BLOGGERS ANONYMOUS 12 STEP PROGRAM

ANOTHER COLD AND BLEAK SNOWY MID JANUARY MORNING

Well, we are definitely caught in January's icy grip with our temps starting out today 16F.  It sure doesn't give one much incentive to venture outside but outside Pheebs and I did venture anyway.  Monday we took the Subaru and today the Jeep, just to keep a good charge on both batteries.

 NO THIS ISN'T SIBERIA, IT'S SOUTHERN ONTARIO

 PARK RESIDENT MKE AND HIS DOG ALFIE OUT FOR THEIR DAILY MORNING WALK

 NOT EVEN PHEEBS LIKES THIS COLD WEATHER

 'I DON'T EVEN WANT TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW ANYMORE DAD'

Our dull and gray afternoon was no different than all the previously dull and gray afternoons lately so there isn't much for me to say about that except, 'second verse same as the first'.

 A FEW PICS ALONG THE WAY THIS MORNING

Facebook threw me a January 15th, 2011 memory yesterday which I forgot to include in my Monday post.  Based on the twelve steps of the AA program which I well remember, I revised it a bit and came up with, 'Bloggers Anonymous 12 Step Program'.

 GOLDFINCH

 MOURNING DOVE

 WOULD YOU BELIEVE WE ACTUALLY HAD A WHOLE 30 SECONDS OF SUNSHINE THIS AFTERNOON

Al's Music Box:)) El Paso is a western ballad written and originally recorded by Marty Robbins, and first released on 'Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs' in September 1959. It was released as a single the following month, and became a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, becoming the first No. 1 hit of the 1960s on both. It won the Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Recording in 1961. It is widely considered a genre classic for its gripping narrative which ends in the death of its protagonist, its shift from past to present tense, haunting harmonies by vocalists Bobby Sykes and Jim Glaser, (of the Glaser Brothers) and the eloquent and varied Spanish guitar accompaniment by Grady Martin that lends the recording a distinctive Tex-Mex feel. The name of the character Feleena was based on a schoolmate of Robbins in the fifth grade, Fidelina Martinez.  Members of the Western Writers of America chose "El Paso" as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.  In 1998, the 1959 recording of "El Paso" on Columbia Records by Marty Robbins was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

 HOW NICE TO SEE THIS VIBRANT SPLASH OF COLOR ALONG THE WAY

GROANER'S CORNER:((  One day an employee came in to work with both of his ears bandaged.  When his boss asked him what happened, he explained:  "Yesterday I was ironing a shirt when the phone rang and I accidentally answered the iron instead of the phone!"  "Well," the boss said, "that explains one ear, but what about the other?" "They called back!"

- Only in America...do people buy domestic brand tires, because they want to "buy American," and install them on their imported cars...

- Only in America...do people order double cheese burgers, large fries, and a diet coke...

- Only in America...do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and leave useless things and junk in boxes in the garage...

- Only in America...do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight...

A man received two sweaters for Hanukkah from his mother. The next time he visited her, he made sure to wear one of the two sweaters. As he entered her home, instead of the expected smile, she said, "What's the matter? You didn't like the other one?"

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WITH MY HIP SURGERY LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY

Due to an inattentive brain matter lapse in my photo editing this morning, I lost my dozen or so photos.  It wasn't much of a loss really.  Just more in a series of gray and dull.  I did manage a few front-yard bird photos though later this afternoon.  But, just a few.

 A DARK-EYED JUNCO CONTEMPLATES A BLUE BULB CHRISTMAS LIGHT

 THIS IS THE EAST END OF A BLUE JAY FACING WEST

 BLUE JAYS LIKE CORN

With my hip surgery less than a month away now, things are beginning to ramp up.  I watched this 'What You Need To Know' forty-minute video today.  I recommend it to anyone else out here who may have the same surgery coming up.  Luckily, we already have crutches, a cane, and two walkers.  We will be gathering up the other half dozen or so medical aids beginning this week.  Some stuff we will get for free, some we will rent, and other stuff we will buy.  Physio Therapy following the surgery is already lined up.  We have a pre-surgery appointment at the Sarnia Hospital for the 31st of this month where a lot of instruction will be given in preparation for pre-surgery, surgery, and post-surgery.   

