I CAN SEE A DAY COMING WHEN WE WILL NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE

 ROTARY COVE

Morning sunshine through the Pine trees is always a nice way to start the day.  Had that sunshine remained for the day it would have made for an even nicer.  But, November had its way again and socked us in under a heavy cloud cover for the rest of the day.

 A COLD WET GLOOMY LATE NOVEMBER AFTERNOON

A slow Jeep ride to Goderich found Pheebs and I following our usual routine route taking in a Mcdonalds' coffee, the harbor, and a stop at Walmart.  Nine items in my cart with no big ticket items came to over $90.  Bizarre!!  I can see a day coming when we will never leave the house and we will exist on pine cones, wild mushrooms, grass, and tree bark:(( 

 A FISHING BOAT MAKES IT'S WAY TO HARBOR WITH SUNDAY MORNINGS CATCH

 THE OCEAN-GOING FEDERAL BERING IN PORT LOADING GRAIN AT THE GODERICH GRAIN TERMINAL

 BOARDWALKING FRIENDS TAKE A BREAK

By mid-afternoon, our day had deteriorated into a cold rain and by the looks of our live radar weather map, we could be in for some snow tonight.  Monday morning will be another early start to our day............   

  BUNDLED UP FOR A COLD SUNDAY MORNING WALK ON PORTER'S HILL LINE

Al's Music Box:)) My Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder.  The song's instruments (with the exceptions of the horns and the strings) were recorded on November 8, 1967, at Hitsville USA. On November 17, the horns and strings were added at Golden World Records, one year before it was acquired by Motown. Wonder's vocals were added on January 15, 1968. 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  I am passing this on to you because it definitely works and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace.  Dr Phil proclaimed, "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished."  So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Kahlua, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos, and a box of chocolates and the rest of my half-gallon of Blue Bell Original Vanilla Bean ice-cream.  You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now. 

--------------------------------------

Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Dishes.
Dishes who?
Dishes the police! Come out with your hands up!

----------------------------------

The Fourth of July was coming up, and the nursery school teacher took the opportunity to tell her class about patriotism. "We live in a great country," she said. "One of the things we should be happy about is that, in this country, we are all free."  One little boy came walking up to her from the back of the room. He stood with his hands on his hips and said, "I'm not free. I'm four."

------------------------------------

 

WITH TODAY'S HAUL, THE BIRDS AND SQUIRRELS SHOULD BE IN GOOD SHAPE THIS WINTER

Sunshine:))  Need I say more?  Well, I guess I better.  Pheebs and I headed out straight away to our country road walking spot but it was more than just for a walk.  I knew there to be more broken corn cobs along the outer row of the east side recently harvested cornfield.  Despite the icy cold north wind, I was able to find half a dozen complete cobs and another dozen or so broken cobs.  Then, to add a bonus to my corn collection I found a corn spill just up the road which, with the cobs already in my pail, nearly filled it up.  Then, even a little further up the road, I found a real 'bonanza' of corn spilled beside the road in the grass.  However, my big frog-catching white pail was pretty much full so I had no room to scoop it up.  The first thing I did when we got back home was to check Sunday's weather and with it calling for snow I figured I had better get back out there and scoop up that corn while it was still dry and not buried under forty feet of snow.  So, that is what I did.  With today's haul, the birds and squirrels should be in good shape this winter, and maybe some bunnies too.  I will keep my bucket and shovel in the Jeep for a while in case we come across any more corn spills.  Always better to have too much than not enough.

 THE COBS OF CORN I FOUND THIS MORNING WERE ALONG THIS OUTER ROW NEXT TO THE GRASS AND THE ROAD

 BY GOLLY AND THERE BE THE CORN COBS IN THE FROG CATCHING PAIL NOW

 THIS IS THE FIRST SMALL CORN SPILL WE CAME ACROSS

As far as the rest of the day, it just sorta got up and went.  Well, I did get a few things done.  With the leaf blower, I blew all the leaves and tire dirt out of the carport.  Blew off the front porch and deck as well.  Raked up a few more driveway leaves and then headed in to get warm.  Got myself a load of laundry done too. Our temps today topped out at 34F with a windchill of 25F.

