I JUST BLENDED RIGHT IN AND DIDN'T LOOK OUT OF PLACE

ON OUR WAY TO GODERICH THIS MORNING

A pink sunrise this morning didn't last long and we spent most of the day under cloudy skies.  Despite the 37F temperature first thing, Pheebs and were still able to cruise along with her window down and the Jeep's heater going.

 WE SAW OLD LONESOME ALONG THE WAY

 EDITING THIS LONG TELEPHOTO AND SLIGHTLY BLURRY SHOT TODAY I NOTICED OLD LONESOME HAS A LITTLE PAL

 STILL NICE TO SEE ROLLING GREEN HILLS

 HEADING NORTH ON PORTERS HILL LINE WITH A FEW BRIEF SUNSPLASHES ALONG THE WAY

Needing to drop off a prescription we headed on up to Goderich, grabbed a coffee to go at McDonalds and headed down to the harbor.  I spotted a large ship heading into port so Pheebs and I waited around and watched it come all the way in and tie up at the ??

 SPOTTED THIS LARGE SHIP OUT ON LAKE HURON HEADING FOR THE PORT OF GODERICH

 A TUGBOAT HEADING OUT TO ESCORT THE BIG SHIP IN

 THE TUGBOAT  OCEAN A. SIMARD GUIDES THE OCEAN GOING LYULIN CAREFULLY TOWARDS THE OUTER HARBOR

 I WONDER IF THAT IS THE CAPTAIN I CAN SEE THROUGH A WINDOW ON THE BRIDGE

 SLOWLY MOVING PAST THE OUTER BREAKWALL

 ENTERING THE NARROW CHANNEL LEADING TO THE INNER HARBOR

We often see ships in the harbor loading their cargo but it's not often we get to see a ship actually enter the harbor and tie up to a dock.  It's a slow process but an interesting one to watch and especially so when the crew members throw down the small ropes to the men on the quay below.  Those small ropes are attached to heavier ropes (Hawsers) which are slung around steel Bollards (posts) to secure the ship tightly to the dock.   

 EASING THROUGH THE NARROW HARBOR CHANNEL

 A GENTLE SMILE FROM A SALTY SAILOR

 THE LYULIN CAREFULLY APPROACHES THE GRAIN ELEVATOR'S LOADING SHUTE

READYING THE HEAVY LINES THAT SECURE THE SHIP'S BOW TO THE DOCK

From the harbor, we headed to A&W in Goderich's east end for a double buddy burger.  I think it was way back last summer sometime when Pheebs and I last shared a double buddy burger.  OF COURSE, with a clean pair of pants on this morning, I had to go and drip a greasy mixture of mustard and ketchup on them.  And I hadn't even been to Walmart yet so with three blobs of goop on my pants off we went over to Walmart.  I didn't have to worry about that though because with all the other Walmartians in there, I just blended right in and didn't look out of place.

 PHEEBS CHECKS THE A&W MENU

 ANXIOUSLY WAITING AT THE PICK-UP WINDOW FOR OUR DOUBLE BUDDY BURGER TO APPEAR AND MY FACE HAS TAKEN ON THE REFLECTED ORANGE COLOR OF THE A&W BUILDING

 IN THE WALMART PARKING LOT WE SAW THIS FELLOW WITH HIS DOG AND I'M GUESSING THAT IS THEIR HOME ON WHEELS RIGHT BEHIND THEM 

With a few groceries in hand and a few drops of rain on the windshield, Pheebs and I headed for home.  With temps barely reaching 40F and clouds overhead I couldn't drum up any enthusiasm for heading back outside.

Al's Music Box:)) Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On by Jerry Lee Lewis.  Lewis had been performing the song in his stage act and recorded it at his second recording session for Sun Records in February 1957. Supervised by producer Jack Clement, Lewis radically altered the original, adding a propulsive boogie piano that was complemented by J.M. Van Eaton's energetic drumming and Roland Janes' "muted" guitar and also added suggestive spoken asides.  Clement, told Lewis when he entered the studio, "We don't do much country around here. We're in the rock & roll business. You ought to go home and work up some rock & roll numbers." Lewis later stated: "I knew it was a hit when I cut it. Sam Phillips thought it was gonna be too risqué, it couldn't make it. If that's risqué, well, I'm sorry."  The song was a hit and Lewis became an instant sensation.  Music writer Robert Gordon noted: "Jerry Lee began to show that in this new emerging genre called rock 'n' roll, not everybody was going to stand there with a guitar."

GROANER'S CORNER:(( I was traveling with my wife in Kanyakumari, India, one of the windiest places on Earth. Braving our way through the crosswind, we made our way to the tollbooth where I asked a bespectacled attendant, "What do you guys do in Kanyakumari when the wind quits?"  Adjusting his rims, the guy answered, "We take the rocks out of our pockets."

