WE WOKE UP TO A WINTER WONDERLAND THIS MORNING

After the power winked off and on in the night we woke up to a wintery wonderland scene this morning.  A heavy wet snow lay across the land.  So heavy in fact, it brought one of our Basswood tree's small branches down which I had to pull to the side to get the Jeep out of the driveway.  A number of years ago when I lived in Stratford I remember it snowing on November 1st one time and that snow just kept kind of coming for the rest of winter till Spring.  I'm hoping this is not going to be a repeat of that kind of Winter.  So, with a picturesque snow scene this morning Pheebs and I started out with a drive around our Park.

 I SPOTTED LONG-TIME PARK RESIDENT GERALD IN MY SIDEVIEW MIRROR OUT WALKING A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORHOOD DOGS

 HALLOWEEN IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL THIS MORNING

 LOOKS LIKE A FROZEN GHOST TO ME

 THAT MIGHT BE A RED MAPLE TREE

 THE SMALL BASSWOOD BRANCH I HAD TO MOVE

 THIS WAS OUR FRONT YARD WHEN WE GOT UP THIS MORNING

 ABOUT HALF OF OUR REDBUD TREE LEAVES ARE NOW ON THE GROUND

From our Park, and with the morning's sun beginning to break through the clouds, we headed east out into our beautiful snow-laden countryside.  Our first stop was at our walking spot and despite a cold breeze, we did get ourselves a walk in.

 HEADING EAST OUT OF OUR PARK

 THE ROAD IS WET AND SLUSHY WHICH IS MUCH BETTER THAN ICY

HEADING TO OUR WALKING SPOT JUST UP THE ROAD THERE

 DESPITE A COLD BREEZE WE DID GET SOME WALKING IN

 A DIFFERENT-LOOKING BUSH LINE AND SKY FROM  MY TUESDAY MORNING PHOTO

 'COME ON DAYDYOU CAN DO IT'

 JUST STRUTTING RIGHT ALONG

ALMOST BACK TO THE JEEP

 PHEEBS ALWAYS TURNS HER HEAD BACK TO SEE IF I AM STILL COMING

 PHEEBS WAITS FOR ME TO HELP HER UP INTO THE PASSENGER SEAT

With sunshine, blue and dark gray skies, colorful Autumn leaves, snow-covered trees and a rolling white landscape, it made for a rare photo opportunity this morning.  So much so that I took 134 photos which I was able to edit down to 116.  Far too many for my blog post of course so I decided to put a number of them into a photo album which you can look at here at Winterwonderland Nov. 1 2023  If you like when you get there, look to the top right of the album for three little vertical dots.  Click those dots and then click 'Slideshow' on the menu that drops down.  Here is a nice piece of music to go along with the photo album....Our Winter Love by Bill Pursell.

Needless to say a chunk of my time today was spent editing all the photos I took this morning but that's okay.  I actually like editing photos so I don't mind doing it at all.  By the way, all of today's photos were taken with my Nikon CoolPix P900.    

I had forgotten to include a spooky version of Ghost Riders In The Sky in last night's Halloween post so here it is.  I've posted this video before and I like this version both visually and audibly. 

Al's Music Box:)) Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple is from their 1972 album, 'Machine Head'.  "Smoke on the Water" is easily identified by its central theme, developed by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. It is a four-note blues scale melody in G Minor, harmonized in parallel fourths. The riff, played on a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar by Blackmore, is later joined by a hi-hat and distorted organ, then the rest of the drums, then electric bass parts before the start of Ian Gillan's vocal.  Blackmore later claimed that the main riff is an interpretation of the inversion of Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven, and that "I owe him a lot of money".  Jon Lord doubles the guitar part on a Hammond C3 organ played through a distorted Marshall amp, creating a tone very similar to that of the guitar. Blackmore usually plays the main riff using a finger pluck.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A wealthy man died and went to heaven. He was met at the Pearly Gates by Saint Peter who led him down the streets of gold. They passed mansion after mansion until they came to the very end of the street. Saint Peter stopped the rich man in front of a little shack.“This belongs to you,” said Saint Peter.“Why do I get this ugly thing when there are so many mansions I could live in?” the man demanded.“We did the best we could with the money you sent us!” Saint Peter replied.

