FROM THE ISLE OF WIGHT SHORES TO ALGIERS, MALTA, VENICE, POSTSMOUTH ENGLAND AND BACK TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT I DID GO

 BAYFIELD'S CLAN GREGOR SQUARE

It was a chilly 48F damp, windy, and rainy wet morning that greeted us today.  Pheebs and I took a drive into Bayfield following our usual route down around the beach and harbor area, main street, and a swing by Clan Gregor Square.  

FIVE FISHING BOATS DOCKED IN THE BAYFIELD RIVER

 THERE ARE ONLY ABOUT A DOZEN OR SO BOATS LEFT IN THE WATER WAITING TO BE LIFTED OUT AND PUT INTO STORAGE FOR THE WINTER

SOON WILL BE THE DISMANTLING OF ALL THESE EMPTY DOCKS

Clan Gregor Square's old Maple Trees are showing off their Autumn finery so I drove around the Square's perimeter snapping a few pics of the colors.

With all the water that has fallen out of the sky lately combined with the late season, it is no wonder that the local bean and corn harvest this year is late and on hold.  When the ground finally dries up enough to support heavy farm machinery again, farmers are going to have to go fast like Jack The Bear to get the harvest in before the fields are covered in snow.  Being a farmer has got to be a very stressful life, and especially so when unpredictable weather determines almost every farm-related decision they make.  

Monica, our good neighbor across the road, leaves today for her place in Florida to spend the winter months in sunshine and warm temperatures.  Kelly and I slipped over to wish her a good Winter.

With the cloud cover spritzing rain, any outside activities were curtailed so it was a stay inside day again.  Oh well, at least I have my latest adventure-packed book to read.  With the book's main character Tom, I have so far excitedly and suspensefully traveled under sail from the shores along the Isle Of Wight in the middle of the night, across the English Channel into the Atlantic Ocean, through the Bay Of Biscay, down around the Straits of Gibraltar, and into the Mediterranian Sea to the packed streets of sweaty Algiers on Africa's northern coast.  From Algiers to the secretive Island of Malta, then North around the boot of Italy to the teeming waterways of Venice.  With the book's main character, I have just under the cloak of secrecy this afternoon boarded a three-masted cannon-ladened merchant ship awaiting dawn's early tide to hurriedly set sail for England.  Suspense and intrigue every step of the way have made this book a real page-turner for me.  I am enjoying it immensely.  This award-winning book has been described as 'Full of historical facts, and a little fiction as well'.  Slave To Fortune  Update:: I wrote the preceding paragraph earlier today not knowing I would go on to finish the book late this afternoon.  I consider this to be one of the best books I have ever read and it wasn't until after the climactic ending when I read the Epilogue that the icing was truly put on the cake for me.  All the way through the book I thought I was reading a fictionalized story based on historical fact.  I was only half right.  I assumed the characters were fictional when in fact they were not.  A tremendous amount of detailed research has gone into this book by the author, DJ Munroe.  In the epilogue, he explains his research and ties all the loose factual strings together and that was what put the true icing on the cake:)))))

And ten years ago tonight we were pulling an overnighter in Concordia Kansas parked not too far away from army tanks and buzzing airplanes.  Des Moines Iowa to Concordia Kansas    

Al's Music Box:)) Crying , a duet by Roy Orbison and kd Lang from Roy Orbison's 1992 album, 'King Of Hearts'.  This version of CRYING is a little slower than the original and had a "country" harmonica feel to match kd lang's early country music career. Roy personally chose kd for this song.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( I once spent ten years marooned on a tropical shore...I lived on nothing but coconuts and seafood. I fashioned sandals out of leaves, a hut out of grass and sticks, and I kept myself healthy with wild plants.  One day I was scouring the beach for copper wire to build the radio I was working on, and I came across a small white spheroid about 2" in diameter that I had difficulty biting.  The mystery was solved when a man stepped out of the trees and said, "That's mine." Astonished, I asked him, "Where did you come from?"  He said, "From the golf resort just the other side of those trees."

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- I waited and stayed up all night and tried to figure out where the sun was.  Then it dawned on me.

- I bought some shoes from a drug dealer.
I don’t know what he laced them with, but I’ve been tripping all day.

- I’ve decided to sell my Hoover – it was just collecting dust.

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The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it is safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine when she asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals to blind people when the light is red.  She responded, appalled, 'What on earth are blind people doing driving?'

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WE'LL MOVE ON FROM THERE TO CONFRONT THE CHALLENGES OF THE NEXT HURDLES

 BAYFIELD RIVER ROAD OUTSIDE OUR PARK THIS MORNING

Rain continued through the night and on into the earlier parts of today making for a wet morning drive to Goderich and back for Pheebs and I.  Hey, at least the rain wasn't snow.

