Saturday, May 04, 2024

AND NO, WE DID NOT SEE A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE

 A PAIR OC CANADA GEESE KEEPING THEIR HEADS LOW HOPING PHEEBS AND I WON'T SEE THEM
A mighty fine morning for Pheebs and I on our country road walk.  She was trailing behind so we didn't do our full half-mile.  I think she was glad to get back to the Jeep.  Neither one of us is getting any younger and some days the advancing years make their presence known. 

 SPRINGS FOREST REFLECTIONS IN SWAMPY WATER

 TOUCHES OF COLOR ON THE FOREST FLOOR
 AND THERE'S OLD GATOR JAWS AGAIN
 FOREST FOLIAGE IS FILLING IN QUICKLY NOW
LOOKS LIKE THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF A SPRING CROP
 DANDELIONS IN A FIELD BUT NOT A FIELD OF DANDELIONS
 SO NICE TO SEE ALL THE TREES LEAFING OUT
A swing through our Park before rolling out netted me an additional couple of photos.

 I THINK THESE MIGHT BE CALLED BLEEDING HEARTS
A gloriously sunny day with big blue skies and a temperature cool enough earlier in the morning to allow me to comfortably work outside in the front yard again. My project goals were to move all the rocks I had removed from several flower beds last Fall back into place now that the stone-dust paths were done and to finish mulching the remaining flower beds.  Some of those rocks were big and heavy enough that I had to use a fridge cart to move and maneuver them into place.  All went well and I didn't mash any fingers.

By noon, the heat and humidity were bothering me and draining my energy levels.  But that was okay because I had accomplished most of what I had set out to do this morning.  And Kelly noticed this morning that our Redbud Tree is beginning to show some color.  Oh tis the season to rejoice in the great wonders of Spring:))

 WILD TRILLIUMS IN OUR FLOWER BED
 UP CLOSE WITH A TRILLIUM FLOWER
After a short snooze in my sunroom recliner with a fan blowing directly on me I was revitalized enough to take Pheebs for a walk over to our Park's pond.  Saw one Little Blue Heron, three Painted Turtles, one Frog, two Mourning Doves, and a pair of Canada Geese.  And no, we did not see a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

THE WOODS BESIDE THE PARK'S POND
 A ROBIN ON ALERT FOR WORMS

 MARSH MARIGOLDS AND PERIWINKLE AT THE POND'S EDGE
 PAINTED TURTLES
 I THINK THIS LITTLE CHAP IS DOING THE BREAST STROKE
 AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS LITTLE FELLA IS PUSHING AN AIR BUBBLE ALONG  IN FRONT OF HIM
THIS IS THE FIRST FROG I HAVE SEEN AT THE PARK'S POND THIS YEAR
 YOUNG MAPLE LEAVES
 AND BY GOLLY THERE IS A CAMERA SHY LITTLE BUG HIDING IN THIS DANDELION
Music Box:) Six Days On The Road is an American song written by Earl Green and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio songwriter Carl Montgomery, made famous by country music singer Dave Dudley.  In 1963, the song became a major hit leading to it being hailed as the definitive celebration of the American truck driver.  Six Days set off a vogue for such songs that continued for many years. The trucking songs coincided with country music's growing identification as working man's music in the 1960s for many country music artists and bands.  Dudley "strikingly captures the sense of boredom, danger, and swaggering masculinity that often accompanies long-distance truck driving. His macho interpretation, with its rock-and-roll overtones, is perfect for the song."  Allmusic writer Bill Dahl called "Six Days" the "ultimate overworked rig driver's lament;" indeed, the song's lyrics bemoan highway patrolmen, scale weigh-ins and loneliness for the narrator's girlfriend, and speak of using "little white pills" to keep him awake. Like Malone, Dahl also cited Dudley's voice as perfect for the song, as "his bottomless pipes were certainly the ultimate vehicle for its delivery, reeking of too much turbid coffee and too many non-filtered cigarettes."

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Heard On Noahs Ark::

- "Did anyone think about bringing a couple of umbrellas?"

- "Hey, there are more than two flies in here!"

- "Wasn't someone supposed to put two shovels on board?"

- "OK, who's the wise guy who brought the mosquitoes on board?"

- "Help! I need some Pepto for the elephants, QUICK!"

- "Don't Make Me Pull This Ark Over And Come Back There!"

- "And whatever you do, DO NOT pull this plug out."

AND THE NUMBER ONE THING OVERHEARD ON NOAH'S ARK.....

- "Are We There Yet?"
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- Boss (to the new employee): We are very keen on cleanliness. Did you wipe your feet on the mat as you came in?
New employee: Yes, sir.
Boss: We are also keen on truthfulness. There is no mat.

