AND THEN 'POOF' IT WAS GONE

 ERECTED IN 1847 THIS GODERICH LIGHTHOUSE IS THE LONGEST STANDING LIGHTHOUSE ON LAKE HURON'S CANADIAN SHORELINE

An orangy pink sunrise through our pine trees lasted only a few minutes and then 'poof' it was gone and we returned immediately to our standard gray day.  With prescriptions to drop off and prescriptions to pick up at the Walmart Pharmacy, Pheebs and I headed off to Goderich with a few extra stops in mind.  That done, we were home again before noon.  Too windy and freezing cold to set foot out the door again except to top up the birdfeeders.  At the time of posting this tonight the impending winter storm is at our doorstep and it's raining.  When temps drop tonight and that rain turns to snow I fully expect I will be on the end of my snow shovel in the morning. 

 THE ALGOMA INTREPID HAS HER UNLOADING BOOM ARM SWUNG WAY OUT TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE SALT MINE'S BLUE LOADING BOOM TO POUR SALT DOWN INTO THE SHIP'S HOLD

ONLY SAW TWO  LONE PEOPLE OUT  WALKING ALONG THE BEACH BRAVING THIS MORNING'S STRONG  ICY COLD EAST WINDS

Al's Music Box:)) I Remember You  Australian singer Frank Ifield recorded this song in a yodeling country-music style on 27 May 1962.  It was a popular song published in 1941. The music was written by Victor Schertzinger, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The song was originally recorded by Jimmy Dorsey in 1941.  In that year, Mercer began an affair with 19-year-old Judy Garland, while she was engaged to composer David Rose. Garland ended her involvement when she married Rose. In later years, Garland and Mercer rekindled their affair. Mercer stated that his song "I Remember You" was the most direct expression of his feelings for Garland.

 SPOTTED THIS BURST OF COLOR IN WALMART'S PARKING LOT

GROANER'S CORNERBoy Scouts from the city were on a camping trip. The mosquitoes were so fierce, the boys had to hide under their blankets to avoid being bitten. Then one of them saw some lightning bugs and said to his friend,  "We might as well give up. They are coming after us with flashlights.":((

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How do you identify a bald eagle?  All his feathers are combed over to one side.

“A perfect parent is a person with excellent child-rearing theories and no actual children.”

I don't have a swear jar because I don't make enough money to keep up with my mouth.

“Just be good and kind to your children. Not only are they the future of the world, they’re the ones who can sign you into a home.”

If they didn't expect you to dance in the grocery store aisles then why do they play music!!

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I DIDN'T REALLY NEED TO DO THAT, BUT I DID THAT ANYWAY

It was under a cold cloudy sky with a fritter of snow in the air that Richard picked me up this morning.  After tracking down a couple cups of coffee and two carrot muffins at McDonalds in Goderich, we headed out on area roads to see what we could see and what worldly problems needed our immediate attention.  Our travels took us twice through the tiny burg of  Homesville and once through Ben Miller with a slight ricochet later off the north end of Bayfield.  Another few hours well spent.

With these cold, wet, and snowy gray days upon us now the sullen landscape hasn't left me with a lot of photo enthusiasm so again today I have had to rely on our front yard birds, squirrels, and a few Christmas decorations for color.  But hey, the first week of January is already behind us and next month at this time we will nearly be halfway through the shortest month of the year.  And, in late March we will be seeing the first beginnings of Crocus flowers pushing up through the melting snow:))))

With temps a few degrees above freezing, it was a wee smattering of wet snowflakes we had coming down at times this afternoon. (we have a winter storm warning for Friday)  I topped up the birdfeeders and moved a few pounds of wet slushy snow around.  I didn't really need to do that but I did that anyway.  I needed the exercise.  The rest of my day was spent in my sunroom recliner reading.  I am coming down the homestretch of my latest book, 'Two Years Before The Mast'.  It has been a long read and a long arduous two-year voyage from Boston Massachusetts, down around Cape Horn and up along the California coast taking in the ports of San Diego, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.  And then back to Boston again.  One of the nice things about factual books like this is the link of old and new technology.  This story took place in the early 1800s but with each physical place mentioned in their long sea journey, I can sit here in the comfort of my recliner and follow along on my Google Maps.  If the author is describing sailing along the California coast between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles I can zoom in and see the actual coastline they were sailing past.  I use Google Maps a lot of the time when I'm reading books with geographic locations and descriptions.  For example, if I were reading about the Battle of Gettysburg I could fly right down over the fields, forests, and rocks, where the battles took place.  Google Maps sure add a nice touch to reading:))

Facebook threw me a memory for today which led to a few other memories around the same time......It Just Felt Like A Chiricahua Mountain Kind Of Day and A Surprising Visit From The Montana Folks and Destination.....Parker Canyon Lake Arizona

Al's Music Box:)) Pretty Woman  is a song recorded by Roy Orbison and written by Orbison and Bill Dees. It was released as a single in August 1964.  The title was inspired by Orbison's wife, Claudette, interrupting a conversation to announce she was going out. When Orbison asked if she had enough cash, his co-writer Bill Dees interjected, "A pretty woman never needs any money."