 TURNING RIGHT OUT OF OUR PARK IT WAS A DARK RAINY MORNING WE EMBARKED UPON THIS MORNING

 SPLASHING OUR WAY NORTH ALONG PORTER'S HILL LINE

Again, it was a routine drive with all our usual stops thrown in.  McDonalds coffee and.....well you know.  We were home again by 11 with intermittent rain continuing through the afternoon.  It was a good day to spend in our cozy warm sunroom tipped back in my recliner reading.  We have the RV all packed and ready to pull out first thing in the morning.  Oh wait.......that was before and this is now.  Nuts!!!!

 A RATHER BOXY LOOKING MERCEDES BEND RV AT McDONALDS

 NOT EVEN A RAINY DAY IS GETTING IN THE WAY OF THIS FELLOW AND HIS EXERCISE PROGRAM

Kelly's sleeping pill did not work for her last night and she said she was itching from the bottom of her feet to the insides of her eyelids.  It made for another difficult day for her.

 HEADING HOME

A jangling telephone roused me out of my afternoon siesta.  Kelly answered and it was her liaison lady from London's University Hospital.  Kelly has an appointment to meet with the head surgeon next Thursday.  And, this meeting comes with a new hiccup.  I can't begin to explain this medically, but it has to do with Kelly's 'high' antibodies and the three blood transfusions she has received over the past year or so.  Those transfusions have in fact negatively upped her antibodies number and studies have shown that people with that high number are less likely to do well with their liver transplants.  This is one of the things next Thursday's meeting will hinge on and address.  If, after that meeting, the head surgeon approves the liver transplant, then additional medical tests will be set up for Kelly and we'll move on from there to confront the challenges of the next hurdles.

Al's Music Box:)) Make The World Go Away by Eddie Arnold was a 1965 single release.  Hank Cochran wrote the song while he was on a date at a movie theater in 1960 when the film inspired him. He left the theater quickly, and by the time he got home fifteen minutes later he had composed "Make the World Go Away".

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The artist tried to concentrate on his work, but the attraction he felt for his model finally became irresistible. He threw down his palette, took her in his arms and kissed her.  She pushed him away. "Maybe your other models let you kiss them," she said.  "I've never tried to kiss a model before," he swore.  "Really?" she said, softening, "How many models have there been?"  "Four," he replied, "A jug, two apples, and a vase."

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- I ordered new coats for my kids...

For convenience, I had them shipped directly to their school’s lost and found section.

- Whose cruel idea was it for the word "lisp" to have an "s" in it?

- You know, not all Italians are in the mafia.
Some are in the Witness Protection Program.

The 1st time I went skydiving I asked the instructor how long it would take to hit the ground if my parachute didn't open.  He got a sly smile and said, "The rest of your life son."

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MY NEW HAT

When Kelly drew back our east-facing living room curtains this morning she said she could see an orange sunrise through the trees.  She said she didn't think it would last long, and it didn't.  At the time of posting tonight, we are under a cold rain.

 JUST ABOUT ALL OF AUTUMN'S COLOR IN ONE MAPLE LEAF

It was Richard's turn to drive today for our bi-monthly country road morning coffee tour so he picked me up at the end of our driveway about 9:30 and off we went under cloudy skies.  Our travels took us through Bayfield, and northeast of Bayfield through the scenic countryside with a swing back through Clinton.  We do enjoy our bi-monthly Thursday morning coffee tours and muffins with accompanying conversation:))

 AT THE END OF OUR DRIVEWAY WAITING FOR THE BURGUNDY VAN

 KELLY HEADS OUT FOR THE BAYFIELD LIBRARY

 WE CAME ACROSS THIS INTERESTING TREE ON OUR TRAVELS EARLIER TODAY

AND WHAT THE BIG DARN HECK IS GOING ON WITH CLINTON'S TIM HORTON COFFEE SHOP??  DID THEY HAVE A FIRE. GO OUT OF BUSINESS, OR ARE THEY RENOVATING????

A few patches of sunlight had me outside again this afternoon raking and placing more wheelbarrow loads of pine needles around on our flower beds.  I am determined to minimize the ground cover weeds from erupting forth in the Spring.  The pine needle drop is pretty much over but we have the hardwood leaves (maple, poplar, oak, etc.) to fall yet so I will be adding a layer of those leaves on top of the pine needles as well.  I plan to top it all off with wood chips in the Spring.

I've had it in mind now for a while to change my style of hats I have been wearing for the past fifteen years or so.  I liked the style of hat I've seen my son wearing in a few photos so I've decided that if that type of hat looks good on him, it is bound to look less good on me, but I'll take my chances.  So, I mentioned it to Kelly a few days ago and today UPS arrived with my new hat and a pair of pajamas.  For not being a hat wearer for the majority of my life I found in recent years with my light-sensitive eyes that I needed to keep them in the shadow of a hat brim.  It's also the same reason I always drive with my sunvisor down, even on cloudy days.  Anyway, brace yourself for a few photos of my new hat with my face under it. 

