and go somewhere.  Anywhere, just as long as I don't start my day stuck sitting in the house.  And then..........the Jeep wouldn't start again!!!!!!!!!!!!! Same as before, turn the key, and nothing.  Totally dead.  And, that's all I have to say about that:((   

 IT WAS A VERY WET DRIVE TO GODERICH ON THIS COLD AND RAINY SUNDAY MORNING

 WITH THEIR BACKS TO THE COLD WIND-DRIVEN RAIN THIS GROUP OF HORSES HOLD THEIR GROUND

 FOR A BRIEF MOMENT SKIES LIGHTENED

Transferring to the Subaru, Pheebs and I headed off to Goderich under a heavy cloud cover and sheets of driving rain being blown by high winds.  Coffee to go at McDonalds, down to the harbor, and out around Rotary Cove.  A quick stop at Zehr's Supermarket and we were on our way home still in the rain.  From the time we left Bayfield this morning until the time we arrived home, the rain never let up.  Water, water, everywhere.

 DARK OMINOUS SKIES OVER LAKE HURON AT ROTARY COVE

 BUNDLED UP AGAINST THE COLD WIND-DRIVEN RAIN

Despite not feeling the absolute best, Kelly wasn't going to let Thanksgiving slip by without turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, turnips, and pumpkin pie.  Yes, we sure do eat well here.   

 THE HARBOR TUG OCEAN A SIMARD MANEUVERS AROUND IN HEAVY RAIN IN GODERICH'S HARBOR

Thanks for the birthday wishes folks.  Yes, twas my 79th birthday yesterday.  I generally keep it low-key but some folks have an unerring knack for remembering birthdays I guess.  It's a good thing they do I suppose because it's the kind of thing that could easily slip right past me.   

 HEADING HOME UNDER RAINY SKIES

Al's Music Box:)) Honky Tonk Man by Dwight Yoakam from his 1986 album, 'Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Etc.'  Originally written and sung by Johnny Horton.  This is the song I would always belt out while riding my motorcycle.  And I knew all the words too.  Sometimes even now when out walking and feeling particularly chipper, I will still on occasion, with my head tilted up, let fly with Honky Tonk Man:))  

 DID YOU NOTICE THE PRESENCE IN THE SKY AT THE TOP LEFT OF THE PHOTO

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A little boy had been pawing over the stock of greeting cards at a stationery store.  After a few minutes, the clerk became curious and asked, "Just what is it you're looking for, sonny? Birthday greeting? Message to a sick friend? Anniversary congratulations to your mom and dad?"  The boy shook his head, "No."  "Then what kind of card is it that you want?" asked the clerk.  The boy answered wistfully, "Got anything in the line of blank report cards?"

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Little Johnny's father noticed that Johnny was spending way too much time playing computer games.  In an effort to motivate Little Johnny into focusing more attention on his schoolwork, his father said, "When Abe Lincoln was your age, he was studying books by the light of the fireplace."
Little Johnny replied, "When Abe Lincoln was your age, he was The President of the United States."
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LOOKS LIKE I WILL BE GETTING MY VERILUX HAPPY LIGHT OUT EARLY THIS YEAR

 ROUGH LAKE HURON WATERS TODAY

An overnight cold rain heralded in cooler weather dropping our temps into the low 50Fs.  Gusting 30 mph wind gusts today drove the wind chill factor down into the forties somewhere.  A few short sunbursts through the overcast failed to charge up my waning enthusiasm for the day.  With the jeep's heater cranked up and Pheebs window down, it was a short Jeep ride into Bayfield and back.  Looking ahead at the long-range weather forecast I see very few sunny days for the next two weeks.  It's mainly rain and grey cloudy days.  Very Novemberesque and at the time of posting this tonight we are under a cold rain:((((  Looks like I will be getting my Verilux Happy Light out early this year.........