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Here are some gift ideas for those special men in your life!  Buying gifts for men is not nearly as complicated as it is for women. Follow these rules and you should have no problems.

Rule #1: When in doubt – buy him a cordless drill. It does not matter if he already has one. I have a friend who owns 17 and he has yet to complain. As a man, you can never have too many cordless drills. No one knows why.

Rule #2: If you cannot afford a cordless drill, buy him anything with the word ratchet or socket in it. Men love saying those two words. “Hey George, can I borrow your ratchet?” “OK. Bye-the-way, are you through with my 3/8-inch socket yet?” Again, no one knows why.

Rule #3: If you are really, really broke, buy him anything for his car. A 99-cent ice scraper, a small bottle of deicer or something to hang from his rear view mirror. Men love gifts for their cars. No one knows why.

Rule #4: Do not buy men socks. Do not buy men ties. And never buy men bathrobes. I was told that if God had wanted men to wear bathrobes, he wouldn't have invented Jockey shorts.

Rule #5: You can buy men new remote controls to replace the ones they have worn out. If you have a lot of money buy your man a big- screen TV with the little picture in the corner. Watch him go wild as he flips, and flips, and flips.

Rule #6: Do not buy a man any of those fancy liqueurs. If you do, it will sit in a cupboard for 23 years. Real men drink whiskey or beer.

Rule #7: Do not buy any man industrial-sized canisters of after- shave or deodorant. I'm told they do not stink – they are earthy.

Rule #8: Buy men label makers. Almost as good as cordless drills. Within a couple of weeks there will be labels absolutely everywhere. “Socks. Shorts. Cups. Saucers. Door. Lock. Sink.” You get the idea. No one knows why.

Rule #9: Never buy a man anything that says “some assembly required” on the box. It will ruin his Special Day and he will always have parts left over.

Rule #10: Good places to shop for men include Northwest Iron Works, Parr Lumber, Home Depot, John Deere, Valley RV Center, and Les Schwab Tire. (NAPA Auto Parts and Sears Clearance Centers are also excellent men's stores. It doesn't matter if he doesn't know what it is. “From NAPA Auto, eh? Must be something I need. Hey! Isn't this a starter for a '68 Ford Fairlane? Wow! Thanks.”)

Rule #11: Men enjoy danger. That's why they never cook – but they will barbecue. Get him a monster barbecue with a 100-pound propane tank. Tell him the gas line leaks. “Oh the thrill! The challenge! Who wants a hamburger?”

Rule #12: Tickets to a football game are a smart gift. However, he will not appreciate tickets to “A Retrospective of 19th Century Quilts.” everyone knows why.

Rule #13: Men love chainsaws. Never, ever, buy a man you love a chainsaw. If you don't know why – please refer to Rule #8 and what happens when he gets a label maker.

Rule #14: It's hard to beat a really good wheelbarrow or an aluminum extension ladder. Never buy a real man a stepladder. It must be an extension ladder. No one knows why.

Rule #15: Rope. Men love rope. It takes us back to our cowboy origins, or at least The Boy Scouts. Nothing says love like a hundred feet of 3/8″ manila rope. No one knows why.

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I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HOBBLE OVER TO THE DOOR

 A PLUMP LITTLE DARK-EYED JUNCO TODAY

Tuesday mornings we usually hear the garbage truck coming along the road first thing in the morning but this was Wednesday and the garbage truck had already been through yesterday.  So, why and what was that sound of a big truck slowly approaching.  Still in our PJ's with laptops in our laps, Kelly peeked out the window and saw a big white truck at our driveway.  'OMG' it must be the truck from London with Kelly's new chair on board.  Being quicker than me, Kelly raced off to her bedroom to change.  Me, well I had no choice but to hobble over to the door and greet the two burly delivery guys in my PJ's.  Good thing they weren't lady delivery drivers or I might have been charged with indecent inconsideration:((   

 KELLY IN HER NEW CHAIR

Al's Music Box:)) Wondering Where The Lions Are is a song written and performed by Bruce Cockburn. The track is from his 1979 album, 'Dancing In The Dragon's Jaws'.  It was Cockburn's only Top 40 hit in the United States, peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it peaked at No. 92 in Australia. While also a Top 40 hit in Cockburn's native Canada, it was not his biggest hit in that country, where seven of his subsequent singles reached higher chart positions. It was, however, named the 29th greatest Canadian song of all time in the 2005 CBC Radio series 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version.