- My son Luke loves that we named our children after Star Wars characters.  My daughter Chewbacca not so much.

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You might be a Redneck if......
- You can't take a bath in the winter cause the creek is frozen.
- You think "Dueling Banjos" is classical music.
- You refer to the Surgeon General's Warning on a pack of cigarettes as your medical encyclopedia.
- You go to garage sales to shop for Christmas gifts.
- You're 42 and still have clowns come to your birthday party.
- Your husband uses a can of spray paint to paint the upholstery in your car to make it look new.

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Friday, May 03, 2024

SO YA, I'M DOING OKAY FOR A YOUNG FELLA AND I HAD BETTER NOT COME HOME WITH SKUNK CABBAGES

HMMMM, SEEMS TO BE SOMEHING GOING ON AT BAYFIELD'S HARBOR MOUTH
Woke up to the sound of rain on the roof and heard my sore overworked muscles heave a sigh of relief saying, "Yay, we get a break today.  Another part of my brain quickly retaliated with, "Hold on guys, we still have more bags of mulch to pick up this morning".  I heard a collective Booooo!!

 THIS GREEN FROG REALLY LIKES THE NEW BROWN MULCH AND HAS BEEN HANGING AROUND THIS SPOT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS
With a slight drizzle in the air, Pheebs and I headed into Bayfield for a swing down around the harbor and a cruise along Main Street before heading on out to Gold Coast Landscaping.  Knowing right where to park near the pallets of mulch I went inside and ordered me up 7 more bags of brown mulch and a big bag of peat moss.  I'm not at the age and stage yet where I can't do a lot of physical stuff by myself and loading up the mulch and peat moss is one of those stages.  Every time a nearby employee asks, "need a hand with that" I always proudly reply, "no, I'm doing okay for a young fella."  Geeezzzz, just because I have white hair, am stooped over, and wobble a little bit on my feet, doesn't mean I still can't lift stuff!!  I've noticed most of the help offers come from female workers or young guys who probably look upon me as their Grandpa.  I'm from the last vestiges of the old school era where it was men's work to lift heavy stuff and to have a woman lifting heavy stuff for a man would be an embarrassment.  Besides, what would his buddies say if they ever saw him not lifting his own heavy stuff eh!!  So ya, I'm doing okay for a young fella:))

 SOME KIND OF WORK GOING ON ALONG THE SHORELINE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HARBOR 
 TURNS OUT THEY ARE DREDGING A SANDBAR WHERE THE BAYFIELD RIVER EMPTIES INTO LAKE HURON
 I'M ALL LOADED UP AT THE GOLD COAST GARDENING CENTER
On our way home from Goldcoast, Pheebs and I despite the slight drizzle slipped into the Bayfield Cemetery for a walk which we had to cut short when the drizzle suddenly turned to a steady rain.  Home again, I emptied the Jeep of its mulch and peat moss.  With the drizzle not too bad I was able to get a few other things done, and I noticed something while walking across the driveway.  I was moving and walking more fluidly than I had been for quite some time.  My 'ouchy' hardly used Spring start-up muscles were becoming attuned and not hollering at me.  Mind you, I wasn't out long enough or worked hard enough for them to holler, but I definitely did sense an improvement in my short-term aches and pains:))   

 NOW TO UNLOAD IT AND NO THANKS I DON'T NEED ANY HELP....I'M DOING OKAY FOR A YOUNG FELLA:))
A reader's comment in yesterday's post asked the question, "Can you explain what stone dust is? Does it grab onto your shoes to track into the house"?  Here's what I found on the internet....Stone Dust Gravel is also called “crusher run” and works well for the surface of both driveways and walkways. It's made from stone dust fines and crushed stone. The stone dust will settle and become compact to create a semisolid surface that is smooth.  Now, as far as tracking in I would have to say, yes it does but I'm hoping after a few good rainfalls or watering with a garden hose, a lot of the fine dust will settle down through the very fine gravel and not be a tracking-in problem.  We'll see how it goes and I'll let y'all know:)) 