 WE STILL HAVE A FEW TOUCHES OF COLOR IN OUR FRONT YARD

Talking to my Aunt Jean Friday night, she is still liking Sarasota's Sunnyside Village where she's at now since moving there nearly half a year ago.  However, she is not in the same room that she originally moved into.  With ongoing renovations taking place and a nearby nursing station being expanded, Jean had to move out of her room nearly a month ago into another one.  Her first room was small but the room she is in now is even smaller.  In Jean's words, "I can walk in, but I have to back out".  Well not quite that small but you get the idea.  Her former room is already being renovated and incorporated into the new nursing station.  But, here's the good news....part of those renovations will include the building of a brand new room nearby and Jean has first dibs on that room when it is completed........ And, she just had all new tires put on her car this past week just in case she takes a hankerin to drive up to Canada next summer:))  Well at 96, maybe not, but those tires will get her around Sarasota for the next half dozen years without worries any of a flat.......................        

 THE WATER IN BOTH OUR BIRD BATHS IS FROZE.....I FORGOT TO CLEAN ALL THE SUNBURST LOCUST TREE LEAVES OUT BUT I WILL DO THAT AS SOON AS THE ICE THAWS

Al's Music Box:)) The Streets Of Laredo by Marty Robbins from his 1959 album, 'Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs'.  "Streets of Laredo" also known as "The Dying Cowboy", is a famous American cowboy ballad in which a dying ranger tells his story to another cowboy. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.....(I mistakenly added 2 Music Box songs tonight so rather than eliminate one of them I kept them both so you will find a John Denver song further down)   

 AND THIS IS THE 'BONANZA' CORN SPILL

Ellen's Groove:))  I can't remember if I posted this video or not but it is called My TOP 10 Favorite Bass Lines Volume 3.  Watch Ellen's fast fingerwork on the Geddy Lee song YYZ.  And, it's always nice to see and hear Ellen happily reacting with her Dad.

SO FAR, THIS IS MY WINTER CORN SUPPLY

Al's Music Box:)) Back Home Again "Back Home Again" is a popular song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter John Denver. "Back Home Again" was released as a single from his album of the same name in 1974.   The song won a CMA Award for Denver in 1975 in the category "Song of the Year", he was also named "Entertainer of the Year" at the same ceremony, prompting country pop singer Charlie Rich to light the envelope on fire after reading that Denver had won—in an apparent insult to Denver's musical style and image.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Joe from northern Montana, heard a rumor that his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had all walked on water on their 21st birthdays.  So, on his 21st birthday, Joe and his good friend Brian headed out to the lake. "If they did it, I can too!" he insisted.  When Joe and Brian arrived at the lake, they rented a boat and began paddling. When they got to the middle of the lake, Joe stepped off of the side of the boat... and damn near drowned.  Furious and somewhat shamed, he and Brian headed for home.  When Joe arrived back at the family farm, he asked his grandmother for an explanation. "Grandma, why can I not walk on water like my father, and his father, and his father before him?"  The feeble old grandmother took Joe by the hands, looked into his eyes, and explained, "That's because your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were born in January... you were born in July, dear."

-------------------------------

Two psychiatrists were walking down a hall.
One turned to the other and said, "Hello."
The other one thought, "I wonder what he meant by that."

-----------------------------

Why were the rock couple breaking up?
Because they took each other for granite.

Why did the rock decide to hit the gym?
Because he wanted to be bigger and boulder.

What did the stone want to be when it grew up?  A rock star.

Which rock group is made up of four men who can’t sing?  Mount Rushmore.

Which magazine do rocks subscribe to?
The Rolling Stone.

Why is a moon rock tastier than an earth rock?  Because it’s a little meteor.

-----------------------------------

NOT A GREAT DAY TO BE OUTSIDE WANDERING AROUND LOOKING FOR PHOTOS

It was nice waking up this morning knowing we didn't have to be anywhere at any specific time.  Next week so far we have three appointments.  Two dental appointments for Kelly and one appointment for Pheebs at the Groomers.  Well, that's so far anyway.  

 THE HORSE BLANKET GANG WAS OUT AND ABOUT AGAIN TODAY

Pheebs and I slowly cruised a few country roads searching for corn spills but all we found was one shovel full.  It was a typical drab overcast late November day with an icy north wind blowing giving our 32F temp's a chill factor of 19F.  And we had some Graupel in the air today too.  Not a great day to be outside wandering around looking for photos.  

 CANADA GEESE IN A KIND OF FLOATING X PATTERN

I finished my latest book, 'The Train Jumper' by Gwen Banta.  Despite a few dark twists and tragic turns, I did enjoy this book with its southern setting and humor.  It kept me on the edge of my seat and reminded me of my boyhood days back in the 1950s.  It's been a while since I last had my head stuck up into outer space to see what is happening so for my next read I chose 'The Alien Inquiry' by Steven D. McIntire.  I needed an emotional rest after reading The Train Jumper.  