 THESE BOATS WERE BOBBING AND SWAYING IN THIS MORNING'S WIND

 MORE AND MORE EMPTY BIRTHS EACH DAY AS BOATS ARE LIFTED OUT OF THE WATER AND MOVED TO STORAGE

A LONE FISHERMAN BUNDLED UP AGAINST THE MORNING'S COLD

 THAT BLUE DEVICE IS ONE OF TWO THAT LIFTS THE BOATS OUT OF THE WATER

 THE SOUNDS OF METAL CLINKS AND TINKLES COULD BE HEARD AS THE BOATS SHIFTED AND SWAYED IN THEIR MOORINGS

A few months ago, Kelly's daughter Rebecca, husband Ricardo, and daughter Ella, moved to Spain.  They are house hunting there at the moment.  Below, are a few photos Rebecca sent of Ella in Spain.

 LITTLE ELLA IN SPAIN

 WELL, I GUESS SHE'S NOT SO LITTLE ANYMORE....I THINK SHE IS GOING TO BE A BASKETBALL PLAYER

 HMMM, WITH THAT MOUNTAIN IN THE BACKGROUND I THINK I WOULD LIKE IT IN SPAIN

My son Sean is still in Los Angeles attending the PMA music conference.  Also this week, he and music partner Tony Lind have released their recent music collaboration which was actually mastered at Abbey Road Studios in England.  Standing On Stars.  In a Facebook message to me here is how Sean explained how this project all came together.  So, on this project, I wrote three of the songs, and Tony wrote three of them. Tony is one of my writing partners. He does all the guitar work. I have used him on projects for the last 15 years or so. Just a phenomenal talent. I do all of the vocals, so everything you hear is me. I do most of the keyboards as well, and then I do all of the mixing. So basically, he sends me all his parts, I load them in at my studio and then I mix the entire album. As far as arrangements go, they are pretty much how we wrote them. I might suggest something on his and vice versa just to tighten things up a little bit. The CEO and owner of my label… The guy who wanted me to come down to LA this week… has three different record labels. He has two here in Canada, which are distributed through a large distributor out of the US and he has one label in the UK, which is distributed through their network. The CEO, his name is Ross felt that this project would be a good contender for the United Kingdom so he submitted it to them. They agreed and approved it. They have a working arrangement with Abbey Rd., Studios, that made it certain it would get mixed and mastered at Abbey Road so that’s how that worked out. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that my music would be mixed and mastered at Abbey Rd. Studios.

Just like leaves, it is the time of year when we also have a big dump of pine needles so it was outside I was with my leaf rake, wheelbarrow, and pitchfork this afternoon. I could wait until later when all the needles and leaves are down but I want to rake them up now and begin depositing the wheelbarrow loads on what will be my newer rearranged flower beds. Winter's snow weight will pack down all those leaves and needles making it harder for ground covers and weeds to get through next year. In the Spring I hope to top all those flattened leaves and needles with a good layer of bark chips. I like the Fall clean-up just about as much as the Spring clean-up. And, besides all that, this is some much-needed exercise for me.

THESE ARE THE PINE NEEDLES I WILL RAKE UP IN COMING DAYS AND WEEKS TO PUT ON THE FLOWER BEDS

 THREE WHEELBARROW DUMPS OF PINE NEEDLES AND LEAVES

And, twas but a few days over a year ago that we spent this lovely day near Collingwood Ontario.....On The Bruce Trail This Morning At Metcalf Rock 

Al's Music Box:)) Drive by The Cars from their 1984 album, 'Heartbeat City.  A nice song and I liked it right from the first time I heard it.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  The warden catches Paddy leaving the vicinity of the reservoir with a bucket of fish.  "Aha! I've caught you poachin' fish red-handed," says the warden.  "What do you mean, red-handed?" says Paddy.  "You've got a bucket full of 'em right there. You can't talk your way out of it this time."  "Oh, you don't understand," says Paddy, "I've not poached a thing. These are me pet fish.  I bring 'em to the reservoir once a week for exercise.  After they've had a good swim, they come back to the bucket and we go back home."  "Do ya expect me to believe such a tale?"  "I can prove it." says Paddy.  So they walk back to the reservoir and Paddy dips the bucket in and the fish swim away.  They stand in silence for 40 minutes with no sign of the fish coming back to the pail.  Ha, ya lying rogue! shouts the warden.  "Where are your fish?"  "What fish?" answers Paddy.

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