So here's another fine example of how my mind works these days (or probably has always worked as I'm sure some would agree)  We have a spot in one of our flower beds near the front porch steps that would be ideal for a small flowering shrub or dwarf tree.  It's a very shaded area so a couple days ago I went online to see what kind of shrub or small tree would do well in low light.  Out of a half dozen suggestions, I saw a 'Smoke Tree' was one of them.  I've always liked those Smoke Trees so while in the Canadian Tire Store Thursday morning and on the spur of the moment, I took a walk through their garden center.  On the floor in one area sat six or seven potted shrubs so going by I stopped to glance at the labels.  'Bingo', just what I was looking for so I picked it up and proceeded to the check-out, and headed for home.  A couple hours later I got around to thinking about planting my Smoke Tree.  Before doing so I checked the label again to see if there were any extra planting tips and it was at this time that I noticed it said to plant in full Sun.  'What'!!  Back I go to the computer and type in the name of the plant, Dwarf Burning Bush.  Yep, full Sun!!  Well, now I was really confused and a little irate because I was sure it had said to plant it in the shade.  So I mentioned the confusion to Kelly and she kindly, in her normal and patient fashion, (patience is a must in dealing with me) pointed out that what I went to get was not what I came home with.  What!!  So, when she pointed that out, I finally saw my mistake.  At no time at the Canadian Tire store while standing there in the garden center looking at the label did my brain tell me that this Burning Bush I was holding was not a Smoke Tree.  My mind reading the label 'Burning Bush' was delighted it had so quickly found what it was looking for, a 'Smoke Tree'.  Later, the only flimsy excuse I could muster, is that I must have got Burning Smoke and Bush Tree somehow mixed up or something.  Oh my, this aging ordeal is definitely not for the faint of heart and if I plan to plant Marigolds sometime in the future, I had better not come home with Skunk Cabbages!!

OUR SMOKY BURNING BUSH TREE
Al's Music Box:)) Can't Do A Thing To Stop Me is a song by American singer Chris Isaak, released in 1993. It is the first single from his fourth studio album, San Francisco DaysChristopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is not only a singer but also a songwriter, guitarist, and occasional actor. Noted for his reverb-laden rockabilly revivalist style and wide vocal range, he is popularly known for his breakthrough hit and signature song "Wicked Game" as well as international hits such as "Blue Hotel", "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing", and "Somebody's Crying".  With a career spanning four decades, Isaak has released a total of 13 studio albums, toured extensively with his band Silvertone, and received numerous award nominations. His sound and image are often compared to those of Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson and Duane Eddy.  Isaak is closely associated with film director David Lynch, who has used his music in numerous films. As an actor, he played supporting roles and bit parts in films such as Married to the Mob, The Silence of the Lambs, Little Buddha, That Thing You Do, and Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, and starred in two television series: the sitcom, The Chris Isaak Show and the talk show called The Chris Isaak Hour.

 I WONDER HOW THAT DREDGING OPERATION IS AFFECTING THAT LONE FISHERMAN
GROANER'S CORNER:((  There once was a rich man who was near death. He was very grieved because he had worked so hard for his money and he wanted to be able to take it with him to heaven. So he began to pray that he might be able to take some of his wealth with him.  An angel hears his plea and appears to him. "Sorry, but you can't take your wealth with you." The man implores the angel to speak to God to see if He might bend the rules.  The man continues to pray that his wealth could follow him. The angel reappears and informs the man that God has decided to allow him to take one suitcase with him. Overjoyed, the man gathers his largest suitcase, fills it with pure gold bars, and places it beside his bed.  Soon afterward the man dies and shows up at the Gates of   Heaven to greet St. Peter. St. Peter seeing the suitcase says, "Hold on, you can't bring that in here!"But the man explains to St. Peter that he has permission and asks him to verify his story with the Lord. Sure enough, St. Peter checks and comes back saying, "You're right. You are allowed one carry-on bag, but I'm supposed to check its contents before letting it through."  St. Peter opens the suitcase to inspect the worldly items that the man found too precious to leave behind and exclaims, "You brought pavement?!!!"

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Kid: Why is some of your hair white dad?
Dad: Every time you make me unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.
Kid: Now I understand why Grandpa’s hair is all white!

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Tourist: "The flies are awfully thick around here. Don’t you ever shoo them?"
Native: "Nope, we just let them go barefoot."

- What do you call a bee that lives in America?
A USB.
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Several weeks after a young man had been hired, he was called into the personnel manager's office.  “What is the meaning of this?” the manager asked. “When you applied for the job, you told us you had 5 years' experience. Now we discover this is the first job you've ever had.”  “Well,” the young man said, “in your ad you said you wanted somebody with imagination.”

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Thursday, May 02, 2024

I USED UP THE LAST OF MY STONE DUST TODAY AND IT WASN'T QUITE ENOUGH

 AREA FARMERS ARE BUSY ON THE LAND
I can't help but marvel each morning now when I part our living room curtains to see the ever-greening season of Spring unfolding outside.  And, it's a double treat on sunny days with the early morning Sun backlighting all the burgeoning new leaves giving them an almost neon flare.  Such a welcome contrast from just a month or two ago when the last vestiges of a gray Winter still had us all in its lingering icy grip.