 A MALE CARDINAL

Al's Music Box:((  Since I Fell For You is a blues ballad composed by Buddy Johnson in 1945.  "Since I Fell for You" achieved its highest profile via a 1963 recording by Lenny Welch.  While a student at Asbury Park High School in New Jersey, Welch had served as vocalist with a doo-wop group who performed locally, their gigs including "Since I Fell for You" which Welch knew from its 1954 recording by the Harptones.  After an unsatisfactory rehearsal phase it appeared that the idea of Welch remaking "Since I Fell for You" would be abandoned: however, within a few weeks Welch suggested taking another shot at the song (Lenny Welch quote:) 'Come on, let's try it again'. We went back to the piano and suddenly it just seemed to work.  Archie said: 'We're going to record it'."   It was recorded in an August 13, 1963 session at Bell Sound Studios, Welch's "Since I Fell for You" had within eight weeks of its recording charted on the hit parades of several California markets, already being Top Ten in San Francisco at the time of its debut. 

GROANER'S CORNER:(( I am trying to make friends outside of Facebook while applying the same principles therefore, every day I walk down the street and tell passers-by what I have eaten, how I feel at the moment, what I have done the night before, what I will do later and with whom.  I give them pictures of my family, my dog, and of me gardening, taking things apart in the garage, watering the lawn, standing in front of landmarks, driving around town, having lunch, and doing what anybody and everybody does every day.  I also listen to their conversations, give them the "thumbs up "and tell them I like them.  And it works just like Facebook! I already have four people following me:  Two police officers, a private investigator, and a psychiatrist.

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Why do Morris dancers wear bells?  So they can annoy blind people as well.

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“In order to maintain a well­-balanced perspective, the person who has a dog to worship him should also have a cat to ignore him.” 

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THERE NEVER WAS TOO MUCH DISTANCE BETWEEN GEORGE AND HIS WEBBER BBQ

 A BLUSTERY WINTER'S MORN JEEP RIDE

High winds and blowing snow kept it up through the night and all of today as well.  Pheebs and I ventured out into the countryside but only went around a couple concession roads and headed for home.  Roads and visibility were doable but why bother.  I snapped a few pics along the way for tonight's blog.  Temps were 19F with a windchill factor of only one degree above zero:((

 HEADING EAST WITH THE WIND

Bundled up warm, I did venture outside later to move a bit of snow around.  It's not that we have a lot of snow but I wanted to shovel my paths out, plus the front and rear decks off, and around the birdfeeders.  We signed up last Fall to have a fellow here in our Park plow our driveway and he did that late Saturday afternoon.  It's a big help because with my hip the way it is I didn't want to have to shovel the whole driveway out like I have done other years.

 HEADING HOME AGAINST THE WIND WAS A LITTLE MORE  OF A CHALLENGING

 MY CO-PILOT KEEPS A WARY WEATHER EYE

 SAFELY BACK AT OUR PARK

At this time every year in Quartzsite, Arizona there is the largest RV rally in North America.  Kelly and I have been to maybe five of them but  there was someone else who was faithfully there for many of his RVing years.  You could find him in the big tent, browsing through all the vendors, Silly Al's Pizza, or taking his towing hitch in for servicing.  I am of course talking about a fellow RV and daily Blogger who was everybody's friend, George Yates.  George passed away on January 15th, 2020 and he blogged right up into his final weeks.  George and Suzie could always be found boondocked not far from the festivities.  If you had driven by or dropped in you would probably have found Suzie under her wide-brimmed floppy hat sitting outside under their rig's awning reading while George would have probably been tinkering with something and for sure there wouldn't have been too much distance between George and his Webber BBQ.  George was the driving force behind 'Bloggerfest' for a few years as well.  For many RV folks, Quartzsite at this time of the year just isn't the same without George and Suzie there.  We first met them when they dropped into our boondocking site near Bouse, Arizona years ago and the last time we saw them I think was at Peg Leg Smiths near Borrego Springs, California.  Anyone who had ever met George will never forget his big smile, the always large straw hats and fisherman vest he wore every day.  He genuinely made you feel welcome and you could find his big smile in any crowd.  George's blog was always positive no matter what.  Even 'wonderful' as he would often say.  And he wrote it that way 'because he could'.  I think George left a daily comment on every blog he ever read, mine included.  I, like many others miss that and miss seeing his daily blog popping up on our sidebars.  George's passing left a sad vacuum in Blogland and if there is a heaven I'm sure George is there and was out for another 'walkabout' this morning at his favorite boondocking site in the sky.  All the best George, we all remember you, and thank you for being a positive light in so many people's lives, including mine.  