 IT'S CALLED A 'NEWSBOY' HAT

THE HAT IS FROM THE BAY

A bright spot has opened up for Kelly and we are now in talks with an anonymous live liver donor.  We are in the early stages of talks and tests.  Nothing nailed down yet.  Although Kelly had a better night's sleep due to the help of a sleeping pill, the Pruritus (itching) intensified earlier today and she did not have a good afternoon.  She ended up being sick with a headache and felt increasingly weak.

 THIS LITTLE FELLOW ALONG WITH HALF A DOZEN OF HIS BUDDIES LIVE AMONGST THE ROCKS SURROUNDING OUR FRONT YARD FROG POND

So, it's October 19th again and every year, with the exception of last year when I forgot, I include this post that I wrote back in October of 2009.  It's about an event that changed the direction of my life.  One Day At A Time  As of today, I have been sober 44 years.

 AN OWLY-LOOKING STUMP IN OUR FRONT YARD

Al's Music Box:)) Fool If You Think It's Over by Chris Rhea is a song written, composed, and sung by Chris Rhea for his 1978 album, 'Whatever Happened To Benny Santini'.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( When the wise company president learned that his employees were tanking up on no-trace vodka martinis during their lunch hours, he issued the following memo:  To all employees; If you must drink during your lunch hours, please drink whiskey. It is better for our customers to know you're drunk than to think you're stupid.

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If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?

Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?

What hair color do they put on the drivers licenses of bald men?

If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a race car not called a racist?

You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.

No one ever says 'It's only a game' when their team is winning.

Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?

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Mr. Dewey was briefing his client, who was about to testify in his own defense.  "You must swear to tell the complete truth. Do you understand?"  The client replied that he did.  The lawyer then asked, "Do you know what will happen if you don't tell the truth?"  The client looked back and said, "I imagine that our side will win."

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I LIKE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS

Another cloudy day but not as cold as the previous few days.  It was a wee doddle around a few nearby country roads for Pheebs and I this morning.  Heading south on Tipperary Line it was exactly 9:58 a.m. when a slim ray of sunshine pierced the cloud cover traveling at 186,000 miles per second and softly alighted on my left cheek.  I like it when that happens:)) 

 A THICK STAND OF SUMAC TREES ON PORTER'S HILL LINE

IDLE FARM MACHINERY AWAITS IT'S NEXT BUSY DAYS IN THE FIELD

Home again, and with larger patches of sunshine beginning to appear through the cloud cover, I raked up some more backyard pine needles.  I also started packing up all the car cleaning stuff and putting everything into bins.  Those bins will spend the winter in the house because otherwise all that liquid cleaning and waxing stuff would freeze up and burst their containers.  I also wasted a block of time walking around the yard back and forth looking for my green-handled clippers which turned out to be in my coat pocket all the time.

ONE OF OUR FRONT YARD'S FLOWERING SHRUBS IS STILL FLOWERING

AND WE STILL HAVE GERANIUMS BLOOMING

 SUNBURST LOCUST LEAVES IN OUR BIRD BATH

With glorious sunshine this afternoon, Pheebs took me for a longer walk back down around the south end of our Park.  My hip did okay but my legs were very sore by the time we got back.

 TWO PAINTED TURTLES SUN THEMSELVES ON A LOG IN OUR PARK'S POND

 WE CROSSED PATHS WITH A CRICKET

No word from University Hospital on Kelly's additional appointments yet so maybe they won't be this week after all.  Finally, with the aid of newly prescribed sleeping pills, Kelly has finally been able to have a few decent night's sleep but her increasing itching is beginning much earlier in the day now.  

Al's Music Box:)) Here Comes The Rain Again by the Eurythmics from their 1983 album, 'Touch'.  This song was written by band members Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox.  Stewart also said he and Lennox wrote the song while staying at the Mayflower Hotel in New York City. It was an overcast day, and Stewart was playing "melancholy A minor-ish chords with the B note in it" on his Casio keyboard. Lennox came over, looked out the window at the gray skies and the New York skyline, and spontaneously sang, "Here comes the rain again". The duo worked out the rest of the song based on that mood.

 A PARK POND REFLECTION

GROANER'S CORNER:(( I was signing the receipt for my credit card purchase when the clerk noticed that I had never signed my name on the back of the credit card. She informed me that she could not complete the transaction unless the card was signed.  When I asked why, she explained that it was necessary to compare the signature on the credit card with the signature I just signed on the receipt.  So I signed the credit card in front of her. She carefully compared that signature to the one I signed on the receipt. As luck would have it, they matched.

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I know a surgeon who puts organs back in upside down.  He says it’s an inside joke.

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