 TULIPS ALONG THE ROADSIDE
Pheebs and I headed off to Goderich this morning to look for a few things in a couple stores but with my impatience peaking I never really took the time to hunt them down.  Coffee to go at McDonalds, down to the harbor for a look around, and then a last stop at Walmart for some grocery stuff.  I was anxious to get home and resume my front yard project.

 A COOL BREEZE OFF THE LAKE DIDN'T DETER THESE WALKERS
  I FIGURE THIS COAST GUARD BOAT RAN OUT OF GAS AND THE CREW IS TOWING IT IN WITH THEIR INFLATABLE...HEY, WITH THE PRICE OF GAS THESE DAYS EH
 TWO FISHERMEN DWARFED BY THE LARGEST UNDERGROUND SALT MINE IN THE WORLD
'HEY, ARE YOU CALLING ME A DWARF CAMERA GUY'!!!!

I used up the last of my stone dust today and finished the area in front of our sunroom that I had started late Wednesday afternoon.  However, I am short about 6 wheelbarrow loads to finish a section that I had a picture of in yesterday's post.  I did hold back one wheelbarrow load to use for patching and filling in spots.  Guess I'll have to drop into Gold Coast Landscaping and see if they have such a thing as a half-load delivery.  I also planted a Dwarf Burning Bush today and spread a couple more bags of mulch.  Gonna need some more of that stuff too.  I knew last Fall I was going to need a lot of mulch this Spring and here I am now already needing a lot more mulch this Spring.

With my legs hollering at me that they needed a break I finally pulled the plug and headed inside.  It was already too hot and humid for me anyway and I had to spend some time in the shower again getting rid of the 'clammy icky sticky.  It was later in the afternoon with shorts and a light short-sleeve summer shirt when I decided to take Pheebs for a walk.  Out the door we went and....'Yowzers', despite the Sun shining full blast I couldn't believe how cold it was.  Back into the house for a jacket and Kelly said the day's temperature had dropped to 45F.  Like, did a big iceberg just drift in off the Great Lakes and ground itself offshore at Bayfield's beach or what!!  Add to that a frosty wind chill factor too.  With my jacket zipped up tight, Pheebs and I did make it all the way around the pond.  Needless to say, when we got back I quickly changed into some warmer winter clothes.  Looking ahead at the 14-day weather forecast it looks like we are in for a cold May.  And would you believe that Toronto recorded this past month of April as the wettest April on record.  Crazy stuff going on for sure.   

Al's Music Box:)) Where Have All The Flowers Gone by The Kingston Trio.  This is a folk song written by American singer-songwriter Pete Seeger in 1955. Additional verses were added in May 1960 by Joe Hickerson.   Seeger found inspiration for the song in October 1955 while he was on a plane bound for a concert at Oberlin College, one of the few venues that would hire him during the McCarthy era.  Leafing through his notebook he saw the passage, "Where are the flowers, the girls have plucked them. Where are the girls, they've all taken husbands. Where are the men, they're all in the army." These lines were taken from the traditional CossackUkrainian folk song "Koloda-Duda" (Колода-дуда), referenced in the Mikhail Sholokhov novel 'And Quiet Flows the Don' (1934), which Seeger had read "at least a year or two before". In a 2013 interview, Seeger explained that he borrowed the melody from an Irish lumberjack song with the words 'Johnson says he'll load more hay.' He simply slowed the tune and incorporated the lines into it.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man was speeding down an Alabama highway, feeling secure in a gaggle of cars all traveling at the same speed. However, as they passed a speed trap, he got nailed with an infrared speed detector and was pulled over.  The officer handed him the citation, received his signature, and was about to walk away when the man asked, "Officer, I know I was speeding, but I don't think it's fair - there were plenty of other cars around me who were going just as fast, so why did I get the ticket?"  "Ever go a fishin'?" the policeman suddenly asked the man.  "Ummm, yeah..." the startled man replied.  The officer grinned and added, "Did you ever catch 'em all?"

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- As I watched my dog chasing his tail, I thought how easily dogs are amused...Then, I thought how easily amused I am watching my dog chase his tail.

- If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?  Pilgrims.

- What does a dark cloud wear under its raincoat?  Thunderwear.

- I've used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead.

- Just because nobody complains doesn't mean all parachutes are perfect.

- Singing in the shower is fun until you get soap in your mouth.  Then it's a soap opera.

- A guy walks into bar pulling a long chain.
The bartender asks him, "You come in here every day pulling that chain, why?"
The guy replies, "You ever tried to push one?"

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