 GEORGE AT OUR HOUSE IN CONGRESS, ARIZONA

 KELLY, SUZI, PHEEBS, AND GEORGE ARE ALL IN THIS PHOTO AT THE FOOT OF THE WEAVER MOUNTAINS NEAR CONGRESS, ARIZONA

 IT LOOKS LIKE GEORGE AND I ARE COMPARING WAISTLINES HERE AT OUR HOUSE NEAR BAYFIELD ONTARIO

 AT BLOGGERFEST 2 IN QUARTZSITE THIS IS HOW WILL REMEMBER GEORGE

Al's Music Box:)) Black Coffee by k.d. lang is on her 1988 solo debut album, 'Shadowland' which was released in 1988. The album included her collaboration with Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn, and Brenda Lee, on the "Honky Tonk Angels' Medley" that was produced by Owen Bradley who produced Patsy Cline's best-known work.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A group of four-year-olds were being questioned by their teacher in a Sunday School class. Looking across at those bright little faces, the teacher asked this question: "Does anyone know what today is?" A little girl held up her hand and said, "Yes, today is Palm Sunday." "That's fantastic!" the teacher said. "Now does anyone know what next Sunday is?" The sam little girl lifted her hand. "Yes," she said, "next Sunday is Easter Sunday."The teacher was all smiles. "Oh, very good. Now...does anyone know what makes next Sunday Easter?"On a roll the same little girl responded, "Yes, next Sunday is Easter because Jesus rose from the grave." Before the impressed teacher could congratulate her, however, the girl added, "but if He sees His shadow, He has to go back in for seven weeks."-

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What do you call the soft tissue between a shark's teeth?   The slow swimmer.

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A young woman, pursuing a graduate degree in art history, was going to Italy to study the country's greatest works of art.  Since there was no one to look after her grandmother while she was away, she took the old lady with her.  At the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, she pointed to the painting on the ceiling. 'Grandma, it took Michelangelo a full four years to get that ceiling painted.'  'Oh my, 'the grandmother says.
'He and I must have the same landlord.'

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I BETCHA BIG BARKY WAS IN BIG TROUBLE WHEN HE GOT HOME

 THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE OUTSIDE OUR LIVING ROOM WINDOW FIRST THING THIS MORNING

 OUR FRONT PORCH

Somehow, between thunder and rain, the big winter storm missed us in the night but caught up with us this morning with a moderate snowfall and high winds blowing the snow around.  A Jeep ride into Bayfield and back with a few drive-by photos along the way and that was about it.  Oh, we went by 'Big Barky's house but I didn't see Big Barky come flying out the lane to bark at us......well, not until about an eighth of a mile down the country road when there he was running along by my driver's door.  We were only going about 20 mph and he kept running in front of us so I had to slow down and stop several times.  Every time I edged forward he ran right in front of the Jeep as if he was trying to herd us back up the road to his place.  I soon saw a car coming up fast behind us so I pulled over and stopped.  The car pulled up behind me and Big Barky's Mom came racing out of the car to get him.  In the meantime, Big Barky had run around to the passenger side of the Jeep and jumped up to give Pheebs a big smooch.  I did catch a blurry photo a split second after they touched noses.  Big Barky's Mom got him by the collar, and quickly led him back to her car.  I betcha Big Barky was in big trouble when he got home.  And that folks, was the excitement for the day...................   

 THE ONLY PEOPLE WE SAW OUT ON THIS COLD BLUSTERY  MORNING WERE BAYFIELD FOLKS WALKING THEIR DOGS

 LITTLE DID I KNOW WHEN I TOOK THIS SNOWY ROAD PHOTO THAT BIG BARKY WAS IN HOT PURSUIT

 I MISSED THEIR NOSES TOUCHING BY A SPLIT SECOND

 AND THERE'S BIG BARKY'S MOM TAKING HIM BACK TO THE CAR

Al's Music Box:)) Rhythm Of The Rain is a song performed by The Cascades, released in November 1962. It was written by Cascades band member John Claude Gummoe.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Top 10 Signs You Are Too Old to Be Trick or Treating::

10. You get winded from knocking on the door.
9. You have to have another kid chew the candy for you.
8. You ask for high fiber candy only.
7. When someone drops a candy bar in your bag, you lose your balance and fall over.
6. People say, 'Great Keith Richards mask!' and you're not wearing a mask.

5. When the door opens you yell, 'Trick or...' and can't remember the rest.
4. By the end of the night, you have a bag full of restraining orders.
3. You have to carefully choose a costume that won't dislodge your hairpiece.
2. You're the only Power Ranger in the neighborhood with a walker.
1. You avoid going to houses where your ex-wives live.

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You know your getting old...When your son's hair is turning gray.

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