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The Top 10 Least Popular Halloween Handouts
Spinach flavored Rice Cakes.
Teeth removing Taffy
Metamucil in a straw
Ex-Lax Brownies
Caramel Covered Zucchini
Colored Crisco on a Stick
Hot steaming bowl of pumpkin guts
Chocolate Covered Prunes
A Handful of Red Man
Anything that ticks

STANDING THERE ON THAT GRAVEL ROAD

Why I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and stayed awake I don't know but it was the start of a long day because of it.  Imagine our surprise this morning when Kelly opened the living room window curtains to bright skies and no rain.  That was not what we had expected.  Pheebs and I did get out for a country road walk but it was only half of our half mile due to my hip bothering me.  Despite that, I marveled at the beautiful morning going on around us. Loafing along overhead under a deep blue sky were large white and gray puffy clouds.  Enthralled by nature's beauty unfolding in front of me I spotted something about twenty-five degrees above the horizon in the western sky that brought a warm knowing smile to my face.  It was my old long-time friend, Mr. Moon.  I gave him a wave and I think he returned a wink.  Standing there on that gravel road, I watched how the morning sunshine brought out the colors of a distant bush line.  Knowing that these nice weather morning walks would soon be at an end until next Spring, I took in all I could........while I could.  

 AS IT TURNS OUT, THERE WAS SNOW IN THOSE CLOUDS

 Here's my annual Halloween night memory about the night we moved here to our present digs....... Halloween night 21 years ago was cold & pouring rain.  I remember that specific night because it was the night we drove out of the old farmhouse lane near Fullarton Ontario for the very last time.  Kelly had gone on ahead of me in her little 323 Mazda loaded with last-minute household things.   I wasn't too far behind her with our 97 Dodge Ram pick-up truck loaded to overflowing with the very last of our possessions.  Just enough room in the cab for Max & I.  It would be another couple of years before we met Checkers & the Motormouse.  So, with windshield wipers slapping time in the darkened night & the truck heater keeping Max & I warm & toasty, we made the 40-minute drive to our new beginnings.  It was the night we moved from the cold & drafty old rented farmhouse we had lived in for 8 years to our newer home here in Bayfield Ontario.   It was Halloween night & despite a nasty 'trick' the weather was playing on us, it was a real 'treat' to be moving into our very own warm & very cozy little place. 

 THOSE WHITE FLECKS YOU SEE ON PHEEBS ARE SNOWFLAKES

 THIS IS OUR FIRST OFFICIAL SNOW OF THE 23/24 SEASON:((

 OUR BACK DECK

Al's Music Box:)) The Monster Mash was a 1962 song by Bobby (Boris) Pickett.  (Now you really didn't think I was going to let this one slide by on Halloween night did ya!!)  Pickett was an aspiring actor who sang with a band called the Cordials at night while going to auditions during the day. One night, while performing with his band, Pickett did a monologue in imitation of horror movie actor Boris Karloff while performing the Diamonds "Little Darlin". The audience loved it, and fellow band member Lenny Capizzi encouraged Pickett to do more with the Karloff imitation.  Pickett and Capizzi composed "Monster Mash" and recorded it with Gary S. Paxton, pianist Leon Russell, Johnny MacRae, Rickie Page, and Terry Berg, credited as "The Crypt-Kickers". Mel Taylor, drummer for the Ventures, is sometimes credited playing on the record as well, while Russell, who arrived late for the session, appears on the single's B-side, "Monster Mash Party".

A FLIGHT OF SANDHILL CRANES HEADING SOUTH LATE THIS MORNING

GROANERS CORNER:((  A customer at Green's Gourmet Grocery marveled at the proprietor's quick wit and intelligence.  "Tell me, Green, what makes you so smart?"  "I wouldn't share my secret with just anyone," Green replies, lowering his voice so the other shoppers won't hear. "But since you're a good and faithful customer, I'll let you in on it. Fish heads. You eat enough of them, you will be positively brilliant."  "You sell them here?" the customer asks.  "Only $4 apiece," says Green.  The customer buys three. A week later, he's back in the store complaining that the fish heads were disgusting and he isn't any smarter.  "You didn't eat enough, " says Green. The customer goes home with 20 more fish heads. Two weeks later, he's back and this time he's really angry.  "Hey, Green," he says, "You're selling me fish heads for $4 apiece when I can buy the whole fish for $2. You're ripping me off!"  "You see?" says Green. "You're getting smarter already!"

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What’s in a ghost’s nose?  Boo-gers.

What do ghosts wear when their eyesight gets blurry?  Spooktacles.

Why do female ghosts go on a diet?  So they can keep their ghoulish figure.

Where does a ghost go on vacation?  Mali-boo.

Why do demons and ghouls hang out together?  Because demons are a ghoul’s best friend!

What do you get when you put a spider on an ear of corn?  A cobweb.

What do you call a spider with 20 eyes?  A spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiider.

What kind of monster loves to boogy?  The boogieman.

Why didn’t the scarecrow eat dinner?  He was already stuffed.

What do you call a fat pumpkin?  A plumpkin.

How do you fix a broken jack-o’-lantern?  With a pumpkin patch.

Okay, Okay, that's enough of that for another Halloween:))

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