 IT'S A GOOD THING THOSE SHEEP HAVE THEIR WOOLY SWEATERS ON TODAY

Al's Music Box:)) I Only Have Eyes For You The Flamingos recorded a doo-wop adaptation of "I Only Have Eyes for You" at Bell Sound Studios in New York City in 1958.  This recording has become recognized as a genre-defining work and has been included in numerous lists; it was ranked as the 73rd biggest hit of 1959 by Billboard, while Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number 158 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time.  In 2003, this recording by The Flamingos on End Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

 AN OLD WOODEN SWING SET

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A golfer was addressing his ball, getting ready to shoot.  Just as he was about ready to hit, a voice came over the p.a. system -  "Will the gentleman on the lady's tee please move back to the men's tee".  He looked up, looked back down and then resumed addressing the ball again.  The Voice again - "Will the Man on the Red tees PLEASE MOVE BACK to the White Tees?!"  He looked back at the starters shack and yelled,  "Will the IDIOT on the p.a. shut up so that the man on the lady's tee can hit his second shot"!

----------------------------------

- On social media, I posted, “If anyone mentions Christmas before Thanksgiving, I'm going to delete them!”  The next day, I didn’t have any friends.

- Why did the policeman stop you on your way home last Thanksgiving?  Because you far exceeded your feed limit.

- Why did the turkey stand on stilts?
Because nobody eats flamingoes for Thanksgiving dinner.

- You know you overdid it on Thanksgiving...when you cut yourself shaving and you bleed gravy!

---------------------------------

KELLY'S MEETING WITH THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST TODAY WENT FINE EXCEPT FOR ONE GLITCH

 IT WAS AN OKAY MORNING FOR A COUNTRY DRIVE NORTHWEST OF LONDON

Roads were bare and dry this morning as all three of us in the Subaru rolled out of the driveway at 8:34 heading for London's University Hospital.  I was hoping the rain would hold off until we got back.  It did.  Kelly's appointment with the Anesthesiologist was for 10 a.m.  At the time of posting tonight, it has rained again.  

ANOTHER BUSY DAY FOR AREA CORN DRYERS

 DESCENDING INTO LONDON

 DROPPING KELLY OFF AT THE HOSPITAL'S FRONT ENTRANCE

After dropping the Boss off at the hospital's main entrance at 9:35, Pheebs and I headed north out of London to Ten Mile Road and the Medway cemetery for a leg stretch.  From there we made our way northwest to Ilderton Ontario where I knew there to be a Tim Hortons coffee shop.  With coffee in hand, we continued northwest being careful to avoid the muddy gravel roads.  I knew there was a Conservation Area somewhere nearby so that is what we went looking for.  Well, we couldn't find it and the only thing I can figure, is that they must have moved it!!

 'ARE YOU SURE WE'RE NOT LOST AGAIN DAD!!'

 A LOT OF NICE COUNTRY PROPERTIES

 A DRAINAGE COMPANY BUSY IN A FARMER'S FIELD

 CLOUDY SKIES OVER A STILL STANDING CORN FIELD

Taking our time we slowly circled back around through the countryside in the direction of London and stopped at the Arva cemetery for a short cold and windy walk.  From there we drove to London's Masonville Mall parking lot not far from the hospital to await Kelly's call.  Twenty minutes later my cell phone rang and she was ready to be picked up so Pheebs and I scooped her at the main door and we headed north out of town.  We stopped at Lucan's Tim Hortons for some goodies to go and with sunshine beginning to break through the day's heavy cloud cover on the way home, we finally rolled into our driveway at 1:20 this afternoon. 

 A SHORT STOP AT THE ARVA CEMETERY

 AGAIN, IT WAS THE COLORS THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION

 HEADING BACK INTO LONDON THROUGH THE RICHMOND STREET CONSTRUCTION ZONE

 PAVING THE WEST SIDE OF RICHMOND STREET NORTH OF FANSHAWE ROAD

 WITH A MOMENTARY BREAK IN THE PAVING THE MACHINE OPERATOR GOT UP FROM HIS SEAT, STEPPED OVER A FEW THINGS THEN SPREAD HIMSELF OUT ATOP THE ENGINE COVER FOR THE WARMTH

 YEP, HE'S GETTING WARMED UP ALRIGHT

 FLATTENING OUT SOME STEAMY HOT PAVEMENT

 IN THE MASONVILLE MALL'S SOUTH PARKING LOT, SNOW REMOVAL MACHINES WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE SEASONS FIRST SNOW STORM

 KELLY CASUALLY SAUNTERS OUT THE HOSPITAL'S FRONT DOOR TO THE CAR AND YOU CAN SEE BY SUBIE'S CLOCK THAT IS IS 11:49 A.M.