 A TOUCH OF COLOR IN OUR PARK THIS MORNING

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man is recovering from surgery when the Surgical Nurse appears and asks him how he is feeling.  "I'm O. K. but I didn't like the four-letter word the doctor used in surgery," he answered.  "What did he say," asked the nurse.  "Oops!"

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- Stressed is just desserts spelled backward.

- Don't get me candy for Valentine's Day.  I want a 10-piece chicken wings combo.

- The only scenario where you really need a landline today is when you’re trying to find your smartphone.

- The perfect man doesn’t swear, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t get angry, doesn’t drink. He also doesn’t exist.

- The road to success is always under construction.

- “Never criticize your spouse’s faults; if it weren’t for them, your mate might have found someone better than you.”

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IN KELLY'S CASE, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

 CANADA GEESE HEADING WEST ON THE AUSABLE RIVER IN EXETER ONTARIO THIS MORNING

With a Winter weather advisory in place, the day's weather was a bit iffy first thing this morning.  Cold and windy with snow in the morning and rain in the afternoon.  At the time of publishing this tonight, it is pouring rain.  Kelly had a dental appointment in Exeter for 10 a.m. so it was all three of us in the Subaru rolling out our driveway.  Secondary roads were lightly snowcovered and highways were bare with oceans of road salt applied to them.  It was a salt bath for the Subaru all the way there and all the way home again later.

 SOME ROADS HAD A LIGHT SNOW COVER ON THEM

 HIGHWAYS WERE BARE BUT WET WITH MELTING ROAD SALT

After dropping Kelly off at the dental clinic, Pheebs and I drove a few short blocks over to McNaughton Park where we were able to get out for a short walkaround and take a few photos before the cold icy wind drove us back inside the nice warm car.

PHEEBS AND I WEREN'T THE ONLY ONES AT THE PARK

Knowing Kelly's appointment wouldn't be a long one we headed right back to the dental parking lot and minutes later we had Kelly onboard.  A stop at A&W for a couple breakfast wraps and coffees to go and we were on our way.  With snowflakes in the air turning to rain we were home shortly before 11 a.m.

PATIENTLY WAITING OUTSIDE THE DENTAL CLINIC

 YAY, HERE COMES THE BOSS NOW

 AND HERE COMES OUR A&W SNACKS

In my Monday post, I made a little 'ooopsy.'  I had meant to move the last paragraph about Kelly's good news to the top of my post and make it the lead paragraph.  Just another example of my short-term memory letting me down.  Also, one thing I forgot to mention about Kelly's 'good news' phone call Monday afternoon is that her liaison person told her that in Kelly's case, a live liver donor is the preferable way to go as opposed to a cadaver liver.  I think in Kelly's case they realize time is of the essence now.

 MORNING AT OUR HOUSE

 HAVING A BIG SNOOZE

With a cold rainy drizzle going on all afternoon, there was no point in me even sticking my nose out the door except to keep the birdfeeders topped up.  Birdies, Squirrels, and Bunnies have priority.  Yes, you read that right.  Squirrels too.  Luckily this winter so far I have had very few problems with Squirrels getting onto the bird station.    

 KELLY IN HER COLORFUL PJ'S THIS MORNING

Al's Music Box:)) She's Not There is the debut single by British rock band the Zombies, written by keyboardist Rod Argent.  Rod Argent built the lyrics of "She's Not There" from a John Lee Hooker song, whose title – "No One Told Me" – became a part of the opening phrase of "She's Not There". Following an April 29th 1964 performance by the Zombies at St. Albans Market Hall, Argent played the one verse he had written of the song for Ken Jones who was set to produce the band's first recording session. Jones encouraged Argent to write a second verse, intending the band to record it. Argent recalls: "I wrote the song for Colin's range" – referring to Zombies' vocalist Colin Blundstone – "I could hear him singing it in my mind". 

 OUR LAMPOST AT THE END OF OUR DRIVEWAY THIS MORNING

GROANER'S CORNER:(( You might be a redneck if::

- More than one living relative is named after a Southern Civil War general.
- You think the stock market has a fence around it.
- You think the O.J. trial was about the big Sunkist and Minutemaid taste test feud.
- You've ever lost a loved one to kudzu.
- Your boat has not left the driveway in 15 years.
- Your coffee table used to be a telephone cable spool.
- You keep a can of Raid on the kitchen table.
- You've ever used a toilet seat as a picture frame.
- Your home has more miles on it than your car.

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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they are sticking to their diets.

My wallet is like an onion. When I open it, it makes me cry…

 Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.

Of all the dogs, a hot dog is the most noble; it feeds the hand that bites it.

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At a dinner party, several of the guests were arguing whether men or women were more trustworthy.  "No woman," said one man, scornfully, "can keep a secret."  "I don't know about that," answered a woman guest. "I have kept my age a secret since I was twenty-one."  "You'll let it out someday," the man insisted.  "I hardly think so!" responded the lady. "When a woman has kept a secret for twenty-seven years, she can keep it forever."  

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