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- When I was a little boy, I used to be afraid of the dark...Now as an adult, I see the electric bill and I'm afraid of the light!

- They say money talks.....mine just waves goodbye.

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A man climbs to the top of Mt. Sinai and gets close enough to talk to God. Looking up, he asks the Lord, "God, what does a million years mean to you?" The Lord replies, "A minute."  The man then asks, "And what does a million dollars mean to you?" The Lord replies, "A penny."  Then he asks,"Can I have a penny?" The Lord replies, "In a minute."

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SHE ALWAYS LOOKS BACK TO SEE IF OLD SLOW POKE ME IS STILL COMING

 SUNSHINE IN THE BANNOCKBURN CONSERVATION AREA

Pheebs and I ventured out under mostly cloudy skies this morning slowly wending our way East along Bayfield River Road to Parr Line.  A right turn took us to Varna and we turned left once again heading East.  The first crossroad we reached was the Bannockburn Line and we turned left there and slowly headed north through a forested area.

 A FEW MILES EAST OF OUR PARK THESE POWER LINES CROSS BAYFIELD RIVER ROAD

A ROLLING FIELD OF WINTER WHEAT

 I'VE ALWAYS LIKED THE LOOK OF THIS COUNTRY PROPERTY

 AND IT EVEN HAS A HIDDEN AWAY SUGAR SHACK IN THE BUSH

Reaching the Bannockburn Conservation Area we decided to pull in and take a walk along the boardwalk sheltered from the morning's cool wind by stands of pine and cedar trees.  The usual passive creek running through there was a fast-flowing torrent after recent rains.  The sound of rushing water dominated the quiet forest setting.  In my opinion, this is one of the nicest Conservation areas in the area.  The first third of the Area is easy walking along a boardwalk that leads into a hardwood forest of hills and dales.  

 FROM THE PARKING LOT, PHEEBS  EAGERLY HEADS INTO THE CONSERVATION AREA

 THE BOARDWALK IS ALWAY WELL MAINTAINED

 BANNOCKBURN RIVER

 NORMALLY, THIS IS A PASSIVE LITTLE NARROW WALK ACROSS CREEK

 HMMMM, DO YOU SUPPOSE WE ARE UNKNOWINGLY STANDING AT THE FOOT OF A VERY LARGE GREEN DINOSAUR??

 FROM THE FLAT SWAMPY LANDSCAPE THAT BOARDWALK UPPER RIGHT LEADS TO THE HILLY HARDWOOD BUSH

 WHERE THE BOARDWALK ENDS AT THE TREE LINE AN OLD SET OF WOODEN STEPS LEAD UP INTO THE UPPER FOREST

It's been a few years since I last walked the long forested looping Bannockburn trail.  This morning it was the first third of the trail we did before returning to the Jeep.  From there, we headed on back home for our usual hot dog breakfast.

 HEADING BACK TO THE JEEP IT WAS GREAT TO SEE CLEARING BLUE SKIES

 IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU CAN SEE PHEEBS CROSSING THE IRON BRIDGE

 PHEEBS ALWAYS STOPS TO LOOK BACK TO SEE IF OLD SLOW POKE ME IS STILL COMING

Wanting to take advantage of the feeling-good overhead sunshine and above-seasonable temperatures I was once again on the end of my leaf rake.  The thunder and lightning and wind-driven rain storm that went through here a couple nights ago had brought even more leaves and pine needles down, especially in our backyard.  I guess I must like raking up stuff because if I didn't I wouldn't be doing it.        

 HEADING HOME WE SAW A FEW SHEEP

 NOW HOW DID THAT LITTLE BROWN GUY GET IN THERE WITH ALL THOSE BIG BLACK GUYS??

Al's Music Box:)) Hit The Road Jack is a song written by the rhythm and blues singer Percy Mayfield and recorded by Ray Charles in 1961.  It was a U.S. number 1 hit and won a Grammy Award for best rhythm and blues recording.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Two girls were having coffee when one noticed that the other girl seemed troubled and asked her, "Is something bugging you? You look anxious."  "Well, my boyfriend just lost all his money and life savings in the stock market," she explained.  "Oh, that's too bad," the other girl sympathized. "I'm sure you're feeling sorry for him."  "Yeah, I am," she said. "He'll really miss me."

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Q: What did the baby seal say when it was late?

A: "I would have been here sooner, but my iceberg hit a ship."

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Why did the taxi driver give up his job?

Because people kept talking behind his back.

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If you are in Alabama and you come upon a person driving 15 mph down the middle of the road, remember that most folks here learn to drive on a tractor and that this is the proper speed and position for that vehicle.

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