Kelly's meeting with the Anesthesiologist today went fine except for one glitch.  One of the tests a couple days ago showed a slight concern so they want her to come back for a procedure.  The procedure is called an Angiogram.  An angiogram is a test that takes X-ray pictures of the coronary arteries and the vessels that supply blood to the heart. During an angiogram, a special dye is released into the coronary arteries from a catheter (special tube) inserted in a blood vessel. (Kelly's wrist) This dye makes the blood vessels visible when an X-ray is taken.  If a narrowing in the artery is found then it can be fixed right away by the insertion of a stent.  A stent is a small mesh tube typically used to hold open passages in the body, such as weak or narrowed arteries. Stents are often used to treat narrowed coronary arteries that provide the heart with oxygen-rich blood.  Stenting is a minimally invasive procedure, meaning it is not considered major surgery. Stents can be made of metal mesh, fabric, silicone, or combinations of materials.    

 HOW NICE IT WAS ON THE WAY HOME TO SEE SOME PATCHES OF BLUE SKY AND DRIVE THROUGH A FEW WELCOME SUN SPLASHES

 HEADING OUT TO SO SOME FIELD WORK BEFORE THE NEXT ROUND OF RAIN ARRIVES

Al's Music Box:)) Trail Of Broken Hearts by k.d.Lang.  Kathryn Dawn Lang was born November 2, 1961 and is known by her stage name k.d. lang.  She is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy awards for her musical performances. Hits include the songs "Constand Craving" and "Miss Chatelaine."  A mezzo-soprano lang has contributed songs to movie soundtracks and has collaborated with musicians such as Roy Orbison, Tony Bennett, Elton John, Ann Murray, Ann Wilson, and Jane Siberry.  In regards to 'Trail Of Broken Hearts'  Greg Penny and k.d. lang originally bonded over an Indian lunch. Producer/engineer Penny and his engineering colleague Joe Seta had signed on for some projects with Warner Bros., and the label flew Penny to Calgary, where lang was about to close the Winter Olympics with her version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”   Penny recalls. sitting down in an empty restaurant in the middle of the afternoon.  Lang asked Penny if he was a vegetarian. “The next thing she asked Penny was, ‘Are you listening to the music in this restaurant?’ And Penny said, ‘Yeah, it’s my favorite. I know all about this stuff.’ Ben said, ‘They tune the top two strings of the fiddle; that’s how they get that sound.’ And k.d. said, ‘That’s what I want to sound like. I want to sound like an Indian artist.’  “Penny said, ‘No problem. We can do that.’ And that’s where ‘Trail of Broken Hearts’ came from, tonally.”  Those bending tones are established right from the brief descending acoustic guitar intro that Mink plays and repeats periodically, and are carried through the song via lang’s brilliant vocals.  

GROANER'S CORNER:((  It is pouring rain in the flood plain of the Mississippi Valley, and the rising river begins to threaten all manner of private homes, including that of the local Rabbi.  With water coming into the ground floor, a rowboat with police comes by, and the officer shouts, "Rabbi, let us evacuate you! The water level is getting dangerous."  The Rabbi replies, "No thank you, I am a righteous man, who trusts in the Almighty, and I am confident he will deliver me." Three hours go by, and the rains intensify, at which point the Rabbi has been forced up to the second floor of his house.A second police rowboat comes by, and the officer shouts, "Rabbi, let us evacuate you! The water level is getting dangerous."  The Rabbi replies, "No thank you, I am a righteous man, who trusts in the Almighty, and I am confident he will deliver me."  The rain does not stop, and the Rabbi is forced up onto the roof of his house. A helicopter flies over, and the officer shouts down, "Rabbi, grab the rope and we'll pull you up! You're in terrible danger!"  The Rabbi replies, "No thank you, I am a righteous man, who trusts in the Almighty, and I am confident he will deliver me."  The deluge continues, and the Rabbi is swept off the roof, carried away in the current, and drowns. He goes up to heaven, and at the Pearly Gates, he is admitted and comes before the Divine Presence.  The Rabbi asks, "Dear Lord, I don't understand. I've been a righteous observant person my whole life and depended on you to save me in my hour of need. Where were you?"  And the Lord answered, "I sent two boats and a helicopter, what more did you want?"

------------------------------

Why did the Pilgrims eat turkey at Thanksgiving?
Because they couldn't get the moose in the oven!

What do Thanksgiving turkeys become after they die?
Poultrygeists.

What are turkeys most thankful for on Thanksgiving?
Vegans.

If pilgrims traveled on the Mayflower, what do college students travel on?
Scholar ships.

Why do turkeys love R-rated movies?
Because they use fowl language.

---------------------------------